Improve output With modern sensors

摘要

Modern level measurement components offer engineers huge potential to protect and increase the quality of plant output. Charlie Sorbo looks at some recent innovations. Modern engineering, with its increasingly sophisticated processing systems, demands ever-tighter degrees of control, and this has led engineers to seek more reliable level measurement systems. Boosting the accuracy and performance of level measurement reduces the variability of product output, resulting in the measurable benefits of higher output quality, reduced cost and less waste. While these benefits alone are attractive enough, it is also in the interest of manufacturers to stay up-to-date with level measurement developments from a defensive point of view; increasing legislation across industry sets stiff requirements for reliability and sustainability and the newest level measurement technologies are powerful tools in helping plant engineers to meet these goals. Conductivity-based sensors are now available that can detect the level of water in fuel and lubricating oil and prevent mechanical damage as a result of lubricant property degradation. Gems Sensors and Controls' own work in this area has resulted in the launch of the WIF-1250, a no-moving-parts solution for use with fuel filters, and in compressor crank cases to determine if water is present in the lubricating oil. The WIF-1250 contains integral, high-temperature-rated electronics that generate an alternating voltage to a probe tip. The presence of water completes the circuit, which, in turn, changes the condition of the transistor output. The output options of the sensor can be used to actuate relays, indicator lights or LEDs, as well as to interface with CMOS/TTL logic, PLCs or microprocessors.