FEATURE SENSORS & SENSING SYSTEMS
Sensor Technology’s TorqSense transducers meet the demands of medical applications
could handle multiple products in a variety of different packaging formats at a rate of around 500-2500 units per hour. The
line fills bottles or other forms of container with the compounds, caps them, labels them, groups them into multi-packs, applies outer wrappers and overprints key data such as production date, use-by date, storage, handling and usage instructions, etc. The line can work with two sizes of cap and each one must be tightened to just the right level of torque. So, the packaging line has four capping stations, each of which is fitted with a TorqSense transducer from Sensor Technology working in conjunction with a computer to ensure the correct level of tightness and record the data for traceability records. “The capping process is essentially simple, but you have to allow for a fast cycle time and need to guarantee torque while ensuring total sterility,” said Dean Harper from the company. TorqSense met the design criteria of robustness, simple high speed operation and is non-contact for sterility. In addition, being wireless it does not need to physically contact the bottle caps or shaft of the torque head it is monitoring. The sensor was supplied with the standard TorqView software, which
displays readings in real time and also archives them should analysis or track and trace be an application requirement. For Axis-Shield, the software was required to do two things: run the torque up to a set level within tolerances, and record the actual value achieved. This secures the cap to the bottle at a level of tightness that will ensure security and sterility, yet is at a level that can be opened relatively easily by an adult. The logged values are saved to a hard drive to provide a permanent record for traceability purposes.
UP IN SPACE The space sector is exceptionally demanding, and Kistler has therefore developed a range of sensors specifically tailored to space payload and rocket testing. Rockets are exposed to very high stresses, especially during launch. To prevent malfunctioning during operation, rocket components – and especially rocket engines – undergo extensive testing and inspection. New or modified rocket engines, for example, require testing to ensure that no combustion instabilities will occur. When using liquid propellant, the supply mechanism needs to be characterised and optimised. Measuring the dynamic ignition pressure is essential for a safe rocket launch. Fuel efficiency in solid propellant for solid rockets, or fuel mixture in the case of liquid rockets, is a major concern for rocket engine designers.
Characterising the thrust of the engine itself provides a clear understanding of how much thrust can be produced with a given nozzle design, allowing engineers to compute the specific impulse of the combustion material and study the different phases during the functioning of a rocket engine, such as ignition, burn-in and switch-off. Customer-specific 6-component dynamometers based on piezoelectric technology are often used for such investigations. This approach also provides an in-depth understanding of the
injection and mix of fuel components, ignition time, and combustion. Piezoelectric pressure and acceleration sensors from Kistler span the extreme range of ultra-high temperature stability and dynamics required to tackle the challenges encountered in such extreme thrust chamber environments. Depending on the type of rocket engine, high-frequency dynamic
measurements are of interest during thrust characterization. Force solutions must have natural frequencies of at least 1500 to 3000Hz. Another important measurement in rocket engine testing is static pressure monitoring. Performed on a rocket engine test bench, this process includes monitoring and controlling of propellant flow as well as measuring the static pressure in the combustion chamber. Monitoring and control of propellant flow for liquid propellant rocket engines requires static pressure sensors. To meet demands, piezoresistive pressure sensors from Kistler utilise a cavity-etched, micro-machined, silicon sensing element and are suitable for applications with media that are compatible with silicone oil filled capsules.
SUB SEA SOLUTIONS AND LNG CRYOGENIC TANKS For remote, hard-to-reach and difficult locations, the infinite mechanical life and long-term reliability of NewTek’s LVDT Linear Position Sensors are beneficial, the company explains. One example would be when shutting down a turbine to replace a sensor near steam turbines and valves – where temperatures reach 400˚C. The same could be said for LNG cryogenic storage tanks where LVDTs sit between the inner and outer tank, performing structural monitoring so operators can detect structural shifts or settling. As the space between tanks is sealed and inaccessible due to insulation, while filled with nitrogen at above atmospheric pressure, sensor replacement is difficult and expensive With temperature ratings from cryogenic to 500˚C, these offer high-performance for many years. When using LVDTs for subsea choke position monitoring and subsea
strain measurements, sensor replacement in these remote locations results in considerable work that requires shutting down operations. Constructed of Inconel and exotic materials, NewTek Submersible Position Sensors survive indefinitely in corrosive subsea applications.
ZF Micro-Epsilon
Sensor Technology Kistler
NewTek
https://switches-sensors.zf.com
www.micro-epsilon.co.uk www.sensors.co.uk www.kistler.com/en
www.newteksensors.com
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