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Appendix
Zeroing the Compass
The compass, inside the transducer housing, tracks the movement of the
spring assembly by measuring the magnetic field of the upper magnet. The
natural magnetic field of the Earth will interfere with this process unless the
orientation of the compass is established and recorded.
You must zero the compass any time the HTHP Viscometer is moved.
1. Load the test cell and position it as you would for a test. See page 9
for instructions.
2. Remove the eight locking screws from the transducer housing.
3. Position the transducer housing so that the screw hole in the base is
aligned in the center of the screw notch in the cap. This will give you the
most room for adjustment.
Off-Center
Centered
Screw Hole
Screw Notch
4. Remove the cell cap and pivot cap to expose the magnet on the torsion
assembly.
5. Loosen the set screw on the torsion spring magnet.
6. Open the ORCADA
®
software and select “Calibrate Shear Stress” from
the “Utilities” menu.
7.
Observe the value in the “Shear Stress Raw” field. Turn the torsion
magnet until this value is 0.
The sensor in the compass is very sensitive. Turn the magnet very slightly
and then wait for the signal to stabilize before continuing. If you turn the
magnet past zero, the display will show 8000. Simply turn the magnet
back the other way until the value is back on target.
8. Tighten the set screw to lock the torsion magnet in place.