From the depths of space to the heart of your transformer — we lead the leap.

In space there is no margin for error

The furthest Vaisala’s sensors have gone is without doubt Jezero Crater, Isidis Planitia, on planet Mars. Putting our HUMICAP®  humidity sensor on a planet that’s about 1000 times drier than the driest place on Earth is about pushing further and pushing forward. Expanding our horizons and sensing what cannot be seen with our eyes alone.

To the heart of your transformer

What has this all to do with transformers and the power industry? Quite a bit, in fact. While one sensor is on Mars, its cousin is right here on Earth — taking its readings from the heart of your transformer.

That’s right. As part of our MMP8 moisture probe, a HUMICAP® sensor is doing constant work measuring the moisture in transformer insulation liquid. Bear in mind, these are some of the driest liquids, which already sounds like a contradiction in terms, with water content measured in ppm or parts per million level. And what makes the MMP8 so unique is how well it performs at the dry end of the scale — whether on Mars or in your transformer.

When it comes to moisture, in critical applications as little as possible is the way to go. To detect these minute levels of relative saturation, you need extreme sensitivity, well below 1 part per million or 1 %RS. That works on Mars, and that works in a brand new and just dried transformer, or with an online oil dryer as well.

Long-term robustness

We believe in what we term “robust science” — Vaisala invests some 14% of our net sales into R&D. It's an investment in pushing the boundaries of what can be measured, and how, and making the measurement technologies as robust as can be. In effect, our technology was space-proof before it ever left our home planet. And one doesn’t even need to go to space to value a probe’s ability to keep on performing right from the moment of unboxing.

As an example of what an install-and-forget probe really is are the numerous HUMICAP®-powered probes that have come back for factory re-calibration after ten years in continuous service —- still within their original calibration specs. So, wherever you are protecting your transformers — the Arctic, offshore or the tropics —  you can count on the MMP8 to keep going. No matter how long your mission.

Read more about how the MMP8 helps keep transformers performing better, longer >> 

Read more about our mission on Mars >> 

Watch our three episode webinar series on moisture in transformers >>