prins@cornell.UUCP (10/26/84)
From: prins (Jan Prins)
Is there a way to continuously transduce engine torque somewhere along the
driveline? That information could be useful in an ignition/fuel injection
control system attempting to maximize engine output. A long time ago I
heard of an unlikely scheme involving a photomultiplier and a laser shining
over a driveline component that 'bent' minutely under increasing load.
Does such a device exist? Is it ever used to supply data to an engine
control system? Or are the various other engine parameters (e.g. intake
air mass, air/cylinder temperature, oxygen content of exhaust, detection
of preignition) adequate for indirect determination of output?
With such an input, a digital engine control system (e.g. Bosch motronic)
could lend itself very well to a bit of 'in-the-software' engine tuning
(although you could really wreck things up).
Yann Prins cornell!prins (prins@cornell.arpa
prins@cornell.csnet
prins@crnlcs.BITNET)levy@trsvax.UUCP (11/01/84)
Seems to me the easiest ways would be either to install a pressure transducer in the torque converter (assuming an automatic transmission) or a strain gauge somewhere in the drivetrain upstream of the transmission. Maybe on an engine mount? trsvax!levy
joe@zinfandel.UUCP (12/15/84)
Hi. I suppose that torque could be measured in situ by two magnet and sensors. The magnets would be at opposite ends of the drive shaft rotating past their respective detectors. The RPM of the shaft is avail- able, and by detecting the change in gap between the passage of the two magnets we would have the torsional displacement between the two spots. Given the distance between them on the shaft and the torsional resistance of the shaft cross section we would have both the torque and power output of the system to that point. torque = rotational stiffness * angular displacement ------------------------------------ length power = torque * RPM These would certainly be fun additions to a cars instrument panel. " Cogito ergo Spud. " ( I Think, therefore A Yam. ) Joseph Weinstein Zehntel Inc. (ihnp4!zehntel!zinfandel!joe) P.O. Box 8016 (415)932-6900 Walnut Creek California 94596