Explore this range of submersible pressure sensors engineered with strain gauge technology. These sensors excel in demanding underwater environments, offering accurate hydrostatic level measurements and reliable pressure readings for submerged systems. The low power consumption of the strain gauge circuit makes them an ideal choice for battery-powered underwater monitoring applications, ensuring long-lasting performance and minimal maintenance requirements.
SSPT Subsea Wet-Mateable Electrical Connector Pressure Sensor - This stainless steel ceramic sensing diaphragm based subsea connector pressure sensor provides a unamplified ratiometric millivolt output or an amplified analogue output signal corresponding to ranges from 0…1 bar (14.50 psi) up to 400 bar ( 5800 psi).
IMSL IP68 Stainless Steel 316L Hydrostatic Pressure Sensor - Water resistant pressure sensor for measuring hydrostatic pressures in the range of 0-0.5 mWC up to 0-100 mWC.- IMCL Low Cost Submersible Pressure Sensor - Economical IP68 protected sensor with stainless steel 316L housing and Ceramic strain gauge sensing diaphragm for measuring liquid depth pressure.
- IMCL Submersible Absolute Reference Depth Sensor - Absolute reference hydrostatic depth sensor with an IP68 sealed electrical interface, SS316L, Duplex or PVC housing and a mV, voltage or current output.
- IMCL IP68 Millivolt Output Level Sensor - Millivolt strain gauge output signal hydrostatic level sensor with an IP68 sealed electrical connection, stainless steel 316L, Duplex or PVC housing.
SWL Marine Bronze Submersible Level Sensor - Analogue output sensor for immersing in seawater to determine depth or change in water level by measuring hydrostatic pressure.
- 10 metre sea water depth sensor with millivolt output
- 3 metre deep river water level transducer with low voltage output
- 6 metre deep river level transducer with millivolt output
- Solar panel, low power compatible, submersible 3m water tank level sensor
- Solar powered remote telemetry 10mWC range 2mV/V output tank contents sensor
- Vacuum insulation 15 psi absolute range millivolt output pressure sensor for air extraction use
Send us your enquiry to discuss your Water Resistant Pressure Sensors with Strain Gauge Output application with a product specialist, and they will help you select the best option to suit your specific requirements.
Submersible pressure sensors built around strain gauge sensing elements utilize a four-arm Wheatstone bridge bonded or sputtered directly to an isolation diaphragm. When submerged media exerts hydrostatic head pressure, micro-strain deflection across the diaphragm proportionally shifts the electrical resistance across the bridge arms. This deflection produces a millivolt output signal directly linear to the fluid head pressure, providing exceptional repeatability while isolating the active circuit from thermal gradient fluctuations common in layered water columns.
For remote hydrological stations, groundwater catchment wells, and deep oceanographic seabed landers, power budgeting is critical. The strain gauge bridge configurations in these submersible transducers can be specified with high bridge resistances or paired with fast-settling bridge excitation circuits. This allows external telemetry units and battery-powered dataloggers to pulse the excitation voltage, take a rapid measurement, and return to sleep mode, virtually eliminating circuit self-heating errors while extending remote battery operating lifespans across multi-year field deployments.
Accurate conversion of hydrostatic pressure to liquid level depends on proper ambient reference handling. In shallow tanks, wastewater lift stations, and surface water reservoirs, sensors utilize specialized submersible cables with internal vent tubes terminated with desiccant filters to balance the internal reference chamber against local atmospheric barometric swings. For deep-water oceanographic profiling, deep-sea benthic monitoring, and subsea structures where atmospheric shifts are negligible compared to extreme hydrostatic pressures, absolute or sealed-gauge sensors eliminate vent tubes entirely to ensure absolute hermetic reliability.
Material selection and seal integrity dictate sensor longevity in aggressive underwater media. Wetted diaphragms and sensor housings constructed from 316L stainless steel, Hastelloy C-276, or marine-grade Titanium are paired with specialized submersible cable jackets made of polyurethane, FEP, or Hytrel. These materials resist chloride stress corrosion, pitting, chemical effluent breakdown, and marine fouling during continuous, high-depth submersion.
In autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles, these strain gauge sensors serve as primary instruments for closed-loop depth tracking and buoyancy management. The rapid response time of the low-displacement diaphragm allows navigation controllers to detect minute vertical depth changes in real time, accounting for local water density gradients without suffering from mechanical hysteresis during rapid ascents or descents.
These transducers are equally critical in subsea pipeline integrity testing and infrastructure deployment. During hydrostatic pressure testing of subsea manifolds, Christmas trees, and underwater tie-in flowlines, the sensors monitor both internal line pressure holding and external hydrostatic head. Their high burst-pressure ratings, resistance to shock and vibration, and stable long-term zero performance ensure structural anomalies and flange seal micro-leaks are pinpointed before subsea systems are brought fully online.
Product Features
Designed for reliable long-term deployment in harsh underwater environments, these submersible pressure sensors combine high-precision strain gauge sensing with robust mechanical designs. Key features include low-power operation for remote telemetry, aggressive media compatibility, fast dynamic response, and versatile atmospheric or absolute reference options.
