When the design of a system requires more electrical redundancy to achieve the necessary system reliability, multi-channel LVDTs are the sensor of choice. This is often the case for military fly-by-wire aircraft.
Multiple coil assemblies (each referred to as a channel) may be installed in one housing. The housing with the coil assemblies installed is referred to as the transformer assembly or transformer. Each channel has a separate armature assembly (the core and extension) attached to the common plate. The plate in turn is generally attached via a threaded lug to the target.
To prevent transmitting torque to the extension ends while threading the common plate to the target, the assembly can be designed with precision bearings between the threaded section and the extension rods. This bearing assembly also allows the rotation of the target without imparting a torque into the extension rods and armatures.
Features
- Multiple channel designs (tandem or parallel arrangement)
- Linear displacement from .001″ to 60″
- Stainless steel construction or lightweight aluminum
- Operating pressures up to 10,000 psi (15.000 psi burst pressure)
- High temperature & vibration environments (per MIL-STD 810 or RTCA DO-160)
- High accuracy (± 0.25% full scale)
- Infinite resolution
- Hermetic designs available
- Linearity (± 0.1% full scale)
- Fault detection
- High reliability (700,000 hrs. typical)
Applications
- Flight control actuators
- Valves
- Nose wheel steering systems
- Cockpit controls
- Engine bleed air systems
- Fuel controls
- Fly-by-wire systems
- Brake-by-wire systems
- Environmental control systems
- Also used in Power Turbine Applications