Vibration sensor technology, particularly piezoelectric vibration sensors, is extensively utilized across various fields due to their excellent dynamic response, linearity, wide bandwidth, high sensitivity, large temperature range, simple structure, and stable performance. They are widely applied in sectors such as nuclear power, aerospace, rail transportation, and defense industries. However, most piezoelectric vibration sensors are limited to operating temperatures below 500 ℃, which restricts their use in extreme high-temperature environments encountered in nuclear reactors, aircraft engines, missile systems, and internal combustion engines. These application scenarios impose higher demands on the reliability of piezoelectric vibration sensors for long-term service in extreme environments. How to improve the operating temperature of piezoelectric vibration sensors to meet the application needs in extreme environments is currently an urgent problem to be solved.
High-temperature piezoelectric materials, as the core components of piezoelectric vibration sensors, play a decisive role in determining the overall performance of the sensor. Common high-temperature piezoelectric materials include piezoelectric ceramics and single crystals. To ensure stable operation and excellent sensitivity in extreme environments, it is essential to select piezoelectric materials with high Curie temperatures, high piezoelectric coefficients, high resistivity, and low dielectric losses as the sensing elements of the sensor. Piezoelectric vibration sensors typically come in three main types: bending, compression, and shear. In addition to selecting the appropriate piezoelectric material, it is also crucial to choose the optimal sensor structure tailored to the specific application scenario.
Based on the urgent demand for ultrahigh-temperature vibration sensors, this paper primarily reviews the current research progress on high-temperature piezoelectric materials and high-temperature piezoelectric vibration sensors, summarizes the structures, advantages and disadvantages, and application scenarios of different types of high-temperature piezoelectric vibration sensors, explores the current problems and future development trends of high-temperature piezoelectric vibration sensors, and provides ideas for developing the next generation of ultrahigh temperature vibration sensors for extreme environmental applications, which is expected to promote the further development of high-temperature piezoelectric vibration sensing technology.