Autoclave sterilizers are one of the most commonly used equipments in the pharmaceutical industry for high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization of drugs and instruments.
In order to ensure the safe and normal operation of autoclaves, accurate level measurement is necessary.
In this article, we will introduce the considerations of radar level meters in autoclave level measurement and provide two actual measurement cases.
The autoclave level has the following characteristics, high temperature, and high pressure environment: the temperature and pressure inside the autoclave is very high, so the level measurement equipment needs to be able to work safely and reliably under extreme conditions.
Liquid level changes: the material inside the autoclave container (such as drugs, water, etc.) will change during the sterilization process, so the level measurement equipment should be able to accurately measure the change of liquid level.
Corrosive materials: some drugs or chemical materials may be corrosive in the high temperature and high pressure environment, so the level measurement equipment needs to use corrosion-resistant materials.
High safety requirements: due to the special working conditions of autoclave, level measurement equipment needs to have a high degree of safety and reliability to ensure the safety of the working environment.
Look at two actual autoclave level measurement cases together to better understand the considerations of radar level meters in this application,
Case 1: In a pharmaceutical company’s autoclave, the level of drug containers needs to be monitored to ensure that the drugs can be adequately covered and sterilized everywhere.
Due to the harsh environmental conditions, the traditional float level meter could not meet the requirements and therefore chose to use a radar level meter for monitoring.
Radar level meter through the microwave signal to achieve non-contact measurement, and has a high measurement accuracy and stability.
It’s high temperature and pressure resistance and corrosion resistance enable it to work reliably in the autoclave environment. By monitoring the autoclave level in real-time, the operator can determine the position of the liquid level in the medicine container and ensure that the medicine is fully immersed in high temperature and high-pressure conditions, thus effectively realizing the sterilization purpose.
Case 2: In another pharmaceutical company’s autoclave, water for injection is used as a medium in the sterilization process and is required to be of high purity. To ensure a safe and sufficient supply of water for injection, radar level meters are used to monitor the level of the water for injection tanks in the autoclave.
Radar level meters provide accurate level measurements and are connected to the process control system for automated control. When the level of the water for injection tank falls below a preset threshold, the level meter will send out an alarm signal to alert the operator to replenish the water for injection in a timely manner to ensure the stability and safety of the sterilization process.
In addition, the radar level meter can also remotely monitor the liquid level inside the autoclave, avoiding the operator to operate the autoclave by observing the visual window or opening the autoclave lid, so as to improve the operator’s safety and work efficiency.
A radar level meter in autoclave level measurement has a wide range of applications, the use of a radar level meter can improve the accuracy and stability of level measurement, to ensure that the operation of the autoclave safety and stable.
Real cases show that the radar level meter can provide a reliable solution for level measurement under high temperature and high-pressure environment in the pharmaceutical industry.