TOF Sensors VL53 series for LPG level cylinder monitoring

[PMato.1]

Hi all,

We are working on developing an LPG level monitoring system using BlueNRG-LPS MCU and VL53 sensor series.

I am very new to these specific sensors.

Can we have VL53 series installed externally under the metallic cylinder?

Are they also using the principle of acoustic impedence?

Thanks

[John E KVAM]

I know lots about the VL53 sensors and I don't know what acoustic impedance is, so I'm going to guess that is a no. 

And you have to mount these devices behind a Glass, Acrylic, or Polycarbonate window. 

These sensors work by shooting out a flash of light and measuring how long it takes the light to reflect back from a target (Think World War II Radar - but with light.)

It's inexpensive, reasonably low power, and you get an answer in a few millisecond. But you do have to have a way to get the light out - and back in.

- john

[Peter BENSCH]

Additionally it must be checked whether the principle of a ToF sensor is suitable because the reflection of LPG may be too small.

You should also carry out extensive tests to see whether you can communicate with Bluetooth out of a metallic container. You may have to switch to LoRa to get at least a few bytes out of the Faraday cage.

Regards
/Peter

[John E KVAM]

I'm going to guess that if one were going to do this, it would be to put a window in the tank that the sensor could see through and leave the electronics on the outside. I've tried a lot of liquids, and they all seem to work. But explosive liquid gasses and not something I wanted to try myself. Although I did wonder about it. 

- john