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Aerospace, Military

Testing Helicopter Blades for Flex

Helicopters are a common sight in the sky and are used for many important tasks.  Rotors are used to provide lift and the large blades on these rotor assemblies often rotate at rates of 300 RPM or higher, depending on the helicopter type.  The rotor blades must be strong, yet flexible – the attack angle… Read More

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Construction, Data Acquisition, University

Window Thermal Efficiency Testing

Energy efficient windows are an important consideration for both new and existing homes. According to the Department of Energy, heat gain and heat loss through windows are responsible for 25%–30% of residential heating and cooling energy use.  One way to improve the thermal efficiency of windows is to use a double pane design.  Two panes… Read More

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Construction, Data Acquisition, Design, Military, Utility

Static Load Structural Testing

Structures that must bear weight or force are tested after construction by applying a static load and measuring the deflection of the structural elements.  The deflections must be within permissible limits to verify that the structure can meet the design limits for both static and dynamic loads.  This application describes how test loads are applied… Read More

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Data Acquisition, Utility

Elevated Highway Column Testing

Elevated highways are common in new road construction.  The road bed is raised above the land surface by columns, or piers, set deep in the ground.  This is advantageous in places where road cuts might be impractical or expensive, or where the local ground will not support the road.  The piers are typically set into… Read More

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Pressure Measurement

Leak Test using Pressure Transducers

Introduction: Leak tests are often performed on manufactured items before shipment to verify pressure integrity.  The most common way of doing this is to pressurize the article, seal it off and wait for some decline in pressure to appear on a pressure gauge.  This is often sufficient when  testing for gross leaks, but not as… Read More

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Aerospace, Automotive, Data Acquisition, Flight Testing, Pressure Measurement

Vehicle Hydraulic Brake System Testing

Automotive braking systems are obviously very important and must be thoroughly tested prior to production.  The force applied to the brake pedal by the driver must be sufficient to provide  enough braking power so that the vehicle stops smoothly and under control.  Validyne model P55 differential pressure transducers have been widely used to measure hydraulic… Read More

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Automotive, Data Acquisition

DAQ Used in Climatic Wind Tunnel for Vehicle Testing

A new model automobile must be thoroughly tested in climate extremes before it is put into production. Will the heater keep the passengers warm in a blizzard? Will the cabin be cool enough in the desert summer? Can the engine cope with temperature extremes? Auto manufacturers now answer all of these questions by placing a… Read More

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Pressure Measurement

Measuring Flow in Liquids with Pressure Transducers

Differential pressure transducers have been widely used to measure flow rate of in-compressible liquids such as water.  The most common method is to measure the pressure drop across an orifice plate in the pipe and calculate the flow rate. An orifice plate is simply a plate installed in the pipe, usually between flanges, that has… Read More

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Pressure Measurement

Measuring the Vertical Hydraulic Gradient in River Beds

Where does the water in a river come from?  The obvious answer is that it comes from upstream, the sum of the waters added by many tributaries.  This is certainly correct – and the largest factor in river flow.  But this is not the only source of water in a river.  Depending on geography and… Read More

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Aerospace, Flight Testing, Oil & Gas, Pressure Measurement, Utility

Tank Level Measurement

Introduction: Measuring the fluid level in tanks is a common requirement for almost every industrial process.  The automatic control of fluids depends on knowing how much liquid is stored in a tank at any given time.  This is used to monitor inventory and control pumps.  This application describes how to use high line differential pressure… Read More