{"id":14623,"date":"2022-02-08T10:00:56","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T15:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/\/?p=14623"},"modified":"2025-05-14T09:12:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:12:46","slug":"polargauge-instrumentation-for-extremely-low-ambient-temperatures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wika.com\/us\/products\/pressure-products\/polargauge-instrumentation-for-extremely-low-ambient-temperatures\/","title":{"rendered":"POLARgauge Sensors for Extreme Cold Temperatures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Designed for reliable service in extremely low ambient temperatures, WIKA\u2019s POLARgauge\u00ae<\/sup> series and POLARvalve protective devices accurately monitor and control a process\u2019s working pressure, differential pressure, and temperature in places where standard instruments fail.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Polar bears and brown bears are closely related yet ecologically distinct; after migrating to the far north,\u00a0the former quickly adapted to thrive in very cold climates. Similarly, WIKA has modified a select collection of instruments to perfectly withstand the challenges of measuring pressure and temperature in the extreme polar conditions found in northern United States, Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, and China.<\/p>\n

Effects of Cold on Measuring Instruments<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Most pressure gauges<\/a>, valves and protective devices<\/a>, and dial thermometers<\/a> can tolerate temperatures down to about \u22124\u00b0F (\u221220\u00b0C). Below that threshold, measuring instruments and accessories begin to malfunction for the following reasons:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Viscous case filling<\/strong>
    \nGlycerin or silicone oil in\u00a0<\/span>    liquid-filled industrial gauges<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>prevents moisture from forming inside the case. This protection is important because moisture not only causes the internal movement to freeze, but it forms frost inside the window and makes the dial face almost impossible to read. However, even silicone oil \u2013 the case fill of choice for cold ambient temperatures \u2013 become more viscous around \u221240\u00b0F (\u221240\u00b0C). The result: slower response times and inaccurate readings. Eventually, the pointer stops moving.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
  2. Brittle elastomer<\/strong>
    \nStandard gauges rely on elastomers to provide tight seals around components such as gaskets and O-rings. In pressure instruments, the vent valve and blowout back (a safety feature of\u00a0<\/span>    solid-front gauges<\/a>) are also made of elastic polymers. Although they can withstand low ambient temperatures, elastomers become brittle over time in extreme cold and lose their sealing properties. When this happens, the protective case fill begins to escape, leading condensation to form inside the instrument.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    POLARgauge\u00ae<\/sup> and POLARvalve Series, Instruments Designed to Withstand Extreme Cold<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
    <\/a>

    POLARgauge series of instruments and valves<\/p><\/div>\n \n

    \nThe grande dame of the POLARgauge\u00ae<\/sup> series is the\u00a0<\/span>PG23LT<\/a>, a Bourdon tube pressure gauge made expressly for\u00a0<\/span>extremely low ambient temperatures<\/a>. Soon, our customers in the\u00a0<\/span>oil and gas<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>chemical<\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>petrochemical<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>industries demanded other measurement solutions for arctic conditions.<\/p>\n

    In response, WIKA engineers selected three robust gauges from our portfolio, and made the following modifications to make them withstand extremely cold ambient temperatures:<\/p>\n