Capacitance

Level
Measurement
Alvaro Realpe, P.h.D
Process control

Universidad de Cartagena
Faculty of Engineering

Chemical Engineering Program

Jorlan Ochoa
Gabriel Florez
Marlon Tuon
Jesser Pajaro
Jossue Laitano
Catherine Centanaro

MEASURING
LEVEL
The level is a very important process variable since it is
linked to the operation of equipment, inventory, etc.
Interface liquid gas or solid-gas (Also: liquid-liquid and
liquid solid).
The level affects the quantity delivered, pressure and
rate of flow in and out of the container.
Substances: water, solvents, chemicals, liquids, slurries,
granular materials, and powders.
Can be inside a container or can be in its natural form
(e.g. a river or a lake).

Technology
to measure
level

In Indirect methods
The level is converted in a measurable signal using a
suitable transducer.
A corrective factor must be used in recalibrating the
instrument.
Hydrostatic head methods
Load cell
Capacitance
Conductivity

 Point-level sensors
This is essential to avoid overflow or emptying of tanks
and to protect pumps from dry run.

Continuous level sensors

Capacitive Level Sensor

It is used to determine the capacitance of a capacitor of given potential.
They apply throughout the industry (in liquid, solid)
Withstand high pressures, high temperatures and caustic materials.
Items detected:
Solid wood, ceramics, glass, stacks of paper, plastic, stone, rubber, ice,
non-ferrous materials, and plant materials.
Liquids: water, oil, adhesive and paint.
Granules: plastic granulates, seeds, food, and salt.
Powder: inks, soap powder, sand, cement, fertilizer, sugar, flour and
coffee.

Capacitor principle
Electric
charge
can
be
accumulated and temporarily
stored in a capacitor.
The capacitors are not as useful
for storing long-term energy but
the energy stored unloaded much
faster.
The ability of a capacitor to
accumulate an electric charge is
called capacitance.

WORKING PRINCIPLE: Capacitive Liquid

Level Sensor
The capacitive level gauge measures the capacitance of the capacitor formed by the electrode
immersed in the liquid and the tank walls.
Set capacity depends linearly on the liquid level, as the container is filled, the capacity increases.
The capacity is determined by its surface area, the distance between them, and the type and
dielectric properties of the product being measured.

Parts

C1: Capacitance
C2: Capacitance steam
C3: Capacitance liquid
A: Effective resistance between the wall and
sensor
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Head
Sonda
External Plate
Inner plates
Covering

Dielectric constants
The sensors can be designed to
sense material with dielectric
constants as low as 1.1 (coke
and fly ash) and as high as 88
(water) or more.

Measurement
Measurement is made by applying an
RF signal between the conductive probe
and the vessel wall.
Level Measurement can be divided into
three categories:
Measurement
material

of

non-conductive

Measurement of conductive material

Non-contact measurement

 Non-conducting material:
For measuring level of non conducting liquids, bare probe arrangement
is used as liquid resistance is sufficiently high to make it dielectric.
Conducting Material:
In conducting liquids, the probe plates are insulated using thin coating
of glass or plastic to avoid short circuiting. The conductive material acts
as the ground plate of the capacitor.
Proximity measurements (Non-contact type measurements):
In Proximity level measurement is the area of the capacitance plates
is fixed, but distance between plates varies.

Permittivity
It is an electrical property the medium in which are located the two charges.

Capacitance

A simple capacitor consists of two electrode plate separated by a small thickness of an insulator
such as solid, liquid, gas, or vacuum. This insulator is also called as dielectric.
Value of C depends on dielectric used, area of the plate and also distance between the plates.

Where:
C = capacitance in picofarads (pF)
E = a constant known as the absolute permittivity of free space/ Dielectric Constant
ER= relative dielectric constant of the insulating material
A = Capacitor plaques area
d = distance between the conductors/plaques
Q= Stored Electric load
V= Potential Diference

Capacitance Sensors for

Conducting Liquids
A cylindrical metal rod has a uniform dielectric coating
on it (teflon, PVC, etc.). The liquid surronds the dielectric
but does not come in to contact with the metal rod.

Capacitance Sensors for NonConducting Liquids

Capacitive Liquid Level Sensor

The
inner cylindrical probe (R1) is formed by a series of rectilinear
charges, each of them, with a radial electric field at a distance r
from the rectilinear charge:

Capacitance equation for the concentrical cylindric sensor probes.

E: Radial eletric field.
r: Distance between the charges.
2: Dieletrict constant of air.
: Linear charge density.

Capacitive Liquid Level Sensor

To calculate the capacitance, it takes the sensor as two
capacitances in parallel: part one is without liquid and the other
that is filled of it.

Wherein:
Ctotal: Total capacitance of the sensor.
Cvacio: Capacitance of the air-core sensor.
Clquido: Capacitance of the water-core
sensor.
L: Height sensor.
h: Height liquid in the sensor.

Accuracy
The accuracy of the transducers capacity is 1%.
Due to the influence of temperature, moisture content,
static charge, composition, and coating conductivity
electrodes level indication, the capacitance system is
not used in liquids in tanks inventoried. The capacitance
meter must be calibrated in the field to zero and 100%
of the signal.
Maximum pressure : (80-250)
kg/cm
Maximum fluid temperature: (200 400) C

Advantages

Disadvantages

The sensor element is simple and no moving

parts

It can cause change error of the dielectric constant with

temperature flow

The sensor element is easy to clean, Minimum

maintenance required

Viscous liquids drivers, covering the sensor element can

cause erroneous or completely false readings.

Relatively inexpensive

Air bubbles or foam in the liquid or foam at the free surface

produce erroneous readings

Versatile

You can not measure interface level in conductive liquids.

Resistant to corrosion with the specific test tube.

Light density materials under 20 lb/ft3and materials with

particle sizes exceeding in. in diameter can be a problem
due to their very low dielectric constants (caused by the
large amount of air space between particles)

Easy to install and can be adapted easily for

different size of vessels, adjustable to any kind
of recipient

Normally they require field calibration

Good range of measurement, from few cm to

Compared with other

level measurement
instruments

Equipment (laboratory)

THANK YOU!!