System and method for sensing torque on a rotating shaft
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorFrederick M. Discenzo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method relating to the measuring of torque in a rotating shaft is provided. An optical torque sensing system comprises a rotating shaft, wherein a sleeve of photo-elastic material overlays a portion of the shaft. A light emitting component delivers light into the photo-elastic material, wherein the light delivered by the light emitting component is directed through the photo-elastic material along an axis of the rotating shaft. A capturing component captures the light that exits the photo-elastic material. The exiting light comprises fringe pattern data, and a computing system computes torsion strain of the shaft based at least in part on the fringe pattern information
Claims11
A system that monitors a structure associated with a motor, comprising:
- a layer of photo-elastic material that substantially surrounds the structure;
- a light source that emits a beam of light into the layer, wherein the light ray travels across the layer, in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the structure;
- a notch that is coated with a reflective substance, wherein the edges of the notch are at an angle to the light delivered by the light source such that light is redirected by the notch in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the structure through the layer;
- a light detector that captures a light ray exiting the layer, the exiting ray having at least one of mechanical degradation and alignment characteristics relating to the structure;
- an analyzer component that analyzes the received ray of light to determine the characteristics of the structure;
- and
- a control component that can implement correction procedures to the structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.