ABDULQADIR LAKDAWALA

EA-
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MEFGI
Tachometer
• Tachometer is used for measuring rotational speed
• Can be used to measure speed of a rotating shaft
• Can also be used to measure flow of liquid by
attaching a wheel with inclined vanes

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 What Are the Different Types of Tachometers
Classification of tachometers:
• Mechanical Tachometers
• Revolution counter
• Hand speed indicator
• Tachoscope
• Centrifugal tachometer
• Resonance (vibrating read) tachometer

• Electrical Tachometers
• Eddy current or drag cup tachometer
• Tachogenerator (DC and AC)

• Contactless electrical Tachometers

• Magnetic pickup tachometer
• Photo-electric tachometer
• Stroboscope

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• Tachometers can also be classified on the basis of data
acquisition –contact or non contact types

• They can also be classified on the basis of the

measurement technique – time based or frequency
based technique of measurement

• They can also be classified as analog or digital type

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Mechanical Tachometers

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 Revolution counter
• Revolution counter is used to measure an average of rational
speed instead of instantaneous rotational speed.
• It consists of a worm gear that is usually attached to a
spindle. It has two dials, an inner one and an outer one.
• The inner dials represent one revolution of the outer dials and
the outer dials represent on revolution of the spindle.
• The tachometer has a stopwatch attached to the revolution
counter and is used to indicated time.
• These are limited to low speed engines and measure
satisfactory upto 2000-3000r.p.m.

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Revolution counter

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 Hand speed indicator

• Hand Speed Indicator has an integral stopwatch and

counter with automatic disconnect.
• The spindle operates when brought in contact with
shaft.
• Counter does not function until start and wind button is
pressrd to start watch and engage the clutch.
• The instrument indicates average speed over short
interval in r.p.m .

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Hand speed indicator

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 Resonance (vibrating read)
tachometer
• In Vibrating Read Tachometers a series of consecutively
timed steel rods are used to determine speed on basis of
vibrations created by machine.
• One end of rod is fixed to a base which is kept in
contact with any non-moving part of machine and
other is attached to calibrated scale.
• These can be used in speed range of 600-10000 rpm .

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Resonance (vibrating read)
tachometer

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Electrical Tachometers

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Eddy current or drag cup tachometer

• An eddy-current tachometer uses the interaction of the

magnetic fields generated by a permanent magnet and a
rotor, whose speed of rotation is proportional to the eddy
currents generated.
• The currents tend to deflect a disk, which is mounted on
the shaft and restrained by a spring, through a certain
angle.
• The deflection of the disk, which is rigidly connected to
a pointer, is indicated on a dial.

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Eddy current or drag cup tachometer

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 Comparison Between Analog and
Digital Tachometers
Analog Tachometer Digital Tachometer
• Has a needle and dial • Has a LCD or LED
type of interface readout
• No provision for storage • Memory is provided for
of readings storage
• Cannot compute average, • Can perform statistical
deviation, etc functions like averaging,
etc

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 Classification Based on Data
Acquisition Technique
• Contact type – The wheel of the tachometer needs to be
brought into contact with the rotating object
• Non Contact type – The measurement can be made
without having to attach the tachometer to the
rotating object

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Classification Based on Measurement
Technique
• Time Measurement – The tachometer calculates speed by
measuring the time interval between the incoming pulses
• Frequency Measurement – The tachometer calculates
speed by measuring the frequency of the incoming
pulses

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 Comparison Between Contact and
Non Contact Tachometers
Contact Type Non Contact Type
• The tachometer has to be in • The tachometer does not need to
physical contact with the be in physical contact with
rotating shaft the rotating shaft
• Preferred where the
• Preferred where the tachometer needs to be
tachometer is generally fixed mobile
to the machine • Generally, laser is used or an
• Generally, optical encoder / optical disk id attached to
magnetic sensor is attached to rotating shaft and read by a IR
shaft of tachometer beam or laser

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 Comparison Between Time and Frequency
Based Measurement
Time Based Frequency based
• The tachometer • The tachometer
calculates speed by calculates speed by
measuring the time measuring the
interval between pulses frequency of pulses
• More accurate for low • More accurate for high
speed measurement speed measurement
• Time to take a reading • Time to take a
is dependant on the reading is
speed and increases independent of speed
with decrease in speed of rotation
• The resolution of the
tachometer is • The resolution of the
independent of the tachometer depends on
speed of the the speed of the
measurement rotating shaft
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RPM-METERS IN AIRCRAFTS

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 How ToChoose aTachometer?
• Accuracy
• Precision
• Range
• Acquisition Time
• Contact type / Non Contact type
• Portable / Fixed
• Digital / Analog
• Cost

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Calibration
• Why calibrate?
• Wrong calibration = Wrong readings
• Calibration compensates for ageing, wear and tear and
other degrading effects
• How to calibrate?
• Calibration is done by comparing the reading
from tachometer to a standard speed
• Necessary changes are made so that the actual
reading matches the desired reading

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