Tachometer

Description
Tachometer (Mechanical)
Description
A tachometer (revolution-counter, tach, rev-counter,
RPM gauge) is an instrument measuring the
rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a
or other machine.[1] The device usually displays the
revolutions per minute (RPM) on a calibrated
analogue dial, but digital displays are
increasingly common. The word comes
Greek (tachos "speed") and
metron ("measure")

motor

from

Tachometers (Figure 2-13) are measuring instruments

that give a
direct and continuous indication of rotary speed in rpm. For submarine diesel
engines, the mechanical tachometers are usually permanently mounted on a
gage board. They are generally driven from the engine camshaft through a
gearing and a flexible shaft. In operation, the force produced by the rotation
is balanced against a calibrated spring or against the force of gravity. Those
used in submarines are usually of the indicator type in which the pointer
registers the rpm at the moment, rising and falling with the fluctuations in
engine speed..
History
The first mechanical tachometers were based on measuring the centrifugal
force, similar to the operation of a centrifugal governor. The inventor is
assumed to be the German engineer Dietrich Uhlhorn; he used it for
measuring the speed of machines in 1817.[citation needed] Since 1840, it
has been used to measure the speed of locomotives.
Components and Parts
Indicator displays rotational speed exerted from the engine camshaft
through the flexible shaft assembly
Flexible Shaft transfers the kinetic energy exerted of the engine shaft to
the mechanical indicator
Engine Camshaft serves as kinetic energy source

Industrial Applications

Tachometers or revolution counters on cars, aircraft, and other vehicles show

the rate of rotation of the engine's crankshaft.
In vehicles such as tractors and trucks, the tachometer often has other
markings, usually a green arc showing the speed range in which the engine
produces maximum torque, which is of prime interest to operators of such
vehicles.
Aircraft tachometers have a green arc showing the engine's designed
cruising speed range.
Tachometers are used to estimate traffic speed and volume (flow). A vehicle
is equipped with the sensor and conducts "tach runs" which record the traffic
data.
In analogue audio recording, a tachometer is a device that measures the
speed of audiotape as it passes across the head. On most audio tape
recorders the tachometer (or simply "tach") is a relatively large spindle near
the ERP head stack, isolated from the feed and take-up spindles by tension
idlers.
On many recorders the tachometer spindle is connected by an axle to a
rotating magnet that induces a changing magnetic field upon a Hall effect
transistor. Other systems connect the spindle to a stroboscope, which
alternates light and dark upon a photodiode.
Usage Instructions
Majority of mechanical tachometers operate in the same principles
which are following;
Principle 1: A Kinetic energy source in the form of rotational
displacements such as engine camshafts serves as the registrants of data
Principle 2: a gear assembly used to transmit the power from the
energy source to the dial
Principle 3: An indicator assembly (dial) registers the actual power
obtained from the source through the gear assembly and displays the
registered data (power) due to the mechanical work performed by the
indicator assembly pushing the dial to move at a scale.
Maintenance and Storage
For Mechanical Tachometers
Maintenance
1.) Proper calibration must be in place
2.) Fasteners properly fastened.
3.) Periodic checking for the presence of destructive and constructive
mechanical and chemical corrosions.
4.) Internal mechanical parts must be periodically properly lubricated.