CAS DataLoggers provided the data logging solution of fuel consumption monitoring for a company called FPC International, specializing in a diesel fuel additive widely used in tankers, trucks, and trains all over the world to save on fuel and engine maintenance costs while reducing carbon footprints and emissions. Rather than just making claims of their product’s benefits, FPC Intl. actively tested and documented its results, making all of their testing available online for customer review. The company’s current project was located in a productive gold mine in Sonora, Mexico. The mine’s owners used 60 rock trucks with Caterpillar 789C diesel engines to haul the gold ore out, and FPC arranged a demonstration including a series of fuel tests to show the owners the benefits of switching from the additive they were currently using. FPC engineers, therefore, had a need for a powerful yet cost-effective data logging solution with the flexibility needed to measure the engines’ horsepower output and fuel consumption of the rock trucks during brake-specific fuel consumption monitoring testing. This intelligent solution would also need to support versatile communications options, particularly USB data transfer for convenient onsite demonstration to the customer.

Installation

FPC International installed a dataTaker DT80 Intelligent Universal Data Logger in a ruggedized Pelican case in the rock truck under test, inside the cabin right behind the driver’s seat.

The logger was powered directly from the vehicle battery. The DT80 data logger was then connected to sensors acquiring the necessary data, including 2 flow meters with pulse signal output. During the brake-specific fuel consumption test, the dataTaker DT80 counted pulses from the flow sensors and calculated the fuel flow rate as well as totalized the fuel consumption over the test interval. RTD sensors directly connected to the DT80 were used to measure and record engine temperature. To measure horsepower, they connected the data logger to a tachometer measuring the RPM of the motor and the sophisticated calculation capacity of the DT80 recorded the resulting horsepower.

Usage

Using these parameters, the test project first measured the efficiency of the truck under test running on its usual fuel, then measured the truck’s efficiency again using FPC’s own fuel additive, and afterward measured the difference between the two.

The dataTaker DT80 low power data logger offered 5 to 15 universal analog sensor inputs and 12 digital channels. The stand-alone logger recorded the test’s measurements with 18-bit resolution and a ±50 V input measurement range, featuring a dual channel concept enabling up to 10 isolated or 15 common referenced analog inputs to be used in any combination. The data logger also featured a built-in display and wide operating temperature range. High-speed counter inputs, phase encoder inputs and a programmable serial sensor channel allowed the DT80 to easily connect to most sensors and data measurement sources. Temperature, voltage, current, 4-20mA loops, resistance, bridges, strain gauges, frequency, digital, serial and calculated measurements could all be scaled, logged and returned in engineering units or using statistical reporting. Operators could also group sample, log, alarm and control tasks within schedules to fit their needs.

Data management was equally convenient, with the data logger storing up to 10 million data points in non-volatile memory so that the engineers could log as much or as little as needed. Data transfer via the logger’s extensive communications array included Ethernet, RS-232 communication with PC, and a USB memory slot. After each phase of fuel consumption testing, FPC allowed the mine’s personnel to unload the data using the DT80’s USB stick port. This allowed the engineers to use their own onsite equipment to view the comparative data for themselves, thus preventing any claims that the tests had been biased in any way.

Additionally, dataTaker’s dEX graphical interface was included free of charge with the datalogger. This user-friendly, browser-based software came pre-installed and enabled quick setup and configuration of the data logger. Suitable for both novice and advanced users, dEX was run directly from a web browser, accessible either locally or remotely over the Internet. Operators could use any of the logger’s built-in communications ports to view dEX, including Ethernet, USB.

Benefits

FPC International benefitted decisively from installing the dataTaker DT80 Intelligent Universal Input Data Logger in its fuel consumption monitoring test program. The data logger had the versatility to measure all the necessary parameters needed to prove that the company’s product was more efficient than the mine’s existing additive. Data accessibility was a snap: conducting the tests and delivering the USB data in front of the customer strongly reinforced the test’s results and substantiated the company’s claims to a better product.

Chris Riegel, an engineer at FPC International, explained: “It was extremely straightforward to use the dataTaker, and one of the best things we liked about the logger is that it let us quickly get set up onsite and then just let the people there retrieve all the data themselves using the USB memory stick. This feature let us avoid any concerns that we, as providers of the fuel additive, were manipulating the data. That really helped us to prove our point that our product outperformed the competition, and in fact, we were able to demonstrate a superior effectiveness of nearly 10%.” FPC Intl. is currently using dataTaker products in a subsequent fuel testing project following the success of the demonstration in the mine.

