An ultra-high pressure system able to operate in the most extreme environments across land, sea, air and space is being relaunched with innovative technology.
Barnbrook Systems Ltd acquired the Intersonde range of ultra-high pressure (UHP) transducers nearly 30 years ago in 1998.
The market-leading system is one of a handful worldwide able to operate and measure pressure with great accuracy at 200,000 PSI (Pressure per Square Inch) or 14 kilobar – greater than that exerted at the deepest point of the ocean.
It is made of hermetically sealed, high-grade stainless steel cylinders with sensitive internal sensors. Robust transducers of this calibre are typically used for nuclear power stations and deep sea exploration as well as within such sectors as defence, aviation and space.
Now Barnbrook Systems – based in Fareham Hampshire, UK – is breathing new life into the Intersonde range with its proprietary BlueCube© remote sensing technology and Hydrogen compatible units.
It means live data from sensors can be precisely transmitted in real time to desktop, laptops, tablets and phone for instant intervention in operationally important or safety critical situations.
Alerts can be trigged at pre-set points and data stored for analysis, delivering predictive maintenance capabilities for improved efficiency, greater risk management and continuous improvement.
Andrew Barnett, Barnbrook Systems managing director, said: “Our Intersonde range has played a significant role in the growth of our business over many years.
“Very few other engineers or manufacturers have transducers to match its specialist UHP capabilities, which why it has remained consistently in demand for so long.
“Our ability to blend technologies at Barnbrook Systems means we can rejuvenate Intersonde with digitisation and our leading-edge industrial internet of things technology.
“The next generation of Intersonde will enhance its capabilities for existing users but also allow us to support emerging technologies, such as the production, transportation and use of green hydrogen fuel.”
Barnbrook Systems’ UHP sensors’ ability to measure and withstand high pressures in potentially hazardous and highly demanding environments will be incorporated into its Blue Dot System for green hydrogen.
The BlueDot monitoring and tracking device is fixed to individual cannisters, or cells, in a green hydrogen battery.
They monitor pressure – meticulously tracking for leaks – as well as safety-critical environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and location.
Data is transmitted in real time to a BlueCube© host, then into the cloud, enabling real time reporting.
The company has also brought its ultra-low pressure (ULP) system for inflight refuelling of helicopters into the Intersonde range.
Sensors within the refuelling system are able to measure minute changes in pressure within fuel tanks.
This means refuelling can be switched on and off in split seconds to prevent fuel spilling out of vents into the air – saving money and time and improving safety.
Reinvention of the Intersonde range also draws upon Barnbrook’s Systems specialism of re-engineering legacy products, which has proved so successful in such sectors as rail, aerospace and defence.
In terms of the Kilopascal (kPa) measurement of pressure, the Intersonde range has a maximum operational capacity of 1.4million kPa.
By comparison, pressure at sea level is 101 kPa and at 2,500m underwater – the maximum diving depth for a sperm whale – it is 25,231 kPa.
Pressure at the lowest known point of the ocean – 10,911m below sea level – is 110,000 kPa.
An independent, family-owned business, Barnbrook Systems was founded in 1978.
Visit https://www.barnbrook.co.uk/ for more information.