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When repairing or loading aircraft, weight distribution and balance are paramount. Measurements have to be taken from several points to make sure proper balance is maintained, and the aircraft can fly safely and efficiently.
The aircraft are raised on several individual jacks that both lift the plane and pull a weight measurement. Strategically placing these jacks ensures even distribution of loads and verifies that repairs do not change the delicate balance. A pressure gauge on the jack is used to display the weight.
Previously, our customer used analog pressure gauges to check measurements. Unfortunately, these gauges are less accurate and difficult to read – particularly underneath an aircraft where...
Part 2 of our series on data logging with the PG10 digital pressure gauge covers data logging based on the sample rate. This allows you to take consistent samples at predefined intervals. Check out the video below:
Many of our customers are managing remote inventories of valuable commodities. There are a number of challenges keeping inventory managers in the dark about what’s really happening to their remote tanks. One of them is abrupt changes that are either unauthorized or unexpected.
Abrupt changes can happen for a few reasons:
First, and easiest, is a tank refill or collection event. When a delivery/pick-up truck services a tank, the transfer of inventory can be difficult to track.
Second, and most difficult, a theft is difficult to swallow. Not knowing about it is adding insult to injury. Suddenly the inventory is missing when needed most. For collection services, an expensive trip to service the tank is wasted.
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Pressure sensors and digital pressure gauges are often subject to large fluctuations in temperature which can lead to decreased accuracy. In applications where maintaining high standards of accuracy is a must, this effect can lead to major issues.
Choosing the Right Pressure Sensor
Elden Tolman, an APG engineer, explains that there is virtually nothing that can be done to correct this problem in the field. Your best defense is to choose the right sensor. Therefore, your pre-purchase research is vital:
Compensation Range
The first step is to determine the range of temperatures for which the pressure transducer must compensate. This is called the instrument’s compensation range.
Be sure not to confuse...
Then you're in luck. The PG10 digital pressure gauge let's you do just that. Currently, we can log the latest 60 readings on the actual gauge. (In the near future, we'll be able to connect the gauge to a computer and log continuously for as long as needed. We're validating that software now. Drop us a line if that sounds interesting to you.)
Anyway, for now, here's how the data logging works on our PG10 digital gauge. Part 1 covers initial set-up. Look for parts 2-4 soon.
There’s an app for that – so to speak. Your APG ultrasonic sensor can be programmed to ignore obstacles close to the sensor, and above the liquid level surface.
To be clear, these obstacles must not block the ultrasonic wave from reaching the real and intended target. In other words, an ultrasonic sensor cannot “see” through an object. However, by lengthening the blanking distance, you can ignore returning sound waves from a nearby obstacle that would otherwise present a false target.
What’s a blanking distance? It is a dead zone programmed...
Not all liquids are created equal. When reading the level of a liquid in a tank or vessel, some liquids are easy to detect while other create a heavy foam or vapors that can cause problems for ultrasonic level sensors.
Ultrasonic sensors use sound waves to measure the level of the liquid. Heavy foam can absorb the sound wave causing false or no readings. While some ultrasonic sensors have different filters and setting to help eliminate the false readings, foam is what it is and will usually win.
Vapors from the liquids can also result in problems for a non-contact sensor. Vapors create different air densities, causing...
There are many who use one of our digital pressures gauges to measure pounds of force in a hydraulic system. This is done by converting PSI to LBS in the custom multiplier menu on the gauge. Once this is done, the pre-existing load in the hydraulics must be cancelled out before taking the critical measurement. Watch the video below to learn more:
The recommendation of a standpipe (or stand pipe) is somewhat common. They are occasionally needed to move an ultrasonic sensor back far enough to compensate for the blanking distance, or to act as a waveguide. They are even used to hold the level sensor perpendicular to the target surface when the top of a tank is not flat.
So when we recommend a standpipe, many often wonder how to it should be constructed and installed. This can be a relativity quick and easy process with a few helpful hints from the experts.
Here are four steps to follow when installing your standpipe:
Ultrasonic level sensors work by measuring the time of flight of a sound wave. The wave must travel in a clear path to and from the top of the liquid being measured in order to provide an accurate liquid level measurement.
As with any wave, the sound pulse generated by the ultrasonic sensor does not travel in a straight line, but rather expands as a function of the distance traveled. As the wave widens, it will bounce off of anything in its path. In many cases this is not an issue, but, occasionally, conditions within the tank or vessel being measured cause sound waves to be reflected from objects or surfaces other than the intended target.
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