Techs of the Week: Torque and Liquid Level Sensors

The Magtorque sensor provides a simple, low-cost means to monitor torque on rotating elements. It uses a small and magnetoelastic sensor attached to the shaft that is monitored remotely via an inductive pickup. It provides sensitive and repeatable measurements of applied torque without direct physical contact.
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An optical liquid level sensor eliminates the need for encapsulation material to seal the light source, detector, and associated wire bonds within the assembly. Without thermal expansion and contraction of encapsulating material, the operating temperature range is significantly extended. The sensor uses a semiconductor light source and is suitable for extreme operating environments such as industrial, commercial, military, or aerospace.
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Using optical fibers, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found a way to create a sensor that detects the direction from which a sound is coming under water. The new sensor could allow the U.S. Navy to develop compact arrays to detect quiet underwater targets, while also providing unambiguous directional information.

The sensor uses a mechanism inspired by how fish hear under water, and can be modified to measure the water deformation, known as shear, associated with a sound wave — a quantity typically difficult to measure because it requires very sensitive instruments. This new sensor shows promise that it can be successfully modified to detect this acoustic shear, which will enhance the directional information.

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