Druck Pressure Sensor Applications

Petrochemical Industry Applications

Exploration/Production/Refinery/Process Plant (off-on shore)

Transducers/Transmitters: PTX 500, PTX 600, PTX 1400, PTX 7000, STX 2000, STX 2100

This industry mainly uses 2-wire 4-20 mA pressure transmitters.

If these devices are mounted on site in a hazardous area they will require IS certification or flameproof approval.

Within the oil industry a general requirement is to monitor sour oil with transmitters manufactured to NACE (National Association of Corrosive Engineers) standards.

Research and Development

All major petrochemical companies have large R & D departments as back-up to their main production areas. At these locations the transducers usage is very wide and, due to the nature of the work carried out there, it is important that these areas are dealt with as many of the products will then be used in main production areas.

Offshore Natural Gas Services

Transducers/Transmitters: PDCR 1830, PTX 1830, PTX 500, PTX 600, PTX 1400, PTX 7000, PTX 300-2182, PTX 400


All major oil companies are supported by service companies offering underwater positioning systems, multiplexes, transponders, towing and positioning of rigs and platforms.

Underwater Service Vehicles, Diving Equipment and Ocean Logging Systems

Transducers/Transmitters: PDCR 1830, PTX 1830, PTX 500, PTX 600, PTX 1400, PTX 7000, PDCR 2100, PDCR 4000

These industries usually require depth and system pressure measurements on the hydraulic and pneumatics of the diving vessels.

The ocean logging companies measure depth and wave height conditions.

Many of the underwater vessels use helium for the life support systems, and the transducers and transmitters must therefore be used operating to absolute or sealed gauge format.

Pipeline Pig Locator

For many years it has been a problem to exactly locate pigs in long oil, gas and water pipelines. If the pig breaks down or gets stuck in a pipeline which is either subterranean or subsea, it is very expensive to remove the piece of pipeline, take the pig out and replace the pipe. If the exact location of the pig is not know, it is even more expensive.

Techcom are producing a system which by the monitoring of the pressure applied to the pig to move it along, the operator can locate the position of the pig within a few meters. The accuracy of the measurement is of prime importance and they need an accuracy of 0.1 bar in a pressure range of 500 bar. They are at present investigating this system with the PTX 600 Series.

There would be 4 transmitters covering the range 0 to 500 bar to obtain the accuracy and this would be kept at a constant temperature. This could be quite a large project and most of the major oil companies are very interested.

Note: A pig is the term used to describe a mechanical unit which passes along the inside of a pipeline to inspect and test.

Offshore Oil and Gas Safety Valve Reaction Times

Since the disaster on the Occidental Piper Alpha platform in the late 1980’s research has been going on into the speed of shut down of the safety valves on the oil and gas wellheads.

If these valves do not close or close slowly, then the produce, i.e., oil or gas, is fed into an existing hazardous area and adds to the problem.

When carrying out tests on the large 16 and 26 inch valves, it was found that the large pressure transmitters that were often used to monitor the pressures, added significant time to the closing of the safety valves.

With the particularly high frequency response of the Druck PTX 600 Series, it is hoped that these reaction times can be drastically reduced.

The transmitters previously used had times of maybe 20 or 30 mSecs, whereas the expected time for Druck would be 1 to 2 mSecs.