LEVEL MEASURING DEVICES

LEVEL MEASUREMENT

• Accurate measurement of fluid or solid height within a

vessel
• Required by many industrial processes

Level measuring devices are generally used for

the accurate continuous measurement of
volume of fluid in containers
 LEVEL MEASURING INSTRUMENTS

• Level Gauges
• Float type
• Hydrostatic Pressure Measurement
• Displacement Type
• Echo Type
• Capacitive Type
 LEVEL GAUGES
(Sight Glass)

A visual indicator of the level of liquid having a

sealed cavity with at least one transparent wall

• used in conjunction with other industrial level

instruments

• serves as a direct indicator for an operator for

monitoring
Basic Principle : The Manometer

• equal pressures applied to both liquid

columns

• height of liquid column is same in both the

storage tank and the gauge sight glass
Liquid Interface Error

False indication of liquid interface of two liquids

• Presence of less denser liquid interface

gives a false indication of water level in
Different liquid-liquid interface columns
the tank
may have same hydrostatic
• Indicates presence of a single liquid in
pressures, balancing the liquid columns.
the tank
Temperature Error

Liquid inside the vessel is hotter than

the liquid inside the gauge.

both columns contain the same

liquid of different densities.

Unequal heighted liquid columns

balance each other, if filled with
liquids of different densities
 FLOAT
motion balance devices that move up and down with
liquid level

• float must be of substantially lesser

density than the substance of interest

• must not corrode or react with the

substance

• manual level measurement

hazardous and not applicable in case
of pressurized vessels
Floats – contd.

Spring reel’s angular position may

be converted to an electronic
signal by a multi turn
potentiometer or rotary encoder

Spring reel constantly tensions the

cable holding the float
 HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE BASED
INSTRUMENTS

A vertical column of fluid generates a pressure at the bottom

of the column owing to the action of gravity on the fluid.

Greater the vertical height of the fluid, greater the pressure

A simple pressure gauge
attached to the bottom of the
vessel may be calibrated to
indicate the level of liquid.
Differential pressure
transmitters connected in this
manner respond to an increased
liquid level by driving their
output signal high and vice versa
for level indication in the vessel.
 DISPLACEMENT TYPE INSTRUMENTS

These instruments exploit Archimedes’ Principle

Any object, wholly or partially immersed in a fluid, is

buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid
displaced by the object.

The weight of the displaced fluid is directly proportional to the volume of

the displaced fluid (if the surrounding fluid is of uniform density).
• Displacer is immersed in process liquid
• Weight of the displacer is continuously
monitored

• Increasing liquid level Greater buoyant

force
• Decreasing liquid level Smaller buoyant
force
The Buoyant Force Instrument
 ECHO TYPE INSRUMENTS

Time of flight of a travelling wave reflected from

the surface of the process liquid is measured
indicating the distance travelled and hence, the
liquid height inside the vessel.

• immune to changes in liquid density

• demand a much higher level of technology than simple displacer or
hydrostatic level sensing instruments
• level of accuracy depends on the velocity of the wave travelling en
route to the liquid surface and back
• for accurate results, the velocity of the wave should remain fairly
constant during the timed interval through the medium
Ultrasonic Level Measurement

Fillage = Total height – Ullage

The sound waves time of flight is the direct

function of how much empty space exists
between the liquid surface and top of the
vessel i.e. “ullage”.

Fillage becomes the natural measurement

and ullage a derived parameter

Ullage = Total height - Fillage

 CAPACITIVE INSTRUMENTS
Increase or decrease in level of process
fluids, changes the capacitance between a
conductive rod and process vessel walls.

The basic principle behind the capacitive level

instruments is the capacitance eqn.

Only changes in and „d‟ cause the change in the capacitance

with change in liquid level
Capacitive Probe Varieties
Conductive Liquids
• Probes are coated with plastic or
some other dielectric medium
• Metal probe forms one plate of the
capacitor and the conducting
liquid forms the other
• Variables: and d
Non- conductive Liquids
• The liquid itself is used as the
dielectric medium
• Vessel walls form the second plate
of the capacitor
• Variables: