Measurements and

Instruments (ET-314)
Topic 8
Level Sensors
Ammar Naseer
Lecturer
University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore
KSK Campus Electrical Technology
email: [email protected]

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 Outline
• Continuous Level Measurement
o Pressure Sensor
o Float
o Level gauges (sight glasses)
o Bubbler
• Position Measurement
o Microwave, Radar, Ultrasonic and laser sensor
o Proximity sensor
o Hall effect sensor
o LVDT and RVDT

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 Pressure Sensor
Liquids generate pressure proportional to height (depth) due
to their weight.

Where,
P = Hydrostatic pressure
= Mass density of fluid in kilograms per cubic meter (metric)
= Acceleration of gravity
=Weight density of fluid in newtons per cubic meter (metric)
h = Height of vertical fluid column above point of pressure
measurement

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 Case Study
Level Measurement using pressure sensor of a tank storing oil having
a weight density of 40 pounds per cubic foot and 12 feet high

Oil level Percent of Hydrostati Transmitte

range c pressure r output
0ft 0% 0 PSI 4 mA
3ft 25% 0.833 PSI 8mA
6ft 50% 1.67 PSI 12mA
9ft 75% 2.50 PSI 16mA
12ft 100% 3.33 PSI 20mA

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 Pressure Sensor

Rosemount model 1151 pressure transmitter being used to measure

the height
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 Float
• The float itself must be of substantially lesser density than
the substance of interest, and it must not corrode or
otherwise react with the substance.
• A device of lesser density would ride on the surface of the
fluid or solid within the storage vessel

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Float

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 Level Gauges
Serve as a direct indicator to
monitor the accuracy of the
other instrument.

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Level Guage

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 Interfacing Problem
Presence of a lighter liquid Keep both ports (nozzles)
layer existing between the submerged
connection ports of the
gauge

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 Temperature Problem
The liquid inside the vessel is substantially hotter than the
liquid in the gauge, causing the densities to be different.

The weight density of water is 62.4 at standard temperature

but may be as low as only 36 at temperatures common for
power generation boilers

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Bubbler

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 Bubbler
• Rotameter: maintain the flow
• Pressure sensor measure the
purge gas supply.

• Used when direct contact with a

pressure sensor is prohibited or
process liquid in question is
highly corrosive
• Purge gas used is air or inert gas

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Bubbler

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 Ultrasonic Sensor
• Ultrasonic waves have higher frequencies from normal
sound (longitudinal) waves hence are beyond the range of
human hearing.
• If a sound wave encounters a sudden change in traveling
material, some of that wave’s energy will be reflected.
• The sound wave will “echo” when it encounters a material
having a different sonic velocity.

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 Ultrasonic Sensor
The time-of-flight for a sound pulse indicates this distance.

Speed of sound through any substance

where
c is the sonic velocity,
B is the bulk modulus,
and ρ is the mass density.

Air 343 meters per second

Water 1498 meters per second

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Ultrasonic Sensor

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 Radar Sensor
• The fundamental difference between a radar instrument
and an ultrasonic instrument is the type of wave used
• Radio waves instead of sound waves
• Radio waves are electromagnetic in nature, and very high
frequency (in the microwave frequency range – GHz)
• Two types of radar system
o Contact type radar: Guided-Wave Radar (GWR),
o non-contact radar.

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Radar Sensor

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Radar Sensor

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Drawback

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 Proximity Sensor
• A proximity sensor detects an object when the object
approaches within the detecting range of the sensor
• Non contact type of detection
• Two types of Proximity sensor
o Capacitive proximity sensor
o Inductive proximity sensor

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 Inductive Proximity
Sensor
• Inductive proximity sensor are sometimes called eddy
current sensors.
• Inductive proximity sensors are used for non-contact
detection of metallic objects.
• The operating distance of the sensor depends on coil’s size
as well as target shape size and material
• The sensor face is called “active surface”.

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 Inductive Proximity
Sensor
Electronic oscillator consisting of an
• inductive coil
• capacitor
• energy source to provide electrical
excitation
When a piece of conductive metal
enters the zone of the electromagnetic
field, some of the energy of oscillation
is transferred into the metal of the
target.
The power loss leads to decrease in
sensor’s oscillation
Schmitt Trigger detects that the level
has fallen below a pre-determined
threshold. 24
 Capacitive Proximity
Sensor
• They are designed to detect both metallic and nonmetallic
targets.
• They are ideally suited for liquid level control and for
sensing powdered or granulated materials.
• For best operation, they should be used in an environment
with relatively constant temperature and humidity.
• Short sensing range of about 1 inch

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 Capacitive Proximity
Sensor
• The capacitive proximity
sensor consist a high-frequency
oscillator along with a sensing
surface formed by two metal
electrodes.
• When an object comes near the
sensing surface, it enters the
electrostatic field of the
electrodes and changes the
capacitance of the oscillator.
• As a result, the oscillator circuit
starts oscillating and changes the
output state of the sensor when
it reaches certain amplitude

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 Hall Effect Sensor
Hall effect, which states that when a current-carrying
conductor is placed into a magnetic field, a voltage will be
generated perpendicular to both the current and the field

inductive proximity sensor own magnetic field).

Hall effect detect magnetic field

• A Hall effect sensor senses a magnetic field,

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 Application
Hall effect sensor can be used as speed sensors that can
detect targets moving at slow speeds, or the presence or
absence of non-moving targets.

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 LVDT
Two types of position sensor based on the motion
• Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT)
• Rotary Variable Differential Transformer (RVDT)

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 LVDT
It consists of a single primary winding P and two secondary
windings S1 and S2 wounded on cylindrical former. A movable
soft iron core is placed inside the former.

The primary coil is driven by a sine wave

(excitation signal) having a stabilized amplitude

The two secondary coils are connected in the

opposed phase.

As the core moves, the reluctance of the flux

path changes

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End of Topic 8
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