Force and Torque measurement

Ankit Patel 090370109063 Electrical 7th sem

Agenda
FORCE MEASUREMENT Introduction Electrical Sensors or Load Cells Types of Load Cells
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Strain Gauge Load Cell Cantilever Type Load Cell Proven rings Type Load Cell Magneto-elastic Load Cell Shear Type Load Cell Hydraulic Load Cell Pneumatic Load Cell Inductive and Reluctance based Load Cell Piezo-electric Load Cell Fibre-optic Load Cell Resonant Wire Load Cell

Agenda
TORQUE MEASUREMENT Introduction Methods for measurement of Torque
1. 2. 3. In-line Rotating Torque Sensor In-line Stationary Torque Sensors Proximity Torque Sensors

Conclusion References

FORCE MEASUREMENT

Introduction
Force can be defined as the cause that produces resistance or

obstruction to any moving body or changes the motion of a body

or tends to produce these effects. The basic principle behind the measurement of force is when a force is applied on an object, the object gets displaced. The amount of displacement occurred can be calculated using the various displacement transducers, and thus force measurement

can be done. This is an indirect method for calculating force.eg.

LVDT

Introduction
Force can be measured directly by Mechanical or Electrical sensors The Electrical Sensors are called Load Cells A Load Cell is a transducer that converts mechanical force into

electrical signals.
There are many different types of load cells that operate in different ways, but the most commonly used load cell today is the strain gage (or strain gauge) load cell.

Types Of Load Cells

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Strain Gauge Load Cell Cantilever Type Load Cell Proven rings Type Load Cell Magneto-elastic Load Cell Shear Type Load Cell

6.
7. 8.

Hydraulic Load Cell

Pneumatic Load Cell Inductive and Reluctance based Load Cell

9.

Piezo-electric Load Cell

10. Fibre-optic Load Cell 11. Resonant Wire Load Cell

Strain Gauge Load Cell

It is an electromechanical transducer that translates the change in force (or weight) into changes in voltage. The change in voltage can be directly calibrated in terms of the force applied. These load cells use an elastic member as a primary transducer and strain gauges as the secondary. The strain gauges can be attached to any elastic member on which

there exists a suitable plane area to accommodate them.

Strain Gauge Load Cell

When steel cylinder(elastic member) is

subjected to a force, it tends to change in

dimension. On this cylinder, if the strain gauges are bonded, the strain gauge also is

stretched or compressed, causing a change

in its length and diameter. This change in dimension of the strain gauge causes its resistance to change. This change in resistance or output voltage of the strain gauge becomes a measure of applied force.

Strain Gauge Load Cell

ADVANTAGES OF USING STRAIN GAUGE LOAD CELL Small and compact Inexpensive Maintenance free Respond rapidly to load variation and hence can be used when the load is not steady.

DISADVANTAGES
Need to be protected from angular load.

Cantilever Beam Load Cell

When force is applied to end of the cantilever, a bending moment proportional to force is developed in cantilever beam. Strain gauges are attached at the top and bottom surfaces of the beam near fixed end. Generally, four gauges are wired in a Wheatstone bridge network such that the system senses the difference in strain between the upper and lower surfaces of the beam. These strains are proportional to the bending moment.

Proven Ring Type Load Cell

They use the principle of Linear varible differential transformer (LVDT) that senses the displacement caused by force resulting in proportional voltage. The proving ring type load cell measures the deflection of a ring in the direction of an applied force. A proving ring has a high degree of precision and accuracy.

Magneto-elastic Load Cell

If an external force is applied on a Ferromagnetic material, there will be a proportional change in the magnetic state of the material. This property was first discovered by James Prescott Joule. The transducer body is formed by bounding the laminated sheets

which is of the magnetic material. To this laminates magnetic

sheets, two holes are made also with a pair which is diagonal to these holes using the drilling machine.

Primary and secondary coil windings are wound through the holes.
They are perpendicular to each other.

Magneto-elastic Load Cell

When force is not applied the permeability of structure will be uniform through out the structure. So their will be no coupling between the coil. So their will be no output. When force is applied, there is a distortion in in flux pattern generated which generates an output signal proportional to applied force.

Shear Type Load Cell

This load cell is a double cantilever beam that is supported at both ends. When force is applied the beam is deformed into a diamond shape, causing tensile and compressive strain accordingly on strain gauges.

The resultant output is measured with a bridge network.

A Shear Load Cell can withstand higher bending moment and is more sensitive than Cantilever Beam Load Cell.

