Piezocryst

A new sensing technology

We are proud to present to our customers a new sensor line, based on a Gallium Phosphate technology, introduced in co-operation with Piezocryst. Our sensing systems protect and monitor thousands of machines worldwide, including gas turbines, steam turbines and hydro turbines. Monitoring dynamic pressure in the combustor of a gas turbine is a proven way to control combustion dynamics and reduce NOX emissions. Today, our CP sensor series equip thousands of gas turbines and contribute to making them the most efficient on the market. Our customers will now benefit from new products with improved sensing behaviour, combined with the expertise, commitment to quality and support of Vibro-Meter.

About Piezocryst

Piezocryst (www.piezocryst.com) is probably technologically the leading company for combustion analysis sensors in the automotive industry and has a successful track record of 50 years in this field. Based on its unique high temperature single crystalline material gallium phosphate (GaPO₄) Piezocryst has complemented its core business in automotive combustion analysis by the monitoring and control of large engines and gas turbines. The high performance of testbed sensors, which for example enables high quality thermodynamic calculations, is now available for long term monitoring and closed loop applications for very demanding combustion applications.

Co-operation

The co-operation between Vibro-Meter and Piezocryst combines the strengths of both companies to one center of excellence offering superior monitoring solutions and services to the turbine community. Vibro-Meter offers its decades of application know-how in sensors and electronics as well as its worldwide sales and service organization, while Piezocryst contributes its GaPO₄ crystal technology and specific combustion analysis know-how.

The overall idea of the co-operation is to combine knowledge and resources to better serve the customers with improved solutions and services. While it is part of our joint philosophy to offer new products, it is also part of the philosophy that the continuity of existing products and services will be conserved at the same level of quality that customers have experienced in the past.

Within the co-operation, Vibro-Meter will be responsible for sales and marketing. To guarantee the same high level of customer service, sales and service will be carried out by existing experienced staff. Piezocryst will be responsible for the future development and production of dynamic pressure sensors. Based on the existing combustion expertise, new products will be developed with improved properties.

New dynamic pressure sensors for high temperature R&D and monitoring purposes are offered (CP 502 and CP 506), that enable monitoring pulsations from very high frequencies down to extremely low frequencies. Moreover, the sensors show a very good behavior on temperature changes, enabling the correct control of turbines during critical transient phases. Additionally, the signal-to-noise ratio is significantly improved. This new technology will help to reduce fuel consumption and emission levels.

Advantages of the new sensors based on GaPO4

GaPO4 is an industrially grown single crystal with constant sensitivity and stable material quality. This material shows no ageing effects.

It is not pyroelectric, which means that it does not emit signals due to temperature changes. As a consequence:

Accurate measurements under thermal gradients especially during machine start-up are now possible.
High signal quality at very low frequencies.

The high internal insulation resistance at operating temperatures improves the signal to noise ratio.

The very small sensitivity deviation over temperature allows for accurate measurements over the entire temperature range.

Download information

For more information on this co-operation, please call your existing contact partner.

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