can you use an ultrasonic level measurement to determine the

can you use an ultrasonic level measurement to determine the level of an emulsion of oil and water? just the level, not the interface.

Solution

Yes we can use an ultrasonic level measurement device to determine the level of an emulsion of oil and water.

Oil producing institutions in many parts of the world are still facing with the problem of producing water and gas together with oil from their oil fields. The separation will consist of three components, oil at the top, oil/water mixture in the middle, and water at the bottom. Water will then be pumped out from the tank. However, in order not to pump out oil with water, the level of the mixed liquid (water-oil) need to be monitored continuously, especially during the pumping process. The measurement sensors include RF capacitance, conductance, nuclear, radar, differential pressure, optical switches, and ultrasonic. A microwave-based sensor is among the fewer devices which has been recently designed for extraction of the levels of the emulsion layers in the tank. However the system is expensive. Additionally, the high energy of the microwaves makes the solution inappropriate for combustible liquids.