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The flow sensor is used for sensing the rate of flow of the fluid used, such as fuel for a fuel
control system like a gas turbine engine. It is placed in a conduit, such as that on a flowmeter. When the fluid
enters the conduit, it will turn a small turbine blade. The Fuel Control Sensor will be able to
sense each revolution of the blade, as the blade crosses the magnetic field of the sensor. The number/speed of the
blade revolutions are then translated into the amount of fuel flowing through the conduit.
Learn About Our Fuel Control Sensors
Industries
Fuel control sensors can be found in a number of industries, including oil and gas flowmetering,
where the fuel is tracked as it moves through appartus in the oil fields and oil refineries. It is also used in
aerospace applications, for example to control fuel flow levels on a jet airplane engine. In critical applications,
the fuel control sensors can often be design as dual windings in order to provide redundancy.
Design Considerations
Due to the nature of the application, fuel control sensors are most often designed to be able to
withstand immersion in fuel or other liquids. The sensing front is typically sealed with stainless steel, and the
remainder of the sensor is either hermetically sealed, or encapsulated with an epoxy. In addition, temperature is
often a consideration. For example, in oilfield applications as well as aerospace there are typically temperature
changes. In the case of the oilfields it can be from the extreme outside temperature changes; in the case of aviation
it is also from the environment, but it is due to the difference between a plane sitting on the tarmac and the the
temperature at 10,000 feet. In both cases, it is necessary to carefully consider the environment that the fuel
control sensors will be used in to select the correct speed sensor. |
