Understanding the Shelok Magnetostrictive level meter for Accurate Tank Level Measurement

Published On: June 7th, 2024

In industrial production, level control and detection are crucial. Among the various tools available, the magnetostrictive level meter?has become a standard for tank level measurement due to its high precision, strong reliability, and long service life. Today, let’s explore how the Shelok?magnetostrictive level meter?achieves high-precision measurement in tank levels.

The Shelok?magnetostrictive level meter?is an advanced instrument consisting of two main parts: the outer tube and the transmitter. The outer tube is made from corrosion-resistant industrial materials, ensuring durability in harsh industrial environments. The transmitter, comprising a waveguide tube and an electronic unit, is the core component. The waveguide tube is made from magnetostrictive materials, and the electronic unit generates a low-current initial pulse, which in turn creates a magnetic field. When this magnetic field intersects with the magnetic field in the waveguide tube, a strain pulse is generated and travels back to the electronic unit. By measuring the time interval between the initial and return pulses, the current level can be accurately determined.

Key Advantages

  1. High Precision with Multi-Level Detection

The magnetostrictive level meter?operates using waveguide pulses. By measuring the time between the starting and stopping pulses, it ensures accurate displacement measurement. This results in high resolution and metering accuracy, with a resolution better than 0.01% FS, which is difficult to achieve with other sensors. Additionally, the Shelok?level meter?can measure multiple levels simultaneously, significantly improving measurement efficiency. This feature makes it particularly effective in applications requiring the simultaneous monitoring of multiple levels, such as in the chemical, petroleum, and pharmaceutical industries.

  1. High Flexibility with Multiple Output Options

This level meter?can measure the absolute position of one or more float balls, providing outputs in both analog and digital forms. Analog outputs are available in a two-wire 4-20mA + HART format, while digital outputs use RS485 (MODBUS protocol) serial communication. These multiple output options offer great convenience, allowing the gauge to adapt to different system and equipment requirements with broad compatibility. Users can switch or adjust the output mode as needed to suit various application scenarios and changing demands.

  1. High Reliability in Harsh Conditions

The magnetostrictive level meter?employs the waveguide principle, with no mechanical moving parts, resulting in no friction or wear and tear, thereby ensuring higher stability and reliability. The entire transmitter is enclosed within a stainless steel tube, ensuring operational stability. The non-contact measurement method avoids direct contact between the sensor and the measured medium, reducing the risk of sensor damage due to contamination or corrosion. This design enables the magnetostrictive level meter?to operate effectively in harsh environments, including high temperatures, high pressures, and corrosive media.

  1. Enhanced Safety for Flammable and Explosive Measurements

The Shelok?magnetostrictive level meter?features high explosion-proof performance with intrinsically safe design. This is crucial for measuring flammable and explosive liquids in industries such as chemicals, ensuring safety during use. There’s no need to open the tank lid for measurements, which greatly reduces the risks associated with manual measurement. Traditional level measurement methods might require manual opening of the tank lid for observation or sampling, which is not only cumbersome but also poses potential safety hazards. The magnetostrictive level meter, through non-contact measurement, can accurately obtain level information without opening the tank lid, thereby avoiding the safety risks of manual measurement.

  1. Ease of Installation and Maintenance

The installation and maintenance of the Shelok?magnetostrictive level meter?are relatively simple, making it adaptable to various complex industrial environments. It can be easily installed on tanks or containers using simple flange or thread connections. Additionally, its compact design reduces the required installation space. The non-contact measurement method results in a lower failure rate, further reducing maintenance costs. The gauge can also integrate with automation systems for remote monitoring and operation, enhancing work efficiency and safety.

Working Principle

The working principle of the magnetostrictive level meter?involves the electronic unit generating an initial pulse that travels along the waveguide tube, creating a rotating magnetic field. When this field intersects with the magnetic field of the float, a magnetostrictive effect occurs, causing the waveguide wire to twist and generate a torsional wave. This torsional wave is detected by the sensor in the electronic unit. By comparing the time difference between the initial pulse and the torsional wave, the position of the float is determined, thus obtaining the current liquid level.

Applications

Magnetostrictive level meters are widely used in industrial process control, from large-scale applications in petrochemicals, wastewater treatment, and food production to smaller-scale uses in gas stations and oil depots. They can simultaneously measure and monitor parameters such as liquid level, temperature, and interface of the measured medium, making them indispensable instruments in tank farms and underground inventory management at oil stations.

