LEVEL SENSORS AND

TRANSDUCERS
 LEVEL SENSORS

• LEVEL SENSORS ARE USED TO DETECT LIQUID OR POWDER LEVELS, OR INTERFACES BETWEEN
LIQUIDS. THEY ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF A FLUID SYSTEM BECAUSE THE POSITION AND
DISPLACEMENT OF AN OBJECT OR MEDIA IS CRITICAL TO KNOW IN MANY APPLICATIONS. THE
SUBSTANCE TO BE MEASURED COULD BE INSIDE A CONTAINER OR IN ITS NATURAL FORM
SUCH AS A LAKE OR RIVER. A SENSOR IS ABLE TO DETECT A CHANGE AND COMMUNICATE
THAT CHANGE WITH A USER. LEVEL SENSORS ARE GENERALLY DESIGNED FOR A SPECIFIC
APPLICATION, RATHER THAN GENERAL APPLICATION.
 TWO BASIC LEVEL-MEASUREMENT TYPES

• POINT LEVEL SENSOR

• CONTINUOUS LEVEL SENSOR
 POINT LEVEL SENSOR

• MARK A SPECIFIC LEVEL AND COMMUNICATE TO THE USER IF THE MEDIA IS ABOVE OR BELOW
THAT LEVEL. THEY ARE USED GENERALLY AS A HIGH ALARM OR SWITCH.
 CONTINUOUS LEVEL SENSORS

• MEASURE LIQUID OR DRY MATERIAL LEVELS WITHIN A SPECIFIED RANGE AND PROVIDE
OUTPUTS WHICH CONTINUOUSLY INDICATE THE LEVEL. THEY ARE MORE SOPHISTICATED
DEVICES THAN POINT LEVEL SENSORS BECAUSE THEY MEASURE OVER A RANGE OF LEVELS
INSTEAD OF AT ONE POINT TO LET THE USER KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT OF A SUBSTANCE.
THIS PRODUCES AN ANALOG OUTPUT THAT DIRECTLY CORRELATES TO THE FLUID LEVEL IN THE
CONTAINER.
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF POINT LEVEL SENSORS

• FLOAT SENSOR
• CAPACITANCE SENSOR
• CONDUCTIVITY PROBES
 FLOAT SENSOR

• A LIQUID LEVEL CONTROL SYSTEM BY USING A FLOAT SENSOR WORKS ON THE PRINCIPLE OF
BUOYANCY, WHICH STATES, “A FLOAT IMMERSED IN A LIQUID IS BUOYED TOWARDS UPWARD
DIRECTION BY AN APPLIED EQUAL FORCE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE DISPLACED LIQUID”. AS A
RESULT, THE BODY DRIVES PARTIALLY AND GETS SUBMERGED UPON THE LIQUID SURFACE AND
COVERS THE SAME DISTANCE THE LIQUID LEVEL MOVES.
 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

• A LEVEL MEASUREMENT FLOAT SYSTEM

CONSISTS OF A flOAT, A SENSOR STEM, A
MAGNET, A REED SWITCH AND A WEIGHT
SUSPENDED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE OPEN
TANK. A SCALE IS FIXED ON THE OUTSIDE OF
THE TANK, AND THE CONTENTS OF THE
TANK’S LEVEL ARE INDICATED BY THE
POSITION OF THE WEIGHT ALONG THE
SCALE.
 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

• LEVEL DETECTION OF LIQUIDS IS OFTEN DONE WITH A FLOAT-TYPE LIQUID LEVEL SWITCH. THE
FLOAT TRANSFERS ON A MECHANICAL ARM OR SLIDING POLE AND ACTIVATES A SWITCH
WHEN THE LEVEL MOVES TOWARDS UPWARD DIRECTION. SOMETIMES THE flOAT ITSELF
CONTAINS A SMALL MAGNET THAT VARIES THE STATE OF A SWITCH WHEN THE LIQUID LEVEL
GETS MOVING UP AND MOVES INTO THE ORIGINAL POSITION. THIS TYPE OF LEVEL SENSOR
COMES WITH MANY ADVANTAGES LIKE IT IS VERY SIMPLE, HIGHLY ACCURATE, AND BEST
SUITABLE FOR VARIOUS PRODUCTS.
 CAPACITANCE SENSOR

• THE PRINCIPLE OF CAPACITIVE LEVEL MEASUREMENT IS BASED ON THE CHANGE OF

CAPACITANCE. THERE ARE TWO PLATES IN CAPACITIVE SENSOR: ONE PLATE ACTS AS AN
INSULATED ELECTRODE AND THE OTHER PLATE ACTS AS A TANK WALL. THE CAPACITANCE
DEPENDS ON THE LIQUID LEVEL. AN EMPTY TANK HAS LOW CAPACITANCE WHILE A FILLED
TANK HAS HIGHER CAPACITANCE. A SIMPLE CAPACITOR CONSISTS OF TWO ELECTRODE
PLATES SEPARATED BY A SMALL THICKNESS OF AN INSULATOR SUCH AS SOLID, FLUID, GAS, OR
VACUUM.
 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

