Extreme conditions: Force transducers for space travel

In space, temperatures, pressures and forces will vary from those in the environments we are familiar with. Because of this measurement technology ?up there? is exposed to specific stresses. WIKA has now developed, tested and supplied special force transducers for space travel. These are customer-specific load pins which have now proven themselves on a flight into space.
Space travel is definitely commercialised, and concepts for space tourism are taking shape. In the development departments of the area industry, plans are maturing for new generations of launch vehicles and other transporters for multiple, and thus resource-saving, missions. To create passengers, crew and vehicles safely back again to earth, sophisticated technology, reliable in every situation, is indispensable.
A central role is played by the flight control system, which ensures the correct orientation of the spacecraft for safe missions into space and back. Load pins are critical components because of this. They must measure precisely the forces functioning on the flight control surfaces of the spacecraft. pressure gauge 10 bar are not up to this ? the criteria for spacecraft force transducers are too demanding for them.
Requirements for force transducers in space travel
In the search for load pins ideal for space, an aerospace company had initially enquired with another manufacturer. But this supplier had not been able to meet up with the extraordinary requirements. The load pins would have to:
function reliably at extremely winter (down to -65 �C)
withstand very high loads and be fatigue-proof
have very compact dimensions (the diameter of the measuring bore was just 8 mm)
Many years of experience with load pins and miniaturisation
WIKA has developed and built this version of lots pin for a space mission.
In the end, the drawings, technical data and test requirements finished up at WIKA. Due to their a long time of experience, both with load pins and in addition in instrument miniaturisation, WIKA?s force measurement experts succeeded in developing and manufacturing exactly the products that the client had wanted.
But that was only the initial challenge. The next was to subject the load pins to a variety of tests to assure, with absolute certainty, they would function correctly in space. However, the testing facilities needed for this weren’t available, neither internally nor externally. So how could the extreme operating conditions of the sensors be simulated?
Special test equipment for the space-travel force transducers
There was only one answer: WIKA had to create and build its own special test facility with a heating chamber and an adjustment and calibration machine. It had to be able to:
apply an alternating load of 23,860 kg every seven seconds
maintain an interior temperature of -65 �C
This new equipment ultimately provided proof that the strain pins maintained the mandatory measuring quality, even after 100,000 test cycles at the mandatory low temperature. This was then also demonstrated in the application: The control surfaces of the spacecraft functioned perfectly and enabled a safe flight into space and back.
Measuring solutions for aviation too
As well as space flight, WIKA also serves the aviation industry with specific measurement solutions. One example of this is the development of a force transducer as part of the European ?Clean Sky? programme, which aims to lessen emissions from aircraft. WIKA also supplies DirectDrive pressure gauges for oxygen systems and pressure transducers for ice detection in jet engines.
Note
More info on load pins along with other force measurement technology for extreme conditions, for example ring force transducers and strain transducers, are available on the WIKA website. You may also download a brochure with a compact overview of WIKA?s force measurement technology. Should you have any questions, your contact will gladly assist you to.
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