[Hot] Pressure sensing with functional safety for hydrogen processing and storage systems

Variohm EuroSensor’s SMO31H2 series pressure sensors, designed for critical measurement and monitoring tasks in hydrogen processing and logistics, come with a variant with Performance Level ‘d’ certification.

For pressures to 1000 bar and with EC79 (up to 700 bar) and EC406 type approvals for hydrogen generation, storage and transportation systems, the new SMO31H2-PL:d sensor offers ECU and other safety-controlled applications compliance with the DIN EN ISO 13849-1 machinery safety and IEC 61508 functional safety standards in addition to many other recognised safety accreditations.

The SMO31H2-PL:d features stainless steel construction with IP67 protection class as standard or optional IP69K. Its high resistance to shock and vibration and a temperature range spanning -40 to +125°C contribute, along with additional EMI/RFI protection, low static and thermal errors, to exceptional endurance and long-life against harsh environment use.

The PL:d variant is available in 20 range options from 1.0 bar up to 1000 bar with a choice of M16 or ¼ NPT pressure port configurations (NPT limited to 500 bar). Its 4…20 mA output from a 10 to 32 V DC supply has defined safety limits which can be read into the safety system or ECU to detect faults and there is also internal failure detection within the sensor’s signal conditioner for broken bond wires, internal EEPROM errors and Watchdog etc., that cause an output signal outside of the safety limits.

Electrical interfacing is a 600 mm cable with free ends, or optionally with a Metri-Pack connector or M12x1 round connector.  The complete specification for the SMO31H2-PL:d version is available in a datasheet downloadable from the Variohm website. The SMO31H2 series also includes a variant with European E1 automotive type-approval making conformance straightforward for pressure monitoring on mobile applications for cars, buses and trucks etc.

Variohm’s SMO series pressure sensors have been developed over several years and like their range counterparts, the EPT series, continue to provide high accuracy and reliable pressure measurement across demanding applications ranging from motorsports to medical equipment and from harsh industrial use to mobile agricultural and construction machinery.

SMO and EPT series pressure sensors are based upon well-proven piezo-resistive measurement technology with ASIC circuitry that is fully protected in hermetically sealed stainless-steel housings. The silicon-free design has no internal O-rings and generous burst and overpressure specifications mean maximum reliability is assured. Pressure measurement range availability is up to 5000 bar with an abundance of pressure port and output options for utmost installation flexibility. The SMO and EPT series pressure sensors offer many other specialist variants such as a CANopen/SAE-J1939 output, titanium construction, aggressive gas/liquid compatibility, and more.

Variohm EuroSensor is a manufacturer, distributor and supply chain partner offering an extensive range of position, force, pressure, load, and temperature sensor technologies – for cost effective solutions to demanding measurement applications across industry, construction, agriculture, motorsports, research and more.