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MMD > Archives > January 2003 > 2003.01.05 > 10Prev  Next


QRS Story & Clark Self-Tuning Piano System
By Nicholas Simons

Just another thought about the marvellous self-tuning piano, and
I honestly believe that the idea is a brilliant one, but :-

If the piano is designed to play with the strings heated to 95 degrees
F., then when it is turned off the strings will fall to the ambient
temperature which in the average comfortable room may be around 60
degrees F.  I presume that the previous correspondent who calculated
a power consumption of 2 kilowatts was basing his calculations on such
a temperature difference between the air and the string.

The problem now is that in order to achieve a temperature of 95 degrees
F. at a lower ambient, one needs more power, since the heat lost from the
string is proportional to the excess temperature.  If one is operating
the piano at 32 degrees F can the power electronics of the piano take it?
I know this is an unlikely scenario but in my business if something can
feasibly happen, it will one day.  Certainly, once turned on, the piano
will quickly heat the room!

Secondly, and more importantly, is the ultimate strength of the piano
frame, soundboard and yield strength of the strings themselves.  If the
piano is designed to play at 95 degrees F then one would assume that the
string scaling is designed to give the usually expected tension in the
string at 95 degrees F. rather than at the normally expected ambient
temperature of the room.  When the piano is turned off, the string will
cool and consequently increase in tension.

In an vacant house, during, say, a winter holiday of the owners, it
could be possible for the piano temperature to drop well below zero.
Does the string tension now get to dangerously high levels, near to the
yield point?  Does this tension on the rest of the piano lead to future
difficulties in tuning and a reduction in life?  Does the manufacturer
specify a minimum ambient temperature for housing the piano?

I would be interested in an informed response from a representative of
the manufacturer, who is probably reading this thread.

Best regards from Great Britain,

Nicholas Simons - Owner of nine pianos at today's count,
all in tune, but not with each other!


(Message sent Sun 5 Jan 2003, 10:45:38 GMT, from time zone GMT.)

Key Words in Subject:  Clark, Piano, QRS, Self-Tuning, Story, System

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