ME CHANICAL MEASUREMENTS

STRAIN-GAUGE DYNAMOMETERS AS P R E C I S I O N

M E A N S OF M E A S U R E M E N T

(UDC 681.2:531.781)

V. I Sobolev

Translated from I z m e r i t e l ' n a y a Tekhnika, No. 12,

pp. 19-22, December, 1965

Electrical methods for measuring nonelectrical quantities are beginning to be used in the testing practice of
recent years in their new role of precision measurements. In particular, satisfactory results are obtained by using
the strain-gauge method for measuring forces. Transducers of force of the strain-gauge type can provide measure-
ments under certain conditions with errors not exceeding 0.1-0.2%. High precision is obtained by using compensa-
tion measuring circuits.

Strain-gauge transducers are characterized by three main sources of errors, consisting of the imperfection in
the cement and the sensing e l e m e n t ' s elastic properties, of temperature effects, and of varying conditions in apply-
ing the force and the effect of transverse forces.

The l i m i t a t i o n of the effect of the first two sources of errors has been studied and reported in literature to a
considerable extent. Let us, therefore, e x a m i n e the errors due to variations in the application conditions of the
force and the effect of transverse forces.

The conditions of applying the effective forces to the transducers in the course of their use do not remain c o n -
stant, thus producing errors, A transducer, which is considered as a statically d e t e r m i n e d system, is submitted in a
general case in the course of its use to the effect of the measured force as well as of its concomitant bending m o -
ment and transverse force. The bending moment is due to the eccentricity of the measured force application. The
resulting reactions produce bending deformations across the operating section of the sensing e l e m e n t . In order to
compensate for the effect of bending deformations, the wirewound strain gauges PTP (Fig. 1) which form the oppo-
site arms of the bridge are cemented symmetrically with respect to the sensing e l e m e n t ' s axis. However, complete
compensation is attained only when the algebraic sum of bending deformations is equal to zero at symmetrical
points of the sensing e l e m e n t ' s surface; the strain gauges are located strictly symmetrically and the opposite arms
of the bridge have the same sensitivity to deformation. In fact, none of the a b o v e - m e n t i o n e d conditions are ob-
served to the full extent, and its model provides only the first approximation.

In a more rigorous analysis the transducer should be considered as a statically i n d e t e r m i n a t e system whose
applied forces are distributed along the area of contact surfaces. Its model consists of a short round rod one of whose
end faces rests on a large-diameter base and the other is subjected to a longitudinal force applied with a certain
eccentricity through a sphere (see Fig. 1). The outline of its contact stresses at the top and bottom faces is neither
plane nor coaxial. It reflects the effects of the bending moment due to eccentricity, the sagging of the upper face
under the concentrated load, and the presence of tangential components. The latter arise because the base, which
is more rigid, prevents transverse deformation of the rod. The value of tangential components is indeterminate,
since it depends on the friction forces of the surfaces. Variations in the positions of the sphere, transverse forces,
the placing of the rod on a base with a different rigidity, and the pollution of the contact surface, all this leads to
changes in the stress diagram. This can be observed, owing to the a b o v e - m e n t i o n e d indeterminate nature of t a n g e n -
tial components, even when the rod is replaced in the same position on the base for a second time, It is important
for the model under consideration that its middle-part stress diagram, which is determined by the e n d - f a c e d i a -
grams, also deviates from flatness and coaxiality. It follows from the above that variations in the application c o n d i -
tions of the load (distribution of efforts along the contact surfaces) lead, in a general case, to middle-section stress-
diagram changes for which the sum of deformations at symmetrical points on the model surface does not r e m a i n
constant and, hence, the signal in a pair of symmetrical wirewound strain gauges does not remain constant either.

II13
 ; 4 3 g

f
t

FTP
Fig. 2

The above-mentioned circumstances lead to the fact that

L the design of the transducer on the one hand should tend
to preserve constant application conditions of the m e a -
sured load, and on the other should ensure a sufficiently
flat and coaxial stress diagram in the operating section.
Fig. 1
Invariable conditions in applying the load require
a constant operation axis of the measured force. T h e l a t t e r
is best attained by transmitting the force to transducer
head 1 (Fig. 2) through a power contact between the head
and a sphere. The position of the sphere is fixed by means
of a centering housing. Tests have shown that the trans-
_ _ 0 /~
mission of the force through a power contact between a
tapering indentation and a sphere reduces the stability of
the transducer.

