ESE 3217

Instrumentation and Control

Lecture 02- Measurement system & Instrumentation

Khaza Shahriar
 The proliferation of process control
instrumentation can be traced to

● The sudden demand for

petroleum products at the
History beginning of the 20th century
● a new demand for rubber
substitutes, and
● Manhattan Project, all during
World War II
 Switches and Sensors [ref 1]

Switches: A switch is an electrical component that connects or disconnects a signal path in an electrical
circuit. It is used to make or break an electrical circuit. A switch has two states: an ON state and an OFF
state.Switches can be categorized as follows:
• Manually operated switch
• Mechanically operated switch

Sensors: Sensors are devices that detect or sense the presence or absence of objects. A sensor can be
thought of as an automatic switch. They gather information from their environment and convert it into a form
of signal that can be read and/or seen by an observer or equipment
 Manual Switches

Switches that are operated by hand are referred to as manually operated switches. Some
examples are as follows:
• Push button
• Rocker switch
• Toggle switch
• Selector switch
• Knife switch
 Push Button
A push button is a type of switch that closes or opens a circuit when a button is pressed or depressed.
● In a normally open (NO) push button, when the push button is not pressed, the contacts are open,
and the connection is broken (that is, the switch is OFF). When the push button is pressed, the
contacts are closed, and the connection is made (that is, the switch is ON).

● In a normally closed (NC) push button, when the push button is not pressed, the contacts are
closed, and a connection is made (that is, the switch is ON). When the push button is pressed, the
contacts are open, and the connection is broken (that is, the switch is OFF).
 Rocker Toggle and Slide Switch
Rocker switch
A rocker switch is an on and off switch in which one side is raised and
the other side is depressed when pressed. It rocks like a rocking
horse rocks back and forth.

Toggle switch
A toggle switch is a type of switch consisting of a lever that
is moved back and forth to open or close an electrical circuit.
They can have more than one lever position.

Slide switch
A slide switch uses a slide action to produce the same connections as
a toggle switch.
 Selector and knife Switch
Selector switch
A selector switch may have two or more selector
positions. It can control the ON or OFF state of a
different circuit by rotating the handle. It is used
where more than one control option is needed.

Knife switch
A knife switch is a switching device that makes, breaks, or changes
the course of electric current. It consists of one or more movable
copper blades that are hinged and make contact with stationary
forked contact jaws by being forced between them.
 mechanically operated switch
A mechanically operated switch takes the place of a human operator. Some examples of this type
of switch are as follows:
• Limit switch
• Level switch
• Pressure switch
• Temperature switch
Limit switches
This is a switch that is operated by the motion of a machine part. It
operates when a predetermined limit is reached. The standard limit
switch is a mechanical device that uses physical contact to detect the
presence or absence of an object.
 Level Switch
Level switch
A level switch can also be referred to as a level sensor. It can detect the presence of liquids, powder, or
granulated materials in a vessel. It can provide automatic control of motors or pumps when the level
is high or low. Various level switches are available, including float switch, capacitive, ultrasonic, and
vibrating fork.
 Float Sensor
Normally closed float switch
In a normally closed float switch, the electrical circuit
is closed in a downward position and opened in an
upward position. So, with gravity pulling it down, it is
closed; as the liquid level rises to the preset level, it
will open, as shown in the following diagram:

Normally open float switch

In a normally open float switch,
the electrical circuit is open in
the downward position and
closed in the upward position.
So, with gravity pulling it down,
it is open, and as the liquid level
rises to the preset level.
 Pressure and Temperature Switch

Pressure switch
A pressure switch is a form of sensor that closes or opens an
electrical contact when a certain pressure is obtained through an
increase or decrease in pressure.

Temperature switch
A temperature switch is a switch that opens or closes when the
temperature reaches a setpoint or falls below a setpoint. The design
of a temperature switch consists of two parts:
● Sensor: This can be a sensing bulb filled with a fluid – liquid,
gas, or a bimetallic strip. It's usually immersed in the process
whose temperature is to be controlled.
● Snap-action contacts: These switch the electrical power of the
device controlling the temperature of the process on or off.
 Temperature Switch
A bimetallic strip temperature switch is one of the most common temperature switches. It consists of a thin
rectangular strip formed of two dissimilar metals that are bonded back to back.

A liquid-filled temperature switch (capillary thermostat) consists of a fluid encapsulated in a metal tube
(bulb and capillary). The fluid expands or contracts when the temperature changes.

Figure – A bimetallic strip temperature switch Figure – A capillary thermostat temperature switch
 Proximity sensors
Proximity sensors are commonly used in industrial applications. Proximity sensors detect the presence or
absence of objects using electromagnetic fields, light, or sound. There are various types, each suited to a
specific environment or application. The available types of proximity sensors are as follows:
• Inductive proximity sensors
• Capacitive proximity sensors
• Photoelectric proximity sensors

Figure – Inductive proximity sensor