New Measuring Method for Colorless Liquid Level Based on CLC100 Level Sensor and Powercast Wireless Sensor Kit

In this paper, a new wireless measuring method for colorless liquid level measurement was presented, based on latest CLC100 liquid level sensor and Powercast wireless sensor development kit. The wireless system is divided into two parts, level measurement and data transmission part as well as data receiving and display part. First part included the capacitive liquid level sensor CLC100 and the wireless senor board. CLC100 sensor was used for liquid level measurement. Wireless sensor kit from Powercast Corporation included one wireless sensor board, which was used for signal transmission. A built-in PIC microcontroller was embedded in the transmission module, for the purpose of processing and data transmitting. Due to CLC100 sensor’s output voltage exceeding the sensor board’s input limitation, a voltage convertor was designed to connect the sensor and the wireless sensor board. The final results were voltages corresponding to the liquid level, and were processed by an independent PIC development board, and then sent to PC’s hyper terminal via serial-port by this PIC microcontroller. Experiments showed that this wireless sensor node prototype worked well.

Design of Laser Radar Fiber Optic Liquid Level Sensor System

A novel fiber optic liquid level sensor based on laser radar (ladar) is reported here. Using the perfect technique of ladar in which the phase of amplitude modulated light wave reflected from the liquid surface is compared with that of original modulation signal, the distance can be measured precisely. A special symmetric compensating coaxial optical system is proposed to eliminate many adverse effects. It realized the one-time electronic-free optical measurement on a simulated oil tank and achieves an accuracy of 0.3%, within a temperature range of -10 ℃～+40 ℃ over a measuring of 0～10 m.

Microfluidic temperature sensor based on temperature-dependent dielectric property of liquid

We propose a low-cost compact microfluidic temperature sensor by virtue of the temperature-dependent permittivity of liquid.The sensor is composed of a coplanar waveguide(CPW)transmission line loaded with three resonators and a microfluidic plate with three channels.The resonant frequency of each resonator relies on the temperature-dependent dielectric property of liquid in corresponding channel,which therefore can be used to extract the temperature.The proposed sensor features a compact size and low cost since it requires only micro fluid volume instead of additional electronic components to produce significant frequency shift with changing temperature.Moreover,it exhibits decent accuracy and stability in a temperature sensing range from 30℃ to 95℃.A theoretical analysis of the sensor is provided,followed by the detailed characterization method,and a prototype is designed,manufactured,and measured to verify the theoretical analysis.

Self-Healing Liquid Metal Magnetic Hydrogels for Smart Feedback Sensors and High-Performance Electromagnetic Shielding

Hydrogels exhibit potential applications in smart wearable devices because of their exceptional sensitivity to various external stimuli.However,their applications are limited by challenges in terms of issues in biocompatibility,custom shape,and self-healing.Herein,a conductive,stretchable,adaptable,self-healing,and biocompatible liquid metal GaInSn/Ni-based composite hydrogel is developed by incorporating a magnetic liquid metal into the hydrogel framework through crosslinking polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)with sodium tetraborate.The excellent stretchability and fast self-healing capability of the PVA/liquid metal hydrogel are derived from its abundant hydrogen binding sites and liquid metal fusion.Significantly,owing to the magnetic constituent,the PVA/liquid metal hydrogel can be guided remotely using an external magnetic field to a specific position to repair the broken wires with no need for manual operation.The composite hydrogel also exhibits sensitive deformation responses and can be used as a strain sensor to monitor various body motions.Additionally,the multifunctional hydrogel displays absorption-dominated electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding properties.The total shielding performance of the composite hydrogel increases to~62.5 dB from~31.8 dB of the pure PVA hydrogel at the thickness of 3.0 mm.The proposed bioinspired multifunctional magnetic hydrogel demonstrates substantial application potential in the field of intelligent wearable devices.

