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Design and construction of transistor-based water level indicator

Rey Audie Escosio, John Kenneth Rubio*


National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines, Diliman Quezon City
*corresponding author: rubiojohnkenneth@gmail.com
Abstract
This paper presents and discusses the design and construction of a transistorbased water level indicator. This project was accomplished by constructing a
circuit comprising mainly of resistors, light-emitting diodes, and transistors. The
power supply of 9 V was connected to the resistors and LEDs, and then to the
collector region of the transistors which acted as switches in this circuit.
Resistors were used in order to limit the incoming current to the LEDs. The
circuit provides the water levels as LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH when water
begins to fill up a system. The positive end of the battery becomes connected to
the transistors through the water, allowing a positive potential drop across the
transistor, changing it from cut-off to saturation mode, then permitting current
through the LEDs. The actual base-emitter voltage was determined to be 0.695 V
which is 0.714% different from the theoretical value of 0.7 V. The current across
each LED was found to be 0.009 A. Moreover, the determined water resistance
was 567.14 .

1. Introduction
In the past few years, formation of typhoons along the Philippine coast has constantly increased and devastated
anything along their path. Numerous major cities such as Quezon, Taguig, Cebu, and General Santos have extreme
vulnerability to massive flood hazards that ruined lands and properties which also caused loss of lives. This
increased number of flooding was due to the failed flood control and drainage systems. Moreover, urbanization and
large influx of people in major cities contribute to the rising volume of waste which, in turn, worsens flooding due to
clogging of drainage channels. In addition to drainage systems, flood control dams are utilized to confine
floodwaters and either redirect the water for other purposes or release it to the nearest body of water under control.
There is a great risk of flood along the streets, low lying areas, or even along major highways which pose great
threat to the safety of the people. Since rehabilitation and improvement of drainage systems in various areas, most
especially in major cities, cost a large amount of funds and may create inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians,
there is a present need for a much cheaper means of early warning device. This need introduced the use of water
level sensors which can detect and control liquid levels and pumping systems. The construction of the electronic
liquid level detector with indicator allowed the detection of the presence and height of liquid in a system. In small
scale systems, water level indicators are mainly used in water tanks at home and in car fuel tanks.

(a)

(b)

Figure 1. Circuit diagrams of a transistor switch in (a) cut-off mode and (b) saturation mode.
http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/transistor/tran_4.html

Simple water level indicators utilize mainly resistors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and most importantly
transistors. Some circuits incorporate buzzers to provide alarms on particular water levels in a system. Transistors in
Applied Physics 181 Project
30 May 2016

this particular system act as switches [2-3]. Transistor switches have areas of operation known as cut-off region and
saturation region, where the biasing of the quiescent point (Q-point) and voltage divider form for amplification
function can be disregarded. This will allow the transistor to be utilized only to be Fully OFF (cut-off mode) or
Fully ON (saturation mode). In cut-off mode, the transistor acts as an open switch since the both base-emitter and
base-collector junctions are reverse biased, which indicates that the base voltage V B is less than both the emitter VE
and collector VC voltages [2-3]. Thus, there is no collector current I C, causing a zero emitter current I E. On the other
hand, a transistor is in saturation mode when both junctions are forward biased, i.e. the collector current is at
maximum. In actual transistors, the base to emitter voltage must be greater than a threshold value of approximately
0.6 V to enter saturation mode. Moreover, a small voltage drop will form along the collector and emitter pins. This
voltage drop known as CE saturation voltage, VCE(sat), is approximately 0.05 V to 0.2 V which is needed to enter
saturation mode. Thus, the voltages across each pin must have the relationship VB > VC > VE for saturation mode [3].
The individual voltage and current across the transistor circuits can be described by the following equations. For
the NPN transistor, the current gain is
IC = IB
(1)
IE = IB + IC
(2)
IE IC (since IB << IC)
(3)
IC = IE
(4)
where IB, IC, and IE are the base, collector, and the emitter currents, respectively. Determining each using the
applied voltage in the circuit,

I B=

V B V BE
RB

(5)

IC =

V CC V CE
RL

(6)

where VB is the base voltage; VBE is the voltage drop across the base and emitter junction; R B is the base resistor;
VCC is the supply voltage; VCE is the voltage drop across the collector and emitter junction collector; and R L is the
load resistor [2-3].

