Mechatronic design solution for fuel level monitoring using pressure sensor

Liquid levels are measured in a variety of industrial applications, and are often measured manually, which can be labor-intensive as well as time-consuming. Rapid advances in electronic technologies have made a variety of inexpensive sensing, monitoring, and control capabilities available. A mechatronic design solution is produced to solve a practical problem faced by Generation Strategic Business Area at Cawaira power-station, a substation of Fiji Electricity Authority (FEA). A monitoring system is developed, designed and evaluated for automatic measurement and controlling of fuel levels in the fuel supply tanks at this sub-station. The design was demonstrated using a hardware model. The system is composed of a pressure sensor, a microcontroller, solenoid valves and a liquid pump. The pressure sensor measures the pressure inside the air column submerged in the tank, which is then calibrated to display level. The system is designed to read real-time data to measure the fuel level inside the tank as well as programmed with critical event alarms which trigger upon the occurrence of an event such as low fuel inside the tank, reaching maximum safety limit and leakage in the fuel pipe line. The system is being tested using the fabricated model and the system measurement results are verified to those measured manually. This system is inexpensive, easy to build, install, and maintain. In addition to monitoring liquid level, the system could be adapted to a variety of other measurements.