The present application discloses implementations that relate to devices and techniques for sensing position, force, and torque. Devices described herein may include a light emitter, photodetectors, and a curved reflector. The light emitter may project light onto the curved reflector, which may reflect portions of that projected light onto one or more of the photodetectors. Based on the illuminances measured at the photodetectors, the position of the curved reflector may be determined. In some implementations, the curved reflector and the light emitter may be elastically coupled via one or more spring elements; in these implementations, a force vector representing a magnitude and direction of a force applied against the curved reflector may be determined based on the position of the curved reflector.

This disclosure relates to a torque sensing system. The torque sensing system comprises a rotatable shaft (102) having a first part and a second part, the shaft comprising a spring structure (122) between the first and second part; a first readout structure (130) connected to the first part, the first readout structure (130) comprising first position indicators, and a second readout structure (132) connected to the second part, the second readout structure (132) comprising second position indicators; a detector system for detecting the first and second position indicators and generating a first detection signal indicating respective passing times for the first position indicators and a second detection signal indicating respective passing times for the second position indicators; and a processor. The processor is configured for determining an angular position of the first readout structure (130) occurring at a particular time instance based on a detected passing time of at least one first position indicator on the first readout structure (130) and on a first relation between angular position of the first readout structure (130) and time around said particular time instance; and determining an angular position of the second readout structure (132) occurring at the particular time instance based on a detected passing time of at least one second position indicator on the second readout structure (132) and optionally based on a second relation between angular position of the second readout structure (132) and time around said particular time instance; and, determining an angle of twist at the particular time instance based on the angular position of the first readout structure (130) and the angular position of the second readout structure (132), the angle of twist being associated with a torque applied to the first and/or second part of the rotatable shaft (102).

The present disclosure relates to subterranean drilling, and more particularly to tools, systems, and methods used to measure torque applied by subterranean drilling machines, such as iron roughnecks, during the make-up and break out of drill pipe connections. Articles, systems, and methods herein relate to embodiments of a torque measuring tool including: a torque shaft; a torque sleeve; an upper torque arm; a lower torque arm; and a force sensor; wherein the torque shaft is disposed in the torque sleeve; wherein the upper torque arm is coupled to the torque sleeve; wherein the lower torque arm is coupled to the torque shaft; and wherein the force sensor is coupled to and disposed between the upper torque arm and the lower torque arm.

The present invention relates to a power transmission apparatus capable of measuring torque and a power generation apparatus using the same, and more particularly, to a power transmission apparatus capable of measuring torque and a power generation apparatus using the same which includes a disk-shaped outer body that receives power from the outside, an inner body that is coupled to the inside of the outer body, and at least one load cell formed between the outer body and the inner body.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method and an apparatus for acquiring curvature and torsion using an inexpensive sensor medium. Disclosed is a measurement apparatus including a fiber ribbon including a plurality of coated fibers arranged in parallel, a strain measurement unit that measures strain amounts of the plurality of coated fibers, and an arithmetic processing unit that calculates curvature and torsion of the fiber ribbon using a strain amount of a coated fiber arranged in a middle portion of the plurality of coated fibers and a strain amount of a coated fiber arranged in a marginal portion of the plurality of coated fibers.

An assembly for measuring torque and/or axial load for capping heads includes a containing body torque and/or load sensor housed within the body, and an interface that connects a capping head to the body. The interface is coupled to the torque/load sensor to transfer torque applied on the interface to the torque sensor and/or to transfer load applied on the interface to the load sensor. The interface has a first part fixedly constrained to the capping head such that the first part is brought into rotation and/or translation by the capping head, and a second part coupled to the torque sensor for transferring a torque thereto and/or to the load sensor for transferring a load thereto. The torque and/or load are applied by the first part to the second part and the first part transfers a torque to the second part in the absence of a reciprocal contact.

Device and method for measuring contact force exerted by an object on a probe comprising a lever and said probe for contacting the object is provided. The lever is pivotably coupled to a body by a coupling module. The device comprising a fixed frame coupled to the body. The body is designed to be moved with respect to the object to put the probe in contact with the object to create force pivoting said lever with respect to the body around a pivot axis. The device comprising a sensor for measuring displacement of the lever with respect to the body upon pivoting. The coupling module comprises control stiffness module, so that when the probe contacts the object, the displacement of the lever is proportional to the force exerted by the probe on the object. Such control stiffness module is tunable so that accuracy and sensitivity of measured force is controlled.

A torque detection device includes a base, a load sensing member, a push member, a transmission module, and a drive module. The push member has a first extension wall and a second extension wall. The transmission module includes two adjustable transmission sets each including a torque transmission part. The torque transmission part respectively rests on the first extension wall and the second extension wall of the push member. The torque transmission part of the transmission module applies a force to push and press the push member reciprocatingly. The push member transmits the force of the torque transmission part to the load sensing member which cooperates with an electronic device to measure the maximum static friction torque of a detected workpiece.

The present disclosure relates to a boots damage detection apparatus and a method. More specifically, the boots damage detection apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a transmitter that transmits a command current for a movement to a first rack position or a second rack position; a receiver that receives a rack position to which a movement is performed in accordance with the command current and a rack force corresponding to the rack position from a plurality of sensors; and a determiner that determines damage/non-damage of boots based on a first rack force corresponding to the first rack position and a second rack force corresponding to the second rack position.

A cable tension calculation method simultaneously considering the sag, inclination angle and bending stiffness includes: querying basic parameters of a stay cable according to design data and construction data; considering influences of the sag, the inclination angle θ and the bending stiffness EI, to calculate dimensionless parameters γ, ε and λ.sup.2; testing an acceleration response of the stay cable by an acceleration sensor, to identify a frequency ω of the acceleration response of the stay cable, further calculating a dimensionless frequency {circumflex over (ω)} of the stay cable and the dimensionless parameters γ, ε and λ.sup.2, and substituting the dimensionless frequency {circumflex over (ω)} of the stay cable into a vibration characteristic equation, to establish a function relation between the dimensionless frequency {circumflex over (ω)} and a cable tension H* of the stay cable; and solving a root of the vibration characteristic equation, and identifying the cable tension H* of the stay cable according to the root.