PROCESS INSTRUMENTATION

Semester V Course Code: 171PT5T08

UNIT NO-04
Density & Specific Gravity Measurement and
Head Measurement
Density and Specific Gravity:

 Density Measurement using liquid level method

 Density Measurement using hydrometer
 Density Measurement using Displacement meter
Head or Liquid Level:
 Direct measurement of liquid level
 Pressure measurement in open vessels
 Level measurement in Pressure vessels
 Measurement of interface level
 Level of dry materials
Density and Specific Gravity
 The measurement of density or specific gravity may be accomplished by two
methods:
1. The pressure at the bottom of a column of liquid or gas is proportional to density.
2. The weight of a given volume of liquid or gas is proportional to density.
 Liquid level method:
 The measurement of liquid density using the pressure method is shown in
figure

 The head h1is held constant in the measuring tank or vessel by an overflow
arrangement.
 The head h0 in the reference chamber is constant, providing the reference
liquid is nonvolatile.

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  The differential pressure measured by the manometer is that due to the
difference in densities of the two liquids.
 The system is calibrated to accommodate the different heads in the tank and
reference chamber by adding sufficient mercury to the manometer to bring the
float to the zero position when the densities of the two liquids are equal.
 Density can be continuously measured if the flow of liquid through the
measuring tank is continuous.
Note:
 The pressure in each chamber is measured by means of the bubbler system.
 Temperature corrections are necessary with this method of measurement, if
temperature of liquid is changes.
 To avoid the necessity for temperature corrections, a thermostatic heater can
be used to maintain constant the temperature of the flowing liquid.
 Hydrometer method:
 The hydrometer method can be used for
continuously measuring specific gravity of
liquids.
 The level of the liquid is maintained
constant at the overflow tube.
 The hydrometer sinks or rises in the liquid
as the specific gravity varies (the action of
the hydrometer depends on buoyancy effect
of liquid displaced).
 The lower end of the hydrometer supports
an armature in an inductance coil, and the
specific gravity can be remotely indicated.
 Usually the specific gravity instrument is
arranged to indicate or record the
temperature of the liquid as well as the
value of the specific gravity, so that
correction for temperature variation of
specific gravity can be made.

 Displacement meter or Liquid density gage:

 The measurement of liquid density using the weight method is shown in figure

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  The liquid flows continuously in and out of the displacer chamber at a rate of
about 3 gpm.
 The upward force on the balance beam is due to the displaced volume of the
liquid. This force is balanced by the pneumatic servomechanism.
 The pressure transmitted to the receiver is proportional to the density of the
liquid.
 This equipment can be used for liquids having specific gravity 0.5 and higher.
Note:
 The densities of the corrosive liquids can be measured providing suitable
materials of construction are selected.
 The densities of liquids under pressure may be measured.
 Temperature corrections are necessary, if temperature of the flowing liquid
changes.
 A thermostatic heater may be necessary to hold the temperature of the flowing
liquid constant.
Head or Liquid Level
 There are basically two kinds of measurements made of liquid level:
1. Head measurement in which the level or height is directly measured by a float
that follows the surface or by direct contact means.
2. Pressure measurement in which the level or height is determined from the
relation,

 Direct Measurement of Liquid Level:

 The simplest method of measuring liquid level directly is to use an ordinary
sight glass or gage glass on the vessel.
 Electric level devices use electrodes placed in the tank to make electric contact
when the level reaches a given point: the number of electrodes equal to the
number of desired points of measurement.
 Electric signal lights or other indicating mechanisms can then be employed at a
remote point.
 All these methods are generally limited by the characteristics of the liquids:
some are non-conducting, some are explosive and some contain solids which
deposit on the electrodes.
 A widely used method for directly measuring
level is the float and tape method and float
and shaft method.
Float and Tape Method:
 It is employed in open vessels only.
 The float usually of nickel-plated copper rests
on the surface of the liquid, supported by
buoyant force.
 The float is made with a sloping top in order

