Measuring acceleration & inclination

Tailgates of motor vehicles can be opened and closed automatically. The tailgate is partly guided by hand up to an opening angle of about 15 degrees and then opens fully automatically. After hitting the stops, the tailgate must not visibly post-oscillate. The high-precision INC5701D inclinometers from Micro-Epsilon are used in order to precisely analyse this opening behaviour. In addition to the INC5701D inclination sensor, the measurement was also carried out using a rotary angle sensor as a reference. The inclination sensor is to replace it. While both systems provide precise and reliable measurement values, the Micro-Epsilon inclinometer provides significant advantages during installation

Aligning solar panels in relation to the course of the sun increases the energy yield, and therefore the effectiveness of a solar panel. Only if the solar panels are always at an optimum angle to the sun, can they achieve their maximum output. INC5701 inclination sensors check the inclination of the solar panels at regular intervals and, thanks to their high angular accuracy and temperature stability, provide reliable results even with large temperature fluctuations.

Fully automated high-bay warehouses often take on enormous dimensions. Lengths of around 80 m and heights of around 50 m can be achieved. Precise alignment of the racks is crucial for the fully automatic supply and removal of the stored goods. These high-bay racks must be precisely positioned vertically, as even small deviations can change the distances to the automated transport systems and therefore cause errors in the storage and retrieval process. For this reason, INC5701 inclination sensors are used, which permanently monitor the stability of the racks in the upper third. Movements and deviations are detected at an early stage and prevent the stored goods from jamming or even falling down.The INC5701 inclination sensors are connected to the control system or a PC via analogue output signals (current and voltage signal) or as RS485 network in combination with the Industrial Ethernet interface modules IF1032 (Ethernet) and IF2030 (PROFINET).

In order to increase the safety of loading wagons, automatic braking systems are used. The brakes are activated if the lateral acceleration of a loading wagon becomes too high due to high speeds and tight curves and if the wagon threatens to tip over. The braking reduces the wagon’s speed and therefore both the lateral acceleration and the risk of tipping over. For electronic braking systems, acceleration sensors from the ACC53 series from Micro-Epsilon are used, which reliably detect the accelerations of the loading wagon.

In rail transport, the new construction and reconstruction of track sections is subject to ever increasing requirements. A faultless track geometry is essential, especially for high-speed lines. In order to ensure this, so-called tamping machines are used, which compact the ballast lying under the sleepers to give the track the necessary grip and avoid positional errors. To evaluate the exact position of the track, precise information about the condition and position of the track in front of the track tamping machine is required. Two INC5701 inclination sensors from Micro-Epsilon record the transverse and longitudinal inclination in a mobile measuring device and transmit this information to the tamping machine driving behind it.

Suction dredgers are seagoing vessels that collect sand and silt from the seabed in order to transport it over long distances. They are used for the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways as well as for land reclamation. On the end of the suction pipe a so-called trailing drag head is connected which is moved along the seabed in order to suck in the sediments. To enable the dredgers to work precisely and to avoid costly reworking, the suction pipes are positioned with high accuracy. For positioning tasks, the precise and dynamically compensated inertialSENSOR INC5701 inclination sensors are used. These sensors are installed in a water- and pressure-tight stainless steel housing underwater on the suction pipe.

In offshore wind turbines, tripods act as the foundation. In order to mount the wind turbine on it, the tripod must be stable and requires precise horizontal alignment. To ensure this, sensors monitor the position during the anchoring process in the water. Therefore, INC5701 inclination sensors are used on the upper end of the tripod to be anchored. The sensors transmit the position value to the ship from where the entire anchoring process is controlled. During the anchoring process, high forces act on both the foundation and the sensors as the tripod is rammed into the seabed using a crane device. The inclination sensors from Micro-Epsilon have a high shock resistance and so can be used even in harsh ambient conditions. Once the foundation has been anchored, the inclination sensors can be removed in order to be reused in the next monitoring task.

Oscillation of the drive train (rotor imbalance, overloading) exceeding the limit values may lead to a failure of components and plant parts. Prerequisite for early recognition of damage and for predictive maintenance is the safe and accurate oscillation measurement of the rotor bearing, gearbox (rolling bearings, gear wheels) and generator. To measure these oscillations, high-precision and temperature-stable acceleration sensors from Micro-Epsilon are used.

A decisive factor for the service life and reliability of an engine is the torsional strength of the engine axle. In order to determine the torsional resistance, INC5701 inclination sensors detect the twisting of the axis at a defined torsion. For this purpose, two inclination sensors from Micro-Epsilon are mounted in a transverse direction at both ends of the horizontally aligned axis. One end of the motor axis is firmly fixed. The other end is subjected to torsion using a hydraulic device. The two inclination sensors continuously record the twisting of the axle in relation to the torsion applied and provide precise measurement results.

Wind turbines are exposed to oscillations and shock loads. In order to avoid damage and expensive downtime, these tower oscillations are monitored. When exceeding limit values, the plant is reliably shut down. From load history, lifetime prediction can be deduced. Prerequisite is the reliable and accurate detection of loads. Inclination and acceleration sensors from Micro-Epsilon detect the tower oscillation to the highest precision. Even with strongly fluctuating temperatures, inclination and acceleration sensors provide reliable measurements due to their excellent temperature stability.

Unscheduled downtime of bearings may induce high costs. However, early recognition of bearing damage allows for maintenance labor to be performed during scheduled standstills while minimizing costs. Acceleration sensors from Micro-Epsilon are used for early recognition of bearing damage. Measuring both static and dynamic accelerations, they are therefore ideally suited to oscillation measurement of bearings with a very low roller speed (≤ 0.2 Hz). Due to good signal-to-noise ratio, high resolution and temperature stability, the sensors are used in measurement tasks for the oil and gas industry, petrochemicals, power generation plants, mining, steel and cement industries and paper manufacturing.