Sensor Flange Flexures for Thermal Stress Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transducers in sensors experience stress due to mechanical distortion and differential thermal expansion between the transducer and its case, leading to reduced accuracy in measurement signals.
Innovation Solution
The use of stress-relieving flanges that are statically coupled to the case and flexibly coupled to the transducer, featuring radially extending flexure elements that absorb thermal stresses, allowing the transducer to remain fixed axially while flexing radially, thereby reducing movement along the input axis and improving sensor accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the transducer is rigidly mounted to the case, then the structural stability is improved, but thermal stresses from CTE mismatch cause warping of measurement components and reduced accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting flange incorporates flexure elements that act as flexible mechanical components, allowing the flange to deform elastically in response to thermal expansion differences between the case and transducer. This flexibility absorbs thermal stresses while maintaining secure mounting, preventing warping of measurement components and preserving sensor accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting flange is designed with controlled mechanical properties that allow it to change its effective stiffness based on thermal conditions. The flexure elements enable the flange to be rigid under normal operating conditions for stable mounting, while becoming more compliant under thermal stress to accommodate CTE mismatch without transmitting damaging forces to the transducer.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple interfaces are used between the transducer and mounting structure, then adaptability and ease of assembly are improved, but the number of stress transmission paths increases, reducing measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting flange integrates multiple mounting interfaces and attachment points into a single monolithic structure. This consolidation reduces the number of separate interfaces between the transducer and mounting structure, minimizing the number of stress transmission paths while maintaining adaptability and ease of assembly. The unified structure ensures consistent stress distribution and reduces cumulative alignment errors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances the accuracy of sensors by minimizing the impact of thermal stresses on measurement components, ensuring precise and stable alignment of the transducer within the case, and reducing misalignment and frequency response errors.
Implementation Method 1
the transducer and the case may have different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) that result in different amounts of expansion in response to a temperature change
Implementation Method 2
Each flexure element is configured to flex in a radial direction perpendicular to the input axis and remain fixed in an axial direction parallel to the input axis
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure describes a sensor that includes a transducer, a case, and a mounting flange. The transducer defines an input axis. The case is configured to house the transducer. The mounting flange is statically coupled to the case and flexibly coupled to the transducer. The mounting flange defines an opening and includes a plurality of flexure elements extending radially into the opening to contact the transducer. Each flexure element is configured to flex in a radial direction perpendicular to the input axis and remain fixed in an axial direction parallel to the input axis.