PTFE Based Capacitance Probes Design for Multi-Interface Measurement in Crude Oil Storage Tanks

This paper focuses on the development of segmented capacitance probes for multi-phase interface measurement in crude oil storage tanks. The capacitor probes were fabricated by PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) based PCB (printed circuit board), and packaged together with measurement circuits. The capacitance signals were sent to the PC via the CAN bus, reducing parasitic capacitance caused by the leads. The electrode model was established by COMSOL software and was simulated. Experiments show that the probe was able to effectively measure the multi-phase interfaces. More importantly, compared with the processing method of traditional segmented capacitance probes, this probe is immune to the deposition of organic and inorganic compound substances on the measuring surface and has great advantages in commercial applications.