• THE MEASUREMENT OF LIQUID LEVEL IS

DONE BY APPLYING A RADIO FREQUENCY
SIGNAL BETWEEN THE CONDUCTIVE PROBE
AND THE VESSEL WALL. THE RADIO
FREQUENCY SIGNAL RESULTS IN A VERY-
LOW CURRENT WHICH FLOWS THROUGH
THE DIELECTRIC PROCESS MATERIAL IN THE
TANK FROM THE PROBE TO THE VESSEL
WALL.
 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

• IF THE LIQUID LEVEL IN THE TANK DROPS, THEN THE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT DECREASES,
WHICH LEADS TO THE DROP IN CAPACITANCE READING AS WELL AS MINUTE DROP IN
CURRENT FLOW.
• THIS CHANGE CAN BE DETECTED BY THE LIQUID-LEVEL SWITCH’S INTERNAL CIRCUITRY AND
TRANSLATED INTO RELAY STATE CHANGES OF THE LEVEL SWITCH IN CASE OF A POINT LEVEL
DETECTION.
 CONDUCTIVITY PROBES

• CONDUCTIVITY PROBES OPERATE ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT MOST LIQUIDS CONDUCT

ELECTRICITY.
 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

• IN THE CIRCUIT IT IS OPEN AND NO

CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE
ELECTRODES OF THE LEVEL PROBE TO
ENERGIZE IT. WHEN THE LIQUID LEVEL
INCREASES, IT ESTABLISHES A
CONDUCTIVE PATH IN THE ELECTRODE,
CLOSING THE LOW LEVEL SWITCH. WHEN
THE LEVEL PROBE IS ACTIVATED, CLOSES THE
DRY CONTACTS ON THE INSTRUMENT.
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTINUOUS LEVEL SENSOR

• ULTRASONIC SENSOR
• RADAR LEVEL SENSOR
• OPTICAL SENSOR
 ULTRASONIC SENSOR

• ULTRASONIC LEVEL INSTRUMENTS WORKS ON THE BASIC TIME-OF-FLIGHT PRINCIPLE WHICH

STATES THAT SENDING A SOUND WAVE FROM A PEIZO ELECTRIC TRANSDUCER TO THE
CONTENTS OF THE VESSEL, WHICH MAY CONTAIN LIQUID, SOLID OR SLURRIES LEVEL.
 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

• THIS LIQUID LEVEL SENSOR COMPRISES

TWO ELEMENTS SUCH AS AN ASSOCIATED
ELECTRONIC TRANSCEIVER AND A
TRANSDUCER WITH RELATIVELY HIGH
EFFICIENCY. IN CASE OF A LIQUID LEVEL
CONTROLLER, THE FLUID LEVEL CAN BE
DETERMINED BY MEASURING THE TRIP TIME
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TRANSMITTED
ULTRASONIC PULSE AND A REFLECTED ECHO.
 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

• THE FREQUENCY RANGE FOR ULTRASONIC METHODS VARIES FROM A RANGE OF 15-200 KHZ
FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING ULTRASONIC WAVES. THE LOWER FREQUENCY
INSTRUMENTS ARE USED FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF DIFFICULT APPLICATIONS SUCH AS
LONGER DISTANCES AND SOLID-LEVEL MEASUREMENTS, AND THE INSTRUMENTS WITH HIGHER
FREQUENCY ARE USED FOR SHORTER LIQUID LEVEL MEASUREMENTS.
 RADAR LEVEL SENSOR

• RADAR LEVEL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM IS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF MEASURING THE TIME
REQUIRED FOR THE MICROWAVE PULSE AND ITS REFLECTED ECHO TO MAKE A COMPLETE
RETURN TRIP BETWEEN THE NON-CONTACTING TRANSDUCER AND THE SENSED LIQUID LEVEL.
THEN, THE TRANSCEIVER CONVERTS THIS ELECTRICAL SIGNAL INTO DISTANCE/LEVEL AND
PRESENTS IT AS AN ANALOGUE AND/OR DIGITAL SIGNAL. THE TRANSDUCER’S SIGNAL
OUTPUT CAN BE SELECTED BY THE USER TO BE DIRECTLY OR INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL TO THE
SPAN.
 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

• THE WORKING OF A RADAR LEVEL SENSOR

IS EXPLAINED HERE TO MEASURE THE LEVEL
OF LIQUID OR SOLID. THE RADAR SIGNALS
ARE TRANSMITTED FROM THE ANTENNA
PLACED AT THE TOP OF THE WATER TANK
OR VESSEL AS SHOWN IN THE ABOVE
FIGURE. THE RADAR SIGNAL GETS REFLECTED
BY THE LIQUID SURFACE AND ECHO IS
CARRIED OUT BY THE ANTENNA.
 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

