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Cargo Level & Temperature Gauging

Temperature Sensor

A cargo temperature sensor answers a different question than a level gauge: not how much cargo is present, but what state it is in, and on refrigerated or heated cargoes that number can decide whether the tank stays within its design envelope.

AFRISO
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Knowledge

What to check on a Temperature Sensor.

105 models from AFRISO in Temperature Sensor. Below: the full model list.

What sets a cargo temperature sensor apart

A level gauge tells the deck officer how much cargo is in the tank; the temperature sensor tells them what state that cargo is in. On a crude oil tanker the two readings are used together to convert observed volume to standard volume at 15°C. On an LNG or LPG carrier the temperature reading is the one that keeps the cargo inside its design envelope, because a few degrees of warming can push tank pressure toward the relief valve setting. Where a radar or servo gauge measures a single point at the liquid surface, a dedicated temperature installation is usually built to measure a vertical profile, because cargo in a large tank is rarely uniform in temperature from bottom to top.

Cargo tank temperature sensor
Cross-section of a cargo tank showing the temperature element mounted through a deck gland, its cable run to a junction box and onward to the cargo control room display.

Legend

  1. junction box
  2. deck gland
  3. cable to cargo control room
  4. tank shell
  5. cargo liquid level
  6. temperature element

Main components

Sensing element

Two technologies dominate. Platinum resistance elements (Pt100) give high accuracy and stability and are the default for custody transfer work. Thermocouples are cheaper and more robust to shock but drift more over years of service and need more frequent verification.

Multi-point profile probe

Where the tank needs a temperature profile rather than one figure, several sensing elements are mounted at fixed heights along a single protective tube, each wired back independently so the console can show a top, middle and bottom reading, or a full curve on gas carriers.

Read the full guide

Junction box and transmitter

Converts the raw resistance or millivolt signal to a standard 4-20 mA or digital bus signal, usually intrinsically safe for use in a cargo tank atmosphere.

Console interface

Displays the reading alongside level and, on many installations, feeds the cargo calculation system directly so loading computers can compute weight and trim without manual entry.

Selection and sizing

CriterionWhy it matters
Accuracy classCustody transfer cargoes need tighter tolerance than bunker or slop tanks
Temperature rangeLNG service needs elements rated well below -160°C; heated fuel oil tanks need the opposite end of the scale
Number of measuring pointsDeep tanks with stratified cargo need a profile, not a single point
Response timeFast-loading terminals want a sensor that tracks changing temperature without lag
Ex-protection methodMust match the zone classification of the tank the cable and housing pass through

Regulations and class

There is no single SOLAS chapter dedicated to cargo temperature measurement, but class rules for tankers and gas carriers require the cargo control system to display tank temperature where the cargo is temperature-sensitive, and the IGC Code expects temperature monitoring on cargoes carried refrigerated or under pressure. Custody transfer installations are commonly calibrated and verified against a traceable standard at intervals set by the operator's quality system rather than by a single fixed rule, and class surveyors will ask to see that calibration record at survey.

Typical faults

  • Element drift over years of service, causing a small but consistent offset that only shows up when checked against a portable reference
  • Moisture ingress into the junction box, producing an erratic or fluctuating reading rather than a clean failure
  • Cable damage inside the tank from cargo agitation or mechanical cleaning equipment, giving an open-circuit or short-circuit fault
  • Ice or wax build-up around the sensing element on cold or waxy cargoes, slowing the response so the display lags the real temperature
  • Wrong element type fitted after a spares mix-up, giving a reading that looks plausible but is quietly out of calibration

What to look for in a supplier

  • Certified accuracy figures with a calibration certificate traceable to a recognised standard, not just a datasheet claim
  • Ex-certification matching the tank's actual zone, with documentation the class surveyor will accept without query
  • Element and cable materials proven for the specific cargo range, cryogenic or heated, rather than a generic mid-range product
  • Spare element availability that does not require replacing the entire probe assembly

Check the temperature reading against a portable calibrated thermometer at the manifold or sample point before trusting it for a custody transfer figure — a drifted sensor rarely fails outright, it just quietly costs money on every cargo.

Models

Models in this type.

The best-documented model of each manufacturer first, then the next — 100 of 105 models in Temperature Sensor. Every row links to full specifications, documents and service notes.

