DILBERTS ARE FOR REAL

by Chuck Umeda 9811

A trio of Dilbertesque engineers with ties to the company formerly known as AlliedSignal (now Honeywell) confirmed that high-tech products are produced and inventing is done at the Tucson plant.  Harold Beekhuizen, sensor engineer, described the range of AlliedSignal products for aerospace.  One such product is a type of pressure sensor made of quartz and patented by the company.  A sensitive, precision digital barometer employing such a sensor, displays the change in air pressure in just one-foot difference in elevation!  He explained how the sensor functions.  Yours truly, production engineer, demonstrated a unique property of quartz, which can be heated with a propane torch and dunked in cold water without cracking.  The final speaker, Tony Bernot, former Research & Development engineer with “8 or 9” patents to his name, gave some insight to inventing a new type of sensor.  He modestly said it wasn’t difficult.  He matched a product requirement with a special Corning Glass material he remembered.  Although the glass was made for other uses, Tony fabricated working devices, which were patented.  Some in attendance suspected that they were exposed to acute technolese (apologies for that; symptoms last for 24 hours).  Indeed, even our resident barrister was a bit stymied.  Yes, Dilbert’s world is for real.

Comments added in the write-up:

An application of accurate quartz sensors is the indicator of elevation (altimeter) in an aircraft cockpit.  Imagine a jetliner in final landing approach.  The tower gives local weather information and l air pressure information to the pilot.  The pilot enters that information into the altimeter.  The pilot depends on that instrument to tell him when he is 100 feet off the ground, 50 feet, 25 feet, 10 feet, 5 feet , 4, 3, 2 1 and touchdown.  Safe landing.  Passengers, release knuckles from the armrests, please.  If that instrument were in error, it’s a different story.  At 30,000 feet, no one cares about an error of 20 feet.  That is, if you’re flying at 30,020 feet instead of 30,000 feet, it’s no big deal.  But if you’re 20 feet off the runway at night and the pilot thinks he’s just ready to touch down, you will have a nasty landing after a 20 foot drop!  Accurate instruments make safe landings.  So whose fault is it when you have a bumpy landing?  Ummmm, pilot error!   

Another application is the FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) for electronic control for jet engines.   Over a period of one year, a jetliner uses many thousands of pounds of fuel.  If the fuel efficiency can be improved by even 1%, the savings are significant.  The airline can have lower operating costs and be able to offer lower airfare.