Transense Technologies, Plc

Arthur John Leigh

Raymond David Lohr

Victor Alexandrovich Kalinin

David Daniel George Vile

Mark Lee

John Peter Beckley

Paul Edward Vickery

Paul Joseph Howse

Victor Alexandrovich Kallnin

Alexander Thomas James Stopps

Graham Michael Freakes

Peter John Beckley

George Edward Andrew Bown

Victor Kalinin

A SAW sensor arrangement includes a transducer including a support for supporting a SAW device. The support includes a sensor location part located between two oppositely extending attachment parts. The SAW device is mountable to the sensor location part. The sensor arrangementincludes at least two spaced friction raisers. The sensor arrangement includes a clamp arrangement which applies a clamping force to clamp the sensor arrangement to an item. The sensor arrangement is arranged so that in use each of the friction raisers is located between a different one of the attachment parts and the item.

Saw sensor arrangements

A circular shaft having a platform formed on it by machining a circular flat into the surface of the shaft. A channel extends around the periphery of the circular flat with a depth in the range of 10 to 15% of the diameter of the shaft and in the range of 30 to 50% of the width/diameter of the platform. The width of the platform is 4 to 7% of the diameter of the shaft. A sensor is mounted on the platform, whereby the formation of the platform and surrounding channel reduces the strain arising in the device which is transferred to the sensor.

Apparatus for and method of attaching a strain sensing element to a substrate

Aspects of the present invention are directed to using surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors mounted on a disc coupling component in a powertrain to measure the torque generated by an automobile engine. The sensor may be positioned and oriented on the disc coupling component so that the phase velocities of SAWs propagating through active elements of the SAW sensors are aligned with principal strain components due to torque in the disc coupling component. The torque may be calculated by determining the difference between resonant frequencies of the active elements to suppress common-mode interference factors. In addition, SAW resonant frequencies may be communicated in a non-contacting manner by utilizing rotary and stationary couplers employing radio frequency (RF) signals. Moreover, SAW sensors may be activated and interrogated by employing targeted RF pulses having different carrier frequencies at or near respective resonant frequencies of each resonator in a SAW sensor.

Torque measurement within a powertrain

A SAW based pressure sensor having a basewith an apertureformed therein and a substratemounted on the base so as to completely overlie the aperture. The substrateis adhered to baseso as to form a fluid tight seal around the periphery of the aperture. A first SAW resonatoris mounted on the substratewholly within the region overlying the aperture, with two further SAW resonatorsbeing mounted on the substrate wholly within a region which is stiffened by adhesion to the underlying base, such that the two further SAW resonatorsare completely decoupled from the strain field arising in the substrate due to deflections thereof.

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) based pressure sensor

A method is provided for measuring torque in a shaft of a drive line including a disc coupling component such as a flexplateor a flanged coupling, as well as a drive coupling system for carrying out the method. The disc coupling componentis connected between a drive inputand a drive output so that all torque transmitted between the input and output passes through said component. The disc coupling componenthas a radially extending portion, which may include a plurality of spokes, to which is attached a SAW based strain sensor which communicates with a stationary couplerfastened to an engine blockfor wireless transmission of data from the sensor, the strain sensor measuring the strain in the disc coupling componentfrom which the torque carried in the input shaftmay be calculated.

A pressure monitor has a base and a lid secured to the base to define a substantially fluid tight chamber. At least part of the lid is flexible and forms a diaphragm which deflects responsive to changes in fluid pressure surrounding the monitor. A projection provided on the diaphragm transmits movement thereof to a distortable substrate located within the chamber. A first SAW device is mounted on the distortable substrate, and at least a second and third SAW device are mounted within the chamber. The second SAW device carried on a reference substrate section has its direction of propagation inclined at an angle to the direction of propagation of at least one of the first and third SAW devices. This way movement of the diaphragm induced by a change in pressure in the zone surrounding the monitor results in distortion of the distortable substrate, which is measurable by the SAW device mounted thereon, without distorting said reference substrate section.

Pressure monitor incorporating saw device

A pressure monitoring device includes a rigid base () which has secured thereto a lid () to define a hermetically sealed chamber (). The lid () is of flexible metal material and the major surface (A) of the lid forms a diaphragm which will deflect in response to changes in the pressure surrounding the device. A substrate () upon which a plurality of SAW devices are laid down is supported on a rigid frame (A) of the base so that the central region thereof is unsupported between edges (). A dimple () is formed in the lid () and presses on a central region of the substrate (). Changes in pressure will accordingly cause distortion of the central region of the substrate. The end regions () of the substrate () carry further SAW devices so that, by analyzing the changes in characteristics of all the SAW devices a temperature compensated indication of pressure change, together with an indication of absolute temperature, may be provided by interrogating the SAW devices. The base () and the lid () are preferably both of metal alloy and may be secured together by soldering. Antennae associated with the SAW devices may be laid down as tracks on the surface of the base ().

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Banbury, United Kingdom

Arthur John Leigh