Level Measurement

1/9

The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
Albert Einstein (1879 1955)

2/9

Level measurement
The level of Liquid in a vessel can be measured directly by
monitoring the position of the liquid surface or indirectly by
measuring some variable related to the height.
Direct methods can involve the use of floats; Indirect methods
include monitoring the weight of the vessel by load cells.
The weight of the liquid is Ahg .
Where
A = cross-sectional area
h = height of liquid
= liquid density
g = acceleration due to gravity
3/9

Level measurement contd

Thus changes in the height of liquid results in weight changes.

Indirect methods involve the measurement of the pressure at
some point in the liquid, the pressure due to a column of liquid
of height h which is hg .
Where
is the liquid density
h is the height of the liquid
g is acceleration due to gravity

4/9

Floats
Float is a direct method of monitoring the level of liquid in a
vessel by monitoring its movement.
Figure 1 illustrates a simple float system.

Figure 1: A simple float system

5/9

The displacement of the float causes a lever arm to rotate and

so a slider across a potentiometer. The output of a voltage
related to the height of the liquid is obtained.
Other forms of this involves the lever causing the core in an
LVDT to become displaced, or stretch or compress a
strain-gauged element.

6/9

Differential Pressure
Figure 2 show two forms of level measurement based on the
measurement of differential pressure. In Figure 2a, the
differential pressure cell determines the pressure difference
between the liquid at then base of the vessel and atmospheric
pressure, the vessel being open to atmospheric pressure.

(a)

(b)

Figure 2: Using a differential pressure sensor

7/9

With a closed or open vessel, the system illustrated in Figure 2b

can be used.
The differential pressure cell monitors the difference in pressure
between the base of the vessel and the air or gas above the
surface of the liquid.

8/9

Bibliography

W. Bolton.
Mechatronics: Electronic Control Systems in Mechanical and
Electrical Engineering, 5th Edition.
Pearson Education Limited, 2011.
W. C. Dunn.
Introduction to Instrumentation, Sensors and Process Control.
Artech House Inc., 2006.
W. C. Dunn.
Fundamentals of Industrial Instrumentation and Process Control.
McGraw-Hill, 2005.

9/9