Diploma in Chemical Engineering - 6th Semester
Unit- V : Liquid level measurement
Subject : Instrumentation
GARGI DEY
Lecturer in Chemical Engineering
Hooghly Institute of Technology,
Hooghly
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Level Indicators classified based on buoyancy are
There are two main types of buoyancy tape systems available:
Float and tape systems
Wire guided float detectors
Float and Tape Systems
One common form of level measuring system uses a tape or servo motor
which is connected to a float. The height can be read as the float moves with
liquid level.
Float devices use the buoyancy of a float to indicate the liquid level in the
tank. One common approach is to attach the float to a chain. The chain is
attached to a counterweight which indicates the level as the float moves up
and down. These types of device are often found on large atmospheric
storage tanks.
Other devices transfer the buoyancy force to a metering device using a torque
tube. The float is connected to the torque tube which twists as the height of
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the displacement device changes. The twisting force drives the position of a
pointer which then indicates liquid level.
For some applications – where the liquid is corrosive, toxic or in some way
hazardous – a magnetic level gauge is used.
The float contains a magnet which changes the orientation of small indicator
wafers as it moves up and down.
Application Limitations
Float and tape systems have a common problem with the tape hanging up.
This often occurs if the long guide pipes are not perfectly vertical, where the
tape rubs against the inside of the pipes.
Another common problem is with corrosion or dirt, where the tape can be held
in place while the float is moving. These problems are more likely to result in a
lower than actual reading.
The force from the float weight is usually great enough to overcome the
friction of the tape against the impurities, whereas the force of the take-up
device may not. Tanks controlled using tape level gauges will often overflow
when the tape is stuck.
This problem can be protected against by the use of a separate high level
switch.
More advanced controllers are available that monitor tank capacity and
pumping rates to check the actual level, rate of change and direction of
change.
Air Purge or Air Bubbler Level Measurement
One of the oldest and simplest methods of level measurement is called the air
bubbler, air purge, or dip tube.
With the supply air blocked, as can be seen in the diagram above, the water
level in the tube will be equal to that in the tank.
When the air pressure from the regulator is increased until the water in the
tube is displaced by air, the air pressure on the tube is equal to
the hydrostatic head of the liquid in the tube.
The pressure set in the regulator must overcome the liquid head and bubble
up through the measured liquid. This will be indicated by a continuous flow,
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which is evidence by the formation of bubbles rising to the level of the liquid in
the tank.
As it may not be convenient to visually inspect the tank for the presence of the
bubbles, an air flow indicator will usually be installed in the air line running into
the tank.
A rotameter is generally used for this purpose. The importance of maintaining
a flow through the tube lies in the fact that the liquid in the tube must be
displaced by air and the back pressure on the air line provides the
measurement, which is related to level.
The level or static head is measured by an indicator or a DP cells. Readout
may be local or remote.
For the closed tank application, the following bubbler system can be used.
Two dips are installed with the shorter one dipped for “maximum” level of
liquid to be measured, and a longer dip has its tip at “minimum” level.
As it may not be convenient to visually inspect the tank for the presence of the
bubbles, an air flow indicator will usually be installed in the air line running into
the tank.
A rotameter is generally used for this purpose. The importance of maintaining
a flow through the tube lies in the fact that the liquid in the tube must be
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displaced by air and the back pressure on the air line provides the
measurement, which is related to level.
The level or static head is measured by an indicator or a DP cells. Readout
may be local or remote.
For the closed tank application, the following bubbler system can be used.
Two dips are installed with the shorter one dipped for “maximum” level of
liquid to be measured, and a longer dip has its tip at “minimum” level.
Instrument air is supplied to the system (normally adjusted to 4 bar) at both
dips. A DP
cell transmitter is placed to sense and measure the level, and produce a
proportional 4-20mA signal according to the level.
Zero adjustment is initially set-up when the tank or drum is empty, i.e.
no differential pressure present.
The “maximum” level is set either by filling the tank/drum with process liquid,
or by calculation (if the density of the liquid is known).
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An important advantage of the bubbler system is the fact that the measuring
instrument can be mounted at any location and elevation with respect to the
tank.
This application is advantageous for level measuring applications where it
would be inconvenient to mount the measuring instrument at the zero
reference level. An example of this situation is level measurement in
underground tanks and water wells.
Air and nitrogen are the most commonly used gases for bubbler installations.
Liquid may be used if there is reason not to use gas. If process material has a
tendency to plug the dip tube, a bypass maybe installed around the flow
regulator to blow out the line periodically.
Bubbler systems are used rather infrequently now. One drawback is that it is
undesirable in many process to introduce air, nitrogen or other purge material
to the process. They do provide economical installation, however, particularly
for local readout on clean services.
The accuracy of the bubbler system is about as good as the differential device
used for readout. Its accuracy is independent on the constancy of the density
of the material whose level is measured.
Advantages.
The purge gas (compressed air) provides complete isolation from the measured liquid.
Minimal Maintenance when an Auto Blow Down system for the dip tube is purchased
and integrated with the Level Bubbler. The instrument panel can be located up to
several hundred feet from what is being measured
Disadvantages
They are not considered appropriate for use in non-vented vessels.
