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Chapter 34 Level Measurement

The document discusses level measurement in power stations, defining level as the height of liquid or solid media above or below a reference line. It outlines various direct methods such as dipsticks, hook gauges, and sight glasses, as well as indirect methods including electrical, ultrasonic, and liquid phase types for measuring levels. The importance of level measurement is emphasized for safety, economy, and monitoring purposes.

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4 views4 pages

Chapter 34 Level Measurement

The document discusses level measurement in power stations, defining level as the height of liquid or solid media above or below a reference line. It outlines various direct methods such as dipsticks, hook gauges, and sight glasses, as well as indirect methods including electrical, ultrasonic, and liquid phase types for measuring levels. The importance of level measurement is emphasized for safety, economy, and monitoring purposes.

Uploaded by

sureshpv36
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL LEVEL MEASUREMENT

CHAPTER 34
LEVEL MEASUREMENT

34.1 LEVEL MEASUREMENT


In power station applications, level can be defined as ‘the height of liquid or solid
media above or below a reference line’, usually the base. Levels, below the reference
line may also be required in dynamic condition, such as for boiler drum etc. If the
dimensions of a vessel are known then the volume or mass of its contents can be
determined by measuring the level. There are three main reasons viz safety, economy,
and monitoring for making level measurements of solid particles or liquid level.

34.2 METHODS OF LEVEL MEASUREMENT


1) DIRECT METHODS
 Dipsticks
It is simply a calibrated scale inserted into the liquid until the zero of scale hits the
bottom of the tank, the level is then read directly off the scale. For accuracy, the
base of stick is usually coated in metal and the stick is inserted in the vessel
perfectly vertically.

 Hook Gauge
When the level of liquid in an open tank is read off a dipstick, it is difficult to read
accurately because it is difficult to focus one’s eyes on the same level as the liquid
due to parallax. In this case, a hook gauge type can be used. It consists simply of a
wire cord of corrosion resisting alloy, such as gun metal or stainless steel, about 4”
diameter, bent into a ‘U’ shape with one arm longer than the other. The shorter arm
is pointed with a 60 taper, while the longer one is attached to a slider, having a
vernier. The hook is then pushed below the surface liquid and gradually raised until
the point it just about to break through the surface. It can then be clamped and level
read from the scale.

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 Sight Glass
The sight glass is very useful as a simple arrangement wherein a section of the
liquid is brought outside the vessel and displayed alongside a main scale. If the
diameter of the bore of the sight glass is not small enough to introduce errors due
to capillary action, the liquid will stand at the same level in the sight glass and the
vessel, provided the top of the sight glass is subjected to the same pressure as the
top of the vessel. It can be used for open or closed vessels.

 Water gauge with closed circuit television (CCTV) remote display


The water gauge works on the principle that different substances have different
refractive indexes i.e. they bend light by different degrees. The gauge is a vertical
tube of triangular or wedge cross- section. Two faces of the three sides are made up
of glass and mica divided up into small compartments. Illumination is projected
through the gauge and the light is bent by the medium. The degree of bend depends
on whether the medium is water or steam. Because of the prismatic arrangement
either the ‘water’ windows or ‘steam’ windows are illuminated. Thus the level of
water in the drum can be determined.

 Floats and liquid displacement


The use of a float enables the level of liquid to be measured when direct viewing is
impracticable. The float material may be of hollow metal, a plastic material, or
moulded rubber. The size and shape will vary with different designs, but in general
they are made to reduce to a minimum the possibility of dirt or any other matter
building up on the top. Calibration will be for one liquid only, because different
liquid densities will cause the float to sink to different depths.

 Float and counter weight type


This method consists simply of a large area float connected by a chain type or
cable to a counter weight which passes in front of a scale and acts as an index. If
the surface of the liquid under measurement is turbulent, a guide will have to be set
up to stop the float moving around in the tank and causing errors.

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INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL LEVEL MEASUREMENT

 Rigid arm float


By attaching the float to a pivoted arm, the total energy available can be increased
due to the moment of force of the buoyance factor acting on the float at a distance
from the pivot point. A rigid arm has the advantage of being completely self-
contained and may be fitted to open or closed tanks in virtually any position.

 Liquid displacer system


This gauge, embodying a displacer, relies on Archimedes principle for its
operation. The displacer is a long hollow cylinder loaded to remain partially
submerged, and is suspended in the liquid in the vessel or in an adjacent small
diameter chamber connected to the vessel. The apparent weight of the displacer
will decrease as the level of the liquid rises. The change in apparent weight can be
interpreted in terms of levels and scale can be calibrated accordingly.

 Head pressure measurement system


These systems use the principle that a column of liquid will exert a pressure whose
value depends only on the height of liquid, density of liquid and acceleration due to
gravity and is totally independent of the cross-sectional area of the column. If the
density of the liquid remains constant then the height of liquid above a datum
(tapping) point is directly proportional to the pressure measured at that datum
point. Thus a pressure measuring device can be used suitably scaled in units of
level.

 Measurement of liquid level in open vessels


The static pressure at a chosen point of measurement (datum line), will vary
directly with the head of liquid above it, it can be seen that this pressure can be
measured and the gauge calibrated directly in head of liquid. The tapping point is
always taken above the sediment level.

 Measurement of liquid level in closed vessels


In the closed vessels, the operating pressure is different from the atmospheric
pressure. In these cases, it is necessary to see that the same conditions exist on the

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INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL LEVEL MEASUREMENT

reference side of the indicator as inside the container, so the reference limb is fed
back into the top of the vessel.

2) INDIRECT METHODS
 Electrical/electronic methods of level measurement and control
Electrical methods for level measurement are very useful as generally there is
minimum limitation on transmission distances between transducer and display or
control devices. Their speed of response is often better than pneumatic systems and
they are very useful when measuring the level of vessels containing solids.

 Ultrasonic methods
A. The ultrasonic level switch:
This system detects ultrasonic sound at a diaphragm of the receiver and converts
it into the electrical energy. This, in turn, is fed into the input of a high gain
amplifier which feeds it to the transmitting sensor. Here the electrical energy is
converted into ultrasonic energy once again and radiated from the diaphragm of
the transmitter. If the transmitter and receiver diaphragms are facing each other,
and there is no solid body in their path, then energy will be picked up by the
receiver, again amplified and fed to the transmitter forming a closed loop. Once
established, if an object appears in the beam, losses are introduced into the
system and the signal will cease. Hence rise of liquid or solid level up to the
beam can initiate an alarm or a switch. The device can not be used for
continuous measurements.

B. Liquid phase type:


Pulses of ultrasonic energy are directed upwards, through the liquid, to the
surface of the liquid. These pulses rebound from the surface back to a receiver
which may be a component part of the pulse transmitter. Level variations are
very accurately measured by detecting the time interval taken for the waves to
travel to the surface and back again to the receiver.

ET – ’08 326

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