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2 Bubblers LI
XFI N2
C. G. LANGFORD (2003)
Flow Sheet Symbol
Application Level, interface, and density; open or closed, pressurized tanks and vessels
Operating Pressure Limited only by the pressure of the available purge gas supply
Operating Temperature As required; limited only by materials in contact with the process; has been used on
such high-temperature processes as coal gasification
Costs $200 for the simplest local indicator installation, can reach $5000 for installations
requiring special materials and remote transmission
Inaccuracy Function of error in the readout and other parts used, 0.05% to 2.0% of full scale
Range Unlimited as long as purge gas supply pressure exceeds that of the process
Partial List of Suppliers Bubbler-type level detector packages can be assembled from components described
in other sections, such as variable area flowmeters described in Section 2.27, various
types of pressure sensing and display devices described in Chapter 5
421
2003 by Bla Liptk
422 Level Measurement
PCV
Transmission PI
Line A N2 dPCV
Dip LI PCV ss
FI Remotely
Pipe B FI PI
Located
N2
PCV Components
dPCV
C PI
FI
LI N2 N2
dPCV
Purge
Control dPCV
D Variations
FI ss
FI
SS
N2
Equalizing Line
E FI PI PCV
Transmission Line
H2 O
PI
LI
Dip Tube
F Manometer
FIG. 3.2a
Variations of air bubblers for atmospheric tanks.
FIG. 3.2b
media is air or inert gas, although liquids can also be used.
Air bubbler installation for pressurized tanks.
Several methods of gas purge controls are shown in Figure
3.2a to illustrate some of the installation considerations. In
most traditional installations such as system A, nitrogen sup- air is detected as a measure of level. Such a setup would be
ply pressure is regulated to a value corresponding to a pres- in service only when the operator wanted to make a level
sure that is higher than the hydrostatic head when the tank reading, so the water would not flow into the vessel contin-
is full. The purge flow rate is adjusted by a needle valve and uously. System F shows a more common approach for remote
is sent through a sight feed bubbler, which allows visual bubbler installations where a small hand pump is used to
inspection of the actual flow. This system allows for detection compress the purge air.
of levels up to 10 ft (3 m). For tanks that operate under pressure or vacuum, the
If higher levels are to be detected, system B, which uses installation of a bubbler indicator becomes slightly more
a rotameter instead of a sight feed bubbler, can be considered, complex, because the liquid level measurement is a function
because a rotameter can withstand higher pressures. In sys- of the difference between two bubbler pressures. Because of
tems A and B, as the liquid level varies, the downstream the differential measurement involved, the readout device can
pressure also will vary, thereby causing variations in the be a manometer or other type of differential-pressure detec-
purge flow rate. tor. Figure 3.2b shows one of these installations. All of the
Since the purge pressure at the readout device is the sum previously discussed variations apply to both pressure and
of hydrostatic head and the dynamic pressure drop in the dip vacuum installations.
tube, variations in purge flow will cause errors. To correct
this condition, a differential-pressure control valve can be
installed across the fixed restriction of the needle valve as GENERAL
shown in system C. This will cause the purge flow to be
uniform regardless of the liquid head. The bubbler detects the hydrostatic pressure in a vessel and
If the process material can build up or plug the dip tube, displays it in a more convenient location. The pressure of an
either as a result of loss of purge gas or because of the nature inert gas is used to transport the level information to this
of the fluid, an aerator selector switch may be installed as more convenient location. Bubbler-type level detection has
shown on system D to allow for periodic blowing out of the been in use since compressed air became available. As illus-
transmission line. System E can be considered in remote trated in Figure 3.2c, after the air fills the dip pipe, its pressure
locations where gas purge media is not available and a bub- inside the dip tube will equal the hydrostatic head of the
bler is desired instead of a liquid purge for level detection. process fluid outside the dip tube, and the excess air that is
Here, water is jetted across a gap while air is aspirated into introduced will bubble out at the bottom of the tube.
the stream and compressed. The airwater mixture enters the If the tank is not open to the atmosphere, a second pres-
dip tube, where the small amount of water runs down the sure tap is required to provide a reference pressure from the
inside of the bubbler tube while the pressure of the escaping vapor space. The dip tube can enter from the top or side of
Purged
Pressure FI
LI
Reference for
Non-Vented
Tank
A
Isolation
Valves as Typical for all: Isolation
Required Valve, Dirt Filter, and
Check Valve
FI Filter
FIG. 3.2c
Bubbler-type level local indicator system.
the tank as long as it extends below the minimum level that Replaceable dip tubes, with or without packing glands,
is to be detected. As shown in Figure 3.2a, various combina- have also been used on the more difficult applications. Other
tions of valves, check valves, needle valves, and flow indi- options, such as dual or self-washing purges, will also be
cators may be required for various applications. discussed later in this section. In addition, jacketed dip tubes
Of the bubbler design options, the blow-back dip tube is are also available and have been successfully used in appli-
the simplest and usually the least expensive. Here, piping or cations in which condensation or freezing is a concern
tubing is provided to bring the purge gas pressure to the level (Figure 3.2e).
