VEGA VEGAPULS 31 Radar Level Sensor with Display

Overview

The VEGA VEGAPULS 31 is the display version of the VEGA basic radar family. It combines a non-contact 80 GHz level sensor with an integrated display and adjustment unit in the lid of the plastic housing, so operators can read the tank level on the spot and change settings without a laptop. The VEGA VEGAPULS 31 is wired as a two-wire 4–20 mA/HART loop device and is aimed at standard level duties where a local indication is useful, for example at a chemical unloading point, beside a dosing pump or at a remote reservoir that is visited by maintenance crews.

For buyers in the Sultanate of Oman, Seven Star LLC supplies the VEGA VEGAPULS 31 together from our office in Muscat. Water authorities, EPC contractors and industrial plants across the GCC use this class of sensor where a field reading has to be checked against the control-room value during rounds, or where no SCADA connection exists yet and the display itself is the primary indication.

Working Principle

VEGA describes the function of the VEGA VEGAPULS 31 as follows: the instrument emits a frequency-modulated, continuous radar signal through its antenna; the medium reflects this signal and the antenna receives it as an echo. Because the difference in frequency between transmitted and received signals is proportional to distance, the sensor can derive the filling height. That height is then converted into the output current and shown as a measured value on the built-in display.

In general engineering terms, operating in the W-band at 80 GHz lets a small antenna produce a well-focused beam, which in this sensor has an opening angle of 8°. A tight beam is easier to aim past nozzles, heating coils and wall welds, and it reduces false echoes from the vessel itself. Since the radar wave travels through air and vapour without contact, product properties such as conductivity, viscosity or density have no mechanical effect on the sensor, and there are no floats or probes that need cleaning.

Engineering Design of the VEGA VEGAPULS 31

Mechanically the VEGA VEGAPULS 31 shares its compact format with the blind basic-line sensors: a PBT plastic housing rated IP66/IP67 and Type 4X, a PVDF antenna system with FKM seal, and a G1½, 1½ NPT or R1½ process thread with a 50 mm spanner size. The overall height on the drawing is 156 mm and the housing diameter is 77.5 mm. The difference lies in the lid, which carries the display and adjustment unit used for on-site operation, and in the connection compartment, which has a plug connector for that module or for an interface adapter.

Besides the local keys, the VEGA VEGAPULS 31 can be operated over the signal cable with VEGACONNECT and PACTware/DTM, from a HART Communicator, from AMS or PDM, and over Bluetooth 5.0 with the VEGA Tools app on iOS, Android or a Windows PC at a typical distance of 25 m. Supply is 12 to 35 V DC from the loop. This mix of local and remote access means a plant can commission the sensor at the tank with the keys and later run diagnostics remotely from the HART system.

Key Features

The VEGA VEGAPULS 31 specification sheet highlights these capabilities.

• An integrated display and adjustment unit shows the level locally and allows menu setup without extra tools.
• The 80 GHz radar measures without contact, so there is no mechanical wear and no routine maintenance.
• Measuring range up to 20 m with a deviation of 2 mm or better supports reliable stock and process control.
• An 8° beam angle allows installation in small vessels and close to internal structures.
• Two-wire 4–20 mA/HART output provides an analogue signal plus digital diagnostics for asset management.
• PVDF wetted parts and an FKM seal give good resistance in acid, caustic and treated-water service.
• Wireless Bluetooth operation through the free VEGA Tools app adds a safe way to read and adjust the device.
• The weatherproof PBT housing meets IP66/IP67 and Type 4X for outdoor tank farms and pump stations.

Industrial Applications

VEGA recommends the VEGA VEGAPULS 31 for level measurement and measured value visualisation in water treatment, in storage tanks with acids and lyes, for additives in all industrial areas and for measuring through a plastic tank or IBC container. Typical Omani installations include sodium hypochlorite and antiscalant tanks at desalination plants, lime and polymer preparation tanks at wastewater works, fuel day tanks at remote diesel power stations and treated-water reservoirs in villages where staff check the level by eye during visits.

The sensor also covers small bulk solids silos, so a cement additive bin or a plastic granule hopper in the Sohar or Duqm industrial zones can be fitted with the same device. Seven Star LLC supplies the VEGA VEGAPULS 31 to these users in Oman and the GCC and can combine it with related VEGA equipment, such as the VEGA VEGADIS 176 external loop display for a second indication point, the VEGASWING 61 vibrating level switch as an independent overfill alarm, or the VEGA VEGABAR 82 process pressure transmitter where hydrostatic measurement is preferred.

Technical Specifications

The following VEGA VEGAPULS 31 values are taken from VEGA specification sheet 58364-EN.

How to Order

Seven Star LLC can quote the VEGA VEGAPULS 31 against your tank data sheet; include the product, vessel height, thread type and approval requirements in your RFQ so the correct configuration is selected. Download the VEGA specification sheet from this page for design reviews. Our Muscat instrumentation team supplies VEGA radar sensors across Oman and the GCC, with sourcing and model selection support before and after delivery.