• BY VARYING THE SIGNAL, THE FREQUENCY GETS VARIED DURING THE TIME OF ECHO AND THE
TIME OF THE SIGNAL TRANSMISSION COMPARISON. THE DIFFERENCE OF FREQUENCY IS
PROPORTIONAL TO THE DISTANCE OF THE LIQUID, AND THIS STATEMENT IS USED TO
DETERMINE THE ACCURATE LEVEL OF THE LIQUID.
 OPTICAL SENSOR

• THE OPTICAL SENSOR CONSISTS OF AN INFRARED LED AND A LIGHT RECEIVER. THE LIGHT
EMITTED FROM THE LED IS DIRECTED TOWARDS A PRISM WHICH FORMS THE TIP OF THE LEVEL
SENSOR. IF THERE IS NO LIQUID PRESENT IN THE TANK, THEN THE LIGHT FROM THE LED IS
REFLECTED WITHIN THE PRISM AND THE RECEIVER.
 CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

• WHEN THE LIQUID LEVEL RAISES AND

IMMERSES THE SENSING PRISM, THE LIGHT
GETS REFRACTED OUT INTO THE LIQUID,
LEAVING LITTLE AMOUNT OF LIGHT OR NO
LIGHT TO REACH THE RECEIVER. SENSING
THIS CHANGE, THE RECEIVER ACTIVATES
ELECTRONIC SWITCHING WITHIN THE LEVEL
UNIT FOR OPERATING EXTERNAL ALARM OR
CONTROL CIRCUIT.
 MEDIA

• MEDIA IS THE MATERIAL THAT THE SENSOR NEEDS TO MEASURE. LEVEL SENSORS CAN BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR MEASURING A WIDE VARIETY OF MEDIA IN FLUID LEVEL SYSTEMS IN MANY
INDUSTRIES. THE TWO GENERAL MEDIA TYPES INCLUDE LIQUID AND DRY MATERIALS.

LIQUID MEDIA DRY MATERIALS

• Water (hot or cold, clean or dirty, fresh or • Bulk Solids
salt) • Powders
• Gasoline (diesel fuel)
• Hydraulic Fluid
• Highly Viscous or Gummy Fluids
 SPECIFICATIONS

• RANGE - MAXIMUM MEASUREMENT DISTANCE OF THE SENSOR. MOST SENSORS ARE OFFERED IN
TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT RANGES.
• TANK HEIGHT - THE DISTANCE FROM THE INSTALLED FACE OF THE TRANSDUCER, DOWN TO THE
BOTTOM OF THE TANK.
• RISER HEIGHT - THE DISTANCE FROM THE FACE OF THE TRANSDUCER TO THE TOP OF THE TANK.
• FILL HEIGHT - THE DISTANCE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK TO THE MAXIMUM DESIRED LIQUID
HEIGHT.
• DEAD BAND - THE MINIMUM DISTANCE FROM THE FACE OF THE TRANSDUCER FROM WHICH THE
SENSOR CAN MEASURE.
 APPLICATIONS OF LEVEL SENSOR

• CAN BE USED IN WATER TANKS TO CONTROL WATER LEVELS

• AUTOMATICALLY TURN ON/OFF PUMPS
• BEVERAGE AND FOOD MANUFACTURING FACTORIES
• WASTE MATERIAL HANDLING INDUSTRY
• OIL TANK LEVEL CONTROL
• HIGH & LOW-LEVEL WATER LEVEL ALARMS
• TSUNAMI WARNING AND SEA LEVEL MONITORING
• DETECTING INK LEVEL IN PRINTERS
 REFERENCES

• LEVEL SENSORS INFORMATION. RETRIEVED FROM

HTTPS://WWW.GLOBALSPEC.COM/LEARNMORE/SENSORS_TRANSDUCERS_DETECTORS/LEVEL_SEN
SING/LEVEL_SENSING_DEVICES_ALL_TYPES
• WATER LEVEL INDICATOR ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES & APPLICATIONS. (MAY 30,
2019). RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://WATERLEVELCONTROLS.COM/WATER-LEVEL-CONTROL-
ADVANTAGES-DISADVANTAGES/
• LIQUID LEVEL SENSOR – DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEVEL SENSORS AND THEIR WORKINGS.
(AUGUST 6, 2019). RETRIEVED FROM HTTPS://WWW.WATELECTRONICS.COM/LIQUID-LEVEL-
SENSOR-AND-TYPES-OF-LEVEL-SENSORS/
 REFERENCES

• AREEJ (MARCH 23, 2018). LEVEL MEASUREMENT USING CONDUCTIVITY PROBES. RETRIEVED
FROM HTTPS://AUTOMATIONFORUM.CO/LEVEL-MEASUREMENT-USING-CONDUCTIVITY-
PROBES/
• WHAT IS A LEVEL SENSOR? (SEPTEMBER 25, 2014). RETRIEVED FROM
HTTPS://WWW.AZOSENSORS.COM/ARTICLE.ASPX?ARTICLEID=380