EMCH361

Mechanical Engineering Lab I

Professor Y.J. Chao

Lecture #11
Fall 2016

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Lab Report Format
…………….
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Include all your raw test data either in Appendix or in

the text

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 Force, Torque and Strain Measurement

• Force – measured by transducer/load cell

(e.g. made of strain gages)
• Strain (change of geometry) – the most
basic
• Strain measurement, how?
• Strain gage
• Electric circuit for strain measurement –
Wheatstone bridge
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 Apply a force –> deflection
Force-displacement relation (elastic)

• An elastic spring
F

• Model (linear): y

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 A spring can be in different shape

• Model

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 Apply a force –> deflection
Force-displacement relation (elastic)
• An elastic spring F

• A uniform bar under tension

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 Apply a force –> deflection
Force-displacement relation (elastic)

• A cantilever beam

K: the spring constant

• An elastic ring

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 Apply a force –> deflection
Conversely, measure displacement -> force
Example : Proving ring
• Using this equation
• Plus a calibration

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 Measuring deflection to determine the applied
force (an uncertainty analysis)
Example 10.3

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Example 10.3

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 Force measurement – Load cells

S-Beam Load Cell

Beam type load cell: measuring the strains at the sensing element when
subjected to a bending force. The strain gages are bonded on the flat upper
and lower sections of the beam at points of maximum strain.
force applied -> deformation -> stress/strains
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• Brief introduction of strains (stress)
• Strain measurement
Electric-Resistance Strain Gage
• Principle
• Construction
• Electric circuit for strain gage measurement
• Applications
• Lab

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Strain and stress

Stress and Strain

Stress: The force per unit area

P

A

A positive sign means a tensile stress and

negative sign means a compressive stress.

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 Table 1 Units of stress

SI units U.S.Customary Units

Force Newton (N) Pounds (lb)
Area Square meters (m2) Square inches (in2)
Stress Pa (= N/m2) Pounds per square inch
(psi)
3 3 2 Kilopounds per square inch
1kPa  10 Pa  10 N / m
(ksi) = 1000 psi
6 6 2
1MPa  10 Pa  10 N / m

9 9 2
1GPa  10 Pa  10 N / m

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Normal Strain under Axial Loading (Uniaxial Loading)

Definition of the normal strain:

the deformation per unit length

( L  Lo ) 
 
Lo Lo
o L

A positive sign means extension and

negative sign means contraction.

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Normal Strain under Axial Loading (Uniaxial Loading)

Ex. Lo = 0.6 m,   150 106 m then   ?

150 10 6 m
o L
   250 10 6 m / m
Lo 0.6m
 250 10 6  250  250

Unit of strain; m/m, in/in, non-dimensional, microstain ()

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Stress-Strain Relation - used to describe material’s
mechanical behavior

ultimate strength

yield strength

Rupture strength

Stress-strain diagram for ductile material (low-carbon) 17

Stress-Strain Relation (for brittle materials)

(e.g. cast iron, glass)

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 Hooke’s Law – linear relation between stress and strain

  E

where
E = modulus of
elasticity
= Young’s modulus
Elastic
Region (unit: Pa, ksi)
(linear)

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 EMCH361

END of
Lecture #11

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