Accuracy under pressure

Independent power supply required

Piezo resistive sensing elements and analogue electronics enable pulse power operation with readings taken in as little as 10 ms. This significantly reduces energy consumption. Voltage outputs reduce current consumptions to a few mA and in short cable run applications, mV output sensors reduce the power on time and current consumption even more. SDI‑12 digital electronics use a standby mode and fast read cycles to keep sensor use to a minimum. This minimises the requirements for expensive batteries or solar chargers.

Difficult to access for repair or calibration

High stability silicon sensing elements in robust packaging ensures accurate and reliable performance over long periods. This minimises the need to visit sites for the repair of faulty components and extends the periods between routine visits for calibration.
 

Silting

The risk of silting is reduced by connecting the pressure sensing element to the media through a carefully designed pressure port. Soft nose cones both protect the sensing element from physical shock damage and are easily removed allowing access to the open face connectors, which enable gentle cleaning in extreme circumstances.

Debris

Fully welded construction in high quality materials, injection moulded to the thick cable sheathing, ensure both the highest IP rating and reduce the risk of damage from debris moving in turbulent and fast moving water.

Extreme temperatures

The use of high-quality electronic components allow options to accurately measure temperature ranges from -40c to +125c

Salt corrosion

Titanium construction can give you confidence in the long and reliable operation of our sensors in salt water environments, while many years of corrosion free service minimise expensive site visits. 

Lightning strikes

By building lightning surge arrestors into the sensor (on the electronics end of the inductance and capacitance of the cable) the best protection in lightning affected areas can be offered. This helps to ensure the longest possible life in the field, thereby lowering the cost of ownership.sits for calibration.  
 

Surface debris and foaming

By measuring the pressure at depth in order to calculate level, Druck pressure based level sensors are immune from incorrect readings caused by surface debris or foaming that will cause errors in line of sight based devices like ultrasonic or radar. 

Narrow bore wells

With a sensor diameter as small as 17.5mm, units can be deployed in narrow wells reducing drilling costs. Cable in all models incorporates a Kevlar core which provides strength to allow long cable drops and minimises cable extension under loading. Accessories, link sink weights and cable clamping mechanisms, have been designed to make installation easy and ensure maximum life.

No line of sight

Sloping banks and obstructions like trees make some sites very difficult for line of sight methods. Pressure sensors can be installed in the deepest part of a river with an unobtrusive cable to bring the level information back to instrumentation. 

Shallow water or dry river beds

Large silicon sensing elements make it possible to measure depths as shallow as 0.7mm accurately. 

This makes accurate level measurement in V notch flow meters possible, where small changes in the water level results in a large change in flow.

Vandalism

Using pressure to measure level is unobtrusive, with much of the equipment hidden underwater. This reduces the instances of installation being damaged by acts of vandalism. 

Limited space in bore holes

17.5mm diameter construction reduces the size of bore holes required minimising drilling costs for water extraction. The stiffness of titanium allows narrow body construction without compromising performance or stability. High quality screened cable and 4-20 mA signals are mechanically robust and immune from electro-magnetic interference from electric motors on pumps.

Large surface areas require the highest levels of accuracy

Many new dam constructions have shallow slopes making vertical line of sight technology very expensive to install. TERPS technology allows accurate measurements better than 0.01% (1mm in 10m depth) to allow the most efficient resource management of reservoirs. Digital compensation in our DPS5000 products provides high accuracy when temperatures change. 

Monitor subtle changes over long periods of time

Excellent long term stability allows drinking water systems to be accurately monitored. This enables small changes in pressure profiles, caused by leakage, to be quickly seen and located. This can be used to reduce leakage and repair costs. 

Compatibility with treatment chemicals

Titanium and stainless steel construction married to cables made of polyurethane or Hytrel enable the best materials to be selected for compatibility with water treatment chemicals. This becomes particularly important in dosing stations or storage tanks where the concentrations can be high. 

Difficult to access for repair or calibration

High stability silicon sensing elements in robust packaging ensures accurate and reliable performance over long periods. Accordingly, this minimises the need to visit sites for repair of faulty components and extends the periods between routine visits for calibration. 

Inaccessible locations, inspection chambers

Small size, fully welded construction and IP68 to 700m cable connections mean that Druck products give reliable operation in sub surface applications that are prone to flooding. Particularly useful is this feature in differential sensors for use on filters or valves.

Our products are designed to be robust in what can be a violent application where waste can carry heavy objects which can damage level sensors. 

Features to cope with this environment include:

• Fully welded construction in stiff titanium or tough stainless steel
• Injection moulding of the electrical cable to the sensor body ensures the IP68 rating is maintained, guaranteeing the integrity of the sensors
• Thick cable walls made of tough polyurethane or stiff chemically robust Hytrel
• Kevlar cable core supply strength – preventing cable stretching.
• Unknown chemicals  Titanium or stainless steel metal work with polyurethane or Hytrel cable can be chosen to reduce the risk of chemical corrosion damaging sensors

Silting

The risk of silting is reduced by connecting the pressure sensing element to the media through a carefully designed pressure port. Soft nose cones both protect the sensing element from physical shock damage and are easily removed, allowing access to the open face connectors that enable gentle cleaning in extreme circumstances. 

No power available

Piezo resistive sensing elements and analogue electronics enable pulse power operation, with readings taken in as little as 10 ms. This significantly reduces energy consumption. Voltage outputs reduce current consumptions to a few mA and in short cable run applications, mV output sensors reduce the power on time and current consumption even more, which, in turn, minimises the requirements for expensive batteries or solar chargers. Digital electronics use low power standby mode and read cycles to reduce total energy requirements.

Explosive atmospheres

Waste water can release explosive methane. This means that many chambers are designated as hazardous areas. Products used in these areas need to be certified as safe for use. Druck pressure sensor products carry a wide range of certifications for use in such areas allowing installation using different safety rules to suit the application and validity in most countries around the world.

Blocked line of sight and surface foaming

By measuring the pressure at depth in order to calculate level, Druck pressure‑based level sensors are immune from incorrect readings caused by obstruction in tanks or chambers as well as surface debris or foaming that will cause errors in line of sight based devices in ultrasonics or radar.

Used in areas of low pressure

Many waste water applications are in shallow drains where the level of water in normal conditions is very low. Druck pressure sensors use silicon sensing elements made in our own clean room. In order to enable highly sensitive low pressure measurement, particularly in large surface areas, thin elements are used. This makes it possible to measure pressures with a full scale reading as low as 0.7 mH2O (70 mbar, 1psi).