Wed, Jul 27, 2011
New Device Detects Tiny Amounts Of Contamination In Fuel
By Gene Yarbrough
James Wiebe, an inventor and innovator in both ultralight
airframe and instrument design, revealed a new sensor technology
Tuesday at AirVenture designed to annunciate water contamination in
fuel. While not giving specifics about the proprietary technology
James indicated the sensor he has developed is sensitive enough to
detect minute amounts of water as small as a 1ml drop in the flow
of fuel, and further stated the system was discriminatory enough to
detect the difference between gasoline and jet fuel (kerosene).
The system offers protection against fuel contamination and
subsequent engine failure by lighting an LED or sounding an audible
alarm whenever the system is triggered. The unit displayed at the
press briefing was small enough to fit in the palm of the hand and
the annunciator panel was similar to Belite’s line of PCB
board mounted LED flight instruments. An unfortunate side effect of
modern automotive fuels is the addition of ethanol as filler. As
automotive fuels, used widely in experimental and ultralight
aircraft, become blended with higher concentrations of ethanol the
threat of water attraction and saturation creates a real and
present danger of fuel contamination. The marine industry is
already suffering tremendous terrible consequences at the hands of
this dangerous practice. Additionally miss-fueling of aircraft has
proved a deadly mistake all too often. Having a real time onboard
sensor to alert the pilot to contaminated fuel contamination is a
quantum leap forward in safety for general aviation. Retail price
of the new product is $149.95
Belite also introduced an instrument panel sporting the
companies LED flight instruments with a black background to
compliment its original white panel. Included in the new panel is a
new turn and bank with slip indicator. “This new instrument
implements a solid state gyro-based turn rate indicator and bubble
inclinometer in one small, extremely lightweight design,”
said James Wiebe, president and CEO of Belite Enterprises LLC. The
turn coordinator includes new, automatically calibrated technology,
so that it does not have to be re-centered each time it is turned
on.
Power consumption has also been reduced. Individual instruments
weigh as little as 1/2 ounce (15 grams), and the panel-mounted full
line of instruments, including metal panel, mounting hardware and
connections, can weigh substantially less than one pound.
They’re designed to easily fit into instrument panels of
experimental, homebuilt and ultralight aircraft.
Installation is straightforward and many of the instruments are
also available in small 3”x2”x1” portable
enclosures with a self-contained battery, easily carried in a
pilot’s flight bag and used in whatever plane they are
flying.
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