A method determines a thrust force of an aircraft engine that is attached to an aircraft by a force transferring element having a strain gauge for determining its strain state and a temperature sensor for measuring a surface temperature of the force transferring element adjacent to the strain gauge. The method includes: determining the surface temperature; determining a strain of the force transferring element; determining the strain state of the force transferring element based on the determined strain and compensating for temperature effects by taking into account the surface temperature, the compensation of the temperature effects taking into account both static and transient influences; and calculating the thrust force of the aircraft engine from the determined strain state.

One example is test system for testing the propulsion system(s) of vehicles. The test system includes a retention fixture, a linking device, a test logic, a measurement device and a result logic. The retention fixture is for rigidly mounting first and second vehicles to the retention fixture. The linking device links propulsion systems of the first and second vehicles so that the propulsion systems operate a different rates. The test logic subjects the second vehicle's propulsion system to a propulsion test. The measurement device measures at least one parameter associated with the propulsion system of the first vehicle while the first vehicle is subjected to the propulsion test. The result logic determines if the first vehicle under test passed the propulsion test based, in part, on the at least one parameter and generates an indication if the first vehicle passed or failed the propulsion test.

One example is test system for testing the propulsion system(s) of vehicles. The test system includes a retention fixture, a linking device, a test logic, a measurement device and a result logic. The retention fixture is for rigidly mounting first and second vehicles to the retention fixture. The linking device links propulsion systems of the first and second vehicles so that the propulsion systems operate a different rates. The test logic subjects the second vehicle's propulsion system to a propulsion test. The measurement device measures at least one parameter associated with the propulsion system of the first vehicle while the first vehicle is subjected to the propulsion test. The result logic determines if the first vehicle under test passed the propulsion test based, in part, on the at least one parameter and generates an indication if the first vehicle passed or failed the propulsion test.

A weight measuring hitch ball assembly is described. The assembly can include a hitch ball having a ball and a lower portion. The assembly can also include a body portion defining a hitch ball opening that slidably receives the lower portion of the hitch ball. The assembly can further include a load measurement device operably associated with the body portion and the hitch ball to determine a magnitude of a force acting on the hitch ball. Additionally, the assembly can include a retention coupling operable with the hitch ball and the body portion to secure the hitch ball to the body portion. The retention coupling can have a retention protrusion and a retention wall defining at least a portion of a retention opening operable to receive at least a portion of the retention protrusion therein. With the retention protrusion extending into the retention opening, the retention wall can provide a mechanical barrier to the retention protrusion that prevents removal of the hitch ball from the hitch ball opening. The retention opening can be configured to facilitate slidable movement of the hitch ball within the hitch ball opening sufficient to determine the magnitude of the force acting on the hitch ball.

A magneto-elastically-based active force sensor, used with a tow coupling between a towed and a towing vehicle or a coupling between a vehicle body and a suspension of the vehicle, which outputs a signal useful for determining forces acting on the coupling. The outputted force information may be provided by processor-enabled embedded software algorithms that take inputs from the force sensor and other sensors, may be used by one or more vehicle systems during operating of the vehicle, such as engine, braking, stability, safety, and informational systems. The force sensor includes directionally-sensitive magnetic field sensing elements inside the sensor, and shielding may be used around the sensors to reduce the influence of external magnetic fields on the sensing elements. The force sensor may be used with different tow and vehicle weight sensing coupling devices installed on different types of automobile cars and trucks.

Described are various embodiments of an aerodynamic drag monitoring system and method. In one embodiment, a system is described to comprise a motion sensor and an aerodynamic sensor operable to acquire respective sensor values each associated with a respective sensor noise variance, a digital data storage medium having stored thereon a digital motion dynamic model and preset initialization parameters, and a digital data processor operable to iteratively process measured sensor values against the model to output a predicted value for a predicted aerodynamic drag variable over time while accounting for each sensor noise variance.

A method for measuring a thrust margin of a turbomachine, in which data are acquired including the thrust margin which is determined as a function of a specified thrust and a measured thrust, the measured thrust being determined on a measuring bench which includes a bench equipment and on which the turbomachine is, wherein a time evolution of the thrust margin is modelled by at least one linear or affine function which is calculated for at least one determined time interval of the thrust margin, at least one bias of the bench equipment is calculated relative to at least one linear or affine function having been calculated, the thrust margin is corrected by subtracting from it at least one bias of the bench equipment in at least one determined time interval.

The disclosure provides a driving force applied position estimation system that can accurately estimate an applied position of a driving force from an occupant. A measurement system includes a six-axis force sensor provided in a wheelchair, a rotation angle recognition part which recognizes a rotation angle of the six-axis force sensor, and a COP estimation part which estimates a COP that is the applied position of the driving force from the occupant to the wheelchair. The COP estimation part estimates the COP based on a translational force and a moment detected by the six-axis force sensor and based on the rotation angle recognized by the rotation angle recognition part.

The disclosure provides a driving force applied position estimation system that can accurately estimate an applied position of a driving force from an occupant. A measurement system includes a six-axis force sensor provided in a wheelchair, a rotation angle recognition part which recognizes a rotation angle of the six-axis force sensor, and a COP estimation part which estimates a COP that is the applied position of the driving force from the occupant to the wheelchair. The COP estimation part estimates the COP based on a translational force and a moment detected by the six-axis force sensor and based on the rotation angle recognized by the rotation angle recognition part.

The instant invention describes devices and methods of measuring the differential air pressure at numerous representative points across the surface of the sail or sails and providing visual feedback of areas of ideal laminar flow and areas of less than optimal airflow with a calculation of thrust and providing an indication the maximal differential airflow and thrust. The invention utilizes an array of sensors that detect minute variations in barometric pressure and other data on each side of the sail surface. These sensors are connected together to form a network or net across the sail. This connection can be physical, using wires, or it may be wireless, using for example, but certainly not being limited to, Bluetooth LE 5.0 or other wireless topologies or technologies. This can be extended over multiple sails and monitor not only the sail but the interaction of the sails. Finally it can utilize a combination of wired and wireless connections to fit individual situations and can couple with existing terrestrial and satellite ship networks.