Measuring water pressure in an open tank

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around measuring water pressure in an open tank, specifically focusing on the requirements for an electronic sensor that can provide a differential pressure reading. The context includes practical applications and technical specifications for sensor selection.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks advice on finding a suitable electronic sensor for measuring water pressure in an open tank, specifying a need for an analog output and a precision of about 2mm.
  • Another participant notes difficulty in finding sensors designed for water, suggesting that most available sensors are for gases and raises concerns about condensation affecting measurements.
  • A suggestion is made to use a piezoelectric transducer placed at the bottom of the tank to measure the weight of the water column, although concerns about the transducer's pressure range are raised.
  • One participant proposes using a deformable bladder to transfer an air pressure signal to an analog gauge, while questioning the impact of barometric pressure on water pressure measurements and the need for a barometric offset.
  • Another participant emphasizes that finding a piezo pressure transducer should be feasible if searched properly.
  • A suggestion is made to consider auto float type gas tank senders as a potential solution for providing an analog output sensitive enough for the application.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the best approach to measuring water pressure, with no consensus on a specific sensor model or method. There are differing views on the feasibility of using piezoelectric transducers and the implications of barometric pressure on measurements.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention specific requirements such as pressure range and precision, but there are unresolved questions regarding the effects of barometric pressure and the suitability of different sensor types for measuring water pressure.

vasco_990
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Hello to everyone...

I've been reading these blog and searching the web trying to find a solution for my problem, but I couldn't find anything.

I need to meassure the water pressure (differential pressure) in an open tank.
The colum of water is aprox. 10-15cm tall.
I need to do these at all times, with an electronic sensor with any sort of analoge output (voltage, current). Also I need a sensor with a precission of about 2mm.

Can anyone help me with the sensor model an connection?... how does it meassure the pressure?... you sink it in the water or you do it with a air column?... if it so, you have to take in consideration water condensation?...

Thanks in advance!... and sorry for the bad english.. its not my native languaje...
 
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I've searched pages like farnell... but i can´t find anyting that suits my needs... most of the sensor are for gases... not water... and i don't know if measuring a water column could cause condensation to break the sensor...
 
Welcome to PF, Vasco. Your English is admirable.
I'm uneducated, but like to mess about with stuff like this. It seems to me that one of the easiest approaches would be to put a piezoelectric transducer in the bottom of the tank. That would be a simple measurement of the weight of the water column above it.
 
te problem is that the sensor needs to measure between 0-10mBar (0-10cm H20) and ai can't find a piezoelectric transducter that measures that...
 
Hmmm...
What about perhaps some sort of deformable bladder (like a balloon), which could transfer an air pressure signal via tubing to an analogue gauge?

edit: I just thought of a couple of things that eluded me before. First, won't the water pressure change according to the surrounding barometric pressure? If so, is it a problem? Is that what you meant by "differential pressure", and if so wouldn't you have to have a barometric off-set to your water pressure gauge?
My other thought is that you didn't mention the area of your tank. I might be mistaken about this, but it seems to me that having a large "footprint" for your measuring device should increase the sensitivity. (What I mean is that 5mBar on .5 m2 should be easier to decode than the same pressure on .05 m2.)
 
Last edited:
If you can't find a piezo pressure transducer you're not looking hard enough.
 
Try looking up auto float type gas tank senders. That will give you an analog output that should be sensitive enough to work with.
 

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