display or transmitter. The bubbler, because of its simplicity, One of the advantages of the bubbler-type level measure-
is inexpensive and robust while being easy to maintain or adopt ment is that their readings are not affected (or affected only
to changing process conditions. The display portion of the very slightly) by foam and by variations in pressure or com-
system is not wetted by the process fluid and is in a convenient position of the vapor space above the liquid. These changes,
location. Calibration and replacement of the level readout or particularly foaming, can interfere with many other types of
transmitting devices is also safe and convenient if, before ser- level detectors, as was shown in Table 3.1b. On the other
vice, the isolating valves (Figure 3.2c) are fully closed, and the hand, process phenomena that change the density of the liq-
standard safety precautions (see Chapter 7) are observed. uid (bubble formation, boiling) will result in understating
If a short dip tube is inserted horizontally in the side of the level, because a drop in density reduces the hydrostatic
the tank, the dip tube will be easier to access and support. head.
Figure 3.2d illustrates that a tap can be provided for cleaning
(rodding out) the accumulated deposits. In this design any Purge Gas
plugging or dirt accumulation can be mechanically removed
by inserting a rod into the dip tube. If it is desired to clean Air and nitrogen are the most commonly used purge gases.
out the dip tube while the process is in operation (or if the Other gases can also be used if, for some reason (such as
tank is full or pressurized), packing glands are provided, and their available maximum pressure being insufficient), these
a captive rod is permanently installed to allow clearing the cannot be used. The measurement itself is as reliable as the
dip tube at any time. availability of the purge gas supply. The flowing gas also
PS
Air Header
Level Tap
PI PI
h
Gas Cylinder
FIG. 3.2f
Purge gas supply system with automatic backup.
Full Bore Ball
Valve (Typical) Plugged Rod- serves to keep the inside of the dip tube dry and clean. Proper
Out Tap
functioning requires that the purge air or gas pressure be
h
higher than the maximum process pressure plus the maxi-
mum friction drop anticipated within the dip tube. Reliability
is improved with increasing supply pressures.
Some bubbler-type level packages include an air pump
to generate the purge pressure and use a manometer to indi-
cate the level. The danger here is that any loss of air due to
air leakage or pump failure will result in a false low-level
indication. Therefore, it is more reliable to supply the bub-
blers from the central air supply of the plant.
FIG. 3.2d For critical applications, bottled gas, typically nitrogen,
Side entering dip pipe (tube) installations.
is used as a backup for the air supply. Pressure-operated
pneumatic valves can provide automatic switching of the gas
supply without electrical connections (Figure 3.2f). A low-
pressure detector switch can also be used and in that case;
Level Tap its contact not only can switch to the backup gas supply, it
can also initiate and alarm so that plant operators will be
aware of the loss of air.
SIZING CALCULATIONS
LI
Mass and Level
The Hydrostatic Tank Gauge (HTG) If there are two immiscible (nonmixing) liquids, then the
height of the interface above the more dense liquid may be
Density can be measured by detecting the pressure difference inferred by the HTG. Note that the difference in pressures in
from two dip tubes immersed in the liquid, with their bottom the two tubes may be small and require a very accurate
ends vertically separated by a fixed distance h in Figure detector and a large suppression of zero. Note also that the
3.2g. Where needed, a third pressure, the vapor-space pres- interface measurement is affected by changes in density,
sure above the liquid, is also measured and can be used to which can be caused by changes in composition or density.
determine the density of the liquid. If both level and density
are known, one can determine the mass in the tank. All three Density
values (volume, mass, and density) can be reported for dif-
ferent uses. Improved accuracy in pressure transmitters has As shown in Figure 3.6e, the differential pressure can also
made it possible to install hydrostatic tank gauges (HTG), be a measure of density. Figure 3.2h shows how bubblers
which are illustrated in Figure 3.6e. can also be used to correct the level for variations in density
The tubing must be large enough to keep the pressure drop 1 Inch (25 mm) Pipe (Example)
between the air or gas supply regulator and the end of the
dip tube at a negligible value. Most users specify a minimum Guide Required for Over 5 ft
(300 mm), for Agitated Vessel,
of 3/8-in. (10-mm) OD tubing and, preferably, 1/2-in. (12- Over 8 ft (2500 mm), to 25 ft
mm) OD tubing or piping should be used. To test the maxi- (7500 mm) for Non-Agitated.
mum flow limit of a bubbler installation, make a small change
in purge flow rate and observe the effect. The level readout
should not change as a result.
Most problems with excessive pressure drops are caused
by damaged or deformed tubing or to partially closed valves.
Sometimes, when excessive leakage from the system is noticed, Support from Tank Wall
maintenance technicians will respond by increasing the airflow
sufficiently to keep the level detector in operation. The result- Notes: Dimensions
ing problem is that the level signal then will vary not only and SI Equivalents are
Only Suggested and
with level but also with the purge flow rate. On high-vacuum Nominal
processes, the low density, and therefore high specific volume
of the purge gas, will cause high gas velocities and will also FIG. 3.2i
increase the probability of leakage. Supporting long dip tubes.
