If you wish to measure the degree of a liquid easily and reliably, most people will do this using hydrostatic pressure measurement, e.g. with a submersible pressure transmitter or perhaps a so called level probe. The characteristic submersed application implicates a maximum exposure to the surrounding, mainly water-based medium, respectively to ?moisture?.
Exposure isn’t only limited to the wetted parts of the pressure sensor housing, but also to the complete immersed length of the cable. Furthermore, beyond your directly immersed level probe parts, the cable, and in particular the cable end, are often exposed to moisture because of splash water, rain and condensation. This is true not only during operation, but even more during installation and commissioning, or when maintenance or retrofitting is necessary. Irrespective of the target application, whether in water and wastewater treatment or in tank monitoring, moisture ingress in to the cable ends of the submersible pressure transmitter can occur early and irreversibly with insufficient protection measures, and, in virtually all cases, lead to premature failure of the instrument.
The ingress of moisture in to the cable outlet and from there on downwards into the electronics of the particular level probe must be actively eliminated by preventive actions by an individual. To gauge the level with highest accuracy, the varying ambient pressure above the liquid media, which is also ?resting? on the liquid, must be compensated against the hydrostatic pressure acting on the pressure sensor (see article: hydrostatic level measurement).
Ventilation tube
Thus, it really is logical that there is a constant threat of a moisture-related failure because of moisture ingress (both via the ventilation tube and through the specific cable itself) if you can find no adequate precautionary measures. To pay the ambient pressure ?resting? on the media, a ventilation tube runs from the sensor element within the level probe, through the cable and out of the level probe by the end of the cable. Because of capillary action within the ventialation tube used for ambient pressure compensation, moisture can also be transported from the encompassing ambience down to the sensor.
Thus not only air, but additionally moisture penetrates into the tube, hence the sensor inside the probe and the electronics around it can be irreparably damaged. This may lead to measurement errors and, in the worst case, even to failure of the level probe. To avoid any premature failure, the ingress of moisture into the ventilation tube must be completely prevented. Additional protection against moisture penetration through the ventilation tube is supplied by fitting an air-permeable, but water-impermeable filter element by the end of the vent tube.
bare wires
Never to be ignored is also the transport of the liquid through high-humidity loads across the only limitedly protected internals of the cable, e.g. along the wires, completely right down to the submersible pressure transmitter. As a leading manufacturer, WIKA uses appropriate structural design to prevent fluid transport, as far as possible, in to the electronics of the submersible pressure transmitter. Due to molecular diffusion and capillary effects, a guaranteed one-hundred percent protection over the full lifetime of the submersible pressure transmitter, however, is never achievable.
It is therefore recommended that the cable is always terminated in a waterproof junction box with the appropriate IP protection (e.g. IP65) which is matched to the installation location. If this cable junction box is exposed to weather and varying temperature conditions, it is also recommended to pay focus on a controlled pressure equalisation so as to prevent the formation of condensation or perspiration water and pumping effects. To handle this technical requirement, being an accessory to a submersible pressure transmitter, it is possible to order a connection box with an integrated air-permeable, water-impermeable membrane.
Ultimately, moisture ingress can happen not only through the exposed end of the cable, but also through mechanical damage to the cable sheath or as a result of liquid diffusion because of improper chemical resistance of the cable material. In the article ? Sampler for the prevention of moisture-related failures of submersible pressure transmitters or level probes? this failure mode is described at length.
WIKA offers comprehensive solutions for the hydrostatic-pressure level measurement. For further assistance in selecting the submersible pressure transmitter most suitable for your application, please use our contact page.
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