TDK Corp. has extended its range of high-temperature microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensors.
The sensor, called Tronics AX0315 T1, is a MEMS accelerometer with a ±14 g input range and a digital interface for measurement while drilling (MWD) applications operating up to 175° C.
The sensor uses TDK’s closed-loop architecture, which the company said enables a 10 times improvement in vibration rectification error compared to traditional open-loop MEMS accelerometers. It is an alternative to quartz accelerometers for inclination measurement in directional drilling tools that operate in harsh temperatures and vibration.
The main applications for the MEMS include:
- Measurement while drilling (MWD)
- Logging while drilling (LWD)
- Directional drilling
- Wireline
Other features of the MEMS sensor include:
- Input range (one axis). ±14 g
- Temperature range: -30° C to 175° C
- Bias residual error over temperature range: 1.7 mg
- Powered lifetime: More than 1,000 hours at 175° C
- Vibration rejection: 20 μg/g²
- Noise density: 10 µg/√Hz