FI
Purge Gas
Liquid Solvent
FI
FIG. 3.2j
piping or valves. As high-temperature processes are shut down,
Sheath and bracket supports for dip tubes.
they might suddenly develop high vacuums, because their
vapors cool and condense. Pumps, blowers, and other equip-
using a twist drill that has been welded to a rod so that the ment are all cycled on and off because of stuck check valves
end can be drilled clear. Special bubbler system designs can or other system components. A power outage can also cause a
be used when the process liquid is a saturated salt solution loss of control and, on top of all that, human beings are not
and the salts are deposited inside the dip tube as the purge fully predictable, either. Some people, under an upset condition,
gas dries the solution. In saturated salt solution service, one can will react with great confidence and do exactly the wrong thing.
use water or a solvent to dissolve the deposits (Figure 3.2k).
In viscous fluid services, solvents are used at flow rates of
about 1 GPH to keep the dip tube clean. The solvent purge INSTALLATION DETAILS
flow rate should be enough to maintain high humidity within
the dip tube and to wash out any salts or solids. There are two fundamentally different approaches to the
When measuring the level of caustic, a common practice installation of bubblers, as illustrated in Figures 3.2l and
is to add a secondary purge of low-pressure steam, which is 3.2m. Figure 3.2l illustrates a transmitter mounted on the top
introduced very close to the point at which the dip tube enters of the tank and therefore has a shorter purged tubing run.
the tank. The steam flow is restricted by an orifice union, This makes the system less prone to plugging but also results
typically bored for 0.125 in. (3 mm). in a less convenient access for maintenance. In Figure 3.2m,
The theoretical design conditions in a plant can drasti- where the transmitter is mounted at ground level, the purged
cally differ from real-life and upset conditions. The prudent tubing runs are longer and more prone to plug, but access is
design engineer understands that, at one time or another, more convenient.
every instrument will be exposed to the pressure at which the The ground-mounted installation is usually provided with
system relief valve is set to open. On the other hand, the drip legs that, during upsets, can capture any liquid that might
minimum pressure for a closed system is full vacuum. One leave the tank. The drip legs can thereby protect the trans-
should also consider the plants safety in terms of the quality mitter. In either case, the most important consideration is to
and availability of experienced personnel if, for example, the maintain the adequate and reliable flow of purge gas. As was
upset occurs at 3 A.M. on a weekend. shown in Figure 3.2a, it is also advisable to prevent the blocking
When a plant upset or system overhaul occurs, process of the flow of purge gas when the dip pipe rests on the bottom
equipment designed to operate at a high vacuum will be of the tank. A simple solution is to cut the end at about a 45
exposed to positive pressures as attempts are made to unplug angle to prevent blocking. On the other hand, this author has
d/p Transmitter
Purge
Panel
Drip Leg
Drain Valve
the larger diaphragms will have smaller offsets, whereas the modern level sensors could fail to work properly. Successful
smaller diaphragms are less likely to fail. bubbler applications include polymers, tars, salts, and other
difficult fluids. Failures resulting from dirt and plugging can
be simpler to live with using a bubbler than with floats or
SAMPLE CALCULATIONS other devices that have moving parts. The advantages of the
HTG system (Figure 3.6e) can also be realized with the dip-
Level Detector Calibration Example tube type of bubbler detectors.
There has been some environmental concern that, with a
If one is to calibrate the range of the level detector (r) in bubbler, the purge gas that enters the tank also has to be
inches of water column ("WC) for a 25-ft-high tank contain- removed, but these purges are a very small portion of the
ing a liquid of 0.85 specific gravity (SG), which corresponds total gas and vapor flow that must be removed anyway. For
3 3
to 62.4 lb/ft or 999.8 kg/m , and it was decided that the tank example, in the case of large storage tanks, the gas displaced
will be considered full at 80% of tank level. during each cycle of emptying and filling is usually more
than the volume of the gas used for purging at 1 SCFH for
Range (r) = 25 12 0.8 0.85 = 204 "WC (5182 mm WC) a week.
3.2(3) The main advantage of air bubbler systems is their sim-
plicity and the ease with which the readout device can be
If the same level detector range is to read in units of PSI, relocated to just about any convenient location. For remote
tank farms where compressed air is not available, one of the
Range (r) = (25 0.8 0.85 62.4)/144 = 7.36 PSI simplest methods of level detection is to use a small hand
3.2(4) pump and a gauge. Bubblers are widely used in the waste-
water and food industries and in some bulk storage applica-
If a tank contains oil (SG = 0.8) and water (SG = 1.0) and tions, but they have lost some of their earlier popularity in
we want to detect the movement of the interface in inches of the processing industries, where the trend seems to be favor-
WC over a range of 10 in., ing nonflowing, solid-state electronic devices.