Jerguson® Magnicator® Magnetic Level Indicator on a skid for monitoring & measuring turbo jet fuel

Sep 22, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Aug 10

Check out our Jerguson® Magnicator® Magnetic Level Indicator installed on a skid for monitoring, measuring, and dispatching turbo jet fuel. This installation was for a skid manufacturer in Peru. The gages were inverted due to limited lower clearance - mounting them inverted allows operators to easily access the float from the top flange.

How a Magnicator Actually Works

The Magnicator level indicator connects to a process vessel. The chamber, or "column," contains a sealed float with a permanent magnet assembly, which rises and falls as liquid level changes in the process vessel.

The indicator housing runs parallel to the gage column but is completely isolated from the process liquid. As the float's magnet assembly moves up and down inside the sealed chamber, it rotates the indicator flags on the outside housing through magnetic coupling - giving operators a clear visual reading without any part of the indicator mechanism itself contacting process fluid.

Why Inverted Mounting Solved a Real Installation Problem

Skid-mounted equipment often faces tight physical constraints - every component on a skid competes for limited space, and clearance below the unit can be especially restricted. For this Peru installation, limited lower clearance meant a standard upright mounting orientation wasn't practical.

Inverting the gage solved this directly: with the gage mounted inverted, operators can access the float from the top flange instead of needing clearance underneath the unit. This is a good example of how a fundamentally simple instrument - a float in a sealed chamber - can be adapted to real-world installation constraints without compromising its function, since the magnetic coupling principle works the same regardless of mounting orientation.

Why Turbo Jet Fuel Dispatch Needs Reliable Level Monitoring

Monitoring, measuring, and dispatching turbo jet fuel requires accurate level indication for both operational and custody transfer purposes - knowing exactly how much fuel is present and being dispensed matters for inventory accuracy, billing, and operational safety alike. A skid-mounted dispatch system needs instrumentation that performs reliably in a compact footprint, which is exactly the kind of application where a properly engineered, space-conscious MLI installation matters.

Magnetic Level Indicators as a Sight Glass Alternative

Magnetic liquid level indicators are an attractive alternative to sight glasses for many applications. They provide improved visibility, reduced maintenance, and eliminate the leak paths associated with sealing glass - relevant considerations for a fuel dispatch skid, where minimizing leak points in a fuel-handling system is a genuine safety priority.

Why This Reflects Good Engineering Partnership

Working with a skid manufacturer to solve a specific clearance constraint - rather than requiring the customer to redesign their skid layout around a fixed gage orientation - reflects the kind of practical, application-specific problem-solving that comes from working directly with the people building the actual equipment.

Applications

Inverted or space-constrained MLI mounting solutions are valuable for:

Skid-Mounted Fuel Systems: Turbo jet fuel, diesel, and other fuel dispatch and monitoring skids
Any Compact Equipment Package: Where standard mounting orientation isn't practical due to space constraints
Fuel Handling Applications: Where leak path reduction is a genuine safety priority