Ultrasonic Tank Sensors

We've got a Gobius C on our water tanks.  Working great so far, and good service from Gobius when I had some technical questions 

Simon Sparrow wrote: Hi,

I’ve used the Gobius ultrasonic sensors on our black water tank for about 13 years with no issues. The sensors attach to the side on the tank. The current version looks even better.

Simon 

This looks like what I'm looking for. Sticks to the outside of the tank, bluetooth enabled and can be connected to the tank inputs on a Cerbo GX. Brilliant, thank you.

Maybe the new Gobius C which mounts in an existing hole and measures from the top down? Our tank is 10 mm poly, 1500 litres which works well with the first generation model.

>Gobius ultrasonic  

Aah, I was getting interested.... until wall thickness Steel, 3 mm. 

Hi,

I’ve used the Gobius ultrasonic sensors on our black water tank for about 13 years with no issues. The sensors attach to the side on the tank. The current version looks even better.

Simon 

I have VDO capacitive rod tank sensors. They do fit from above and are just a straight rod(s) to bottom of tank. Haven't touched anything for 18 years - they just work. 

I wrote lots but the forum ate it!

Hear hear re Balliols recommendation.

Fitted over 20 years ago and still going strong.

The only reliable tank gauge that I have ever owned on a boat is the "Tank Tender" from Hart Systems in the US. They used to be sold in the UK by Nauquip but that firm seems to have closed down.

tanktender.com/

The gauge works by measuring the air pressure at the bottom of the tank. No electrics, no electronics, just a ca. 4mm nylon hose from the gauge to each tank, passing in to the top of the tank through a small tapped hole. They can measure multiple tanks. Ours has been in place for 35 years and has never failed, and I have fitted these on a  number of other barges without problems. The only thing that ours doesn't do is measure the black tank, simply because I have never got round to fitting it to that tank.

The gauge measures the air pressure at the bottom of the tank and tells you the depth of fluid in inches. You need to produce your own calibration chart for capacity if the tank is for example cylindrical, thus contents quantity not linear.

I don't see why it should not be ideal for black tanks as well. Newer models can apparently be fitted with a purge valve to blow through the air hose. That is all there is, literally just a small (ca. 4mm OD) hose down to the bottom of the tank, which should blow through if it gunks up, or is easy to retract and clean if necessary.

Hart can no doubt advise if there is a UK distributor, or ship. They are not cheap but when divided by say three or more tanks the cost is tenable. I'm surprised that there isn't a UK distributor but perhaps they never caught on here: not tech enough, no electronics!

Balliol.

I installed a BEP TS1 ultrasonic sender on our blackwater tank a couple years back. It does the job reasonably well, but it does require a clear view (i.e., a hole) at the top of the tank. Installation guide gives details on hole size and field of view requirements:
www.tek-tanks.com/level-indication/ultrasonic-level-indicators/

The TS1 definitely solved the issue of having to clean a mechanical sensor. The only drawback is that it sometimes isn’t able to get a reading since it requires a nice smooth surface on the liquid being measured. Ideal conditions for measuring black water level happen when the tank is not so full, but we’ve noticed the gauge isn’t always able to make a measurement when the tank is close to being full, which of course is when a reading is most useful. Best to use thinnest and most easily disintegrating loo roll of course.

Here is some further forum discussion from a few years back: 
barges.org/discussion-forum/barges/24513...r-tank-sensor#104124

William

At the moment, none of the tanks on Galileo have level senders. They either use dip sticks, site glasses, or nothing at all... I'd like to improve on this a bit.

I've seen this which is a bottom up ultrasonic sensor.  www.mopekaiot.com/product/mopeka-pro-che...ottom-mount-w-collar

I'd like to put something like this on the black water tank, but can't mount on the bottom as there isn't access. Can anyone recommend something similar that would be top down? The tank is plastic and rectangular. Goal here is to not have to cut into the tank.

The main fuel and water tanks are steel cylinders. Again, any top tips here?

Thanks so much,
Rob