LEVEL MEASUREMENT

By
Obi A. I.

Department of Mechanical Engineering,

UNN.
 Last Class
• Discussed flow rates and the types of
measurement devices that could determine
these flow rates.

2
 Today’s Class Objectives
• Discuss the wide varieties of instruments for
measuring the level of liquids in a vessel.

3
 Introduction
• A wide variety of instruments are available for
measuring the level of liquids. Some of these can also
be used to measure the levels of solids that are in the
form of powders or small particles. In some
applications, only a rough indication of level is
needed, and simple devices such as dipsticks or float
systems are adequate. However, in other
cases where high accuracy is demanded, other types
of instrument must be used. The sections below
cover the various kinds of level-measuring device
available.

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Level Measurement Instruments

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 Dipstics

• Dipsticks offer a simple means of measuring level

approximately. The ordinary dipstick is the cheapest
device available. This consists of a metal bar on
which a scale is etched, as shown in Figure1(a). The
bar is fixed at a known position in the
liquid-containing vessel. A level measurement is
made by removing the instrument from the vessel
and reading off how far up the scale the liquid has
wetted. As a human operator is required to remove
and read the dipstick, this method can only be used
in relatively small and shallow vessels.

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Simple dipstic (contd)

Fig. 1 Dipsticks: (a) simple dipstick

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 The optical dipstick
• The optical dipstick, illustrated in Figure 1(b), is an
alternative form that allows a reading to be
obtained without removing the dipstick from the
vessel, and so is applicable to larger, deeper tanks.
Light from a source is reflected from a mirror,
passes round the chamfered end of the dipstick,
and enters a light detector after reflection by a
second mirror. When the chamfered end comes
into contact with liquid, its internal reflection
properties are altered and light no longer enters the
detector. By using a suitable mechanical drive
system to move the instrument up and down and
measure
its position, the liquid level can be monitored. 8
The optical dipstick (contd)

Fig. 1 Dipstics: (b) optical dipstick

9
 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 š1% This method is also
simple, cheap and widely used. The system using a potentiometer,
shown earlier in Figure 2 (page 13, Alan S. Morris), is very
common, and is well known for its application to monitoring the
level in motor vehicle fuel tanks. An alternative system, which is
used in greater numbers, is called the 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.

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Float systems (contd)

Fig. 2 Petrol-tank level indicator.

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 Pressure-measuring devices
(hydrostatic systems)
•

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Pressure-measuring devices
(hydrostatic systems)(contd)

Fig. 3 Hydrostatic systems: (a)

open-topped vessel; (b) sealed vessel; (c)
bubbler unit

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 Pressure-measuring devices
(hydrostatic systems) (contd)
•

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 Pressure-measuring devices
(hydrostatic systems) (contd)
• A final pressure-related system of level measurement is the bubbler
unit shown in Figure 3(c). This uses a dip pipe that reaches to the
bottom of the tank and is purged free of liquid by a steady flow of
gas through it. The rate of flow is adjusted until gas bubbles are just
seen to emerge from the end of the tube. The pressure in the tube,
measured by a pressure transducer, is then equal to the liquid
pressure at the bottom of the tank. It is important that the gas used
is inert with respect to the liquid in the vessel. Nitrogen, or
sometimes just air, is suitable in most cases. Gas consumption is
low, and a cylinder of nitrogen may typically last for six months. The
method is suitable for measuring the liquid pressure at the bottom
of both open and sealed tanks. It is particularly advantageous in
avoiding the large maintenance problem associated with leaks at the
bottom of tanks at the site of the pressure tappings required by
alternative methods.

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 Pressure-measuring devices
(hydrostatic systems) (contd)
• Measurement uncertainty varies according to
the application and the condition of
the measured material. A typical value would
be 0.5% of full-scale reading, although
0.1% can be achieved in some circumstances.

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 Capacitive devices

• Capacitive devices are widely used for measuring the

level of both liquids and solids in powdered or granular
form. They perform well in many applications, but
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. They are also suitable for use in
extreme conditions measuring liquid metals (high
temperatures), liquid gases (low temperatures),
corrosive liquids (acids, etc.) and high pressure
processes. Two versions are used according to whether
the measured substance is conducting or not. 17
Capacitive devices (contd)

Fig. 4 Capacitive level sensor. 18

 Capacitive devices (cond)
•

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 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 5. 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.