Transverse forces arise in the majority of cases as

the result of deformation and skewing of the conjugate
structures under the effect of the measured force, and they
do not operate independently. Their effect, therefore, is
Fig. 3
usually l i m i t e d by using a moving bearing (ball or roller).
In cases when the e l i m i n a t i o n of transverse forces requires
insignificantly small displacements of the transducer, the measured force can be transmitted through a sphere placed
between the plane surfaces of the head and supporting structure 2 (see Fig. 2). The sphere is placed inside an elastic
centering housing 4 which allows s m a l l transverse displacements of the sphere in its rubber rings 3.

In order to obtain a plane and coaxial stress diagram across the operating section it is necessary for the base
and the head of the transducer to be adequately rigid. Therefore, it is important to have a monolithic base, opera-
ting part and head. The production of the power unit in the form of several components reduces sharply its metro-
logical properties as a result of the unstable conditions for transmitting the force through the contact surfaces. The
stress diagram approaches an ideal condition when the ratio of the operating part length of the converter to its dia-
meter is increased up to a certain limit.

A plane and c o a x i a l stress diagram does not by itself solve the problem of the bending moment effect. Let us
study this question for a t y p i c a l transducer design with a hollow rod. As a measure of the bending force effect we
shall consider the e c c e n t r i c i t y of the measured load application. In case of a deviation from symmetry in the
cementing of the wirewound strain gauge, the bending moment produces an error due to uncompensated signals from
segments 1 and 2 (Fig. 3). In the first approximation the m a x i m u m value of the relative error is represented by
expression

8
~1-- 9 ~ . e~ 9 m , (1)
D2 - - - 2 s

where D is the external d i a m e t e r of the sensing element, S is the operating cross-sectional area of the sensing e l e -
ment, ~ is the linear deviation of the strain gauge from a s y m m e t r i c a l position, e 1 is the e c c e n t r i c i t y in the a p p l i c a -
tion of the measured load P, and m is the part of the total bridge signal corresponding to a single strain gauge of the
pair under consideration.

1114
 e t 0, e: s, o

ig/sP~ J@~

o.ee1~~ g Fig. 5

In passing to quantitative determination let us as-

sume tolerance for g to be 0.5 ram, and the value of el to
be henceforth n o m i n a l l y equal to I ram. Figure 4 shows
0 3 10 D, c m the relationship 6 t = f(D) with S - c o n s t for 3.2 and 25 ton
Fig. 4. @ &', and ~j are errors of a 3.2 ton trans- transducers with an operating stress of ~ 3 . 1 0 8 N/m 2 and
ducer; ~[', ~', and ~ ' are errors of a 26 ton m = 0.38; It will be seen from the graphs that in passing
transducer. from a solid to a hollow cylinder the error is reduced
sharply. By assuming that S = vat and D = const we arrive
at the conclusion on the basis of (1) that a t depends but little on S, that is, on the measuring range, since

DII~ .s>~
In the presence of eccentricity e2 between the outer and inner surfaces of the sensing e l e m e n t (see Fig, 3) the
bending moment effect produces an error as a result of the fact that the neutral axis O of the sensing e l e m e n t is dis-
placed with respect to the external surface axis 01 and the bending stresses at symmetrical points of the external
surface differ in value. The m a x i m u m value of the relative error in this case is represented by expression

4S
D2__,
7~
62 : 4meje~ (2)

For a quantitative estimation let us assume tolerance for e4 to equal 0.05 ram. Figure 4 shows relationship
= f(D), from which it will be seen that 6z, which arises in passing from a solid to a hollow rod, increases with a
rising diameter up to a certain value. By assuming that S = var and D = const we find from (2) that by reducing S,
i.e., by adopting transducers with a shorter measuring range,the value of 6z increases.

