US 11,698,311 B2
Metamaterial based torque and shaft rotational speed sensor
Alexander Schossmann, Graz (AT); Alexander Bergmann, Graz (AT); Franz Michael Darrer, Graz (AT); Dirk Hammerschmidt, Finkenstein (AT); and Christof Michenthaler, Feistritz/Gail (AT)
Assigned to Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed by Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed on Oct. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/509,724.
Prior Publication US 2023/0131760 A1, Apr. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. G01L 3/00 (2006.01); G01L 3/10 (2006.01); G01D 5/48 (2006.01)
CPC G01L 3/10 (2013.01) [G01D 5/48 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A torque measurement system, comprising:
an outer rotational shaft configured to rotate about a rotational axis, wherein the outer rotational shaft is a hollow shaft having an interior volume;
an inner rotational shaft arranged in the interior volume of the outer rotational shaft and configured to rotate about the rotational axis,
wherein the outer rotational shaft is mechanically coupled to the inner rotational shaft at a first coupling location via a first coupling structure, wherein a rotation of the inner rotational shaft causes a rotation of the outer rotational shaft via the first coupling structure,
wherein at least one torque applied to the inner rotational shaft is translated into a first torque-dependent angular shift between the inner rotational shaft and the outer rotational shaft about the rotational axis;
a first metamaterial track mechanically coupled to the outer rotational shaft and configured to co-rotate with the outer rotational shaft, wherein the first metamaterial track is arranged at least partially around of the rotational axis, and wherein the first metamaterial track comprises a first array of elementary structures;
a second metamaterial track mechanically coupled to the inner rotational shaft and configured to co-rotate with the inner rotational shaft, wherein the second metamaterial track is arranged at least partially around the rotational axis, and wherein the second metamaterial track comprises a second array of elementary structures,
wherein the first metamaterial track and the second metamaterial track are mutually coupled to each other by a first torque dependent coupling, thereby forming a first mutually coupled structure;
at least one first transmitter configured to transmit a first electro-magnetic transmit signal towards the first mutually coupled structure, wherein the first mutually coupled structure is arranged to convert the first electro-magnetic transmit signal into a first electro-magnetic receive signal based on the first torque-dependent angular shift; and
at least one first receiver configured to receive the first electro-magnetic receive signal.