2 Sensor Types That Are Needed for Extreme Temperatures

Sensors for extreme temperatures

Engineers often need sensors that can make crucial, minuscule measurements within some of the harshest environments. Many projects expose sensors to temperatures as high as +180° C and as low as -55° C. There’s not much you can do about the weather and temperature of your application’s environment, but you can find the right sensor to hold up to the elements.

Sensors for High Temperature Environments

Quartz flexure accelerometers are the go-to sensors for applications dealing with extremely high temperatures. They can take the heat with an operational temperature rating to +180° C which is suitable for environments in the oil and gas industry. Drilling and fracturing typically reach depths around 5,000 meters where temperatures are about 160° C. Quartz flexure accelerometers fit these intense temperature requirements and are often used for the positioning of a drill head to dig for oil reserves.

Industrial manufacturing such as steel taper measurement and steel mill ladle positioning requires high temperature sensors too. Of all the force-balanced sensors, ASB, LSB, ASM and LSM accelerometers have the highest temperature rating to +95° C.

Cold Temperature Sensors

Sensors often need to be exposed in outdoor environments such as bridge monitoring, undersea measurement and radar stabilization. Some measurements are also needed in a controlled environment such as lab testing, flight simulation, automobile testing or rail car testing.

These lower temperature scenarios, can depend on a force-balanced sensor. For OEM projects that demand small footprints and vibration resistance, a force-balanced sensor will have a temperature range as wide as -55° to +95° C.

Since quartz flexure accelerometers can operate at a frigid -55° C, they can serve as versatile solutions for extreme temperatures, whether it’s freezing cold or boiling hot. To find the ideal sensor for your specific requirements, contact us.