Dayu Ultrasonic Volume Meter Applied to Raw Material Storage Tanks in a Chemical Plant [Dayu Electronics]
Dayu Ultrasonic Volume Meter Applied to Raw Material Storage Tanks in a Chemical Plant
I. Project Background
A fine chemical enterprise requires large quantities of liquid raw materials in its production process. The raw materials are stored in two vertical cylindrical storage tanks placed in the open. Previously, the plant measured liquid level by manual tank climbing and dipping, which was labor-intensive, inefficient, and posed safety hazards in adverse weather.
To automate production management, monitor inventory in real time, and prevent overflow or pump dry-running, the plant decided to retrofit these two tanks and introduce an automated liquid level and volume monitoring system.
II. On-Site Conditions and Requirement Analysis
After a technical survey, the following operating conditions and requirements were determined:
Tank parameters: The storage tanks are vertical cylindrical tanks with a total height of approximately 4 meters and a diameter of about 2.5 meters.
Medium characteristics: The stored liquid is an organic solvent with a calm surface but slight volatility. The liquid is used at ambient temperature, with a maximum working temperature not exceeding 60°C.
Measurement requirements: In addition to displaying the liquid level height (in meters), the system must directly display the liquid volume (in cubic meters) inside the tank to facilitate production batching.
Control functions: When the liquid level reaches the set high limit, an alarm is triggered and the feed pump is automatically stopped; when the level reaches the low limit, an alarm is triggered and the discharge pump is automatically stopped to prevent pump dry-running and damage.
III. Solution
Based on the on-site requirements, the Dayu split-type ultrasonic volume meter was selected for measurement.
1. Hardware Configuration
Main unit: Smart ultrasonic volume meter
① Built-in comprehensive tank shape formula library, supporting volume and weight conversion for cubes, rectangular tanks, vertical cylindrical tanks, vertical spherical tanks, horizontal cylindrical tanks, and other shapes.
② Equipped with two relay alarm outputs (high-level alarm and low-level alarm).
Probe: Ultrasonic level transmitter
① Measuring range: 0-6 meters (covering the 4-meter tank height with additional margin)
② Material: PVDF or PP, corrosion-resistant
③ Operating temperature range: -40°C to 80°C, fully meeting the requirements for liquid temperatures below 60°C and ambient conditions.
2. System Installation and Commissioning
Installation position: An opening was made at the top center of the tank to install the ultrasonic probe, ensuring that the ultrasonic beam is perpendicular to the liquid surface and avoiding interference from surface fluctuations caused by the feed inlet.
Parameter settings (core steps):
Tank configuration: In the smart ultrasonic volume meter main unit, the tank type (vertical cylindrical), tank radius, and tank height of 4 meters were entered. The instrument automatically establishes the "liquid level-volume" relationship.
Alarm point settings:
High-level alarm: Set at a liquid level of 3.5 meters. When the level reaches this height, the instrument panel displays "HH" high-level alarm, and relay 1 activates to open the feed pump contactor, stopping the feed.
Low-level alarm: Set at a liquid level of 0.5 meters. When the level drops to this height, the instrument panel displays "LL" low-level alarm, and relay 2 activates to open the discharge pump contactor, stopping the discharge.
IV. Operational Results
After the retrofit, the system has been running stably and achieved significant results:
Intuitive volume display: Operators no longer need to manually convert liquid level height; the instrument directly displays the current volume of raw material in cubic meters, greatly facilitating batching and production planning.
Automated safety control: Unattended automatic level control was successfully achieved. In case of abnormal level, the system quickly cuts off the pump power via relays, effectively preventing tank overflow and pump dry-running damage, ensuring production safety.
Environmental adaptability: In summer high-temperature conditions, when the liquid temperature approaches 60°C, the measurement remains accurate and stable without data drift, verifying the equipment's temperature resistance.
V. Summary
For small to medium chemical storage tanks around 4 meters in height, using an ultrasonic level meter with built-in volume calculation, combined with high/low relay alarm outputs, is a highly cost-effective, mature, and reliable solution. It not only solves the liquid level measurement problem but also improves the enterprise's production efficiency and management level.