New Generation of Non-Contact Temperature Measurement for Use in Machinery and Electric Motors

Accurate temperature measurement is of central importance in nearly all areas of mechanical and motor engineering for ensuring operational reliability. It not only provides essential data on the thermal stress of individual components, but also forms an indispensable foundation for the development and safeguarding of thermally stressed systems.

Particularly during the development phase, reliable temperature monitoring protects against overload and potential component failure. Additionally, it enables targeted optimization of system design and drive control under realistic conditions—a factor that remains irreplaceable despite advanced simulation models.

Challenges in Temperature Measurement
The operating environment places high demands on the measurement technology used: temperature measurements must be performed reliably and without interference in confined installation spaces, often in close proximity to thermally critical zones—such as the winding head of an electric motor. The systems used must therefore be miniaturized and integration-ready, while also being resistant to mechanical and electrical interference as well as thermal influences.

Flexible Integration of Rotor Electronics into the Smallest Installation Spaces
MANNER Sensortelemetrie GmbH addresses these challenges with its new generation of telemetry systems. The temperature amplifiers used are based on a highly compact, modular design. By combining several miniaturized amplifier modules, any mechanical form factor can be realized, enabling integration into any motor design. Additionally, the number of measurement channels can be flexibly adjusted for use in highly integrated applications.

Ambient Temperature Resistance of MANNER Sensor Telemetry
It is well known that power density in motors is increasing significantly—and continues to rise. This results in substantial heat exposure for the rotors. MANNER’s sensor telemetry systems are designed to withstand ambient temperatures of up to 200 °C in the rotor electronics.

The proven, robust inductive data transmission method used by MANNER also enables non-contact, wear-free transmission—even in rotating or multi-moving component assemblies. This technology guarantees maximum transmission reliability and flexibility, even in deeply integrated setups with minimal space.

The rotor electronics and the evaluation unit do not need to be paired. Calibration is stored in the rotor electronics, allowing the components to be used universally. This eliminates configuration errors such as incorrect CAN settings.

Technological Features of the New Generation
The current telemetry platform for temperature measurements offers:

• Maximum sampling rates of up to 400 samples/s
• Scalability up to 128 channels in the maximum configuration
• Software-based remote configuration of all relevant rotor parameters, including:
  • Selection of sensor type (thermocouples, PT100, PT1000, strain gauges)
  • Freely selectable measurement ranges
  • Integrated cable break monitoring with configurable response behavior (positive/negative threshold or defined switching point for emergency shutdown)
  • Thermocouple polarity setting

The system itself consists of the strain gauge for torque measurement, the sensor signal amplifier, and the OptiMA evaluation unit. Depending on the installation environment, the desired sensor signal amplifier can be flexibly chosen as an end-of-shaft version or applied on the shaft with a rotor antenna kit.