For further information on the dataTaker DT80 Intelligent Universal Input Data Logger, other dataTaker data loggers, fuel consumption monitoring, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS Data Logger Application Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or request more information.

The post Sophisticated Fuel Consumption Monitoring in a Gold Mine appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.

Real-Time Data Collection for Analog, Digital and CANbus Applications

In the automotive industry, Drive-by-wire (AKA X-by-wire) technology has replaced many traditional mechanical control systems with electronic and electro-mechanical control systems including brake-by-wire and electronic throttle control. This has resulted in improved safety and ergonomic designs along with more options in commercial cars. Drive-by-wire systems require rigorous testing and data collection, and for these applications CAS DataLoggers offers ADwin Real-Time Data Acquisition Systems. German manufacturer Jager-ADwin’s systems log signals from Analog and Digital sensors along with CANbus interfaces—all in real time. For more information call CAS DataLoggers at (800) 956-4437 today.

Drive-By-Wire Technology in Today’s Cars:

Modern automotive mechatronic systems employ a complex network of sensors to quickly determine the driver’s intention and to continually check system conditions. Increasingly, automotive designs use contactless sensor solutions to increase both the reliability and availability of mechatronic systems. The inductive measuring principle has proven to be highly suitable for this type of data collection application.

Here position sensors are of central importance. With this sensor technology, the momentary position of accelerators, throttles, leveling systems or turbochargers are reliably determined, all while undergoing demanding industrial environmental test conditions.

Analog, Digital, or CAN–ADwin Keeps Overwatch

The use of the various signal outputs provided by these position sensors depends on the specific measurement task or on the specific manufacturer.
For example, data can be collected from:

• Analog signals (ratiometric, current, voltage)
• Digital signals (PWM)
• CAN bus interfaces

The synchronicity of the data on all these outputs and interfaces is a key criteria in automotive production and development. To accomplish this, many users employ ADwin data acquisition and control systems which are expressly designed for automotive applications.

As a common example in a test environment, ADwin controls a stepping motor for the set point positioning and simultaneously acquires the reference position by an incremental encoder along with all signal outputs of the sensor under test. As an example, ADwin evaluates the time relation between the arrival of a CAN message, an analog signal output, and the reference position value, and then checks for compliance with the specified values. Thus the system can immediately calculate how well the DUT matches the required specifications.

ADwin: Real-Time Data Acquisition:

ADwin benefits:

• High-speed data acquisition can measure transients
• Easy to use
• Quick development time

ADwin systems can be configured individually in order to meet all test specifications.
ADwin data acquisition and control systems are commonly used for automotive test applications for ECUs and other CANbus devices, for actuators, sensors, combustion engines, field bus systems, and many more.

ADwin-light-16 and ADwin-Gold systems are low-cost solutions for applications with few I/O channels and limited expansion or configuration requirements. In contrast, the modular and expandable ADwin-Pro system is recommended for applications with many channels and flexible configurations.

ADwin applications always run in real time. ADwin’s strictly deterministic functioning principle with response times as short as 300 ns ensures that no information gets lost in testing of X-By-Wire components. This is due to the system design which incorporates a local CPU, additional analog and digital interfaces, and expansion options.

Data Analysis:

The PC can access the results on the ADwin system for further analysis and data logging. Since programming in ADbasic is simplified, users quickly gain a clear insight into their components under test. ADwin’s external SDRAM stores the recorded post-test data which has significant value to:

• ECU Manufacturers
• Systems integrators
• 3rd-party Testers

ADwin systems perform all the necessary tests and also perform post-test data analysis. Test information and measurement data is transferred to a control system and displayed on the PC through a graphical user interface (GUI). This is done via Ethernet or a Fieldbus interface. On production lines, a programmable controller is typically connected via Profibus, Interbus, CAN, serial interfaces etc. The ADwin automatically generates a table of the data and this information can then be stored as quality records in the production database.

The post Drive-by-Wire Testing Using ADwin Systems appeared first on CAS Dataloggers.