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Protecting a pressure sensor from high pressure spikes14th June 2007When specifying a pressure range for a hydraulic system there maybe the risk of high pressure spikes caused by sudden opening and closing of valves similar to what happens when you turn a water tap on or off too quickly and generate a knocking sound due to the sudden stress applied to the water pipe. These over-pressure surges can be extremely high but typically their duration is very short and the energy of the shockwave will dissipate as it propagates through the system. So location of the pressure sensor can be a key factor in minimising the effects of over-pressure, but also the selections of the pressure range and sensor technology are key factors in over pressure protection as well. Over pressure spikes can be very difficult to predict and measure so in these cases the maximum over-pressure required can only be determined by experimentation by using a strain gauge output pressure sensor and an oscilloscope or other high frequency signal measuring instrument. A strain gauge output pressure sensor has a millivolt output signal with no signal amplification so the dynamic response is close to the natural frequency of the sensing diaphragm which is often very high for high pressure ranges in the x10KHz range. Since accuracy is not important in investigating over-pressure, choose a much higher pressure range than you need. This will protect the sensor so that you can use it again and again to build up a profile of over-pressure spikes at different mounting locations. Even if a high range is used you may still notice that the zero reading of the overpressure test sensor has changed due to over-pressure spikes. The higher the overpressure spike the greater the zero offset. Although this is not a very accurate indicator the level of offset can be used to compare over-pressure at different mounting locations. Once you have an understanding of the characteristics of pressure spikes in your system you can then consider what type of pressure sensor to use. Specifying a pressure sensor with a high overpressure rating will help since often you will be fitting a pressure sensor with a proportionally thicker diaphragm. But some over-pressure spikes have huge amplitudes many times greater than the normal operating conditions; In these cases the most effective method of over-pressure protection is the fitting of a snubber or restriction in the pressure connection to dissipate the pressure wave energy before it reaches the diaphragm. Related Products High pressure sensors and instrumentation Pressure sensors with high overpressure protection Strain gauge millivolt output presure sensors Associated Topics Possible causes of hydraulic pressure sensor failure High frequency measurement with strain gauge output pressure sensors Increase service life by choosing an optimal pressure range Sensors for hydraulic testing applications How does a strain gauge sensor work Resources Glossary of pressure sensor terms Pressure units and conversion factors
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