Drilling dynamometer: flexure-based hall-effect torque and thrust measurement

The problem

Industrial automation and control are crucial processes across a variety of industries, from automotive to aerospace to agricultural manufacturing. Smart drilling solutions with in-process torque/thrust measurement are needed in a variety of manufacturing industries as assemblies become ever larger and more complex. Current dynamometers, however, are often prohibitively expensive, utilize too much power, or are too low-fidelity to provide key capability improvements.

The solution

Researchers at the University of Tennessee have developed a flexure-based torque and thrust drilling dynamometer making use of Hall-effect sensors for calculation purposes. The novel dynamometer is low-cost and has comparable measurement capability/error rates to commercially available rotating dynamometers commonly used in industry.

Benefits

• Maximum percent difference of 8.2% for torque and 7.9% for thrust force when compared to commercially available rotating dynamometers.
• Low cost – roughly $650 supply cost per unit.
• Unique multi-sensor design provides linear response over the full sensor range with rejection of undesired structural dynamics.

Patent status

Patent Pending