How does a liquid level switch work?

We are now onto week 11 of our #SensorFAQs series which you can join in and follow on our twitter page.

We’ll be sharing Frequently Asked Questions we receive from our customers to help provide expert insights into our product range, the sensor industry and more.

This week we answer ‘How does a liquid level switch work?’

Details for next weeks #SensorFAQs:

Date & Time: Tuesday, 23rd July 2019, 1.00pm GMT
Channel: #SensorFAQs

#SensorFAQs – Q11 | How Does A Liquid Level Switch Work? pic.twitter.com/wm9eJWZWJg

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

Answers

#SensorFAQs – Q11 1/12 | If you are looking for a reliable and robust solution for an industrial point level sensing application, optical liquid level sensors may be the answer to your problems… https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 2/12 | …Optical liquid level sensors are solid-state, meaning they have no moving parts to cause unreliability. They use infra-red light and can be used in environments where a traditional float switch would not be suitable. https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 3/12 | How do they work?

Optical liquid level sensors do not measure the liquid level, instead, they detect the presence or absence of liquid. https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 4/12 | How do they work?

Optical liquid level sensors consist of two main parts: an infra-red LED and phototransistor that is accurately positioned at the base of the sensor tip. https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 5/12 | How do they work?

When the tip is in air, infra-red light reflects internally round the tip of to the phototransistor providing strong optical coupling between the two. https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 6/12 | How do they work?

When the sensor tip is immersed in liquid, the infra-red light escapes from the tip causing a reduction in the amount of light at the phototransistor which makes the output change state. https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 7/12 | Advantages and Disadvantages

The main selling points for an optical liquid level sensor is their compact size, their solid state design, their low cost and reliability… https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 8/12 | Advantages and Disadvantages

…However, while extremely accurate for point level sensing in high pressure, temperature and at times corrosive environments, they are less useful for continuous level measurement applications. https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 9/12 | Optical liquid level sensors from SST

SST offers a range of optical liquid level sensors that can operate in almost any liquid. If you think an optical liquid level sensor would be suitable for your application, consider the following level sensors: https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 10/12 | Optomax Digital Liquid Level Sensors

The Optomax Digital liquid level sensors are ideal for applications with restricted space that require a miniature, low power and low cost sensing solution. They are available in polysulphone and trogamid materials. https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 11/12 | Optomax Industrial Glass Liquid Level Sensors

For more aggressive and corrosive environments, the Optomax Industrial Glass liquid level sensors can operate in high pressure & temperature environments due to their stainless steel and glass tip design. https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

#SensorFAQs – Q11 12/12 | For applications with more specific requirements, SST can offer a customisation service where we will design a solution specifically to suit your requirements. For more information, please contact technical@sstsensing.com or visit https://t.co/DX0xQ0bGtY https://t.co/cLhz600H1c

— SST Sensing Ltd (@SSTSensingLtd) July 16, 2019

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