Case study · Precision pumps & injection systems
Safely maintaining 6000 bar static pressure: designing a non-reversible drive pump
For a public process engineering laboratory, IRIAN Mecatronics designed and built a static pressurization pump capable of generating and holding 6000 bar in a closed volume. The equipment automates test cycles (ramps, holds) and provides intrinsic safety, maintaining pressure even during a power failure.
At a glance
- Client
- Public research laboratory in food process engineering
- Field
- Process Engineering
- Technique
- Static and cyclic liquid pressurization
01 — The research question
How to generate 6000 bar static pressure with fine control and absolute safety?
Generating very high static pressure in a closed volume is a different challenge from producing continuous flow. The goal is to control extremely small volume changes with high precision to finely manage pressure ramps and holds, and above all, to ensure the system's long-term stability. The need here was to replace a manual pump to automate pressurization cycles, improving test repeatability and operator safety. Standard UHP pumps designed for chromatography or waterjet cutting are optimized for flow. They cannot maintain a static pressure in an intrinsically safe way during a power outage, which would ruin a long-duration test.
How can we combine precise motorized control to generate pressure ramps up to 6000 bar with absolute safety that guarantees this pressure is held without any power, even if the control system fails?
02 — Our approach
Designing an intrinsically safe pump
Ensuring safety with a non-reversible mechanical drive
At 6000 bar, the energy stored in the fluid is considerable. To prevent any sudden depressurization during a power failure, we ruled out direct drives. The chosen mechanical transmission system is intrinsically non-reversible: the fluid pressure can never push the piston back, guaranteeing that pressure is maintained without any electrical power.
Selecting very high-strength steels
Standard stainless steels would deform plastically under 6000 bar. To ensure reliability and safety over repeated cycles in these extreme conditions, all wetted parts were machined from special steel grades with a yield strength compatible with these stresses.
Developing an intuitive, traceable control interface
To replace the manual operation, we created a dedicated software interface. The operator programs test cycles in physical units (bar/s, holds) from a PC. The system translates these setpoints into precise motor commands, manages the process, and records all data for perfect traceability and repeatability of experiments.
03 — Technical specifications
| Operating pressure | 6000 bar [87,000 psi] |
|---|---|
| Pump volume | 6 mL |
| Target cell volume | 22 mL |
| Ramp-up control | up to 35 bar/s |
| Ramp-down control | up to 100 bar/s |
| Flow rate control precision | up to 0.0002 mL/min |
| Control | External PC via Ethernet |
04 — Other applications
Could this technology solve your problem?
Geosciences / Petrophysics
The principle of generating high static pressure with fine control and non-reversible safety is directly transferable to simulating deep geological reservoir conditions. It allows for stable, long-term tests on confined rocks or fluids.
Materials Science
The ability to reach and regulate 6000 bar is applicable to the synthesis of materials under pressure (specialty ceramics) or to isostatic strength testing of components. The fine control of pressurization cycles allows for precise management of test conditions.
Pharma / Health
For cold sterilization (pascalization) or studying protein denaturation, precise pressure control is essential. The pump's principle ensures process safety and could be adapted with biocompatible materials and a cleanable design.
An engineer from our design office replies as soon as possible.