MECHANICAL

MEASUREMENTS

Question no: 3.1

Calculate the time constant of the given isotopes

Isotopes

Calcium 45

Carbon 14

Gobalt 60

Helium 6

Yttrium 90

Time constant

Half-lives ()

5500 years

152 days

5.2 years

0.85 seconds

61 hours

219.20 days
7934.82 years
7.50 years
1.22 seconds
88.00 hours

Question No: 3.14

A thermocouple is subjected to steady state harmonic temperature
fluctuation given by

where T is the temperature in degrees Celsius and t is in seconds. If the

thermocouple time constant is 0.01 second, what is the maximum error in
degrees Celsius for the indicated temperature?
Solution :
amplification ratio =
Where is the maximum amplitude of the periodic dynamic displacement
is the static deflection

Contd
Given data
= 200
= 0.1 s
rad/s

= 190.8143

Question No: 3.15

A temperature measuring system is excited by a 0.1 Hz harmonically varying input.
From previously run tests the time constant of the system has been measured and found to
be 35 s. if measured, or indicated , dynamic amplitude is 8, what is the phase lag in
seconds?
Solution :
Given data
= 20.1 rad/s
Phase lag ()
65.54 (angle)

(or)

= 1.82 s

Question No: 3.25

A force transducer behaves as a simple second-order system. If the undamped
natural frequency of the transducer is 1800 Hz and its damping is 30% of critical,
what will be the phase angle for a harmonic input of 950 Hz?
Solution:
Given data
0.3
=
Phase angle (),

Contd

= 23.69

References
1) Thomas G. Beckwith, N. Lewis Buck and Roy D. Marangoni,
Measuring system response in Mechanical Measurements, 3rd edition,
New Delhi, Narosa Publishing House, 1997, ch. 3, pp. 49-90.
2) Ernest O. Doebelin and Dhanesh N Maik, Measurement Systems, 6th
edition, New Delhi, Tata McGraw Hill, 2011.