Kistler has launched what it states is its smallest water-cooled cylinder pressure sensor, which incorporates PiezoStar crystals and is said to yield precise measurements thanks to improvements to its design and manufacturing process compared with previous sensors.

The 6041C miniature cylinder pressure sensor is the third generation of Kistler’s smallest water-cooled sensor (size: M8) and features minimal sensor-to-sensor deviation during combustion pressure measurements. Thanks to the small linearity deviation, engineers can obtain accurate measurement data at all loads.

Improved thermodynamic behavior creates more stable measurements within the application temperature range of 50 ± 30°C, even during thermal changes in the combustion chamber. Moreover, its thermal shock error is minimal, ensuring mean effective pressure (MEP) accuracy under all conditions. The miniature sensor features an optimized cooling flow around the measuring element to enhance its stability over long-term measurements and grants a longer service life without losing thermodynamic accuracy over time.

Compared with uncooled sensors, water-cooled sensors have the advantage that they can be either recess-mounted or flush-mounted, even when subjected to high thermal loads. Thanks to the latest crystal technology and an advanced measuring element coupled with improvements to the production process, they provide measurement results with excellent accuracy. These advances also give the pressure sensor a higher natural frequency and excellent thermal stability, ideal for gas exchange analysis tasks.

Like its predecessors, the 6041C cylinder pressure sensor can be mounted in a sleeve or directly into bore holes, starting from 12mm diameter. The sensor is compatible for mounting with its predecessors 6041B and 6041A, and the uncooled variants 6045A, 6045B and 6044A.

Roger Leutwyler, product manager for piezoelectric cylinder pressure sensors at Kistler, commented, “High sensitivity, high natural frequency, a low thermal shock error and outstanding zero-point stability: these advantages make our new 6041C cylinder pressure sensor deliver measurement results with the highest accuracy. As a miniature sensor with an M8 mounting thread, it is particularly suitable for compact multi-valve engines where space is limited – and obviously, its benefits also come into play whenever precision and long-term stability are critical factors.”

Lawrence has been covering engineering subjects – with a focus on motorsport technology – since 2007 and has edited and contributed to a variety of international titles. Currently, he is responsible for content across UKI Media & Events' portfolio of websites while also writing for the company's print titles.

© 2021 UKi Media & Events a division of UKIP Media & Events Ltd