Sensors

• Most Common industrial sensors:

– Pressure
– Flow
– Temperature
– Level
 Pressure
1. Absolute pressure
 zero referenced against a perfect vacuum.
it is equal to gauge pressure plus atmospheric
pressure
Absolute Pressure (psia) = Gauge Pressure +
Atmospheric Pressure
Absolute pressure = gauge pressure + 14.7 psi
2. Gauge pressure
 zero referenced against ambient air pressure.
It is equal to absolute pressure minus atmospheric
pressure
Gauge Pressure (psig) = Absolute Pressure -
Atmospheric Pressure
Gauge pressure = absolute pressure - 14.7 psi

0 psig = 14.7 psia

3. Differential pressure
The difference in pressure between two points

Engineering units = Pa, psi, bar, kg/cm2, mmH2O,

inH2O
 Figure 1

1. what is the reading of the pressure in figure 1?

– in psig
– in psia
2. What is the absolute pressure in the vacuum?
3. What is the gauge pressure in the vacuum?
0 psia 0 psig

0 psi 14.7 psi

vacuum atmospheric
 PRESSURE SENSOR
Pressure sensor:
 An indicator that converts the detected process
pressure of fluid into a force or a displacement.

 In industrial instruments, pressure sensors

constructed by material whose degree of elastic
deformation is proportional to the pressure
applied to them.
 Bourdon tube
– most common pressure sensor
 • A piece of tubing in the form of
horseshoe
• One end sealed and the other
connected to the pressure
source
• The cross section of the tube is
elliptical or flat, so the tube tend
to straighten when pressure is
applied.
• Returns to its original form when
pressure is released.
• Amount of the tube straighten
proportional to the applied
Appendix C page C-1 pressure.
• If the open end of the tubing is
fixed, the close end is connected
to the pointer to indicate
pressure / transmitter to
generate signal
• Pressure range measured by the Bourdon
– Depends on
– Wall thickness
– Material of tubing
Bellows
-Looks like a corrugated capsule
-Made up by elastic material –
stainless steel or brass
-When pressure increase, the
bellows expands
--when pressure decrease, the
bellows contracts.
-Amount of expansion and
contraction is proportional to the
applied pressure.
• Stainless steel bellows
 Diaphragm sensor
– Similar to the bellows

– Pressure increase, the center of diaphragm moves away

from the pressure.
– The amount of motion is proportional to the applied
pressure
 LEVEL SENSOR

• 4 most important level sensors

– Differential pressure
– Float
– Air bubbler sensors
– Ultrasonic
Differential Pressure Sensor

-Sensing the difference in pressure between the pressure

at the bottom of a liquid and above the liquid level.
-The differential pressure is caused by the hydrostatic
head developed by the liquid level.
-The side that senses the pressure at the bottom –high
pressure side
-The side that senses the pressure above is the low
pressure side.
-From The differential pressure and density of the liquid
we can obtain the level
OPEN TANK

*AP= atmospheric pressure

• Close tank system

-If vapor above the liquid

level are noncondensable
– wet leg can be empty
-If vapor tend to condense
– wet leg must be filled
with suitable seal liquid
CLOSED TANK
Float sensor

-Detect the change in buoyant

force on a body immersed in the
liquid.
-The force required to keep the
float in place, which is proportional
to the liquid level, then converted
to a signal by transmitter.
-This sensor is less expensive.
-It is suitable for measuring the
level at the dam, clean water tank.
Bubbler/ purge type sensor
-One type of hydrostatic
pressure sensor
-Consist of air or inert gas pipe/tube
immersed in the liquid.
-The air / inert gas flow
through the pipe is regulated
to produce continuous stream
of bubbles.
- The pressure required to
produce this continuous stream
is a measure of the liquid level.
• Suitable to be used for corrosive liquid,
liquid contain suspended objects, high
viscosity liquids.
• Various materials can be used as the
bubble tube such as stainless steel, mild
steel and PVC
• Various gases can be used as the purging
substance – air, nitrogen and other inert
gas.
 Ultrasonic sensor
Ultrasonic transducer
 This sensor measure the time
required for an ultrasonic wave
emitted by a transducer and
reflected off the surface of the
liquid to return to the
transducer, thus determining the
liquid level

Minimum liquid level

• The relationship between the liquid level,
speed of the ultrasonic wave and time is given
by :
2(L-H) = tu

• L = distance from the minimum liquid level to the

ultrasonic transducer, m
• H = height of the liquid level, m
• t= time between the emission of the signal and its
subsequent reception at the transducer, s
• u= propagation velocity of the ultrasonic wave , m/s
• Ultrasonic sensors have special features:
– Measurement can be accomplished without
touching the liquid
– There are no moving parts, so inspection and
maintenance are easy
– They are small and light, so installation and
operation are easy.