Fluid management system

• US 20040004551A1
• Filed: 07/08/2002
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gay M. Early
• Original Assignee: Gay M. Early
• Inventors: Early, Gay M.
• Application Number:
  US10/190,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20040004551A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/603
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/76 characterised by the construction of the float
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level

Abstract

A fluid management system having a central communications station and at least one probe having at least one sensor in which the sensor measures a level of a fluid and detects contaminants. A fluid management system having a central communications station and at least one substantially buoyant probe having at least one sensor for measuring a level of a fluid in which at least a first portion of the probe rests above a surface of the fluid and at least a second portion of the probe rests below the surface of the fluid. A fluid management system having a central communications station and at least one probe having a sensor for detecting contaminants in a fluid. In all three management systems, the probe contains circuitry for transmitting data collected by the sensor to the central communications station.

Claims

1. A fluid management system, comprising:

a central communications station; and

at least one probe having at least one sensor;

wherein said sensor measures a level of a fluid and detects contaminants,

wherein said probe contains circuitry for transmitting data collected by said sensor to said central communications station.

2. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein said probe has a plurality of said sensors;

wherein at least one of said sensors measures the level of the fluid and another said sensor detects contaminants in the fluid.

3. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein said probe has a plurality of said sensors;

wherein at least one of said sensors measures the level of a first fluid and another said sensor detects contaminants in a second fluid;

wherein said probe is interchangeable between the first fluid and the second fluid.

4. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein said probe is substantially buoyant such that at least a first portion of said probe rests above a surface of the fluid and at least a second portion of said probe rests below the surface of the fluid.

5. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein said probe has a plurality of said sensors;

wherein at least one of said sensors is a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the fluid.

6. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor used to measure the level of the fluid and to detect contaminants is an ultrasound sensor.

7. The fluid management system according to claim 2, wherein said sensor used to measure the level of the fluid is a laser sensor.

8. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein said probe contains circuitry for wirelessly transmitting data collected by said sensor to said central communications station.

9. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein said probe has a unique identifier for enabling said central communications station to identify said probe.

10. The fluid management system according to claim 1, further comprising

a monitoring station;

and

a communications device;

wherein said central communications station transmits said data received from said probe to said monitoring station;

wherein said monitoring station stores said data and transmits said data to said communications device.

11. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is a petroleum-based fluid and at least one of the contaminants is water;

wherein the fluid is stored in a tank having a fill pipe and said probe is inserted in said tank through said fill pipe.

12. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein said sensor measures the level of the fluid and detects contaminants and said probe transmits said data in accordance with a predetermined interval.

13. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the contaminants is in the fluid.

14. The fluid management system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the contaminants is proximate to the fluid.

15. A fluid management system, comprising:

a central communications station; and

at least one substantially buoyant probe having at least one sensor for measuring a level of a fluid;

wherein at least a first portion of said probe rests above a surface of the fluid and at least a second portion of said probe rests below the surface of the fluid;

wherein said probe contains circuitry for wirelessly transmitting data collected by said sensor to said central communications station.

16. The fluid management system according to claim 15, wherein said sensor used to measure the level of the fluid is an ultrasound sensor.

17. The fluid management system according to claim 15, wherein said probe has a unique identifier for enabling said central communications station to identify said probe.

18. The fluid management system according to claim 15, further comprising

a monitoring station;

and

a communications device;

wherein said central communications station transmits said data received from said probe to said monitoring station;

wherein said monitoring station stores said data and transmits said data to said communications device.

19. The fluid management system according to claim 15, wherein the fluid is a petroleum-based fluid;

wherein the fluid is stored in a tank having a fill pipe and said probe is inserted in said tank through said fill pipe.

20. The fluid management system according to claim 15, wherein said sensor measures the level of the fluid and said probe transmits said data in accordance with a predetermined interval.

21. A method for managing at least one fluid, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one probe having at least one sensor, measuring a level of the fluid with the sensor;

detecting contaminants with the sensor; and

transmitting from the probe data collected by the sensor to a central communications station.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the probe has a plurality of sensors;

wherein said method further comprises the steps of.

measuring the level of the fluid with at least one of the sensors; and

detecting contaminants in the fluid with another sensor.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the probe has a plurality of sensors, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

measuring the level of a first fluid with at least one of the sensors; and

detecting contaminants in a second fluid with another sensor;

wherein the probe is interchangeable between the first fluid and the second fluid.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the probe is substantially buoyant and said method further comprises the step of positioning the probe such that at least a first portion of the probe rests above a surface of the fluid and at least a second portion of the probe rests below the surface of the fluid.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein said transmitting step further comprises wirelessly transmitting from the probe data collected by the sensor to the central communications station.

26. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

providing a monitoring station and a communications device;

transmitting from the central communications station the data received from the probe to the monitoring station;

storing the data in the monitoring station; and

transmitting the data from the monitoring station to the communications device.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein the fluid is stored in a tank having a fill pipe and said method further comprises the step of inserting the probe in the tank through the fill pipe.

28. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of performing said measuring, detecting and transmitting steps in accordance with a predetermined interval.

29. The method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

assigning a unique identifier to the probe; and

transmitting the unique identifier during said transmitting step.

30. A method of managing a fluid, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one probe having at least one sensor;

measuring a level of a fluid with the sensor;

positioning the probe such that at least a portion of the probe rests above a surface of the fluid and at least a portion of the probe rests below the surface of the fluid; and

wirelessly transmitting from the probe data collected by the sensor to a central communications station.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said transmitting step further comprises wirelessly transmitting from the probe data collected by the sensor to the central communications station.

32. The method according to claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

providing a monitoring station and a communications device;

transmitting from the central communications station the data received from the probe to the monitoring station;

storing the data in the monitoring station; and

transmitting the data from the monitoring station to the communications device.

33. The method according to claim 30, wherein the fluid is stored in a tank having a fill pipe and said method further comprises the step of inserting the probe in the tank through the fill pipe.

34. The method according to claim 30, further comprising the step of performing said measuring and transmitting steps in accordance with a predetermined interval.

35. The method according to claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

assigning a unique identifier to the probe; and

transmitting the unique identifier during said transmitting step.