Strain Gauge Sensing Technology
Built around a four-arm Wheatstone bridge bonded, implanted or sputtered directly to an diaphragm substrate, these sensors detect micro-strain deflection to produce a millivolt output proportional to fluid head pressure. This construction offers excellent measurement repeatability and thermal stability across changing water columns.
Low Power Consumption
High bridge resistances and fast-settling excitation circuits allow external telemetry units and battery-powered dataloggers to pulse excitation voltage briefly, minimizing power usage and eliminating self-heating errors for multi-year field deployments.
Rugged Material Construction
Wetted diaphragms and housings are built from 316L stainless steel, Hastelloy C-276, or marine-grade Titanium, paired with polyurethane, FEP, or Hytrel cable jackets to resist corrosion, biofouling, and chemical breakdown in underwater applications.
Rapid Dynamic Response
Featuring low-displacement diaphragms with fast response times, these transducers enable real-time detection of minute depth changes without mechanical hysteresis, making them well suited for navigation and control in AUVs and ROVs.
Flexible Reference Options
Sensors can be specified with vented cables containing internal vent tubes for atmospheric compensation in surface applications, or as absolute/sealed-gauge units without vent tubes for subsea and deep-water profiling.
Product Applications
These submersible strain gauge pressure sensors are engineered for critical applications across diverse aquatic environments, ranging from scientific research and deep-sea infrastructure monitoring to the precise control of autonomous underwater vehicles. These sensors provide the reliable, high-resolution data necessary for mission-critical operations where accuracy and durability are paramount.
Oceanographic Research and Hydrologic Profiling
These sensors are foundational to advanced oceanographic and hydrologic monitoring systems. In CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) instrument arrays, they provide the highly accurate, continuous depth-tracking channel essential for mapping complex phenomena such as thermoclines, salinity stratification, and underwater current profiles across vast ocean basins. Furthermore, their slender, compact housing—typically 17 mm to 22 mm—makes them uniquely suited for long-term groundwater aquifer characterization. They can be easily deployed in narrow observation boreholes and drive-point piezometers to monitor drawdown, recovery, and recharge rates during intensive multi-day aquifer pump tests, providing the precise data required for sustainable water resource management.
Subsea Infrastructure and Offshore Operations
The rugged design of these strain gauge sensors ensures dependable performance in the most challenging subsea and offshore environments. When mounted on underwater distribution equipment, oil and gas skids, or subsea isolation valves, absolute-rated strain gauge sensors provide reliable verification of line pressures against fluctuating external ambient bottom-sea pressure, a critical requirement for maintaining system integrity. Additionally, during the complex phases of pipeline commissioning, hydro-testing, and pigging, these submerged sensors play a vital role. They continuously track water ingress and pressure stabilization, allowing operators to detect anomalies early and ensure that seabed export pipelines are thoroughly inspected and secure before bringing them into full production.
Underwater Vehicles (ROVs and AUVs)
In the domain of advanced underwater robotics, these sensors deliver the millisecond-scale response and low hysteresis required for precise vehicle control. For autonomous vehicles, the pressure data serves as the critical process variable for thruster auto-depth algorithms and variable-buoyancy ballast engines, effectively eliminating the problem of vehicle ‘depth hunting’ and ensuring stability within sensitive seabed survey envelopes. Moreover, when integrated into the hydraulic telemetry systems of deep-water work-class ROVs, these sensors actively monitor working hydraulic pressures for complex manipulator arm tooling packages. By ensuring system pressures remain accurately compensated against extreme external ambient hydrostatic loads at depths exceeding 3,000 meters, this technology enables reliable operations in even the deepest, most inaccessible reaches of the ocean.
Product Selection
Selecting the appropriate submersible pressure sensor requires careful evaluation of key application parameters. Factors such as the operational environment, required depth and pressure ranges, electrical signal output compatibility, and material compatibility with the submersion liquid must all be weighed to ensure optimal measurement accuracy, reliable telemetry integration, and long-term durability in field deployments.
Determining Pressure and Depth Range
Submerged sensors are frequently deployed to monitor internal subsea system pressures, including hydraulic control circuits, subsea manifolds, and subsea pipelines. When selecting a pressure range, ensure the sensor accommodates the maximum expected operating pressure, whether driven by ambient hydrostatic depth, internal hydraulic and line pressures, or dynamic pressure spikes within the circuit, without sacrificing measurement accuracy or sensitivity at lower operational thresholds.
Selecting the Output Signal
When selecting ratiometric millivolt output sensors, prioritize stability of the excitation voltage, as the output signal is directly proportional to the supply. Ensure the receiving instrumentation has high input impedance to minimize loading errors and maintain measurement accuracy, while carefully matching the full-scale sensitivity to the data acquisition system to optimize resolution in low-power, battery-operated monitoring applications.
Material Compatibility and Housing
Choosing robust housing and diaphragm materials like 316L Stainless Steel, Duplex, or Titanium based on the corrosiveness of the submersion medium (e.g., seawater, wastewater, chemical effluent) is crucial to ensure long-term durability and resistance to fouling or chemical attack.
Reference Type: Vented vs. Absolute
Selecting between a vented gauge sensor for surface level measurements where atmospheric pressure compensation is required, and an absolute or sealed-gauge sensor for deep-sea or high-pressure environments where an internal reference vacuum is preferred for reliability, ensures proper baseline reference handling across different operational depths.