Armfield Engineering Education
HEAT TRANSFER AND THERMODYNAMICS
HT10X-304IFD - Issue 6
EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE AND DATA LOGGING ACCESSORY
Educational and data logging software is available for all
the HT10X range of heat transfer equipment. Used in conjunction with the
Armfield IFD5 USB interface device, this provides a comprehensive educational
software environment within which the heat transfer investigations can
be performed. It offers a complete teaching package of coursework and laboratory
investigation.
description
The familiar Windows environment allows the students to explore the principles
of each Heat Transfer accessory quickly and easily, providing them with
a good understanding of the principles involved.
The Software runs under the Windows 98 or later operating systems,
and has been designed for maximum flexibility and ease of use.
Comprehensive 'Help' screens guide the student through both the theoretical
background and the practical investigation of the topic being studied.
Suggested laboratory investigations and further questions for the student
to answer are included in the Software, together with all the information
required to set up and run the experiment.
• Reduces Lecturer and Technician support time in the laboratory,
by leading the student logically through the use of the equipment and the
experimental procedures
• Can be used outside the laboratory to familiarise the student with
the equipment and procedures, prior to performing the practical training
exercise.
• Reinforces understanding of practical concepts such as taking readings,
experimental errors, units of measurement, etc.
• Reinforces understanding of the theoretical concepts involved
• Eliminates the need for repetitive calculations, but still requires
the student to demonstrate an understanding of the mathematical background
concepts
• Allows the student to process all results during the laboratory
session, thus giving immediate feedback on the success or otherwise of the
investigation whilst there is access to the equipment.
Software Capabilities
The rod is manufactured from a solid cylindrical brass bar with a constant diameter of 10mm. The rod is mounted horizontally with support at both ends and positioned to avoid the influence of adjacent surfaces. The rod is heated by a cartridge type electric heating element which operates at low voltage for increased operator safety and is protected by a thermostat to prevent damage from overheating. The heating element is inserted co-axially into the end of the rod and is rated to produce 20 Watts nominally at 24V DC into the rod. The power supplied to the heated rod can be varied and measured on the HT10X. Eight thermocouples are attached to the surface of rod at equal intervals of 50mm giving an overall instrumented length of 350mm.
Each thermocouple is wrapped around the rod to minimise errors by conduction. One thermocouple is mounted adjacent to the heated rod to measure the ambient air temperature. All temperatures are measured using K-type thermocouples, each fitted with a miniature plug for direct connection to the service unit HT10X. The rod is coated with a heat resistant matt black paint which provides a consistent emissivity close to unity The heated end of the rod is mounted co-axially inside a plastic housing which provides an air gap and insulates the area occupied by the heater to minimise heat loss and prevent burns to the operator.
The accessory is designed to be used in conjunction with the HT10X Heat Transfer Service Unit and is assembled on a mounting plate to stand on the bench alongside the HT10X.
It includes:
• Diagrammatic representation of the equipment, complete with real
time display of the various sensor outputs
• Presentation screens, giving an overview of the software, the equipment,
the procedure and associated theory
• Detailed 'Help' facilities giving in depth guidance
• Automatic data logging of sensor values into a spreadsheet format
• Control over sampling intervals
• Student questions and answers, including a layered 'Hint' facility
• Processing of sampled values (this may be linked to the questions
and answers to ensure student understanding)
• Sophisticated graph plotting facilities of both measured and calculated
values, including comparisons taken under different conditions
• Export of data to Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheets
• Links to user defined word processor
• Calibration facility for sensors
• Real time bar graph display of sensor outputs
• Recent history graphical display
Technical Details
The system uses the Armfield IFD5 interface device, which digitises the
analogue output data from the HT10X and transfers the data to a computer.
The computer interface uses the standard USB (Universal Serial Bus) for
communication, which allows any standard modern Windows computer to be used,
including Notebooks, and does not require any internal access to the computer.
The equipment is supplied complete with a USB lead for connection to the
computer. Also included is a Software driver that allows the outputs from
the HT10X to be read in other software programs, such as Labview.
Essential Armfield Equipment
The user must have access to a computer with an unused USB port, running
Windows 98 or later.
This computer does not form part of the Armfield supplied equipment.
ORDERING INFORMATION
HT10X-304IFD
Educational Software for HT11 to HT17 on a single CD-ROM, complete with
data logger. This is a complete package, containing the Software for all
seven Heat Transfer accessories, the IFD5 interface, and all cables required
to link to a PC.
NOTE: All software is provided on CD-ROM unless floppy disks are specifically
requested.
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