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 to avoid building up of solid material on top of the float, thereby changing its
weight.
 The float is connected to the drum by a thin, lightweight, flexible tape or cable.
 Slipping of the tape on the drum is prevented by a direct connection of the tape
to the drum.
 By suitable reduction in motion the pointer indicates on a scale calibrated in
feet or other units.
 Both indicating and recording instruments of this type are available in ranges
from 4 in. up to 60 ft level.
Float and Shaft Method:
 It is employed either in open vessels or in
pressure vessels having up to 1000 psi
internal pressure.
 The temperature in the vessel may be up to
7500F, in which case the pressure limit is
lower.
 The float and shaft level device is suitable
for wide range of liquids and semi-liquids.
 The float rests on the surface of the liquid,
and the motion of the float is taken through
the stuffing box by the shaft.
 The counter weight is adjustable, so that the
float can be made to ride half submerged.
 Since floats are usually spherical, and this is
the point of maximum area.
 The float cage may be obtained in steel or cast iron, and the float in copper,
stainless steel, nickel or aluminum.
 The rotation of the shaft may be converted into a change in pneumatic pressure
by the use of pneumatic transmission system.
 Indicating and recording instruments, remotely located, may be operated from
the float when pneumatic means of transmission are used.
 The motion of the float is used to operate directly a valve for control of level or
to operate directly a recording instrument.
 The range of these instruments is restricted and level changes greater than 10 to
20 in. cannot generally be measured.
Remote transmission of liquid level:
 Transmission of the arm motion of the float and shaft type unit to remote point
is shown in figure.

 The movement of the float causes a displacement of a metallic bellows which is

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 solidly filled with oil.
 The displacement of the oil is carried by the tube to an identical receiving
bellows at a remote point.
 The receiving bellows displacement is equal to the transmitting bellows
displacement, and the instrument may be calibrated in terms of liquid level or
volume.
 Temperature compensation for expansion of the hydraulic oil is provided.
Note:
 The accuracy of the free float type liquid level instruments depends almost
entirely on their installation.
 For volume measurement the area characteristic of the tank must be known.
 For weight measurement the area characteristic of the tank must be known and
density or specific gravity must be constant.
 Pressure (Level) Measurements in Open Vessels:
 For pressure measurement of the liquid level only a pressure measuring
instrument is required, provided that the density or specific gravity of the liquid
is known.
 The most common pressure gage systems employed for liquid level
measurement are known as: the bubbler system, the diaphragm-box system, the
air-trap system and the displacement-float system.
Bubbler System:
 The bubbler system which is the most popular is shown in figure.

 This system is satisfactory for nearly all liquids, even corrosive liquids and
liquids containing suspended solids.
 Practically the only limitation to this system is that clogging of the bubbler pipe
may occur on a few semisolids such as chemical slurries.
 A length of 1-in. pipe is lowered into the vessel to a point about 3 in. above the
sediment line.
 Air or any suitable gas is supplied to the pipe through a valve and sight feed
bubbler so that the gas bubbles out the open end of the pipe at a rate of about 3
cu. ft per hr.
 A liquid with a flow of about 1 gal per hr can sometimes substituted for the air
or gas supply.
 A pressure gage of suitable type is connected separately to the upper end of the
bubbler pipe.
 The system operates by building up a pressure in the feed line until the gas
escapes and the flow stabilizes at the rate determined by the valve or other
regulator in the feed line.

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  The pressure in the bubbler pipe necessary to cause the flow is just negligibly
higher than the liquid head over the bubbler pipe.
 The air, gas or liquid feed must be available at a pressure slightly higher than
the maximum head to be measured.
 This pressure is measured by the pressure gage which can be calibrated in
terms of head or level.
Note:
 The range of the instrument depends on the height to be measured and specific
gravity of the liquid.
 Assuming a specific gravity of 1.0, the diaphragm pressure gage can be used
from about 4in. to 150 ft change in level, the differential pressure meter from
about 5 in. to 400 in. level change, and pressure spring gage from about 150 in.
to 250 ft.
 The pressure gauge may be installed up to about 1000 ft from the vessel and
can be placed either above or below the vessel.
 The rate of feed to the bubbler pipe should preferably be controlled with an
orifice and differential pressure regulator.
 Level Measurements in Pressure Vessels:
 When a vessel contains a liquid under pressure, pressure measurement of the
liquid level becomes much more difficult.
Differential pressure measurement:
 Differential pressure measurement is therefore
suited to level measurement in closed vessels.
 Any of the differential pressure meters such as
the mercury manometer meter, the bell meter,
the bellows meter, the ring meter or the
pneumatic balance pressure meter may be used.
 These meters measure variations in liquid level
as low as 1 in. and as high as 100 ft, even up to
static pressures of 10,000 psi.
 The use of the manometer is indicated in figure
9.7
 The relation between head and float
displacement is

 By selecting the value of area A 1, the desired head can be properly related to
any given float displacement.
 By suitable calibration shift the instrument can be corrected for the head h 0
from the instrument to the bottom tap.
 This may be accomplished through a mechanical shaft of the pen or pointer of

