What is the difference between radar level gauges and guided wave radar level gauges?

Radar level gauges have now become a conventional instrument used in various industries. However, users often find it difficult to distinguish between radar level gauges and guided wave radar level gauges. Today, the technical editor from Shaanxi Huibo Electromechanical will provide a detailed introduction through this article.What is the difference between radar level gauges and guided wave radar level gauges?
　　1. Different working principles
The basic working principle of radar level gauges: emission - reflection - reception. The antenna of the radar sensor emits electromagnetic wave signals in the form of beams, and the emitted waves reflect off the surface of the measured material. The reflected echo signals are received by the antenna. Each point in the emitted and reflected beams is sampled using ultrasonic methods. The signal is processed by an intelligent processor to determine the distance between the medium and the probe, which is then displayed on the terminal display for display, alarm, operation, etc.
Radar Lecture | The difference between radar level gauges and guided wave radar level gauges
Guided wave radar level gauges are measuring instruments based on the time-of-flight principle, where radar waves travel at the speed of light, and the travel time can be converted into level signals by electronic components. The probe emits high-frequency pulses that propagate along the cable probe, and when the pulse encounters the material surface, it reflects back to the receiver inside the instrument, converting the distance signal into a level signal.
　　2. Different contact methods
Radar level gauges are non-contact, while guided wave radar level gauges are contact-type. This means that in situations with high food-grade requirements, guided wave types cannot be used.
　　3. Different operating medium conditions
Guided wave radar level gauges need to consider the corrosiveness and adhesiveness of the medium, and longer guided wave radar installations and maintenance are more difficult.
In conditions with low dielectric constants, both radar and guided wave radar measurement principles are based on the difference in the dielectric constants of the medium. Since the waves emitted by ordinary radar are divergent, when the dielectric constant of the medium is too low, the signal is too weak and the measurement is unstable. In contrast, guided wave radar waves propagate along the guided wave rod, making the signal relatively stable. Additionally, general guided wave radars have bottom detection functions, which can correct the measured values based on the bottom echo signal, making the signal more stable and accurate.
　　4. Different selection criteria
Ordinary radar can be used interchangeably, while guided wave radar cannot generally be interchanged due to the fixed length of the guided wave rod (cable) based on the original working conditions. As a result, the selection of guided wave radar is more complicated than that of ordinary radar.
　　5. Different measurement ranges
Ordinary radar is commonly found on tanks with measurement ranges of 20 to 30 meters.
Guided wave radar also needs to consider the stress conditions of the guided wave rod (cable), which is why the measurement distance of guided wave radar is generally not long.
Guided wave radar has significant advantages in certain special conditions, such as when there is stirring in the tank or large fluctuations in the medium. In such conditions, the measurement values of fixed-bottom guided wave radar are more stable than those of ordinary radar; also, for level measurement in small tanks, due to limited installation space (or more interference objects in the tank), ordinary radar is generally not suitable.
　　6. Different styles
Radar level gauges have a horn shape, while guided wave radar level gauges have a guided wave rod.
The two different shapes naturally lead to different applications in some usage scenarios.
The above is what we want to discuss today about thedifferences between radar level gauges and guided wave radar level gauges.Through the study of the above content, we hope it can be helpful to many users. If you want to know more product details, please call:029-84516813