Level Measurement Devices

Dipsticks:
Ordinary Dipsticks Optical Dipsticks:

Dipsticks offer a simple means of measuring The optical dipstick, is an alternative form
level approximately. The ordinary dipstick is that allows a reading to be obtained without
the cheapest device available. This consists of removing the dipstick from the vessel, and so
a metal bar on which a scale is etched. is applicable to larger, deeper tanks.

 The bar is fixed at a known position in  Light from a source is reflected from a
the liquid-containing vessel. A level mirror, passes round the chamfered end
measurement is made by removing the of the dipstick, and enters a light
instrument from the vessel and reading detector after reflection by a second
off how far up the scale the liquid has mirror.
wetted.
 When the chamfered end comes into
 As a human operator is required to contact with liquid, its internal
remove and read the dipstick, this reflection properties are altered and
method can only be used in relatively light no longer enters the detector.
small and shallow vessels.
 By using a suitable mechanical drive
system to move the instrument up and
down and measure its position, the
liquid level can be monitored.
Float systems:
Float systems, whereby the position of a float on the surface of a liquid is measured by means
of a suitable transducer, have a typical measurement inaccuracy of 1%. This method is also
simple, cheap and widely used.

 Float and tape gauge (or tank gauge). This has a tape attached to the float that passes
round a pulley situated vertically above the float. The other end of the tape is attached to
either a counterweight or a negative-rate counter-spring. The amount of rotation of the
pulley, measured by either a synchro or a potentiometer, is then proportional to the liquid
level.
These two essentially mechanical systems of measurement are popular in many applications,
but the maintenance requirements of them are always high.
Pressure-measuring devices (hydrostatic systems):
The hydrostatic pressure due to a liquid is directly proportional to its depth and hence to the
level of its surface. Several instruments are available that use this principle, and they are widely
used in many industries, particularly in harsh chemical environments.
Open-Topped Vessels Totally Sealed vessels
In the case of open-topped vessels (or Where liquid-containing vessels are totally
covered ones that are vented to the sealed, the liquid level can be calculated by
atmosphere), the level can be measured by measuring the differential pressure between
inserting a pressure sensor at the bottom of the top and bottom of the tank.
the vessel,
An additional problem that can occur is an
The liquid level h is then related to the accumulation of liquid on the side of the
measured pressure P according to h =P/ g, differential pressure transducer that is
where is the liquid density and g is the measuring the pressure at the top of the
acceleration due to gravity. vessel. This can arise because of temperature
fluctuations, which allow liquid to alternately
One source of error in this method can be vaporize from the liquid surface and then
imprecise knowledge of the liquid density. condense in the pressure tapping at the top of
This can be a particular problem in the case the vessel.
 of liquid solutions and mixtures (especially
hydrocarbons), and in some cases only an The effect of this on the accuracy of the
estimate of density is available. differential pressure measurement is severe,
but the problem is easily avoided by placing a
Even with single liquids, the density is drain pot in the system.
subject to variation with temperature, and
therefore temperature measurement may be
required if very accurate level measurements
are needed.

Capacitive devices:
Capacitive devices are widely used for measuring the level of both liquids and solids in
powdered or granular form.
Disadvantages are written below;
 Become inaccurate if the measured substance is prone to contamination by agents that
change the dielectric constant.
  Ingress of moisture into powders is one such example of this.
Applications :
They are also suitable for use in extreme conditions measuring;
 Liquid metals (high temperatures)
 Liquid gases (low temperatures)
 Corrosive liquids (acids, etc.)
 High pressure processes.
Non-Conducting substances Conducting substances
For non-conducting substances two bare- In the case of conducting substances, exactly
metal capacitor plates in the form of the same measurement techniques are
concentric cylinders are immersed in the applied, but the capacitor plates are
substance The substance behaves as a encapsulated in an insulating material
dielectric between the plates according to the Measurement uncertainty is typically 1–2%.
depth of the substance.

Vibrating level sensor:

 The instrument consists of two piezoelectric oscillators fixed to the inside of a hollow
tube that generate flexural vibrations in the tube at its resonant frequency. The resonant
frequency of the tube varies according to the depth of its immersion in the liquid.
 A phase-locked loop circuit is used to track these changes in resonant frequency and
adjust the excitation frequency applied to the tube by the piezoelectric oscillators.
Liquid level measurement is therefore obtained in terms of the output frequency of the
oscillator when the tube is resonating
Fibre-optic level sensors:
The amount of light loss depends on the This effect is magnified, where light is
proportion of cable that is submerged in the reflected from an input fibre, round a prism,
liquid. The fibre-optic cross-talk sensor is one and then into an output fibre. Light is lost
example of a fibre-optic sensor that can be from this path into the liquid according to the
used to measure liquid level. depth of liquid surrounding the prism

Ultrasonic level gauge:

Ultrasonic level measurement is one of a number of non-contact techniques available. The
principle of the ultrasonic level gauge is that energy from an ultrasonic source above the liquid
is reflected back from the liquid surface into an ultrasonic energy detector, as illustrated in
Figure 17.4. Measurement of the time of flight allows the liquid level to be inferred. In
alternative versions, the ultrasonic source is placed at the bottom of the vessel containing the
liquid, and the time of flight between emission, reflection off the liquid surface and detection
back at the bottom of the vessel is measured.

