Key Product Capabilities of Lonnmeter Guided Wave Radar Level Transmitter

Lonnmeter Guided Wave Radar (GWR) Level Transmitter provides industry-leading measurement capability and reliability for crude oil storage tanks. It uses guided radar level measurement technology to deliver continuous liquid level measurement even in vapour, foam, or low-dielectric fluids. The transmitter’s signal guidance along a probe reduces false echoes from tank internals and improves repeatability for crude oil tank level management.

Multivariable Transmitter Reduces Instrument Count and Process Penetrations

The transmitter is a multivariable transmitter that outputs level plus additional process variables from the same probe. Combining level, interface detection signals, and diagnostic variables reduces the number of separate instruments and process penetrations on a tank roof. Example: a single multivariable unit can replace separate level and interface sensors, lowering penetration points and simplifying cable routing in large crude oil storage tanks.

Safety-Certified for Functional Safety and Engineered for Plant Availability

The device is safety-certified for functional safety applications and provides diagnostics designed for plant availability. Built-in predictive diagnostics monitor signal quality and probe condition. These diagnostics flag degrading performance before it causes downtime, enabling planned interventions. Troubleshooting features expose abnormal echoes and signal loss, making root-cause identification straightforward for maintenance teams.

No Moving Parts, Minimal Maintenance, Top-Down Installation to Minimize Leak Risk

The guided wave radar probe has no moving parts, which eliminates mechanical wear and reduces maintenance frequency. Top-down installation minimizes the number of roof penetrations and places the transmitter above the stored product, lowering leak risk. Example: retrofitting a tank with a top-mounted guided wave probe typically avoids expensive manway or side-wall modifications and reduces exposure during installation.

How These Capabilities Translate Into Operational Benefits

Accurate continuous liquid level measurement yields tighter inventory control and fewer interrupted transfers. Multivariable output reduces instrument count and maintenance time, which improves uptime. Predictive diagnostics cut unplanned outages by enabling condition-based maintenance. Reliable interface detection distinguishes crude oil from water layers, aiding pump control, interface dumping, and custody-sensitive operations. Together, these capabilities reduce maintenance interventions, simplify tank monitoring, and support accurate crude oil storage tank monitoring with advanced guided radar sensors and liquid level measuring instruments.

Before cutting into a roof nozzle, confirm scaffold integrity, check grounding continuity, verify gasket type compatibility, and ensure a purge plan is in place.

Focus evaluation on measurement range, resolution and accuracy, response time, dielectric constant sensitivity, blind zone, maximum process temperature and pressure, and probe materials.

Solving Common Measurement Challenges in Crude Oil Tanks With GWR

Vapor and Vapor Space Variability: How Guided Pulses and Probe Guidance Mitigate False Echoes

Vapor composition and condensation in the vapor space change local dielectric properties rapidly. Non-guided pulses scatter in that variable medium, creating false or shifting echoes. Guided wave radar confines the electromagnetic energy along the probe. The guided path reduces interaction with the vapor cloud and delivers a cleaner time-of-flight measurement. Signal gating and matched filtering then ignore near-field noise and short, spurious reflections. Probe attachment points and routing also reduce multiply reflected echoes from tank internals by keeping the main energy on a predictable path. These factors together cut false-echo risks in tanks with fluctuating vapor spaces.

Surface Foam and Turbulence: Why GWR Maintains Accuracy Where Non-Contact Sensors May Wander

Foam and waves scatter or absorb non-contact beams. A surface foam layer can appear as a false liquid surface to radar or ultrasonic heads. Guided wave radar senses along the probe surface, so foam effects are localized and often submerged in the guided field. The measurement point follows the physical probe position, so momentary surface turbulence causes smaller signal amplitude changes than with free-space beams. In practice, GWR keeps the main echo tied to the true liquid interface during heavy agitation, while non-contact sensors can produce wandering or noisy traces. Independent technology reviews list radar methods as favorable for disturbed surfaces and foaming conditions.

Layered Liquids and Interface Detection: Using Residual Wave Timing to Resolve Upper and Lower Product Surfaces

Guided radar detects multiple interfaces by resolving separate echoes along the probe. The primary surface produces a first return; a secondary liquid layer or bottom-phase interface produces a later, distinct return. Residual wave timing measures the time interval between these echoes. Signal amplitude, polarity change, and timing together identify whether the second echo is an interface or a tank reflection. Modern GWR systems apply echo-tracking and deconvolution to separate closely spaced returns. Example: oil over water creates strong contrast, yielding a clear second echo; two similar oils yield smaller amplitude differences that require higher resolution processing to separate. Probe-mounted sensors maintain constant coupling to the media, improving the consistency of interface detection even when layers are thin or partially mixed.

Low Dielectric Crude Blends and Marginal Reflections: Probe Choices and Signal Processing Techniques to Strengthen Detection

Low-dielectric crudes reduce reflected signal strength. When dielectric contrast approaches the sensor sensitivity limit, several engineering choices improve detection:

• Choose probe geometries that increase the guided field and effective aperture, such as coaxial probes or larger-diameter rods. These concentrate the electromagnetic field and raise return amplitude.
• Use probes with dielectric-enhancing profiles (e.g., taped or stranded conductors) where mechanical clearance allows.
• Increase averaging and integrate longer observation windows to raise signal-to-noise ratio for marginal echoes.
• Apply adaptive gain control, time-domain gating, and deconvolution to extract low-amplitude echoes from noise.
• Combine level data with complementary inline measurements — density and viscosity readings help confirm the presence and composition of low-k blends. Inline density meters and inline viscosity meters from manufacturers such as Lonnmeter provide independent property checks that validate weak radar echoes.

Probe selection and signal processing must match the expected dielectric range and tank conditions. For example, a coaxial probe plus echo-averaging often resolves blends with dielectric constants near the lower usable limit, while a thin single rod may fail in the same mix.

Call to Action for RFQ

Ready to optimize your crude oil storage tank level measurement with high-performance guided wave radar solutions? Submit your Request for Quotation (RFQ) today to receive tailored proposals aligned with your operational requirements and budget.

• Provide key project details including process fluid specifications, tank geometry, measurement accuracy needs, allowed tank penetrations, and communication protocol preferences to ensure a precise and efficient quote.
• Our technical team will offer personalized support, from initial product selection to post-installation calibration guidance, to maximize the reliability and cost-effectiveness of your level measurement system.
• Contact our sales department now to kickstart your RFQ process and secure a competitive solution for your crude oil storage monitoring challenges.