Thermal testing unit for pressure sensors

Mechanical Engineering student Flavio Rosa was awarded the Siemens Excellence Award for his bachelor's thesis involving the development of a pressure chamber.

Flavio Rosa developed a pressure chamber as a thermal testing unit for sensor manufacturer Kistler AG from xx. The pressure chamber is used to test the reliability of ultra-sensitive sensors at temperatures of up to 300 degrees Celsius and pressures of up to 50 bar. The sensors tested in  this chamber are used for the development of combustion engines in the automotive industry.

The pressure chamber was developed as part of a conceptual study. In the subsequent design phase, a  thermal-mechanic FE simulation was used to perform a  stress analysis. Via a fluid-mechanical, numerical simulation, the temperature distribution was optimised to achieve  high rotational-flow symmetry. After  the production phase, the pressure chamber was put into operation and tested with the gas system designed for this purpose in the test facility.

The pressure chamber has been implemented as planned and successfully commissioned. The chamber can withstand  high thermal and mechanical stresses as calculated. Various measurement and test procedures such as overpressure tests and heat-flow measurements attested to  the correct functioning of the modified test facility. In addition, the non-homogeneous heat flow field in the test facility was measured and a new heat-flow probe was tested.

• Client: Kistler Instrumente AG
• Coach: Professor Dr. Christoph Gossweiler and Professor Dr. Norbert Hofmann