Their calibration gets changed according to variations in product density.
Require compressed air.
Thermal Effect type level Controllers
There are many variations in the Thermal type level indicators, one of those is
Resistance wire type level gage.
Resistance Level Detectors detects level changes by the change in resistance
of a partially submerged electrical element.
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Construction of Resistance Level Detectors
The electrical sensing element consist of a precision-wound helix resistor that
has about 28 contacts per foot. An outer jacket of flexible protective material also
acts as a pressure receiving diaphragm.
Principle of Operation - Resistance Level Detector
The pressure of the liquid in the tank acts upon the jacket-diaphragm and causes
the resistance element to contact the steel base trip. Below the surface of the
liquid, the resistor is shorted. The resistor remains unshorted above the surface,
and it is this portion that is metered to provide the level reading. Two wires from
the sensor top transmit an electrical resistance signal that is related to the
distance from the tank top to the surface of the liquid. Typically 1 ohm is equal to
1 cm.
Advantages of Resistance of Level detector
The sensor strip remains fixed in position, has no moving parts and provides a
continuous indication of resistance.
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The wingdings these sensors are purely resistive, they cannot store or release
electrical energy.Thus resistance sensors qualify as intrinsically safe devices and
can be used with explosive liquids and dust.
Capacitance Level Measurement:
Capacitive level transducer is an example of indirect measurement of level
Capacitance level sensors are used for wide variety of solids, aqueous and
organic liquids, and slurries. The technique is frequently referred as RF as
radio frequency signals applied to the capacitance circuit. The sensors can be
designed to sense material with dielectric constants as low as 1.1 (coke and
fly ash) and as high as 88 (water) or more. Sludges and slurries such as
dehydrated cake and sewage slurry (dielectric constant approx. 50) and liquid
chemicals such as quicklime (dielectric constant approx. 90) can also be
sensed. Dual-probe capacitance level sensors can also be used to sense the
interface between two immiscible liquids with substantially different dielectric
constants.
Since capacitance level sensors are electronic devices, phase modulation and
the use of higher frequencies makes the sensor suitable for applications in
which dielectric constants are similar.
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Working Principle:
The principle of capacitive level measurement is based on change of
capacitance. An insulated electrode acts as one plate of capacitor and the
tank wall (or reference electrode in a non-metallic vessel) acts as the other
plate. The capacitance depends on the fluid level. An empty tank has a lower
capacitance while a filled tank has a higher capacitance.
A simple capacitor consists of two electrode plate separated by a small
thickness of an insulator such as solid, liquid, gas, or vacuum. This insulator is
also called as dielectric.
Value of C depends on dielectric used, area of the plate and also distance
between the plates.
Where:
C = capacitance in picofarads (pF)
E = a constant known as the absolute permittivity of free space
K = relative dielectric constant of the insulating material
A = effective area of the conductors
d = distance between the conductors
This change in capacitance can be measured using AC bridge.
Measurement:
Measurement is made by applying an RF signal between the conductive
probe and the vessel wall.
The RF signal results in a very low current flow through the dielectric process
material in the tank from the probe to the vessel wall. When the level in the
tank drops, the dielectric constant drops causing a drop in the capacitance
reading and a minute drop in current flow.
This change is detected by the level switch’s internal circuitry and translated
into a change in the relay state of the level switch in case of point level
detection.
In the case of continuous level detectors, the output is not a relay state, but a
scaled analog signal.
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Level Measurement can be divided into three categories:
Measurement of non-conductive material
Measurement of conductive material
Non-contact measurement
Non-conducting material:
For measuring level of non conducting liquids, bare probe arrangement is
used as liquid resistance is sufficiently high to make it dielectric. Since the
electrode and tank are fixed in place, the distance (d) is constant, capacitance
is directly proportional to the level of the material acting as dielectric.
Conducting Material:
In conducting liquids, the probe plates are insulated using thin coating of glass
or plastic to avoid short circuiting. The conductive material acts as the ground
plate of the capacitor.
Proximity measurements (Non-contact type measurements):
In Proximity level measurement is the area of the capacitance plates is fixed,
but distance between plates varies.
Proximity level measurement does not produce a linear output and are used
when the level varies by several inches.
Advantages of Capacitive level measurement:
1. Relatively inexpensive
2. Versatile
3. Reliable
4. Requires minimal maintenance
1. Contains no moving parts
2. Easy to install and can be adapted easily for different size of vessels
3. Good range of measurement, from few cm to about 100 m
4. Rugged
5. Simple to use
6. Easy to clean
7. Can be designed for high temperature and pressure applications.
Applications:
Capacitance Level Probes are used for measuring level of
1. Liquids
2. Powered and granular solids
3. Liquid metals at very high temperature
4. Liquefied gases at very low temperature
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5. Corrosive materials like hydrofluoric acid
6. Very high pressure industrial processes.
Disadvantages:
Light density materials under 20 lb/ft3 and materials with particle sizes
exceeding 1/2 in. in diameter can be a problem due to their very low dielectric
constants (caused by the large amount of air space between particles).
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