Hydraulic Load Cell

The inside chamber of the device is filled with a liquid which has a pre-load pressure. When the force is applied on the upper portion and this increases the pressure of the fluid inside the chamber. This pressure change is measured using a pressure transducer or is displayed on a pressure gauge dial using a Bourdon Tube.

Pneumatic Load Cell

The working of a pneumatic load cell is almost same to that of a

hydraulic load cell.

The force, whose value is to be measured, is applied on one side of a piston and this is balanced by pneumatic pressure on the other

side.
The pressure thus obtained will be equal to the input force applied. The value is measured using a bourdon tube.

Pneumatic Load Cell

The pneumatic load cell has an inside chamber which is closed with a cap. An air pressure is built up inside the chamber until its value equals the force on the cap. If the pressure is increased further, the air inside the chamber will forcefully open the cap and the process will continue until both the pressures are equal. At this point, the reading of the pressure in the chamber is taken using a pressure transducer and it will be equal to the input force.

Pneumatic Load Cell

ADVANTAGES

Does not cause product contamination because of leakage of

hydraulic fluid. Suitable for use in hazardous or explosive area.

Free from temperature related errors

DISADVANTAGES Air used as the operating medium must be dry enough to prevent

condensation of water vapour.

Inductive and Reluctance based Load Cell

Inductive Load Cell

These devices respond to the weightproportional displacement of a ferromagnetic core. It changes the inductance of a solenoid

coil due to the movement of its iron core.

Reluctance based Load Cell

These devices too respond to the weightproportional displacement of a ferromagnetic core. It changes the reluctance of the air gap.

Fibre Optic Load Cell

In Fibre-Optic Load Cell optical fibre is bonded to the elastic element of a load cell, an applied force will cause changes in elastic element . The change in elastic element will hence result to length changes in the optical fibre.

Resonant Wire Load Cell

The resonant-wire load cell consists of a ferromagnetic wire that is excited

into resonant transverse vibrations by a drive coil.

A pick-up coil detects these vibrations. The resonant frequency is a measure of the tension of the wire and hence, applied force at that

instant.
Advantage of Resonant Wire Load Cell is its direct frequency output

Piezoelectric Load Cell

The piezoelectric crystal sensors being active sensing elements, no power

supply is needed.

The deformation required to generate an output signal is very small.

A pre-tensioned bolt, which allows the measurement of forces in both tension

an compression is used.
Mounting of a load washer in this way is illustrated in the fig. below.

TORQUE MEASUREMENT

Introduction
Torque is a twisting or turning force about an axis, that can be applied in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

Applications for torque sensors include determining the

amount of power an engine, motor, turbine, or other rotating device generates or consumes.

Torque can be measured by rotating strain gages as well as by

stationary proximity sensors.

In-Line Rotating Torque Sensors

Rotary sensors must be mounted on the

shaft, which may not always be possible

because of space limitations. A strain gauge can be installed directly on a

shaft. Because the shaft is rotating, the

torque sensor can be connected to its power source and signal conditioning electronics via a slip ring. The strain gauge also can be connected via a transformer, eliminating the need for high maintenance slip rings.

Magnetostrictive transducers
The ability of a shaft material to concentrate magnetic flux, magnetic

permeability also varies with torque and can be measured using a

magnetostrictive sensor. When the shaft has no loading, its permeability is uniform. Under torsion, permeability and the number of flux lines increase in proportion to torque. This type of sensor can be mounted to the side of the shaft using two primary and two secondary windings.

Proximity Torque Sensors

Proximity sensors also can detect torque by measuring the angular displacement between a shaft's two ends. By fixing two identical toothed wheels to the shaft at some distance apart, the angular displacement caused by the torque can be measured. Proximity sensors or photocells located at each toothed wheel produce output voltages whose phase difference increases as the torque twists the shaft.

Conclusion
Force and Torque Measurement is an important aspect for determining

the amount of power an engine, motor, turbine, or other rotating device

generates or consumes. Hence high accuracy and sensitivity of Torque and Force measuring

instrument is essentially required and so required is the proper selection

of measuring instrument.

References
Dally, Riley, and McConnell, Instrumentation for Engineering Measurements,

Wiley,1993, 2nd Ed, pages 211-47, 253-90.

www.engineering-resource.com Load Cells-An Overview of their Design and Application, By: Kenneth Watkins www.tecsis.de http://www.sensorland.com/HowPage002.html http://www.interweigh.ca/loadcells.htm

The End