Fozmula – Taking Fuel Measurement to a New Level

Leamington Spa, United Kingdom, December 04, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Having no moving components, capacitance level sensors are popular with designers of liquid storage tanks who generally find them more accurate, reliable and cost effective than the electro-mechanical alternatives. However, conventional capacitance level sensors can only work accurately in either water or oil based fluids but Fozmula wanted to offer a sensor with the ability to operate in almost any commonly used industrial liquids. This challenge was taken up with relish by the Company’s engineers because the design required that the sensor be constructed in materials compatible with a wide variety of liquids, and the electronics must be capable of compensating the sensor’s output for each liquid’s different properties.

A dual probe design, employing two different geometries of probe, proved to be ideal in allowing the sensor’s electronics to recognise if a new and therefore different dielectric constant has been found in the media. Effectively, this means that if a diesel engine fuel tank is filled with conventional diesel for one fill and then biodiesel for the next fill, Fozmula’s T/LL350 senses that biodiesel differs from ordinary diesel and recalibrates its output, correcting for the different value of the biodiesel’s dielectric constant. With all other capacitance sensors, if they were originally calibrated for use in diesel then a fill of biodiesel will result in an incorrect output being sent to the plc or engine management system.

Physically the T/LL350 sensor is available in lengths between 150 mm to 2000 mm and offers an integral 1” BSPT thread and a 5 holes SAE flange as the mounting options. It can also be used in an inverted position if required. Housed in an IP67 enclosure, the sensor’s electronics feature industry leading over-voltage and reverse polarity protection and can be used to detect if an incorrect fuel is used or if a sudden loss of fuel is encountered perhaps due to the tank splitting or even due to fuel theft. Output values from the sensor are in voltage, resistance or mA and a user definable alarm switch can be set at any point along the stem.

Although designed largely for use in fuel tanks, the sensor’s materials of construction being aluminium, PTFE and nitrile allow it to be used in a wide range of differing types of fuels, such as diesel, biodiesel, kerosene, petrol, aggressive race fuels or even water based fluids.

For more than 30 years, Fozmula has continued to pioneer the design and manufacture of a wide range of electromechanical, mechanical and electronic sensors, gauges and switches for equipment requiring liquid level, temperature and pressure measurement worldwide. The T/LL350 underlines Fozmula’s commitment to maintaining its reputation for innovation and design excellence.

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