LEVEL

• Level measurement is important for proper process

operation and also for cost accounting and inventory
purposes.
• Liquid measurement needs two reference points.
– Surface of liquid being measured
– Datum point (fixed reference point), either bottom or top of tank.
The common methods employed for automatic continuous
liquid level measurement are as follows.
1. Float and cable
2. Displacement (Buoyancy)
3. Head (Bubble tube, Diaphragm box, Pressure, Differential
pressure)
4. Capacitance
5. Radiation (Nucleonic)
6. Ultrasonic
 FLOAT AND CABLE

• A float and cable instrument measures liquid

level by transmitting to a mechanism the rise
and fall of a float that rides on the surface of the
liquid.
• These methods can be used on both open and
closed tanks. Advantage of float is simplicity and
insensitive to density changes. Disadvantage is
limitation to clean liquid and turbulence of liquid
creates measurement problem
 DISPLACEMENT (BUOYANCY)

• It is a type of force balance transmitter. It is based on Archimedes’s

principle which states as “A body immersed in a liquid will be
buoyed upward by a force equal to the weight of liquid displaced”.
This method is used to measure liquid level by sensing the buoyant
force exerted on a displacer by the liquid in which it is immersed.
• The buoyant force on an object depends on how much liquid is
displaced and the density of the liquid. The buoyant force always
equals the weight of the displaced liquid. If the buoyant force
becomes equal to the object’s weight, the object floats.
• Displacer element is a cylinder of constant cross sectional area and
heavier than the liquid displaced.
• This method is used for both open and closed tanks. Buoyancy
transmitter is normally used in vessels where lower connection is
not possible/permissible, fluctuating pressures or levels and high
temperature service.
 Magnetic Reed Switches
• If the liquid is hazardous chemical or at high
temperature or pressure, magnetic reed
switches are used. It is normally in open state.
When the floating magnet outside the tube
comes near the switch, it attracts the magnetic
pole piece in the switch. This action closes the
switch until the floating magnet moves away.
These switches are not sealed in the tube, and
they never come into contact with the liquid in
the tank.
 HEAD/PRESSURE
• Pressure of a liquid in an open tank depends on two
factors.
• The elevation or height of the liquid above the point at
which the measurement is to be taken.
• The relative density (specific gravity) of the liquid.

• Head Pressure measurement for any liquid

• Pressure= Head (ft) × Specific gravity × 0.433 (psi/ft)
• Or, P = PCF × H × RD
• Where P = pressure (psi), PCF = pressure conversion
factor (0.433 psi/ft), a constant, H = height of liquid
above the measurement point (ft), RD = relative density
of liquid.
• Head pressure of mercury with 10 ft depth is,
• Pressure = 10 ft × 13.60 × 0.433 (psi/ft) = 58.9 psi
• In a closed tank, pressure is proportional to the
liquid elevation above the measurement point
plus any additional pressure applied to the
liquid.
• For head pressure measurement of corrosive
liquids, liquid seal is used to separate process
fluid from transmitter. The liquid seal should
meet three conditions.
• it should be non-compressible.
• it should have a higher density than the process
liquid.
• It should not react with process liquid.
 BUBBLE TUBE/AIR PURGE METHOD
• In this method, liquid level is determined by measuring
the pressure required to force a gas into the liquid at a
point beneath the surface. By this method liquid level is
obtained without liquid entering the piping or instrument.
• Clean air or gas in connected through a restriction to a
bubble tube immersed a fixed depth in tank. Restriction
reduces air flow and builds up pressure in bubble tube
until it just balances the fluid pressure at end of bubble
tube. Pressure is kept at this value by air bubbles
escaping through liquid. Changes in level cause air
pressure in bubble tube to build up or drop. This
pressure can be measured by an instrument connected
to bubble tube. It is used for corrosive liquids and solid
bearing liquids. For processes that react with air,
nitrogen can be used as a purge gas.
• Primary maintenance problems with air purge system
are,
• A plugged tube causes the pressure indicator to read
high.
• A hole in the tube causes the indicator to read low. If the
hole is halfway up the tube, the indicator will work
correctly from 0 to 50% (actually 50% to 100%) of the
scale reading, but the reading will not go above 50%.
• In situation where air purge system is not suitable due to
contaminations, liquid purge system is used.
• Water is mostly used as purge liquid. A pressure
regulator and flow restrictor are piped to the bubbler
tube. The supply pressure is determined by the range of
liquid level to be monitored, and a self-regulating “purge
meter” is normally used.
 DIAPHRAGM BOX
• In this method a diaphragm box is
suspended from a chain. Diaphragm is
filled with air. The instrument that senses
pressure changes and relates to level
measurement is mounted above vessel.
This method is normally used for open
vessels.
 DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE METHOD

