Journal of Pure and Applied Ultrasonics

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

A Low Cost Dynamic Level Measurement Instrument Using Ultrasonics (With Emphasis on Electronic Signal Processing)


Affiliations
1 Department of Instrumentation Science, University of Pune, Pune, India
2 RCMF Transducer Laboratory, University of Pune, Pune, India
 

A practical low cost dynamic and non-contact level measurement instrument is -presented which provides high speed and high accuracy solution for level measurement. It uses the Time of flight (TOF) principle, which is today's state of art technology and most widely used. TOF technique is used for measurement because it is simple to implement and resistant to disturbance from unwanted ultra sound echoes. The transduction element emits bursts of 0.6ms, with pulse frequency of40KHz. A burst of pulses is transmitted and an echo is produced when the transmitted burst encounters a fluid (surface). TOF is the time elapsed between the transmission of a pulse and its reception, from which the level can be calculated. Accuracy of level measurement depends on how accurately TOF can be measured with proper electronic signal processing and how well the speed of sound in the medium (normally air) is known. Levels up to 3m can be measured with an accuracy of 2 %. Experimental results show that measurement accuracy depends on the precision obtained by digital processing with which time is measured and on the ambient conditions. Results are in close agreement with the calculation. Although this paper concentrates on liquid and limited measurement in laboratory, it can also be applicable in industries.
User
Notifications
Font Size

Abstract Views: 385

PDF Views: 0




  • A Low Cost Dynamic Level Measurement Instrument Using Ultrasonics (With Emphasis on Electronic Signal Processing)

Abstract Views: 385  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Pooja U. More
Department of Instrumentation Science, University of Pune, Pune, India
S. D. Phadke
Department of Instrumentation Science, University of Pune, Pune, India
R. N. Karekar
RCMF Transducer Laboratory, University of Pune, Pune, India

Abstract


A practical low cost dynamic and non-contact level measurement instrument is -presented which provides high speed and high accuracy solution for level measurement. It uses the Time of flight (TOF) principle, which is today's state of art technology and most widely used. TOF technique is used for measurement because it is simple to implement and resistant to disturbance from unwanted ultra sound echoes. The transduction element emits bursts of 0.6ms, with pulse frequency of40KHz. A burst of pulses is transmitted and an echo is produced when the transmitted burst encounters a fluid (surface). TOF is the time elapsed between the transmission of a pulse and its reception, from which the level can be calculated. Accuracy of level measurement depends on how accurately TOF can be measured with proper electronic signal processing and how well the speed of sound in the medium (normally air) is known. Levels up to 3m can be measured with an accuracy of 2 %. Experimental results show that measurement accuracy depends on the precision obtained by digital processing with which time is measured and on the ambient conditions. Results are in close agreement with the calculation. Although this paper concentrates on liquid and limited measurement in laboratory, it can also be applicable in industries.