Level detection is a very widespread measurement requirement. Whilst there are many techniques for detecting liquid surfaces, it is much more challenging to identify the interface between liquids and other systems.
ITS has developed patented technology to identify interfaces within liquids. This includes:
- suspended solids (cloud height). These are important in a range of sectors (such as nuclear waste management) where it is important to ensure solids are not left at the base of a vessel.
- liquid / foam interfaces. These are important in such diverse industries as dairy (where foaming can lead to lost production), brewing (where foams are produced as a natural part of the brewing process) and mining (where flotation control of the froth layer in a flotation cell is a critical process parameter).
- liquid-liquid interfaces. Oil / water separators are a standard unit in the petrochem sector and few devices can reliably measure the interfaces between water /solids; water-continuous emulsions; oil-continuous emulsions and finally oil. In addition foams can develop at the oil / gas surface. ITS technology is particularly suited to media which are electrically conducting (i.e. the water-based emulsion / oil-based emulsion interface).
ITS sensors can be installed in hazardous environments (such as volatile solvents or nuclear radiation fields) and fabricated to lengths from 5mm to 2m. In addition, probes have been developed which are self-calibrating as process conditions change. Interface data can be provided on a 4-20mA control output.
