Design of a compact six-component force and moment sensor for aerodynamic testing

Abstract

The measurement of steady and fluctuating forces acting on a body in a flow is one of the main tasks in wind-tunnel experiments. Usually, a multi-component strain gauge force and moment sensor (also known as balance) is used to generate signals which are processed by means of an adequate instrumentation. To design a wind-tunnel balance, the specifications of the load ranges and the available space (for the placement of the balance inside or outside the model) are required. The main challenge is to conceive the elastic element of the sensor as a monolithic part with a relative simple geometry and to identify the adequate placement of strain gauges to maximize the measuring sensitivities and to diminish the inter-influence of the components. This paper describes the design of a six-component force/moment sensor which is compact, has high measuring sensitivities, and can be used either as internal or as external balance in the aerodynamic testing.