2. Methodology
The circuit is explicitly shown in Figure 2. A 9 V power source was used to supply the necessary voltage to the
circuit, especially for the lighting of the LEDs. With three NPN transistors, specifically BC547, three warning
signals comprised the indicators. Correspondingly, the white, green, and red LEDs would indicate low, medium, and
high levels of water in a system. Three 1 k resistors were used in series with the LEDs to limit the current passing
through these diodes. These two components were connected through the emitter pin of each transistor. The base pin
was attached to the sensor attached onto the water container. The collector pins were in parallel connection with the
common sensor and the positive side of the power source. The LEDs' negative polarities were connected in parallel
with the negative side of the power source.
The transistor utilized in the circuit functioned as a switch. There is no voltage applied to the base of the
transistor with the LOW indicator, causing it to be in cut-off mode so there will be no current flowing and the LED
will be OFF. The water, as it would fill up the container, must serve as the connecting conductor from the common
sensor to the sensor for each level. When the water reaches the sensor for the LOW indicator, the positive side of the
battery becomes connected to the base of the indicators transistor through the water. As the positive voltage has
been applied to the base of the transistor, it transitions into saturation mode, allowing the current to flow from
collector to the emitter, in turn the white LED glows. The same phenomenon happens when the water level reaches
the MEDIUM and HIGH indicators which will allow their respective transistors to transition into saturation mode,
permitting current to flow through the green and red LEDs.

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30 May 2016

Figure 2. Schematic diagram for the water level indicator in a system comprising of resistors, LEDs,
and transistors.

3. Results and Discussion


Using a 9.0 V power source, the circuit was tested on varying water levels, wherein the LEDs on corresponding
water levels lit up as the water touches the wire sensor. Quantitatively, it was observed that with a known 9.0 V
power source, the tested battery voltage ranged to 10.06 V, yielding 11.77% error. The transistor serving as switch
yielded an experimental value for the base-emitter voltage of 0.695 V which is 0.714% different from the theoretical
value of 0.7 V while the base current was measured to be 0.007 A. Using these obtained data and Equation 5, the
experimental base resistance, or explicitly the resistance inhibited by the water, is 567.14 .

4. Conclusion and Recommendations


The project aimed to design and construct a water level indicator using resistors, light-emitting diodes, and
transistors. The circuit was able to work in various water levels when incorporated in a system. The transistors in the
circuit were utilized as switches whenever water has contact with the circuits sensors. It was also determined that
the actual base-emitter voltage was 0.714% different from the theoretical value. Moreover, the water resistance was
found to be 576.14 .
The transistor-based water level indicator assembled in this project can be helpful on flood level tracking and
soil moisture presence detection. Its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and easily-found materials provides accessibility
to a guaranteed stable circuit that may help certain institutions and households with their critical warning system
needs. Also, students and researches can be adept in learning transistors as switch with this circuit.

Acknowledgements
The researchers would like to thank Ms. Kristine Faith Roque for giving them the guidance that they needed,
also, to the National Institute of Physics for providing us the materials that the researchers used. Without them, this
experiment would not be possible.

References
[1]
Philippines Tropical Cyclone Melor Causes Widespread Flooding. (2015). Floodlist
News. Retrieved May 29, 2016 from http://floodlist.com/asia/philippines-cyclone-melorflooding
[2] Storey, N. (2009). Electronics: A Systems Approach 4th edition.
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[3] ElectronicTurtorials. Transistor as a Switch. Retrieved May 29, 2016 from http://www.electronicstutorials.ws/transistor/tran_4.html

Applied Physics 181 Project


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