Understanding the Shelok Magnetostrictive level meter for Accurate Tank Level Measurement

In industrial production, level control and detection are crucial. Among the various tools available, the magnetostrictive level meter?has become a standard for tank level measurement due to its high precision, strong reliability, and long service life. Today, let’s explore how the Shelok?magnetostrictive level meter?achieves high-precision measurement in tank levels.

The Shelok?magnetostrictive level meter?is an advanced instrument consisting of two main parts: the outer tube and the transmitter. The outer tube is made from corrosion-resistant industrial materials, ensuring durability in harsh industrial environments. The transmitter, comprising a waveguide tube and an electronic unit, is the core component. The waveguide tube is made from magnetostrictive materials, and the electronic unit generates a low-current initial pulse, which in turn creates a magnetic field. When this magnetic field intersects with the magnetic field in the waveguide tube, a strain pulse is generated and travels back to the electronic unit. By measuring the time interval between the initial and return pulses, the current level can be accurately determined.

Key Advantages

  1. High Precision with Multi-Level Detection

The magnetostrictive level meter?operates using waveguide pulses. By measuring the time between the starting and stopping pulses, it ensures accurate displacement measurement. This results in high resolution and metering accuracy, with a resolution better than 0.01% FS, which is difficult to achieve with other sensors. Additionally, the Shelok?level meter?can measure multiple levels simultaneously, significantly improving measurement efficiency. This feature makes it particularly effective in applications requiring the simultaneous monitoring of multiple levels, such as in the chemical, petroleum, and pharmaceutical industries.

  1. High Flexibility with Multiple Output Options

This level meter?can measure the absolute position of one or more float balls, providing outputs in both analog and digital forms. Analog outputs are available in a two-wire 4-20mA + HART format, while digital outputs use RS485 (MODBUS protocol) serial communication. These multiple output options offer great convenience, allowing the gauge to adapt to different system and equipment requirements with broad compatibility. Users can switch or adjust the output mode as needed to suit various application scenarios and changing demands.

  1. High Reliability in Harsh Conditions

The magnetostrictive level meter?employs the waveguide principle, with no mechanical moving parts, resulting in no friction or wear and tear, thereby ensuring higher stability and reliability. The entire transmitter is enclosed within a stainless steel tube, ensuring operational stability. The non-contact measurement method avoids direct contact between the sensor and the measured medium, reducing the risk of sensor damage due to contamination or corrosion. This design enables the magnetostrictive level meter?to operate effectively in harsh environments, including high temperatures, high pressures, and corrosive media.

  1. Enhanced Safety for Flammable and Explosive Measurements

The Shelok?magnetostrictive level meter?features high explosion-proof performance with intrinsically safe design. This is crucial for measuring flammable and explosive liquids in industries such as chemicals, ensuring safety during use. There’s no need to open the tank lid for measurements, which greatly reduces the risks associated with manual measurement. Traditional level measurement methods might require manual opening of the tank lid for observation or sampling, which is not only cumbersome but also poses potential safety hazards. The magnetostrictive level meter, through non-contact measurement, can accurately obtain level information without opening the tank lid, thereby avoiding the safety risks of manual measurement.

  1. Ease of Installation and Maintenance

The installation and maintenance of the Shelok?magnetostrictive level meter?are relatively simple, making it adaptable to various complex industrial environments. It can be easily installed on tanks or containers using simple flange or thread connections. Additionally, its compact design reduces the required installation space. The non-contact measurement method results in a lower failure rate, further reducing maintenance costs. The gauge can also integrate with automation systems for remote monitoring and operation, enhancing work efficiency and safety.

Working Principle

The working principle of the magnetostrictive level meter?involves the electronic unit generating an initial pulse that travels along the waveguide tube, creating a rotating magnetic field. When this field intersects with the magnetic field of the float, a magnetostrictive effect occurs, causing the waveguide wire to twist and generate a torsional wave. This torsional wave is detected by the sensor in the electronic unit. By comparing the time difference between the initial pulse and the torsional wave, the position of the float is determined, thus obtaining the current liquid level.

Applications

Magnetostrictive level meters are widely used in industrial process control, from large-scale applications in petrochemicals, wastewater treatment, and food production to smaller-scale uses in gas stations and oil depots. They can simultaneously measure and monitor parameters such as liquid level, temperature, and interface of the measured medium, making them indispensable instruments in tank farms and underground inventory management at oil stations.