Well, it would be an interesting and complex programming exercise and you would need to sense more things than you expect (altitude change for instance).
It also assumes you have foreknowledge of what all the failure modes are. As it turns out, it's always the unexpected ones that get you. The best 'small processor' to use would be the one in our heads : ) But don't let this stop you if you have the inclination to do it.
----- Original Message -----
From: lonnwood
Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 12:22 PM
To: Rotary motors in aircraft
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: Cooling System Dynamics
Tracy, this has got me to thinking about an alarm system that would be useful for the coolant pressure gauge.
A simple pressure activated warning light would not be useful because the pressure starts out at zero and
gradually builds, then during different modes of flight when your engine cools the pressure would go back down.
Not having flown with a water cooled system yet I don't know how much it would fluctuate.
Would it be worthwhile to have a small processor programmed to keep track of engine temps and compare
those to what the coolant pressure should be, then set the alarm off if they don't add up?
Lonnie
The best advice I can give is to learn the behavior (not just the static reading) of your coolant pressure gauge and pay attention to any anomaly. It tells the whole story IF you know how to interpret it.
Tracy Crook