Ultrasonic techniques are especially useful in measuring the position of the interface between
two immiscible liquids contained in the same vessel, or measuring the sludge or precipitate
level at the bottom of a liquid-filled tank. In either case, the method employed is to fix the
ultrasonic transmitter–receiver transducer at a known height in the upper liquid.

Radiation methods:
The radiation method is an expensive technique, which uses a radiation source and detector
system located outside a liquid-filled tank in the manner shown in Figure 17.6. The non-
invasive nature of this technique in using a source and detector system outside the tank is
particularly attractive. The absorption of both beta rays and gamma rays varies with the amount
of liquid between the source and detector, and hence is a function of liquid level. Caesium-137
is a commonly used gamma-ray source
Hot-wire elements/carbon resistor elements:
A level measurement system that uses a series of hot-wire elements or carbon resistors placed at
regular intervals along a vertical line up the side of a tank. The heat transfer coefficient of such
elements differs substantially depending upon whether the element is immersed in air or in the
liquid in the tank.
 Pressure Measurement Devices
Diaphragms:
The diaphragm, is one of three types of elastic element pressure transducer.
“Applied pressure causes displacement of the diaphragm and this movement is measured by a
displacement transducer”
Different versions of diaphragm sensors can measure both absolute pressure (up to 50 bar) and
gauge pressure (up to 2000 bar) according to whether the space on one side of the diaphragm is
respectively evacuated or is open to the atmosphere.

Capacitive pressure sensor:

A capacitive pressure sensor is simply a diaphragm-type device in which the diaphragm
displacement is determined by measuring the capacitance change between the diaphragm and a
metal plate that is close to it. Such devices are in common use.
Fibre-optic pressure sensors:
Fibre-optic sensors provide an alternative method of measuring displacements in diaphragm and
Bourdon tube pressure sensors by optoelectronic means, and enable the resulting sensors to
have lower mass and size compared with sensors in which the displacement is measured by
other methods.
Bellows:
The bellows, is another elastic-element type of pressure sensor that operates on very similar
principles to the diaphragm pressure sensor.
“Pressure changes within the bellows, which is typically fabricated as a seamless tube of either
metal or metal alloy, produce translational motion of the end of the bellows that can be
measured by capacitive, inductive (LVDT) or potentiometric transducers”.
Different versions can measure either absolute pressure (up to 2.5 bar) or gauge pressure (up to
150 bar). Double-bellows versions also exist that are designed to measure differential pressures
of up to 30 bar

Bourdon tube:
“The Bourdon tube is also an elastic element type of pressure transducer. It is relatively cheap
and is commonly used for measuring the gauge pressure of both gaseous and Measurement and
liquid fluids.”
It consists of a specially shaped piece of oval-section, flexible, metal tube that is fixed at one
end and free to move at the other end.
When pressure is applied at the open, fixed end of the tube, the oval cross-section becomes
more circular. In consequence, there is a displacement of the free end of the tube. This
displacement is measured by some form of displacement transducer, which is commonly a
potentiometer or LVDT. Capacitive and optical sensors are also sometimes used to measure the
displacement.
For a C-type tube, the maximum value for this arc is somewhat less than 360°. Where greater
measurement sensitivity and resolution are required, spiral and helical tubes are used. These
both give a much greater deflection at the free end for a given applied pressure.
C-type tubes are available for measuring pressures up to 6000 bar. A typical C-type tube of 25
mm radius has a maximum displacement travel of 4 mm, giving a moderate level of
measurement resolution.
The pointer of Bourdon tubes is normally set at zero during manufacture, using air as the
calibration medium. However, if a different fluid, especially a liquid, is subsequently used with
a Bourdon tube, the fluid in the tube will cause a non-zero deflection according to its weight
compared with air, resulting in a reading error of up to 6%. This can be avoided by calibrating
the Bourdon tube with the fluid to be measured instead of with air, assuming of course that the
user is aware of the problem.
Manometers:
“Manometers are passive instruments that give a visual indication of pressure values.” Various
types exist.
Output readings from U-tube manometers are subject to error, principally because it is very
difficult to judge exactly where the meniscus levels of the liquid are in the two halves of the
tube. In absolute pressure measurement, an addition error occurs because it is impossible to
totally evacuate the closed end of the tube.

U-tube manometers are typically used to measure gauge and differential pressures up to about
2 bar. The type of liquid used in the instrument depends on the pressure and characteristics of
the fluid being measured. Water is a cheap and convenient choice, but it evaporates easily and is
difficult to see. Nevertheless, it is used extensively, with the major obstacles to its use being
overcome by using coloured water and by regularly topping up the tube to counteract
evaporation. However, water is definitely not used when measuring the pressure of fluids that
react with or dissolve in water.
The well-type or cistern manometer, is similar to a U-tube manometer but one half of the tube
is made very large so that it forms a well. The change in the level of the well as the measured
pressure varies is negligible. Therefore, the liquid level in only one tube has to be measured,
which makes the instrument much easier to use than the U-tube manometer.
The inclined manometer or draft gauge, shown in Figure 15.6(c), is a variation on the well-
type manometer in which one leg of the tube is inclined to increase measurement sensitivity.

High-pressure measurement (greater than 7000 bar):

Measurement of pressures above 7000 bar is normally carried out electrically by monitoring the
change of resistance of wires of special materials. Materials having resistance-pressure
characteristics that are suitably linear and sensitive include manganin and gold–chromium
alloys.
The unknown pressure is applied to one end of the bellows, which transmits the pressure to the
coil. The magnitude of the applied pressure is then determined by measuring the coil resistance.