Magnetoelastic Torque Sensor for Rotorcraft Powertrain Applications

"Torque is a very useful parameter for health and usagemonitoring, and electronic control, of engines and transmissionsacross a variety of land, air, and sea-based vehicles such asautomobiles, helicopters, hovercraft, tanks, and unmannedvehicles. Magnetoelastic polarized band technology is a novelmethod of torque sensing currently being developed by MagCanicathat provides a wireless signal while maintaining superiortorsional stiffness, low mass, and packaging flexibility. DuringPhase I of this SBIR program, MagCanica has proven thefeasibility of this new type of torque sensor for turboshaftengine applications, by successfully implementing the technologyon a T-700 helicopter engine output shaft. The significantweight and cost reductions, and long-term rotorcraft safetyenhancements that can be achieved by the U.S. military throughthis new torquemeter, make the outcome of a Phase II SBIR programnot only very interesting but also very relevant to themilitary's propulsion technology plans. The excellentpreliminary results achieved in Phase I suggest great promise forthis technology's use, not only for the T-700 application, butfor aircraft powertrain applications more generally, eg. the RAH-66 Comanche tail rotor driveshaft, the VTOL Joint Strike Fighterlift fan rotor shaft, and V-22 Osprey tilt rotor engine outputshaft.BENEFITS: The Phase I program has demonstrated the very real prospect of greatly enhanced performance as compared wit