Liquid level indicator

vyv_cox said:
I know it doesn't work on water, nor with diesel in a plastic tank or bottle.
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Vyv - you say these work ultrasonically - so any idea why won't they pick up water being present on the other side of the tank wall when they will pick up diesel or even propane? If it works by sound waves bouncing back differently from the inner tank wall surface depending on there being (or not) a medium that can transmit sound, even if with a somewhat different speed (equivalent to a refractive index), it seems odd that water isn't detected - I shouldn't think that speed of sound in water is much different from what it is in diesel , and I would have thought both would be quite different from speed of sound in pressurised butane/propane. I can see though why they wouldn't work well on plastic tanks - much lower speed of sound in plastic, and much higher dispersion and attenuation.

Just curious ( retired scientist at large!)...

Steve
 
sgr143 said:
Vyv - you say these work ultrasonically - so any idea why won't they pick up water being present on the other side of the tank wall when they will pick up diesel or even propane? If it works by sound waves bouncing back differently from the inner tank wall surface depending on there being (or not) a medium that can transmit sound, even if with a somewhat different speed (equivalent to a refractive index), it seems odd that water isn't detected - I shouldn't think that speed of sound in water is much different from what it is in diesel , and I would have thought both would be quite different from speed of sound in pressurised butane/propane. I can see though why they wouldn't work well on plastic tanks - much lower speed of sound in plastic, and much higher dispersion and attenuation.

Just curious ( retired scientist at large!)...

Steve
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It does seem that they are very particular, although I don't know the reason. Mine will not measure the level in a Gaslow 13 kg propane bottle because it contains metal parts to do with the level gauge and 80% fill limiter. In practice I can get around this by selecting a different measuring point but it definitely will not work with a small bottle. It is possible that it might work with water in a thin stainless tank but that option was not available to me.
 
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