How can I accurately measure tension on a wire for my honours project?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around measuring tension in a wire for an honours project involving a test rig that simulates wave motion. Participants explore various methods to accurately measure this tension, considering both technical feasibility and time constraints.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested, Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests calculating the torque developed by the motor to determine the applied tension in the wire.
  • Another participant proposes using a strain gauge with electronics to measure tension, although they express concern about the complexity of the required circuits.
  • A different approach mentioned involves modifying a digital scale to access its analog output and connecting it to an analog-to-digital converter (A/D) for output.
  • The original poster expresses interest in both the strain gauge and the scale modification but emphasizes the need for a solution that does not consume excessive time due to other project components.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple competing views on methods to measure tension, and there is no consensus on a single approach. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best solution.

Contextual Notes

Participants note potential limitations related to the complexity of electronics involved in some proposed methods and the need for a balance between accuracy and time efficiency.

Who May Find This Useful

Students and researchers working on projects involving tension measurement, wave motion simulations, or related engineering applications may find this discussion relevant.

jhbroch
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Hi, I am currently doing my 4th year honours project and i am having a bit of trouble with one of the aspects of it. i have designed a test rig that simulates the motion of waves and from the test rig i have a wire leading down to an anchor point on the floor (a 5kg weight) , and i need to measure the tension on the wire. From here i plan to use a microcontroller and use fuzzy logic to control a motor which tightens/slackens the wire. I had previously thought i could place the weight on a digital scales with RS 232 output and get a varying weight output from that and then calculate tension but i don't think the output rate of the scales is sufficient. Any other suggestions? all help greatly appreciated!

James
 
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I suppose you could calculate the torque the motor is developing to find the applied tension in the wire.
 
Welcome to PF jhbroch. The first thing I though of was to use a strain gauge (with electronics) to measure the tension. But the circuits involved might be a bit too much. I did some google searching but most hits were for companies selling measuring instruments.

I'm wondering if you might be able to get inside your scale, find the analog output and then hook it to an A/D to create you output?
 
hmmm i might look into that actually. and i think the strain gauge idea might be feasible too, either way i need to figure something out but at the same time not have to spend weeks doing it as i still have the programming aspect of the project too...
 

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