Laser direct writing of Ga_(2)O_(3)/liquid metal-based flexible humidity sensors

Flexible and wearable humidity sensors play a vital role in daily point-of-care diagnosis and noncontact human-machine interactions.However,achieving a facile and high-speed fabrication approach to realizing flexible humidity sensors remains a challenge.In this work,a wearable capacitive-type Ga_(2)O_(3)/liquid metal-based humidity sensor is demonstrated by a one-step laser direct writing technique.Owing to the photothermal effect of laser,the Ga_(2)O_(3)-wrapped liquid metal particles can be selectively sintered and converted from insulative to conductive traces with a resistivity of 0.19Ω·cm,while the untreated regions serve as active sensing layers in response to moisture changes.Under 95%relative humidity,the humidity sensor displays a highly stable performance along with rapid response and recover time.Utilizing these superior properties,the Ga_(2)O_(3)/liquid metal-based humidity sensor is able to monitor human respiration rate,as well as skin moisture of the palm under different physiological states for healthcare monitoring.

An ionic liquid supported CeO_2 nanoparticles-carbon nanotubes composite-enhanced electrochemical DNA-based sensor for the detection of Pb^(2+)

An electrochemical sensor incorporating a signal enhancement for the determination of lead （II） ions （Pb2＋） was designed on the basis of the thrombin-binding aptamer （TBA） as a molecular recog- nition element and ionic liquid supported cerium oxide （CeO2） nanoparticles-carbon nanotubes compo- site modification. The composite comprises nanoparticles CeO2, multi-waU carbon nanotubes （MWNTs） and hydrophobic room temperature ionic liquid （RTIL） 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate （EMIMBF4）. The electrochemical sensors were fabricated by immersing the CeOa-MWNTs-EMIMBF4 modified glassy carbon electrode （GCE） into the solution of TBA probe. In the presence of Pb2＋, the TBA probe could form stable G-quartet structure by the specific binding interactions between Pb2＋ and TBA. The TBA-bound Pb2＋ can be electrochemically reduced, which provides a readout signal for quantitative detection of Pb2＋. The reduction peak current is linearly related to the concentration of Pb2＋ from 1.0 ＊ 10-8 M to 1.0 ＊ 105 M with a detection limit of 5 ＊ 109 M. This work demonstrates that the CeOz-MWNTs-EMIMBF4 nanocomposite modified GCE provides a promising platform for immobi- lizing the TBA probe and enhancing the sensitivity of the DNA-based sensors.

Liquid holdup measurement with double helix capacitance sensor in horizontal oil-water two-phase flow pipes

This paper presents the characteristics of a double helix capacitance sensor for measurement of the liquid holdup in horizontal oil–water two-phase flow. The finite element method is used to calculate the sensitivity field of the sensor in a pipe with 20 mm inner diameter and the effect of sensor geometry on the distribution of sensitivity field is presented. Then, a horizontal oil–water two-phase flow experiment is carried out to measure the response of the double helix capacitance sensor, in which a novel method is proposed to calibrate the liquid holdup based on three pairs of parallel-wire capacitance probes. The performance of the sensor is analyzed in terms of the flow structures detected by mini-conductance array probes.

Liquid nitrogen level meter for high-temperature superconductor (HTS)

Many kinds of high temperature superconductor （HTS） power machines such as HTS cable, HTS fault current limitcr and HTS magnet are cooled by liquid nitrogen. The level of liquid nitrogen should be monitored and controlled to ensure the thermal stability and the dielectric strength as well. To measure the level, capacitance method and differential pressure method are usually used. However, each method has installation difficulties and measurement errors for unsteady state operation with varying system pressure. A new liquid level meter using a 2G HTS conductor is described, which has similar structure with the liquid helium level meter with NbTi filament. The level meter is fabricated with a parallel connected heater, which helps the separation of the superconducting region and normal region, considering the critical temperature, large heat capacity of conductor and cooling characteristics. The level of liquid nitrogen can be obtained from the measured voltage signal along the 2G HTS conductor. Design, fabrication and test results of the new liquid nitrogen level meter are presented.

Malicious Node Detection Using Confidence Level Evaluation in a Grid-Based Wireless Sensor Network

In this paper, we present a malicious node detection scheme using confidence-level evaluation in a grid-based wireless sensor network. The sensor field is divided into square grids, where sensor nodes in each grid form a cluster with a cluster head. Each cluster head maintains the confidence levels of its member nodes based on their readings and reflects them in decision-making. Two thresholds are used to distinguish between false alarms due to malicious nodes and events. In addition, the center of an event region is estimated, if necessary, to enhance the event and malicious node detection accuracy. Experimental results show that the scheme can achieve high malicious node detection accuracy without sacrificing normal sensor nodes.

