Device for measuring liquid level and converting it to an electrical signal to send to other instrumentation.
A liquid level sensor is an instrument for measuring the height of a liquid and converting it to an electrical signal which is sent to other instrumentation to display, monitor, log or control the liquid level.
There are many different types of technology use to measure liquid level, there are sensors that can be mounted above the liquid such as ultrasonic or radar which bounce a sound or electromagnetic wave off the surface of the liquid and use the travel time to determine the distance from the liquid surface.
For liquid filled tanks there are sensors which can be attached externally, such as floats running up and down a liquid filled tube connected at the bottom of the tank, or a pressure sensor installed in a hole in the bottom of the tank which measures the pressure generated by gravity acting on the liquid.
Another method is to lower a probe into the tank and immerse it in the liquid such as a capacitive probe which detects the changing capacitance charge as the length of the probe is exposed to varying proportions of liquid and air, or pressure sensors which measure the pressure generated by gravity acting on the surrounding liquid.
Featured liquid level sensor products
Technology Comparison Table
Please use the table below to compare the advantages and disadvantages of each liquid level sensor technology type versus application and specification parameters.
| Capacitive | Hydrostatic | Ultrasonic | Radar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| media contact | yes | yes | no | no |
| moving parts | no | yes | no | no |
| surface disturbance sensitive | no | no | yes | no |
| pressurised vessel | yes | more difficult | yes | yes |
| vacuum evacuated vessel | yes | more difficult | no | yes |
| installation position | top | side, bottom | top | top |
| thick fluids | no | yes with flush diaphragm | yes | yes |
| protrusion into tank | yes | no | no | no |
| sg density variation sensitive | yes | yes | no | no |
| fouling degrades performance | yes | yes | no | no |
| accuracy | low | high | high | high |
| cost | high | high | high | high |
Featured liquid level sensor products
Related Technical Terms
- Capacitive Fluid Level Measurement
- cmH2O – Centimetres of Water Column at 4 deg C Pressure Unit
- Conductive Fluid Level Detection
- Float Fluid Level Detection
- ftH2O – Feet of Water Column at 4 deg C Pressure Unit
- Hydrostatic Pressure
- mH2O – Metres of Water Gauge at 4 deg C Pressure Unit
- mmH2O – Millimetres of Water Column at 4 deg C Pressure Unit
- Specific Gravity
- Vibrating Tuning Fork Fluid Level Detection
Related Product and Application Guides
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
- How do you measure the volume of a liquid using pressure
- Measuring liquid level in a tank using a dp sensor