Magnetics Business & Technology - January/February 2023 - 6

FEATURE ARTICLE
Magnetoelastic Torque Sensors from MagCanica Provide Secret Sauce for Race Cars &
Aircraft
Magnetoelastic sensor systems from magnetomechanical specialist
MagCanica are bringing improved performance to intense
rotating machinery including high-profile race cars as well as
military aircraft. The company's torque sensors are designed to
provide laboratory-grade accuracy while being able to operate at
extremely elevated rotational speeds of 140,000 rpm and higher.
They have been military-specification certified and put into full
production for hovercraft turboshaft engine sensors for the U.S.
Navy, also flight-tested on helicopter tail-rotors and are in path
towards production with a major helicopter supplier. They have
been particularly successful in the world of motorsport. In 2022,
more than 30 MacCanica torque sensors ran during the famed
Le Mans race and more than 50 were used during the opening
race of the Formula 1 series in Bahrain.
The ability of the MagCanica system is made possible through
its non-contact magnetoelastic technology which eliminates the
use of strain gauges or phase shift-twist measurement and the
various limitations of these methods, the company explains. Basically,
a section of the shaft or ring that torque is being applied
to, is magnetized in a circular direction a single time prior to use
so that it remains circularly magnetized even when no torque is
present. This process is the key to the non-invasive aspect of
the system as the shaft can now act both as a mechanical torque
transmission member and as the primary transducer of the
torque sensor system.
When torque is applied, each of the magnetic domains comprising
the circular magnetization is reoriented in proportion to the
direction and amplitude of the applied torque as a consequence
of a physical principle known as the inverse Wiedemann effect.
Upon application of torque, the cumulative reorientation of each
magnetic domain in the magnetized section of the shaft results
in the formation of an axial component of the circular magnetization,
creating an externally detectable magnetic field emerging
from the ends of the shaft. Due to the linear proportionality
between the torque applied and this external axial magnetic
field, a truly non-contact measurement of the torque is achieved
by simply measuring the intensity of the external magnetic field
using magnetic field sensors and associated signal conditioning
circuitry.
Testing and calibration stand at MagCanica
Testing and calibration are key aspects of the process at MagCanica.
Engineers use an array of sophisticated hydraulic and
electrically powered torque testing cells in their product development.
A
key supplier to MagCanica is PNI Sensor, whose magneto-inductive
sensor technology is integrated into MagCanica's torque
sensor systems for Formula 1 race cars, used in its innovative
driveshaft, clutch shaft and shaft torque sensor systems to accurately
measure both steady-state and transient torque levels,
helping race teams optimize powertrain performance and driveability.
6
Magnetics Business & Technology * January/February 2023
www.MagneticsMag.com
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Magnetics Business & Technology - January/February 2023

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