The word “remote” is used rather loosely in the world of industrial sensors. It can refer to anything that is removed by any distance from your sensor (such as a remote display), or anything that is located any distance from your control infrastructure.
In this case, we’re talking specifically about a sensor that is removed from the control infrastructure. At what point do you need a remote level transmitter? The answer will really depend on your application, your budget, your communications infrastructure, and a few other variables.
In short, a remote level transmitter is needed as soon as it makes the most sense.
Allow us to explain. Let’s say you have a few outdoor tanks that are just outside the rear of your building. In this instance, running cable from your controller to your tank farm might be fairly costly. An easier and less expensive approach would be a pair of Ethernet radios connecting one of our Tank Cloud remote level transmitters to your router of choice.
Not only will the readings be available to you, but so will our advanced features like email and text alarms.
However, if you have a controller just inside the rear door, it might be easier to route some cable to the exterior of the building. The reality is it depends completely on cost vs benefits.
Of course, the farther away the tank is located, the more obvious is the need for a remote level transmitter. Some of our Tank Cloud customers are tracking tank levels that are miles apart, spread throughout an entire region.
Connecting these distant level transmitters to the Internet may seem difficult, but is fairly easy now. Methods include landline Ethernet connections, Ethernet Wi-Fi adapters, Ethernet Radios, two-way radios, cellular modems, and satellite modems. If any of these methods are cheaper than running a cable from a controller – and the need for a level measurement great enough – then you need a remote tank level sensor.
You also need to consider supporting infrastructure – mainly, the power source. If you’re just outside your building, there is power nearby, but it still needs to make its way to the sensor. Tank Cloud level transmitters can use Power Over Ethernet (POE) if the Ethernet cable is run directly from a POE router, or if you use one of our POE injector kits. Otherwise, power will need to come in on its own. For tanks that are off the grid, this means a solar panel and a battery.
Typically, the need to manage the level of your tanks outweighs the cost of deploying a level transmitter. The question really is, can you get away with running signal cable to your tank – which often includes the power source – or do you need a remote level transmitter?
We’re ready to help you answer that question. Contact us to discuss your level transmitter needs and we’ll help you get the right one – whether it’s designed for remote tanks or not!
