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Hawk Measurement Systems Latest Instrument Displays Real-time Process Fluids

November 03, 2021 by Shawn Dietrich

How could this component from Hawk Measurement Systems potentially help engineers with their process and calibration techniques?

Who is Hawk Measurement Systems?

Hawk Measurement Systems is a global supplier of level, positioning, asset monitoring, and flow measurement technology. The company has been in business for over 30 years. 

Hawk Measurement Systems supplies sensors to many industries, but they specialize in wastewater, oil and gas, bulk material handling, chemical, and power. They develop some technologies, including acoustic waves, ultrasonic, microwave, radar, and fiber optic sensing. They currently have two manufacturing facilities in Melbourne, Australia, and one in Medina, Ohio, USA.

They recently debuted their latest product, the ACURAGE with GWR, a single chamber sight glass with “Guided Wave Radar.” 

 

ACURAGE with GWR

The ACURAGE is a single chamber sight glass used to display the level of process fluids in real-time, along with an integrated guided wave radar level sensor. A sight glass is a typical way of seeing the level of a process fluid without any special meters or controllers. 

A sight glass is usually a glass or plastic tube connected to the bottom of a vessel and runs along the outside of the vessel vertically. 

 

Video used courtesy of Hawk Measurement Systems

 

As the fluid in the vessel rises, a small amount of that process fluid rises in the tube, allowing an operator to see the level in the vessel easily. This particular sight glass has some special features, like the integrated digital level meter and level sensor. 

An engineer or operator can quickly and accurately see the process fluid level by simply reading the digital readout. This signal could also be sent to a controller or SCADA system. The ACURAGE is noted as the industry’s first auto-calibrating level meter. This feature is accomplished via the Guided Wave Radar (GWR) level sensor.

 

Guided Wave Radar

This method of measuring the level of a process fluid is similar to how an ultrasonic sensor would measure this. A GWR sensor uses microwave technology. Microwave signals have unique properties where they are only affected by materials that can absorb energy. 

This means that temperature, dust, or pressure will not affect the accuracy of the measurement. This is important if a product needs to be kept at a high temperature and under pressure. A common material would be liquid wax. 

 

The ACURAGE single chamber sight glass. Image used courtesy of Hawk Measurement Systems

 

Wax is sometimes used in pharmaceutical processing. To dispense the wax, it needs to be kept above the melting point and at some pressure higher than atmospheric. A typical ultrasonic sensor would not survive this type of environment. A GWR sensor will emit a low-energy pulse directly down a probe. Once the signal reaches the process fluid, a portion of the signal will be reflected to the sensing head. The time it takes for the signal to make it back to the sensing head will determine the height of the process fluid. 

 

sensor

The ACURAGE single chamber sight glass being used in an industrial facility. Image used courtesy of Hawk Measurement Systems

 

This style of level sensor can be useful in any industry that needs to store fluids or process materials at a high temperature or pressure. Calibrating sensors is always a daunting task, and in some industries, it’s difficult to reach the sensor that needs to be calibrated. 

That daunting task is eliminated with an auto-calibrating level sensor, which is why this ACURAE could be the appropriate choice for large remote vessels, similar to the one used in the oil and gas industry or wastewater industries.