Using a pressure measurement instrument to measure fuel level is very common, however most are scaled in bar or psi pressure ranges, and if they do happen to be scaled in level units, they are typically water level based, such as mH2O or ftH2O.
There are many different grades of liquid fuels which vary in density, plus changes in tank temperature will affect the density of one fuel type. So it is important to carefully consider the pressure range required to ensure that the level being measured never exceeds the operating range of the measurement device.
Featured tank level pressure measurement products
33% HCL level monitoring with PVDF submersible probe - Highly corrosion-resistant submersible hydrostatic level sensor for bulk acid storage tanks.
Generator diesel tank height level sensor for 1 metre height - Prevent generator downtime and fuel theft with this easy-to-install diesel level sensor. 0.5 to 4.5Vdc output for seamless integration with MCUs.
The conditions which will produce the maximum hydrostatic pressure, are the lowest tank temperature and the maximum tank level. If you know the density of the fuel at the lowest tank temperature and the maximum possible fuel height in the tank, then you can calculate the pressure range needed to ensure the instrument will never go over-range.
For an example, let’s say you have a Kerosene fuel tank that is 1,385 mm deep, with a maximum specific gravity of 0.82 corresponding to the lowest tank temperature of 15.6 degC. If you convert this to a hydrostatic pressure, it will come out as 0.1114 bar, 1135.7 mmH2O or 3.726 ftH2O pressure.
Featured tank level pressure measurement products
Fleet management system submersible 3000mm height petrol tank level ATEX rated pressure sensor - ATEX rated submersible pressure sensor for fleet management system (FMS) petrol applications, ideal for petrol applications in hazardous environments.
BMS water tank 6mH2Og range 0-10V out submersible level sensor for commercial buildings - This submersible level sensor provides accurate and reliable water level measurement in BMS applications in commercial office buildings, with a 0 to 6 mH2O gauge pressure range and a 0 to 10V output signal.
Related Help Guides
- Determining the hydrostatic pressure range for a tank level sensor
- Measuring liquid level in a sealed tank with a hydrostatic pressure sensor
- Difference between vented and non-vented water level measurement
- Determining water tank volume using hydrostatic pressure
- Measuring the volume of liquid in a horizontal cylinder tank
- How do you measure the volume of a liquid using pressure
- Measuring liquid level in a tank using a dp sensor
Related Technical Terms
- cmH2O – Centimetres of Water Column at 4 deg C Pressure Unit
- ftH2O – Feet of Water Column at 4 deg C Pressure Unit
- mH2O – Metres of Water Gauge at 4 deg C Pressure Unit
- mmH2O – Millimetres of Water Column at 4 deg C Pressure Unit
- Specific Gravity
Related Online Tools
- Liquid Level to Hydrostatic Pressure Calculator
- Fluid Depth, Density, Gravity, and Pressure Calculator
- Pressure to Liquid Level Calculator
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