Fundamental noise limit of piezoelectric accelerometer

Since significant progress is achieved in the development of piezoelectric (PE) accelerometers for small signal applications nowadays (for example, piezoelectric seismic vibration sensors), the question about the fundamental noise limit of these sensors becomes vital. The noise of the PE transducer is the fundamental noise limit of the PE accelerometer and should be taken into account if the noise of the electronics is small enough. The two noise sources of PE transducer, the mechanical-thermal noise of the damped mechanical harmonic oscillator and the electrical-thermal noise of the PE element´s material, are analyzed in this paper. The equation of the total fundamental noise limit of the PE accelerometer is presented. This equation can be used for the calculation of the fundamental noise limit of PE accelerometers if their parameters are known or can be obtained by measurement.