Instrumentation

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Aa 6.1.5 MEASUREMENT OF TORQUE
Torque is the torsional moment which tends to twist a body, such as ashaft creates an angular
displacenment when turning about its axis of rotation. It is measured by various methods. The strain
gauge torque meter is explained below :
Strain Gauge Torque Meter
Fig. 6.13 shows the construction and working principle of strain gauge torque meter to measure
torque of a rotating shaft by means of clectrical method. Four wire strain gauges are attached to a
torsion bar in pairs diametrically opposite gauge precisely at 45° with the shaft axis so that two
strain gauges are subjected to tensile stresses while the other two experience compressive stresses.
When the shaft is under torsion, gauges l and 4 elongate under tensile component of shear stress on
one diagonal axis while gauges 2 and 3 contract due tocompressive component of shear stress on
the other diagonal axis. Four slip rings are used for strain gauge transducer, two for power and two
for output signal. These conducting rings are attachedto the shaft but insulated from it are connected
to cach of the bridge terminals. The rubbing contact made between the rings and stationary brushes
are connected to the input and output equipment.
Shaft

R2 /R4 R2
Axis of 45°
Strain
rotation 45° gauges
R15 R3
R1

R3 R,

Hil
Fig. 6.13. Strain gauge torsion-meter.
A6.1.6. TRANSDUCER
The transducer converts the signal from one physical form into an other proportional form. The
conversion of one form of energy into another form takes place with the help of transducer. Most of
the transducer convert electrical energy into mechanical displacement or non electrical physical
quantity into electrical signal.