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Design and Characteristic Analysis of Cross-Capacitance Fuel-Level Sensor.
Jing Yu1, Hang Yu2, Dongsheng Li3
1School of Metrology and Measurement Engineering, Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China. yujing88@cjlu.edu.cn.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|November 21, 2018
Summary
This study introduces a new single-tube cross-capacitance fuel-level sensor for spacecraft. The high-precision sensor offers excellent linearity, repeatability, and hysteresis, making it ideal for fuel tank applications.
Area of Science:
- Instrumentation and Measurement
- Aerospace Engineering
Background:
- Accurate fuel-level monitoring is critical for spacecraft operations.
- Traditional sensors may face limitations in harsh space environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and validate a novel single-tube cross-capacitance fuel-level sensor for spacecraft.
- To establish a fuel-level measurement model and derive the relationship between liquid level and sensor capacitance.
Main Methods:
- Development of a single-tube cross-capacitance sensor.
- Establishment of a fuel-level measurement model.
- Experimental testing of sensor characteristics, including linearity, repeatability, and hysteresis.
Main Results:
- The developed sensor exhibits a linearity error of ±0.48%.
- Repeatability error was measured at ±0.47%.
- Hysteresis error was found to be ±0.68%.
Conclusions:
- The single-tube cross-capacitance fuel-level sensor demonstrates high precision and reliability.
- Its low weight and high accuracy make it suitable for spacecraft fuel tanks.
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