Setra Blog

Selecting the correct accuracy for your sensing application is only half the challenge; being able to maintain that level of accuracy over time is equally important. To clarify on what we mean by the accuracy, we define it as the maximum difference between the actual value and the sensor’s output (in terms of %FS).  Maintaining a sensor’s accuracy is difficult. Users face the issue of a sensor going out of tolerance and are unaware of the root causes. Depending on the level of accuracy required by the application, the consequences of imprecise accuracy can vary. For example, an isolation room requires a high level of accuracy to protect both the patients’ and medical professionals’ health and safety. If a room pressure monitor provided doctors and nurses with an incorrect sensor output, they can make incorrect judgments such as walking into a improperly labeled space. Based off of the inaccurate sensor output, doctors and nurses can also accidently release harmful contaminants into the rest of the hospital without a proper alarm notification.

Like we mentioned in our previous post, capacitance is used everywhere. Capacitance affects your day-to-day living without you even realizing it. It is difficult nowadays to find an application/industry that functions without, or is not impacted by, capacitance pressure transducers. When compared to other types of pressure sensors, capacitance pressure transducers have earned a reputation of high accuracy and long term stability, thus making it the primary choice for many of these applications:

Although there are a variety of methods for leak detection, the most common is pressure decay. Other methods can be time consuming and costly, whereas pressure decay leak detection is a simple test that's sensitive to very small leaks. This method is ideal for high-volume industries that require quick accurate tests within their facility. By pressurizing the unit under test (UUT) and then removing it from the pressure source, any detection of pressure loss is a result of a leak within the UUT. Before performing a pressure decay leak detection test, make sure your system is properly setup.  After the system is setup, follow the below steps to test the UUT with a differential pressure transducer.

The consequences of an unplanned leak in an air compressor may be higher than you think.  Air leakage can occur in any part of an air system, at any given time. Many users are blindsided by this issue. Air leaks are a significant source of wasted energy, often wasting 20-30% of a compressor’s output. Did you know that unmaintained plants waste at least 20% of air production capacity? In addition to wasting energy, undetected leaks can contribute to financial and operational losses.

In the test and measurement industry, manufacturers need to test the products they build. Pressure sensors are needed in test stands to measure pressure across various mediums, including air, fuel, coolant, gas. Testing can be expensive and having a reliable sensor eliminates costly downtime.

Have you seen a large metal instrument, similar to the picture on the right, floating in the ocean and wondered what that device could be? What you have seen is a buoy (pronounced: boo-ee). A data buoy contains sensors used to monitor and collect atmospheric and oceanographic conditions.

Hydrogen is used as a process media across many different industries and applications. Used in OEM equipment, pressure sensors play an important role in the safe, efficient, and reliable operation in material handling equipment, power generation, hydrogen production/distribution and many other applications.

When selecting an industrial pressure transducer for monitoring high temperature liquids or gases be sure to check the operating temperature range of the transducer, in order to select the correct pressure transducer for these applications.

Used almost interchangeably across the sensor industry today, the terms transducer and transmitter actually have fundamentally different meanings.  Before going into those differences, a transducer and a transmitter are both sensors; in this case both sensing pressure.  A pressure sensor converts an applied pressure of a gas or liquid into a usable output.  The type of output the sensor gives, defines whether a unit is considered a transducer or transmitter.

Engine and Power Train Testing Applications

Pressure is a big part of engine testing and automotive component manufacturing. That’s why wherever you find engines being tested; you’ll likely find transducers measuring everything from air intake pressures to exhaust back-pressures. In the automotive industry, you’ll find transducers measuring everything from tire inflation pressure for dynamometer testing to controlling tool pressure during crankshaft journal burnishing.