Weighted Multi-sensor Data Level Fusion Method of Vibration Signal Based on Correlation Function

As the differences of sensor＇s precision and some random factors are difficult to control,the actual measurement signals are far from the target signals that affect the reliability and precision of rotating machinery fault diagnosis.The traditional signal processing methods,such as classical inference and weighted averaging algorithm usually lack dynamic adaptability that is easy for trends to cause the faults to be misjudged or left out.To enhance the measuring veracity and precision of vibration signal in rotary machine multi-sensor vibration signal fault diagnosis,a novel data level fusion approach is presented on the basis of correlation function analysis to fast determine the weighted value of multi-sensor vibration signals.The approach doesn＇t require knowing the prior information about sensors,and the weighted value of sensors can be confirmed depending on the correlation measure of real-time data tested in the data level fusion process.It gives greater weighted value to the greater correlation measure of sensor signals,and vice versa.The approach can effectively suppress large errors and even can still fuse data in the case of sensor failures because it takes full advantage of sensor＇s own-information to determine the weighted value.Moreover,it has good performance of anti-jamming due to the correlation measures between noise and effective signals are usually small.Through the simulation of typical signal collected from multi-sensors,the comparative analysis of dynamic adaptability and fault tolerance between the proposed approach and traditional weighted averaging approach is taken.Finally,the rotor dynamics and integrated fault simulator is taken as an example to verify the feasibility and advantages of the proposed approach,it is shown that the multi-sensor data level fusion based on correlation function weighted approach is better than the traditional weighted average approach with respect to fusion precision and dynamic adaptability.Meantime,the approach is adaptable and easy to use,can be applied to other areas of vibration measurement.

Highly sensitive optical fiber temperature sensor based on resonance in sidewall of liquid-filled silica capillary tube

A highly sensitive optical fiber temperature sensor based on a section of liquid-filled silica capillary tube(SCT)between single mode fibers is proposed. Two micro-holes are drilled on two sides of SCT directly by using femtosecond laser micromachining, and liquid polymer is filled into the SCT through the micro-holes without any air bubbles and then sealed by using ultra-violet(UV) cure adhesive. The sidewall of the SCT forms a Fabry–Perot resonator, and loss peaks are achieved in the transmission spectrum of the SCT at the resonant wavelength. The resonance condition can be influenced by the refractive index variation of the liquid polymer filled in SCT, which is sensitive to temperature due to its high thermooptical coefficient(-2.98 × 10^-4℃^-1). The experimental result shows that the temperature sensitivity of the proposed fiber structure reaches 5.09 nm/℃ with a perfect linearity of 99.8%. In addition, it exhibits good repeatability and reliability in temperature sensing application.

Design and Fabrication of a Bio-inspired Acceleration Sensor Using Liquid Mass Blocks

A linear acceleration sensor,which is inspired by the human balance organ,is designed and prepared. It uses a liquid mass-block and a symmetrical-electrodes metal-core polyvinylidene fluoride fiber(SMPF)as the sensor element. The output signal of the sensor has an exponential relationship with the excitation amplitude of the impacting vibration. It is capable of detecting the amplitude and the correct frequency for sinusoidal excitations using an exponential correlation. The experiments indicate that both the output signal of the sensor and the resonance frequency increase substantially with increasing diameter of the metal core. The first-order resonance frequencies of the sensors with 40,60,and 80 μm diameter metal wires are below 10 Hz,which is near the range of human body motion frequencies.

An Unexpected Frequency Response of A Piezoelectric Quartz Crystal Sensor to the Density and Viscosity of the Liquid

An unexpected frequency response for a piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) sensor to liquid density and viscosity was reported. For a PQC oscillating in a liquid phase, the frequency shifts (?f ) show a wave-shape response to liquid density (ρ) and viscosity (η) in fine structure, if the longitudinal wave effect was not eliminated. This result is different from the well-known linear relationship between of ?f and (ρη)1/2. An oscillating frequency-temperature curve of the sensor was observed and explained.

