Strain measurement of moving periodic objects with optical sensors

Measuring the strain of an object provides information about axial loads which it is exposed to. In some applications, this information is wanted not from still-standing, but from linearly moving objects. Measuring the strain of V-belts, e.g., permits investigating the operational behavior of combustion engine belt drives. For this purpose, new noncontact measurement methods using optical sensors are being developed. The sensors detect periodic patterns on the moving object. The strain is determined from a frequency analysis of the sensor signal.