Abstract: This paper analyzes the requirements of the petrochemical industry for pressure transmitters, and concludes that the petrochemical industry requires pressure sensors with the following characteristics: measurement accuracy, fast response, temperature and hydrostatic characteristics, and long-term stability. Micro-pressure sensors possess many advantages that traditional pressure sensors lack, and can meet the requirements of the petrochemical industry for pressure sensors.
Keywords: Pressure sensor, Petrochemical industry localization
0 Introduction
Pressure transmitters are one of the most widely used measuring devices in the automatic control of the petrochemical industry. In large-scale chemical projects, almost all types of pressure transmitters are used: differential pressure, absolute pressure, gauge pressure, high pressure, micro differential pressure, high temperature, low temperature, as well as remote flange pressure transmitters of various materials and special processing. Taking the Yangtze BASF styrene project as an example, it used nearly 480 pressure transmitters of various types. During the project preparation stage, the experts and engineers of the project preparation department hoped that all pressure transmitters could operate reliably without failure for at least 2 years [1].
Currently, my country's petrochemical industry relies heavily on imports for pressure transmitters, and domestically produced pressure transmitters lag behind their foreign counterparts in terms of product variety and performance. Achieving domestic production of pressure sensors is of great significance to national economic and defense security, as well as the revitalization of domestic industries. This paper compares and contrasts several typical domestic and international pressure transmitters used in the petrochemical field, analyzing the key to domestic pressure sensor production. Through concerted efforts, the foreign monopoly on MEMS sensor-based pressure transmitters can be broken, achieving domestic production of pressure sensors in the petrochemical industry.
1. The petrochemical industry's demand for pressure transmitters and requirements for pressure sensors
In modern continuous production processes, stable and reliable pressure transmitters are crucial for ensuring smooth operation. Metering errors or even systemic malfunctions can lead to immeasurable economic losses. Therefore, the stability and reliability of pressure transmitters are paramount requirements for the petrochemical industry.
Typically, pressure transmitter measurements drift with changes in the operating environment and static pressure. In applications involving minute pressure or differential pressure measurements, this drift can be quite significant. Obtaining the most accurate measurement under varying operating conditions, thereby maintaining production stability and ensuring process consistency, is a key aspect of pressure transmitter stability and a requirement of the petrochemical industry.
Beyond stability and reliability, high precision is a higher requirement for pressure sensors in the petrochemical industry. Control accuracy depends on the accuracy of measurements during the control process. Higher measurement accuracy translates to higher control accuracy. Currently, most pressure transmitters achieve an accuracy of 0.075%, which meets the measurement accuracy requirements of the petrochemical industry.
For details, please click: Discussion on the Application and Localization of Pressure Sensors in the Petrochemical Industry