For a difference in the sensitivity of the opposite arms of a bridge the error due to the bending m o m e n t has a
m a x i m u m value determined from expression

D
~a = 4el 0 m -
(3)
D2 2 s '

where | is the relative difference in the sensitivity of opposite arms. The appearance of this error is due to several
reasons. Wirewound strain gauges can differ by their strain-sensitivity coefficient and by the thickness of their
cemental base. Differences | produced by these factors in the sensitivity of arms lie in the range of 1~ When the
bridge arms are shunted by the balancing circuit resistors (Fig. 5) the sensitivity of the arms is reduced. In this case

r
where Rsh is the shunt resistance. The same thing occurs in compensation circuits whose bridge operation
Rsh'

is compensated by shunting the arms (see below). In compensation normally r <0.01. The same relationship
Rsh
can be provided in the balancing circuit. Figure 4 shows the relationship 6a = f(D) for t~ = 0.01, from which it will
be seen that the transition from a solid to a hollow rod sharply reduces the value of ~ . At the same time an analy-
sis of (3) shows that for D = const the value of 8a depends but little on S, i.e., on the measurement range.

1115
 The t o t a l error due to the bending moment is determined by the sum of errors 61, 6a, and 63 considered as
random quantities. An analysis of the graphs leads to the conclusion that for a certain optimum value of diameter
D the t o t a l error assumes a m i n i m u m value. By increasing the diameter (passing to a hollow rod) up to an optimum
vaiue it usuatly becomes possible to reduce by a considerable factor the error as compared with a transducer Which
uses a solid rod, It will also be seen from the graphs that the total error increases Witll a reduced measuring range.
For measuring ranges below 3 tons the total error becomes appreciable from the point of view of precision measure-
ments, For this reason it is advisable to make transducers for small measuring ranges in the shape of a ring,

Figure 8 shows the circuit of a laboratory precision strain-gauge dynamometer. The transducer bridge signal
produced by the measured force is balanced by setting with the rough and precise galvanometers G 1 and G2 an appro-
priate shunt consisting of class 0.05 resistance box B across a bridge arm. Each resistance of the shunt corresponds to
a given Value of the measured force; The scale factor of the sensitive galvanometer type GOERZ amounts to 0.01%
of the m a x i m u m measured force, This circuit takes full advantage of the transducer's high precision, its t e m p e r a -
ture error is compensated according to [ t ] by means of the heat-sensitive resistor r b, The testing of a dynamometer
comprising two rod-type 9 ton transducers and one r i n g - t y p e 3.2 ton transducer carried out at the VNIIKS (All-Union
Scientific-Research Institute of the State C o m m i t t e e of Standards, Measures and Measuring Instruments) by means of
a reference dynamometer DOG10 produced the foilowing results. In the course of repeated calibrations in the for-
ward and reverse directions carried out over several days, the deviations of the calibration data from their mean
arithmetic values did not exceed 0.03% of the m a x i m u m load for ring transducers, and 0.0~/-0,08% for rod trans-
ducers. The deviation values thus obtained are of the same order as the variations of dynamometer DOG10 which
were e~vatuated by the VNIiKS at 0.06%, thus indicating that the actual deviations were even smalier. Repeated
measurements of the dynamometer carried out after a lapse of 9 months showed that the differences in the two c a l i -
brations did not exceed 0,1%.

Another variant of the same circuit provides a u t o m a t i c balancing of the measured signal by means of a shunt
consisting of 12 resistors which form a series with a multiple of two. The selection of the shunt is controlled by a
signal from the null detector, The signals indicating the switching in or out of each resistor forming the required
shunt are controlied by a 12-digit binary code. The value of the shunt determines the measured force. The error
contributed by the discrete nature of balancing does not exceed 0.05% of the measured vaiue in the range of 28-
100% of the fuli scale,

The experience in developing precision strain-gauge dynamometers has shown that they are just as precise as
the best dynamometers of the nonelectrical type. At the same t i m e the advantages of art e i e e t r i c a l measuring
method make them very promising for the future.

LITERATURE CITED

1, V. I. Sobolev, Izmerit. tekh., No. 8 (1982).

2. Yu. M. Bazzhin, Priborostroenie, No. 8 (1962).

1116