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Rotary Speed & Stroboscope

To determine the speed of revolving components of textile machines by using
stroboscope (speed of a traveler on ring frame).

Performance objective
Upon successful completion of this experiment, the student will be able to:

Understand the concept of rotatory speed

Measure speed of traveler on ring frame and other rotating components of textile
machines by using stroboscope.
Know the working principle and use of stroboscope.

Apparatus
Stroboscope, Ring frame (or any other textile machine containing rotatory parts).

Discussion/theory
Stroboscope is a device used to measure the rotary and oscillating speeds by making
revolving or oscillating object appears to be at rest. It is widely used to measure the rotary
part of the machine. The principle of stroboscope is based on the frequency of flashing light.
The machine component seems stationary when the frequency of flashing light is equal to
the speed of the machine component, which is to be observed.
The operation of the stroboscope is worthy of a slight digression. It depends on the
phenomenon of persistence of vision in the human eye and operates by illuminating, for a
very brief period of time the machinery under inspection at a precisely repeated time
interval of extremely short duration. This time interval may be varied by adjustment of the
stroboscope controls, so that a series of rapid flashes of light, each lasting perhaps a
milliseconds or less, is directed at the moving machinery. If a particular point on the moving
machine happens to be in precisely the same position at each time an illuminating flashes
reaches it, the human eye and brain interpret this coincidence by assuming that the point
has not moved between successive flashes. As a result, a stationary image of point, and
hence of the entire piece of the mechanism of which it is a part, is seen under the
illumination. Practical operation of the instrument merely consists in adjusting the
stroboscope controls until the part being examined appears stationary, this being followed
by a reading of its vehicle on the calibrated scale of of the device.

Procedure/method

Switch the ring frame and start manufacturing of yarn (or any other textile machine).
Switch on the stroboscope.
Put the flash light of stroboscope on the rotating traveler (or rotating part of
machine).
Vary the frequency of the flash until the rotating part seems still.
Note the rate of flashes on the display of stroboscope and that is the speed of
rotating pat in rpm.
Repeat the same for the 5 times and note the reading.
Calculate the average speed.

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calculation
Average rotatory speed = N = N/n, where n is number of observations

Test report/results

Individual reading of speed taken by stroboscope in revolution/minute.

Average speed

Observation Number
1
2
3
4
5
Average Velocity = N rpm

Reading on stroboscope = N
(RPM)
8800
8850
8705
8900
8810
8853

Review questions

What is the function of traveler on ring frame?

Function of traveler is to impact to fibers.

What is the function of flash light in the stroboscope?

Flash light measures a rotation.

What is the difference between stroboscope and tachometer?

Tachometer uses the mechanical method to calculate the rotation while it is attached to
the rotary device. Stroboscope uses flash of light to measure rotation.

Calculate the angular speed of traveler in rad/s?

(Hint! Angular speed in rad/s = N in rpm x (2/60); Find data from practical done)
Angular speed = 8853 x 0.0104
Angular speed = 820.7 rad/s.

Final checklist

Clean your apparatus and work bench before you leave.

Keep the apparatus back to their proper places.
Submit your answers to questions and results before the next laboratory experiment
according to the time table.