Fine tuning a cylindrical Capacitor

In summary: Just connect in parallel another variable capacitor you can tune with a screw driver.What kind of errors do you want to be able to tune out? Is it just an offset in the dry capacitance as waht suggests? Or is it errors and non-linearities dependent on the amount of liquid? And/or is it errors due to manufacturing variations unit-to-unit? What is used to measure the capacitance, and what is used to output/display the data?
  • #1
mparvin
5
0
I would like to know about fine tuning of an airplane Fuel Gauging probe. It is basically a cylindrical capacitor made of an inner composite tube of about 0.5 inch diameter and an outer composite tube of about 1 inch diameter. The length of the tubes varies from about 3 inches to 8 inches. The dry capacitance range is between 9.00 pF to 24.00 pF. We need to fine it to 2nd digit accuracy.

Thanks.

Mike
 
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  • #2
Just connect in parallel another variable capacitor you can tune with a screw driver.
 
  • #3
What kind of errors do you want to be able to tune out? Is it just an offset in the dry capacitance as waht suggests? Or is it errors and non-linearities dependent on the amount of liquid? And/or is it errors due to manufacturing variations unit-to-unit? What is used to measure the capacitance, and what is used to output/display the data?

The general way you deal with this kind of problem is to do a calibration table for each unit, and store it in non-volatile memory of some kind. Then a microcontroller (uC) or logic device (like a CPLD or FPGA) can be used to convert the raw capacitance data to the very accurate output data.

For example, I'd bet that the delta-C per delta-V is different for the initial part of the fill and the end of the fill, versus volume changes in the middle of the fill (due to the fringe effect in the cylindrical parallel plate capacitor arrangement). That non-linearity is likely several percent, and would need to be calibrated out. The easiest way is via a digital table as I mentioned; the harder way is via analog compensation circuitry (which you wouldn't be able to tune for each production unit, for example).
 
  • #4
waht said:
Just connect in parallel another variable capacitor you can tune with a screw driver.
Thank you.
I am not an electrical engineer but I should be able to do this!

Mike
 

Related to Fine tuning a cylindrical Capacitor

1. How do you determine the capacitance of a cylindrical capacitor?

The capacitance of a cylindrical capacitor can be determined by the formula C = 2πε₀l / ln(b/a), where ε₀ is the permittivity of free space, l is the length of the capacitor, and a and b are the inner and outer radii, respectively. This formula takes into account the geometry of the cylindrical capacitor and the dielectric material between the plates.

2. What factors affect the capacitance of a cylindrical capacitor?

The capacitance of a cylindrical capacitor is affected by the size and shape of the capacitor, the distance between the plates, the type and thickness of the dielectric material, and the presence of any other conductive materials in the vicinity. These factors can all affect the electric field strength and thus the capacitance of the capacitor.

3. How can the capacitance of a cylindrical capacitor be increased?

The capacitance of a cylindrical capacitor can be increased by increasing the surface area of the plates, decreasing the distance between the plates, using a higher permittivity dielectric material, or adding additional conductive materials to the vicinity of the capacitor. These changes will increase the electric field strength and therefore the capacitance of the capacitor.

4. What is the purpose of fine tuning a cylindrical capacitor?

Fine tuning a cylindrical capacitor involves making small adjustments to the size or shape of the capacitor in order to achieve a specific capacitance value. This is often done in electronic circuits to ensure that the desired capacitance is achieved for proper functioning of the circuit.

5. What are some common applications of cylindrical capacitors?

Cylindrical capacitors have a variety of applications, including in electronic circuits, energy storage devices, and high voltage equipment. They are also commonly used in sensors, filters, and power supply units. Cylindrical capacitors are also used in medical devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators.

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