In space, temperatures, pressures and forces will vary from those in the environments we are familiar with. Therefore measurement technology ?up there? is exposed to specific stresses. WIKA has now developed, tested and supplied special force transducers for space travel. They are customer-specific load pins which have now proven themselves on a flight into space.
Space travel is definitely commercialised, and concepts for space tourism are taking shape. In ไดอะแฟรม ซีล of the area industry, plans are maturing for new generations of launch vehicles along with other transporters for multiple, and therefore resource-saving, missions. To create passengers, crew and vehicles safely back to earth, sophisticated technology, reliable in every situation, is indispensable.
A central role is played by the flight control system, which ensures the right orientation of the spacecraft for safe missions into space and back. Load pins are critical components because of this. They must measure exactly the forces acting on the flight control surfaces of the spacecraft. Conventional load pins aren’t up to this task ? the criteria for spacecraft force transducers are too demanding for them.
Requirements for force transducers in space travel
In the seek out load pins suitable for space, an aerospace company had initially enquired with another manufacturer. But this supplier was not able to meet the extraordinary requirements. The load pins would need to:
function reliably at extremely winter (down to -65 �C)
withstand very high loads and become fatigue-proof
have very compact dimensions (the diameter of the measuring bore was just 8 mm)
A long time of experience with load pins and miniaturisation
WIKA has developed and built this version of lots pin for a space mission.
In the end, the drawings, technical data and test requirements ended up at WIKA. Due to their a long time of experience, both with load pins and also in instrument miniaturisation, WIKA?s force measurement experts succeeded in developing and manufacturing the products that the client had wanted.
But that was only the first challenge. The next was to subject the strain pins to a multitude of tests in order to guarantee, with absolute certainty, they would function correctly in space. However, the testing facilities necessary for this weren’t available, neither internally nor externally. So how could ไดอะแฟรม operating conditions of the sensors be simulated?
Special test equipment for the space-travel force transducers
There was only 1 answer: WIKA had to design and build its special test facility with a heating chamber and an adjustment and calibration machine. It had in order to:
apply an alternating load of 23,860 kg every seven seconds
maintain an internal temperature of -65 �C
This new equipment ultimately provided proof that the strain pins maintained the mandatory measuring quality, even with 100,000 test cycles at the required low temperature. This is then also demonstrated in the application: The control surfaces of the spacecraft functioned perfectly and enabled a safe flight into space and back.
Measuring solutions for aviation too
Besides space flight, WIKA also serves the aviation industry with specific measurement solutions. One example of this may be the development of a force transducer as part of the European ?Clean Sky? programme, which aims to reduce emissions from aircraft. WIKA also supplies DirectDrive pressure gauges for oxygen systems and pressure transducers for ice detection in jet engines.
Note
More info on load pins along with other force measurement technology for extreme conditions, for instance ring force transducers and strain transducers, are available on the WIKA website. You may also download a brochure with a compact overview of WIKA?s force measurement technology. If you have any questions, your contact will gladly help you.
Also read our posts
Force transducer: making air traffic cleaner
Force & power ? what actually are they?
Load pins and so on: One product, various terms & areas of application
Anchor force measurement ? a discipline that requires experience
The strain transducer in request