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Showing only AFRISO. Show all manufacturers
All manufacturersEndress+Hauser 337AFRISO 105Samson 30Kongsberg 24Hanla IMS 21Vaisala 20Danfoss 19R.M. Young 18SEIMI 15Alphatron 13Emotron 11DEIF 10Krohne 10Emerson 7Emerson Rosemount 5Rossi 5Tokyo Keiso 5Nuova Fima 4Panasia 4Siemens 4
Sort by:Best documentedNamePower (kW)
AFRISO324 Vario AFRISOBITH-160-I AFRISOBITH-63-I D2 AFRISOBase-MODULE-BM AFRISOBiTh AFRISOBiTh 100 I D201 65306201 AFRISOBiTh 100 I D201 65307201 AFRISOBiTh 100 I D201 65308201 AFRISOBiTh 100 I D201 65309201 AFRISOBiTh 160 I AFRISOBiTh 63 I AFRISOBiTh 80 I AFRISOCAPBs® sens TK AFRISOD201 AFRISOD201 65131201 AFRISOD201 65132201 AFRISOD201 65133201 AFRISOD201 65134201 AFRISOD201 65146201 AFRISOD201 65147201 AFRISOD201 65148201 AFRISOD201 65149201 AFRISOD201 65151201 AFRISOD201 65152201 AFRISOD201 65153201 AFRISOD201 65154201 AFRISOD201 65206201 AFRISOD201 65207201 AFRISOD201 65208201 AFRISOD201 65209201 AFRISOD201 65246201 AFRISOD201 65247201 AFRISOD201 65248201 AFRISOD201 65249201 AFRISOD201 65251201 AFRISOD201 65252201 AFRISOD201 65253201 AFRISOD201 65254201 AFRISOD201 65446201 AFRISOD201 65447201 AFRISOD201 65448201 AFRISOD201 65449201 AFRISOD211 AFRISOD211 65151211 AFRISOD211 65152211 AFRISOD211 65154211 AFRISOD211 65246211 AFRISOD211 65247211 AFRISOD211 65248211 AFRISOD211 65249211 AFRISOD211 65331211 AFRISOD211 65332211 AFRISOD211 65333211 AFRISOD211 65351211 AFRISOD211 65352211 AFRISOD211 65354211 AFRISOD211 65306211 AFRISOD211 65307211 AFRISOD211 65308211 AFRISOD211 65309211 AFRISOEFT 20 EX (MEX) AFRISOEFT-20EX-20 AFRISOEFT-20EX-60 AFRISOEFT-20HT–20 AFRISOEFT-20HT–60 AFRISOEFT-20MEX(HT) – AFRISOEFT-20MEX-HT AFRISOEFT-20MEX–20 AFRISOEFT-20MEX–21 AFRISOEFT-20MEX–60 AFRISOEFT-20ST–20 AFRISOEFT-20ST–60 AFRISOEFT-22 AFRISOEFT-40 AFRISOEFT-41 AFRISOENT 21/EFT 20- ... EX AFRISOENT-21_– 60 AFRISOF6A AFRISOPMG 20NT(HTD-EX)-63 AFRISOPMG 20NT(HTD-EX)–20(40 AFRISOPMG 20NT(HTD-EX)–22(23 AFRISOPMG 20NT(HTD-EX)–61 AFRISOQT.C6x45.02 AFRISOQT.E1 AFRISOQT.E1.Ui AFRISOQT.E1.Ui.LCD AFRISOQTC10.C6x45.02 AFRISOQTC10.E1 AFRISOQTC20.C6x45.02 AFRISOQTC20.E1 AFRISOQTN.C6x45.02 AFRISOQTN.E1 AFRISOTemperature sensor FTM T | 78144 AFRISOair probe CAPBs® sens TK 40 | M090002510 AFRISOliquid probe CAPBs® sens TK 30 | M090002310 AFRISOliquid probe CAPBs® sens TK 35 | M090002410 AFRISOspike probe CAPBs® sens TK 20 | M090002210 AFRISOsurface probe CAPBs® sens TK 50 | M090002610 AFRISOD211 65153211 AFRISOD211 65334211
By manufacturer

Manufacturers.

All 79 manufacturers with models of Temperature Sensor. Names with a manufacturer page open it; the others open a search across the full library.

All manufacturers in the library
Show all 79 manufacturers
Related types

Also in Cargo Level & Temperature Gauging.

The other equipment types in this category.

Float Level SwitchPressure/DP TransmitterRadar Level GaugeServo Level GaugeTank Sounding SystemUTI EquipmentUltrasonic Level Gauge
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Frequently asked

Questions that come up with this equipment.

Is Temperature Sensor data free?

Yes. Every model page, every guide and every datasheet for this type is readable without an account. An account adds saved searches and requests, nothing is taken away.

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