Feb 28 2013
New technology from innovative product development firm Cambridge Consultants is offering a cost-effective way to accurately measure liquid levels – with no calibration required. Called FELT – or Fringe Effect Level Transducer – the technology is a novel approach to monitoring the level of a wide variety of fluids.
“We were surprised to discover there was still a need for innovation in this space for a device that was a relatively simple concept,” said Dr. Temoc Rodriguez, principal engineer at Cambridge Consultants. “Through our work in a diverse range of industries, we see a significant demand for this type of adaptable technology – in everything from consumer appliances and medical instruments to agricultural and large-scale industrial containers.”
FELT has no moving parts and is immune to temperature change. It is robust and not affected by external interference such as metal objects, people or electrical noise. The device does not require calibration, and its design enables the probe to be immune to changes in fluid composition.
Fringe Effect Level Transducer. Image courtesy of Cambridge Consultants.
The technology can affordably and accurately eliminate a range of problems by continuously measuring liquid levels and setting an alert when they reach a certain mark.
FELT is made up of three parallel low-cost, simple and customizable electrodes – one measurement electrode and two reference electrodes – with no direct contact between the electrodes and the fluid being measured. An electric field is applied to the electrodes to measure the ratio of the electric charge between the measurement and reference electrodes and, as a result, determine a continuously accurate liquid level.
“We found that other fluid measurement technologies with similar accuracy use radar or ultrasonics and are very expensive, while cheaper devices have accuracy issues and use probes that require careful calibration,” said Dr. Rodriguez. “FELT uses a novel approach to enable this new cost-effective yet remarkably robust sensor platform. We’re now keen to discuss with potential clients how FELT could be customized to solve all kinds of level sensing problems where existing techniques don’t work.”
Cambridge Consultants has experts in innovative sensor design and development – and specializes in solving industry problems with a fresh, multi-disciplinary approach. The company will be demonstrating FELT – together with other innovations such as DropTag – at industrial equipment trade show Hannover Messe, April 8-12, at booth D58 in the Research and Technology Hall.
Cambridge Consultants develops breakthrough products, creates and licenses intellectual property, and provides business consultancy in technology critical issues for clients worldwide.
For more than 50 years, the company has been helping its clients turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether they are launching first-to-market products, entering new markets or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies.
With a team of more than 380 staff, including scientists, mathematicians, engineers and designers, in offices in Cambridge (UK) and Boston (USA), Cambridge Consultants offers solutions across a diverse range of industries including medical technology, industrial and consumer products, transport, energy, cleantech and wireless communications. For more information visit: www.CambridgeConsultants.com
Cambridge Consultants is part of Altran, a global leader in innovation and high-tech engineering consulting which supports companies in the creation and development of their new products and services. With a staff of 20,000 employees in more than 20 countries, the Group generated revenues of €1,456m in 2012. For more information visit: www.altran.com