Activitate

Sensors are a crucial part of most vehicles, especially when determining the fuel level in automobiles and aircraft. Whilst running out of fuel might be inconvenient and costly when driving an automobile, in an aircraft it could have dire consequences. In this article, we look at how these fuel level sensors work.

Fuel level sensors, also known as fuel gauges, allow drivers to monitor fuel consumption and help them to determine when to refill the tank. They consist of two main components: the sensing system itself (also known as the sender) and the indicator (also commonly referred to as the gauge).

Fuel gauges work by measuring the voltage across a variable resistor within the sensing system, to determine the level of fuel; which is then relayed to the driver via the indicating system. Several components work within the sensing system, enabling it to detect how much fuel is in a tank, including the float switch, a variable resistor, and a wiper. The sensor system is relatively simple compared to other sensors currently produced, although newer sensor systems can also utilize microprocessors for faster and more accurate measurements.