dBi10 Intelligent Transducer proves its reliability against thick arduous foam

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Pulsar Measurement was recently approached by a customer in the US that was trying to achieve accurate and reliable level measurement readings in an 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete tank with a flat concrete top. The tank was measuring partially treated wastewater at an onsite wastewater treatment plant at a medical center. It provided some challenging measurement conditions as there were various pipe and metal works in the measurement path of the transducer as well as a thick layer of heavy foam.

The end-user had previously tried two other ultrasonic systems that both proved unsuccessful on the application. Originally, the first ultrasonic system was installed in the center of the tank where there is considerably less foam, but it was not possible to obtain Foam application accurate level readings. The dBi10 was too large to fit in the location where the original two ultrasonic systems failed, so it was placed closer to the wall of the tank where the measurement would be much more challenging.

The dBi10 loop-powered ultrasonic system was integrated into the end user’s existing system. This provided them with the flexibility to mount the sensor in a more accessible location without having to notify operators of changing conditions in the tank. In addition, the end sure had the facility to connect to PC Suite, Pulsar Measurement’s unique software that allows easy setting of parameters and the viewing of echo traces. This enabled Pulsar Measurement’s dedicated support team to log in remotely and help the customer fine-tune the dBi10 in very tough application conditions.

Crowded Tank As a result, the end-user was able to set relay alarms and automatically turn pumps on to maintain the appropriate level within the tank. The dBi10 was able to outperform other ultrasonic systems because of its ability to adapt to any situation. Unique DATEM (Digital Adaptive Tracking of Echo Movement) software provides transducers from Pulsar Measurement with the ability to distinguish the true echoes of the fluid from the background noise. In this application, it was the thick foam blanket, the ladder, and pipework within the tank. The end-user could see the echo traces and how the dBi10 was performing right from their PC or laptop and was able to fine-tune the transducer to maximize accuracy.

This application has once again cemented Pulsar Measurement’s ability to produce state-of-the-art ultrasonic technology that provides quick, simple, and easy integration to existing site SCADA systems, that can give robust and reliable measurement even in the most challenging conditions. Our unique DATEM processing software can enhance the capability of ultrasonic instrumentation and is able to ignore competing echoes to provide accurate measurement.