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 the manometer instrument or simply by
adding more mercury to the manometer
until the desired suppression is attained.
 In many cases the liquid in the vessel
cannot be allowed to enter the meter.
 When the liquid is corrosive, contains
suspended solids, or is highly volatile, it is
necessary to use the sealing methods
previously described for pressure gages.
 Those often employed are the liquid seal
and the purge system.
 The use of liquid seal is shown in figure
9.8
 The effect of the zero head (h l +h0) can be
corrected by a calibration shift in the
meter.
 The differential pressure measurement of
the liquid level is theoretically as accurate
as the meter itself.
Displacement float liquid level gauge:
 These are also in general use, not only for pressure vessels, but also for open
vessels.
 Their range is usually from 14 to 180 in. change in
level and they may be used up to about 600 psi
vessel pressure.
 It can be shown in figure 9.9
 A long float of constant area is suspended in the
liquid in which the level is measured.
 The weight of the liquid displaced causes an
upward force on the float, which is
counterbalanced by the force exerted by the spring.
 The movement of the float is carried by the shaft to
an indicating pointer or can be made to operate a
pneumatic transmitting means.
 The displacement float gage usually employs a
torque tube, as described in differential pressure
meters, in place of the shaft and spring.
 This eliminates the necessity for sealed shafts and bearings.
Pneumatic balance displacement float liquid level gauge:
 The force caused by the float is balanced by the pneumatic servo system.
 The range of

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 the float permits, Liquid head up to 60 ft has been measured.
 The pneumatic balance level gage can be used on pressure vessels since the
float can be sealed in the pressure chamber by sealing bellows or by a sealing
diaphragm, thus transmitting the necessity for pressure tight shafts.
 The accuracy of the displacement float gage is probably better than of any other
method as long as the specific gravity of the liquid is not low.
 The deposition of solids on the float is a source of error.
 Measurement of Interface Level:
 In the measurement of liquid level, it has been
assumed that the surface of the liquid level was
bounded by a gas or a vapor of negligible
weight density.
 The surface level between two immiscible
liquids of differing specific gravity or between a
liquid and a gas or vapor of appreciable density
may also be measured.
 The relation between float displacement and
head of interface level, if it is assumed that the
less dense liquid always covers the upper tap, is

 Calibration of the meter depends on the difference in densities of the two fluids.
 The measurement of interface level is more difficult as the density difference
becomes small.
 The differential pressure meter, free float and displacement float types are most
commonly employed gages for interface liquid level measurement.
 The level gage will measure an average position of the interface.
 Level Measurement by Weighing:
 The simplest and most obvious way to measure the level of a liquid or a dry
material is to weight the contents of the entire vessel.
 When the area of the vessel is known, the level can be determined.

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  Weighing methods are most accurate when total weight of material is the
important factor, rather than density, level or volume.
 It is only reliable method for continuously determining the amount of dry
materials in a vessel or tank.
Level of Dry Materials:
 It is merely sufficient to know whether or not a bin or vessel has a specified level
of material.
 In this case a level indicator of the signaling type can be employed.
 The use of signaling indicator is shown in figure.
 This device operates from a light, flexible diaphragm which mechanically
positions a switch.
 The weight of a dry material in the bin acts against the diaphragm when the
material in the bin reaches a desired level.
 These devices are satisfactory for all dry bulk materials of sufficient weight
density.
 Depending on the characteristics of the material indicator selection will be done.

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 Head, Density and Specific Gravity:
 There are basically two kinds of measurements made of liquid level.
1. Head measurement in which the level or height is directly measured by a float
that follows the surface or by a direct contact means.
2. Pressure measurement in which the level or height is determined from the
relation,

 If the purpose of level measurement is to determine the volume of liquid contained

in a vessel, then head measurement is preferable.
Where, A = area of the tank or vessel.

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 If pressure measurement must be used because of details of particular application,
then

The measurement of volume depends on density or specific gravity.

 If the purpose of the level measurement is to determine the weight of the liquid
contained in a vessel, then the pressure measurement is preferable.

If the head measurement must be used, then,

The measurement of weight

depends on density or specific gravity.
 If pressure at a reference point in the vessel, usually the bottom outlet, is the
purpose of level measurement, then, pressure measurement obviously is preferred.
If head measurement must be used, then,

The measurement of pressure depends on density or specific gravity.

Note:
The selection of the one method or the other for measuring level depends on the
purpose for which the measurement is made.
 Density and specific gravity may also be inferred from the pressure measurement,

At constant head, pressure is proportional to density.

At constant head, pressure is proportional to specific gravity.

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