A self-calibration water level measurement using an interdigital capacitive sensor

•We propose an interdigital capacitive sensor for water level measurement.•This sensor has low-cost, low-energy, good repeatability, and high linearity.•This sensor can directly be applied to various types of water without recalibration.•This sensor can measure water level with 0.2cm resolution.•Thi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sensors and actuators. A. Physical. 2014-03, Vol.209, p.175-182
Main Authors: Chetpattananondh, K., Tapoanoi, T., Phukpattaranont, P., Jindapetch, N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Capacitance
Capacitive sensor
Circuit boards
Comb electrode
Electrodes
Flood monitoring
Floods
Interdigital capacitive sensor
Linearity
Low energy
Printed circuits
Sensors
Tidal recording
Water level measurement
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Summary:•We propose an interdigital capacitive sensor for water level measurement.•This sensor has low-cost, low-energy, good repeatability, and high linearity.•This sensor can directly be applied to various types of water without recalibration.•This sensor can measure water level with 0.2cm resolution.•This sensor is also sensitive enough to trace the variability of water level. A water level measurement using an interdigital capacitive sensor with low-cost, low-energy, good repeatability, high linearity, and ease of installation is proposed with a support of experimental results. This sensor comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) with configuration of two interpenetrating comb electrodes. The comb electrode is 70–80mm width, 300mm height with 1–2mm spacing between each comb. This configuration of electrode causes the capacitance between comb electrodes to vary by the water level. Microcontroller is used to calculate the capacitance between comb electrodes in terms of a discharge time correlated to the water level. A practical water level measurement technique using two comb electrodes designated as level and reference sensors is presented. This technique can directly be applied to water with different conditions without recalibration. This sensor is able to measure absolute levels of water with 0.2cm resolution over 30cm range. In addition, it is also sensitive enough to trace the variability of water level. A flood monitoring simulation is carried out in wave flume where this sensor is used to detect the rising wave.
ISSN:0924-4247
1873-3069
DOI:10.1016/j.sna.2014.01.040