Which oil quantity tank unit uses nickel alloy wire as the sensing element?

Which oil quantity tank unit uses nickel alloy wire as the sensing element?

• A. Float Type Oil Quantity Tank Unit
• B. Solid State Oil Quantity Tank Unit
• C. Oil Pressure Sensor
• D. Airborne Vibration Monitoring System

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how oil quantity can be measured with a solid-state sensor versus a mechanical float. In a solid-state oil quantity tank unit, a sensing element made of nickel alloy wire is heated by electrical current. The amount of cooling that the wire experiences depends on whether it’s submerged in oil or exposed to air. When the wire is in oil, the oil cools it more effectively, so you need a different current or you get a different resistance to keep the wire at a reference temperature. The system translates that change into a signal that corresponds to the oil level. Nickel alloy wire is used because its resistance changes in a predictable, stable way with temperature and it can be built into a compact, sealed electronic sensor. The other options don’t fit because an oil pressure sensor measures pressure, not quantity; an airborne vibration monitoring system tracks vibrations rather than tank level; and a float-type unit uses a mechanical float and potentiometer rather than a nickel-wire sensing element.

The idea being tested is how oil quantity can be measured with a solid-state sensor versus a mechanical float. In a solid-state oil quantity tank unit, a sensing element made of nickel alloy wire is heated by electrical current. The amount of cooling that the wire experiences depends on whether it’s submerged in oil or exposed to air. When the wire is in oil, the oil cools it more effectively, so you need a different current or you get a different resistance to keep the wire at a reference temperature. The system translates that change into a signal that corresponds to the oil level. Nickel alloy wire is used because its resistance changes in a predictable, stable way with temperature and it can be built into a compact, sealed electronic sensor.

The other options don’t fit because an oil pressure sensor measures pressure, not quantity; an airborne vibration monitoring system tracks vibrations rather than tank level; and a float-type unit uses a mechanical float and potentiometer rather than a nickel-wire sensing element.