VEGA proposed a trial run with radar level sensor VEGAPULS 69. The higher 80-GHz frequency considerably extended the spectrum of applications for radar level measurement technology. An essential aspect of this success is the fact that the measuring instrument only requires an opening angle of 3° (previously 10°), which allows the measuring beam to glide right past internal fixtures or buildup on the vessel wall. In practice, the significantly tighter focusing of the transmitted signal offers a whole range of advantages, the most important being that the actual measuring signal can be better separated from interference signals, allowing even the smallest reflection signals to be detected.
Nevertheless: RCL Foods was particularly concerned about the low height of the container (only 2 meters) and the effective measuring range, which at 1.5 meters was even smaller. This is a problem that many users are familiar with, especially in applications with small apparatuses and vessels, for example in technical centres or pilot plants. The blocking distance (dead band) of the sensor, the size and design of the antenna or the measurement uncertainty at the bottom of the vessel normally pose some difficulties when it comes to obtaining a reliable measuring signal.
Although
VEGAPULS 69 has a measuring range of up to 120 metres, it also copes well with small distances, such as those in the storage container of the South African company.