Why should I use radar technology?

The radar signal is virtually unaffected by the tank content and tank atmosphere, temperature or pressure. The measurement is not influenced by changing material characteristics such as density, dielectric properties and viscosity. Since there are no moving parts the transmitters are virtually maintenance free. All of the characteristics above make radar a very useful and fast growing level measurement technology.

What is the principle of operation?

Radar level measurement technology can be broken down into two different categories; Pulsed and Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW). An advantage with Pulsed Technology is that it requires less processing power. Therefore most two-wire gauges use this technology. An advantage with FMCW is that higher accuracy can be achieved but more processing power is required and therefore FMCW-radars are typically four-wire. In Pulsed transmitters the level measurement is a function of the time taken from the radar signal to travel to the surface and back. In FMCW gauges the transmitter constantly emits a swept frequency and the distance is calculated by the difference in frequency of emitted and received signal.

Are radar gauges safe?

Yes. The emitted signal is less than three percent of maximum leakage allowed from a microwave oven. Radar waves are of no greater intensity than the constant radio, cellular and other communication waves that surround us every day. Furthermore the transmitter is normally placed in a metallic tank that acts as a Faradays cage and therefore the radar waves are isolated within the tank.

What is the difference in frequency between Pulsed Technology Guided Wave Radar and Non Contacting Radar?
With Guided Wave Radar the pulsed microwave are guided down the tank by the probe, making it less sensitive to disturbances than free propagating microwaves. Pulsed Non Contacting Radar uses a carrier frequency, e.g. 6 Hz (5401) or 26 Hz (5402), to carry the microwave which are radiated into the tank with an antenna.

What generates and transmits the microwave pulse in 5300 and 5400 Radars?
The microwave pulse is generated in the microwave module. A crystal clock with a Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) of 1.8 MHz triggers a pulse generator. A short pulse (1 ns), see picture below, is then generated by fast trnasistors on the pulse generator circuit. The generated pulses are then transferred via the Coupling Net and Out/In to the probe/antenna and into the tank. The reflected microwave is transferred back to the transmitter via the Coupling Net into the Reciever, and then processed by the transmitter logic.

Figure 1 Short pulse created by the pulse generator Below is a simplified drawing of the 5300 pulse generator. The 5300 has a frequency span of 0.1-2 GHz.

Figure 2 5300 pulse generator In the 5400 a microwave frequency of 6 GHz or 26 GHz is pulse modulated with the same pulse as in 5300 before the signal goes out to the antenna, see drawing below.

Figure 3 5400 pulse generator

How does the frequency of the radar affect the measurement?

A higher frequency provides a more concentrated narriw beam which can be useful in applications where there are obstacles present in the tank such as man-ways, agitators or heating coils. The downside of high frequency is that the measurement is more affected by vapours, dust anf product build up on the antenna, Low frequency radar which have a longer wavelength and wider beam angle, tends to cope better with steam, dust, condensation, contamination and turbulent surfaces.

In what way does the dielectric constant (DC) of the media affect the measurement?
Electromagnetic energy is emitted from all radar devices. When the emitted signal reaches a point where there is a change in DC, usually the media surface, some of the signal is reflected back to the transmitter. The amount of energy that is reflected back to the transmitter is proportional to the DC of the media. A rule-of-thumb is that the value of the dielectric constant represents the percentage of energy that is reflected. Thus a DC of eight means that eight percent of the emitted energy is reflected back to the transmitter. Fundamentally media with a higher DC provide stronger return signals and are therefore easier to measure.