Industrial sensors are very sensitive components that are used to monitor temperatures, flow rates and pressure over long periods of time; and in applications relating to oil and gas pipelines, they are subjected to extreme stresses while doing so. Each day, about 160,000m~3 pass through a 1m-diameter pipeline - the equivalent of 1,850 litres per sec. Furthermore, onshore gas pipelines are subjected to internal pressures up to 100 bar (the figure is 200 bar or more for offshore pipelines). Sensor elements used to monitor flow suffer considerable wear as a result of corrosion and abrasion, shortening their life and necessitating costly repairs.
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