• In open tank pressure at high pressure side of cell is

measure of liquid level. In closed tank, effect of tank
pressure on measurement is nullified by piping this
pressure to opposite side of cell. Any difference between
the pressures sensed by the two legs is due to head
pressure alone, and is used to measure the liquid level in
the vessel.
• In closed tank with liquid that produce vapors, the
condensed liquid produces a head pressure on the low
side of the instrument (called wet leg), causing the
reading to be below zero. A zero elevation adjustment is
carried out to compensate for this zero error. After
draining the wet leg, the transmitter does not read
correctly until the wet leg is refilled.
 CAPACITANCE TYPE LEVEL
MEASUREMENT
• The amount of capacitance depends on the distance
between the plates, the area of the plates, and the height
of the dielectric between the plates. The equation is,
• C = K (A/D)
• Where, C = capacitance, K = dielectric constant,
A = area of plate, D = distance between plates.
• In this method a probe is inserted in a tank and
capacitance is measured between probe and tank.
Capacitance varies with respect to tank level. This
phenomenon is due to the difference between dielectric
constant of air and liquid in tank. This method is normally
used for non conductive liquids.
• In applications where liquid conduct, the electrode is
encased in an insulating material. The liquid acts as
the capacitor’s ground electrode, and the insulated
conductor serves as the other electrode.
 RADIATION TYPE LEVEL
MEASUREMENT
• In this method a radioactive source is kept
on one side of tank and detector on other
side. As radiation passes through the tank,
its intensity varies with amount of material
in tank and can be related to level. Its
advantage is that nothing comes in contact
with liquids. It is very costly and difficult to
handle.
 ULTRASONIC TYPE LEVEL MEASUREMENT
• Ultrasonic sound waves with frequencies of 1 to 5 MHz
can be used to detect liquid or solid levels. Ultrasonic are
sound waves but at higher frequencies than 20 KHz
(detected by human ear).
• It consists of an ultrasonic transducer (piezoelectric
crystal). When voltage is applied to plates, the
piezoelectric crystal expands or contracts. The crystal
vibrates, and these vibrations can be transferred to a
diaphragm to produce ultrasonic sound waves. The liquid
surface acts as a reflector, and the transducer receives
the reflection of its transmitted pulses. The transmitter
and receiver are both connected to an echo timer, which
measures the amount of time between the emission of
sound wave and the reception of the echo. Time
required by sound wave to travel to the liquid and back
to receiver is carefully measured and this time is related
to level.
• In case transmitter could not be installed in
tank, a noninvasive (not in contact with
liquid) sensor transmits an ultrasonic
signal through the walls of a vessel. When
the vessel is filled with liquid, the signal
travels through the liquid and the opposite
wall to a receiver transducer, where it is
converted to and electrical signal.
• It has good accuracy. It is costly.
 Range Suppression and Elevation
• If an instrument is mounted below a vessel, it senses
total head, but the head due to the distance from the
instrument location to the bottom of the vessel does not
represent level in the vessel. This head must be
cancelled by a range suppression calibration, using the
zero adjustment provided in the instrument.
• If an instrument is mounted above a vessel, the distance
from the instrument location to the zero level of the
vessel be added by a range elevation calibration, using
zero adjustment provided in the instrument.
• Once the zero calibration is complete for either
suppression or elevation, the span adjustment provided
in the instrument is used to calibrate the actual range of
level change measured in the vessel.