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 Ultrasonic level gauge (contd)
• 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, as shown in Figure 5. This
establishes the level of the liquid/liquid or liquid/sludge level in absolute terms.
When using ultrasonic instruments, it is essential that proper compensation is
made for the working temperature if this differs from the calibration temperature,
since the speed of ultrasound through air varies with temperature (see Chapter
13). Ultrasound speed also has a small sensitivity to humidity, air pressure and
carbon dioxide concentration, but these factors are usually insignificant.
Temperature compensation can be achieved in two ways. Firstly, the operating
temperature can be measured and an appropriate correction made. Secondly, and
preferably, a comparison method can be used in which the system is
calibrated each time it is used by measuring the transit time of ultrasonic energy
between two known reference points. This second method takes account of
humidity, pressure and carbon dioxide concentration variations as well as
providing temperature compensation. With appropriate care, measurement
uncertainty can be reduced to about š1%.

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Ultrasonic level gauge (contd)

Fig. 5 Ultrasonic level gauge.

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 Ultrasonic level gauge (contd)

Fig. 6 Measuring interface positions: (a) liquid/liquid interface; (b)

liquid/precipitate interface
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Radar (microwave) method

Fig. 7 Radar level detector.

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 Radar (microwave) method (contd)
• Level-measuring instruments using microwave radar are an alternative
technique for non-contact measurement. Currently, they are still very
expensive (£3000), but prices are falling and usage is expanding rapidly.
They are able to provide successful level measurement in applications that
are otherwise very difficult, such as measurement in closed tanks,
measurement where the liquid is turbulent, and measurement in the
presence of obstructions and steam condensate. The technique involves
directing a constant-amplitude, frequency-modulated microwave signal at
the liquid surface. A receiver measures the phase difference between the
reflected signal and the original signal transmitted directly through air to
it, as shown in Figure 7. This measured phase difference is linearly
proportional to the liquid level. The system is similar in principle to
ultrasonic level measurement, but has the important advantage that
the transmission time of radar through air is almost totally unaffected by
ambient temperature and pressure fluctuations. However, as the
microwave frequency is within the band used for radio communications,
strict conditions on amplitude levels have to be satisfied, and the
appropriate licences have to be obtained.

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 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 8. 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.
The radiation level measured by the detector I is
related to the length of liquid in the path
x according to:
(2) 26
 Radiation methods (contd)
e I0 is the intensity of radiation that would be received
e detector in the absence of any liquid, is the mass
rption coefficient for the liquid and is the mass density
e liquid.

Fig. 9 Using a radiation source to measure

evel. 27
 Radiation methods (contd.)
• In the arrangement shown in Figure 9, the radiation follows a
diagonal path across the liquid, and therefore some
trigonometrical manipulation has to be carried out to determine
the liquid level h from x. In some applications, the radiation source
can be located in the centre of the bottom of the tank, with the
detector vertically above it. Where this is possible, the relationship
between the radiation detected and liquid level is obtained by
directly substituting h in place of x in equation (2). Apart from use
with liquids at normal temperatures, this method is commonly
used for measuring the level of hot, liquid metals. However,
because of the obvious dangers associated with using radiation
sources, very strict safety regulations have to be satisfied when
applying this technique. Very low activity radiation sources are
used in some systems to overcome safety problems but the system
is then sensitive to background radiation and special precautions
have to be taken regarding the provision of adequate shielding.
Because of the many difficulties in using this technique, it is only
used in special applications.
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 Other techniques
• Other techniques are vibrating level sensor,
hot-wire elements/carbon resistor elements, laser
methods, fibre-optic level sensors, thermography,
intelligent level-measuring instruments etc (Alan S.
Morris, page 348)

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ANY QUESTIONS?

ME 343: Measurements and

30
Instrumentation
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–Mass, force and torque

Measurement

ME 343: Measurement and

31
Instrumentation
THANKS FOR LISTENING

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