Analysis of Lifetime of Large Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Multiple Battery Levels

Due to the limited transmission range, data sensed by each sensor has to be forwarded in a multi-hop fashion before being delivered to the sink. The sensors closer to the sink have to forward comparatively more messages than sensors at the periphery of the network,and will deplete their batteries earlier. Besides the loss of the sensing capabilities of the nodes close to the sink, a more serious consequence of the death of the first tier of sensor nodes is the loss of connectivity between the nodes at the periphery of the network and the sink;it makes the wireless networks expire. To alleviate this undesired effect and maximize the useful lifetime of the network, we investigate the energy consumption of different tiers and the effect of multiple battery levels, and demonstrate an attractively simple scheme to redistribute the total energy budget in multiple battery levels by data traffic load. We show by theoretical analysis, as well as simulation, that this substantially improves the network lifetime.

The Design Liquid-level Monitoring System of Adopting the Ultrasonic Sensing Technology

Utilizing the technology of Ultrasonic wave,relevant test arithmetic and the PC to carry on monitoring,controlling and cen-tralized management of the liquid-level in the liquid container. It can prevent from keeping in touch with the examined liquid,not only has increased the continuous working time of the system greatly,simplifying maintenance of the sensor conveniently,can also realize overhauling in producing and boost the productivity and management level. The working principle,hardware structure of the instrument and the design method are presented,and the selection of sensor and MCU is discussed in detail in this paper. MCU are used to control the emission and receiving. Then the liquid-level are calculated,which makes the design more intelligent.

Refractive Index and Temperature Sensor Using HC-1550 Infiltrating by Different Liquid Crystal

Photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is employed as a refractive index sensor (RIS) for solving a lot of problems in biological, physicochemical, medical, engineering fields and many environmental challenges, where it is used in many industries of food, medicines, chemical materials and material diagnosis. The kind of the PCFs was HC-1550 with three wavelengths of laser source were used;638 nm, 850 nm, and 1550 nm that are useful for recording the intended transmitted signal intensity. Therefore, the measured RI was in the range (1.469 - 1.455 RIU) at the temperature range (36 - 70)°C for the EBBA and it was (1.621 - 1.612 RIU) at the temperature range (22 - 42)°C for the MBBA. The results showed that the highest RI sensitivity was 96.335 dBm/RIU for the HC-1550 infiltrated with MBBA using the laser of wavelength 638 nm, Also, the highest temperature sensitivity was 0.2505 dBm/°C for empty HC-1550 using the laser of wavelength 1550 nm.

Design of the Measuring Instrument to the liquid level Based on MSP430 SCM

This paper introduced the components, principle and the hardware and software design of the multiplexing measuring and control instrument to the liquid level that is based on MSP430 SCM. This system is made of pressure sensor, signal processing circuit, electromagnetic valve, output driving circuit, Chinese character LCD, keyboard, optic alarm circuit and MSP430MCU, and realized Liquid level automatic monitor, out range alarm and online function.

Development of timer based on liquid level measurement system

This paper describes the design and development of the timer based on liquid level measurement system in which timer 555 is used in astable mode. The capacitor charging time i. e. the ON time pulse width of the timer output waveform which is measured using a digital storage oscillator （DSO）,is linearly proportional to the capacitance of a co-axial cylindrical capacitive transducer, and this capacitance once again linearly varies with the change in liquid level. Hence, we obtain a linear relationship between the liquid level and the capacitor charging time. The main advantages of this developed system are linear input-output relationship, small in size, easily portable, cost effective, and independent on the ambient temperature effect. The system can also be exploited to measure dielectric constant of liquid or solid in various process industries.

Application of Neural network PID Controller in Constant Temper-ature and Constant Liquid-level System

Guided by the principle of neural network, an intelligent PID controller based on neural network is devised and applied to control of constant temperature and constant liquidlevel system. The experiment results show that this controller has high accuracy and strong robustness and good characters.

Infrared Sensor with Liquid Crystal Chopper

An infrared sensor using the liquid crystal chopper is presented. The infrared sensor is designed to detect infrared rays with a pyroelectric element used as a liquid crystal chopper in such an infrared sensor or the like.