A rotational speed and/or rotational angle detection unit for detecting a rotational speed and/or a rotational angle of a shaft, in particular a crankshaft, of a working device, in particular a vehicle, that is drivable by muscular power and/or by motor power about a rotational axis of the crankshaft, and designed with a surface structure that is materially and/or magnetically formed on a surface of the crankshaft, and a sensor unit that is designed to detect a magnetic field carried by the shaft and by the surface structure.

An apparatus and a computer-implemented method for generating pulses synchronized to a rising edge of a tachometer signal from rotating machinery are disclosed. For example, in one embodiment, a pulse state machine may be configured to generate a plurality of pulses, and a period state machine may be configured to determine a period for each of the plurality of pulses.

A top drive system comprising a drilling rig, and a top drive unit operatively associated with the drilling rig. The top drive includes a top drive housing, and a rotatable member having a first member portion within the top drive housing, and a second member portion extending outward from the top drive housing. There is a sensor assembly disposed within the top drive housing, the assembly comprising a sensor configured to provide an output signal associated with an at least one parameter of the top drive. The first member portion is configured with a profile sensed by the sensor assembly.

A top drive system comprising a drilling rig, and a top drive unit operatively associated with the drilling rig. The top drive includes a top drive housing, and a rotatable member having a first member portion within the top drive housing, and a second member portion extending outward from the top drive housing. There is a sensor assembly disposed within the top drive housing, the assembly comprising a sensor configured to provide an output signal associated with an at least one parameter of the top drive. The first member portion is configured with a profile sensed by the sensor assembly.

A shaft monitoring system includes a rotatable shaft having a target element coupled thereto that rotates along with the shaft. A proximity sensor is located adjacent to the target element. The proximity sensor measures an inductance of the target element based on one or both of a volume of the target element and a distance between the target element and the proximity sensor, and generates a proximity sensor output signal based on the measured inductance. A signal processing system determines at least one of a position of the shaft, a rotational speed of the shaft, and a rotational direction of the shaft based on the proximity sensor output signal.

A shaft monitoring system includes a rotatable shaft having a target element coupled thereto that rotates along with the shaft. A proximity sensor is located adjacent to the target element. The proximity sensor measures an inductance of the target element based on one or both of a volume of the target element and a distance between the target element and the proximity sensor, and generates a proximity sensor output signal based on the measured inductance. A signal processing system determines at least one of a position of the shaft, a rotational speed of the shaft, and a rotational direction of the shaft based on the proximity sensor output signal.

A ferrite core coil device as a sensing element for a sensor device determining a rotational speed of a metallic rotatable object includes a coil having a first sector and a second sector and a ferrite core holding the coil. The ferrite core has a shape of a disk lacking a disk sector and defined by a contour of the disk and a chord of the disk. The chord forms a bending edge of the ferrite core. The first sector of the coil is not arranged on a bed of the ferrite core and the second sector of the coil is arranged on the bed. The first sector is bent around the bending edge at a bending angle with respect to the second sector.

A ferrite core coil device as a sensing element for a sensor device determining a rotational speed of a metallic rotatable object includes a coil having a first sector and a second sector and a ferrite core holding the coil. The ferrite core has a shape of a disk lacking a disk sector and defined by a contour of the disk and a chord of the disk. The chord forms a bending edge of the ferrite core. The first sector of the coil is not arranged on a bed of the ferrite core and the second sector of the coil is arranged on the bed. The first sector is bent around the bending edge at a bending angle with respect to the second sector.

The invention relates to a device, an arrangement and a method for characterizing the torsion, rotation, and/or positioning of a shaft by generating a periodic magnetic field of a magnetic field generator disposed between at least two magnetic field detectors by applying a periodic exciter signal. The field is modified by the shaft and induces an output signal at each of the magnetic field detectors. The difference with respect to amplitude or phase between the exciter signal and the first output signal is detected as a first measured variable and between the exciter signal and the second output signal is detected as a second measured variable. The total of and/or the difference between the first and the second measured variables is calculated, and the torsion, rotation, and/or positioning of the shaft is characterized based thereon.

An apparatus comprises a first substrate and two coils supported by the first substrate and arranged next to each other, the coils configured to each generate a magnetic field which produces eddy currents in and a reflected magnetic field from a conductive target, the two coils arranged so their respectively generated magnetic fields substantially cancel each other in an area between the coils. One or more magnetic field sensing elements are positioned in the area between the coils and configured to detect the reflected magnetic field.