Different Types of Aircraft Sensor
The current world in which we operate is filled with sensors. There are various types that you can find throughout your home, homes, offices, cars etc. Their function is to make lives run more smoothly and efficiently by way of either turning on the lights by detecting our presence, altering the room temperature, detecting smoke or fire, making delicious coffee, opening garage doors as soon as the car is near the door and for many other tasks. These are just a few examples of automation that you can find. All these and many other automation tasks are possible because of sensors. If you want to learn more about sensors, read the article below for details on different sensor types, particularly on aircraft type sensors.
A sensor is basically an input device which provides an output (signal) with respect to a specific physical quantity (input). There are many types of sensors some of which you can find in the automatic flight control system that is made up of various sensors for tasks like speed control, height, position, doors, obstacle, fuel, maneuvering and many more. A computer can take this information from all these sensors and process them by comparing them with pre-designed values. Afterward, the computer then provides control signals to different parts like engines, flaps, or rudders that help in a smooth flight. The combination of sensors, computers and mechanics makes it possible to run the plane in autopilot mode. All the parameters (such as the sensors which give inputs to the computers, the pc which acts as the brain of the computer and the mechanics (the outputs of the system like engines and motors) are equally important in building a successful automated system.
Below you can find a few sensors that constitute as the most common types of sensors which are used in various applications. All these sensors are used for measuring one of the physical properties like temperature, resistance, capacitance, conduction, heat transfer etc. temperature sensor is among the most common and most popular sensors. A temperature sensor, true its name, senses the temperature i.e. it measures the changes in the temperature.
In a temperature sensor, the changes in the temperature correspond to change in its physical property like resistance or voltage. There are different types of temperature sensors like temperature sensor, thermistors, thermocouples, RTD (Resistive Temperature Devices), etc. Temperature sensors are used everywhere like computers, mobile phones, automobiles, air conditioning systems, industries etc.
A proximity sensor is a non-contact type sensor that detects the presence of an object. Proximity sensors can be implemented using different techniques like optical (like Infrared or laser), ultrasonic, hall effect, capacitive, etc. Some of the applications of proximity sensors are mobile phones, cars (parking sensors), industries (object alignment), ground proximity in aircrafts, etc. IR Sensors or infrared sensors are light based sensors that are used in various applications like proximity and object detection. IR Sensors are used as proximity sensors in almost all mobile phones.
An ultrasonic sensor is a non-contact type device that can be used to measure distance as well as velocity of an object. An ultrasonic sensor works based on the properties of the sound waves with frequency greater than that of the human audible range.
