TEST TEST TEST - Analyse

An essential element of product development is the testing which establishes the characteristics of the device.  Sometimes the required testing equipment has its own limitations or is too expensive for only limited use.  Tools such as oscilloscopes and DAQ (Digital Acquisition Boards) have many applications and are of great assistance in observing short duration or rare phenomena.  

Simultaneous DAQ boards are nice because they eliminate channel skew but they are more expensive because each channel requires its own A/D converter.  I like Labview but it is frightfully expensive which means it has not been updated for many years.  An additional problem is that the program cannot be downgraded which means if you started with a deluxe-o-matic Suite then the upgrades will approach the cost of purchasing Labview.

It is possible to be creative and resourceful when selecting sensors but often it is a quick and dirty solution that yields the equivalent data.  Non-calibrated equipment can be misleading therefore some reference measurements should be done to develop a "feel" for the measurements.  There is little that is worse than making decisions based on faulty data.

One day I'll be brave enough to look into the new mini computers such as Arduino, Rasberry Pi, etc.  These devices have daughter boards with surprising capacity.  In addition to monitoring the tested device it is possible to also actuate devices.  So far the use of the digital output has only controlled solenoid pneumatic valves and solid state relays.  Not a sign of great imagination!

One handy improvised device was a "Magic Wand" which was essentially a meter stick with a piezzo film bonded card slotted in to the end.  It saved fingers from having mishaps with moving equipment when measuring pump strokes, checking vibrating structures, or simply establishing start/stop time.  An Infrared transmitter/receiver and a 9 Volt battery makes an inexpensive tachometer.  Coils are very handy for measuring current especially when coupled with a data acquisition system.  It is handy to know the start up amperage when testing various rotors and speeds.

The Blower output can be measured in many ways i.e. anemometer, rotameter, venturi but most of them can only be used at relatively low temperatures.  Our high temperature Blower required a metallic venturi which does present some fabrication challenges since the smallest diameter is the furthest from the opening which is not ideal for cutting a smooth wall.

Darn, that was mostly about testing, the analytical part will have to be postponed.

A cup of freshly roasted coffee is a great time saver akin to measure thrice - cut once.