Monday, July 21, 2014

Pitot-Static Systems: Core Concepts (Part 1)

plane1

It is common knowledge that the field of discipline that Laversab deals with is abstruse to the layman – with such specialized knowledge being too much for an individual to comprehend all at once. For this, it's believed that it would be of great value to take the time to explicate and define some of the main core concepts involved in Laversab's line of work. Below is listed a set of definitions for terms and concepts that must be known by those working in the industry. To develop a certain degree of competence, one must start from the base – to first introduce the main, rudimentary concepts – and then build up to the more technical, complex concepts afterward. Please, do not expect to get through every single term today. These core concept articles are going to broken down into small, bite-sized chunks. That may indeed be a good thing, as listing them all at once may be information overload.

Aeuronautics

What is aeronautics? A nominal definition, based on the Greek root words, would tell us that aeronautics has something to do with the “navigation of the air.” And why? Because in ancient Greek, the term āēr means “air” and the term nautikē means “navigation.” Now, a more formal definition would go something like this: the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets with the atmosphere. Sounds like a mouthful, doesn't it? Well, if you're looking for a simpler definition, “the science or practice of travel through the air,” should suffice.

The term “aeronautics” is often used interchangeably with "aviation", but one must be technical here in making one distinction between the two. “Aeronautics” includes lighter-than-air craft – like airships, as well as ballistic vehicles. “Aviation,” on the other hand, does not. To grok what apitot static tester is, both terms should be firmly understood first.

Aviation

So if you've got the concept of aeronautics well understood, then chances are you would be able to define “aviation” with little effort. But for those who would still like to flesh out the concept – to make sure that they have it down to the tee – one must take the time to define the term.

“Aviation” is the practical aspect or art of aeronautics, being the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft (heavier than-air aircraft). The word actually comes from the Latin word “avis,” meaning “bird.”

Okay, so chances are you already were aware thatLaversab aviation was in the Aviation Systems industry. If you didn't know what aviation meant, now you know. But where to go from here? What other concepts must one familiarize himself with in order to better understand what Laversab is all about? The number of directions that one can go from here are limitless.

Pitot-static System

A pitot-static system is a system of pressure-sensitive instruments that is most often used in aviation for the purposes of determining an aircraft's velocity, Mach number, altitude, and altitude trend. The main parts that make up a pitot-static system are: the pitot tube, the static port and the pitot-static instruments. This equipment measures the forces that act on a vehicle as a function of the temperature, density and pressure. It also measures the viscosity of the fluid in which it is operating – something that is incredibly important and must not be overlooked. Laversab has its own set of pitot-static system equipment – cream of the crop stuff; the highest quality systems out there at the moment.

Airspeed Indicator

This instrument is connected to both the static and the pitot pressure sources. There is a difference between the pitot pressure and the static pressure. That difference is called dynamic pressure. When there is more dynamic pressure, the airspeed reported will be higher. A traditional mechanical airspeed indicator has something known as the pressure diaphragm. The pressure diaphragm is connected to the pitot tube. The case that surrounds the diaphragm is actually airtight. This is crucial; it has to be airtight for everything to function properly. As the speed increases, the ram pressure also increases. This causes for more pressure to be exerted on the diaphragm - which will require larger needle movement through the mechanical linkage.

No comments:

Post a Comment