Submersible probe

• US 20060283238A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Hajek, Edward Charles, Anderson, William Thomas, Sierra, Gabriel Lazaro
• Granted Patent: US 7,278,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/61.410
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/28 Oils , i.e. hydrocarbon liquids edible oils or edible fats G01N33/03

Abstract

A probe for deployment in a fluid measures produces an output representative of a parameter associated with the fluid. The probe includes a density control system to control a density of the probe and a locating system to track a location of probe in the fluid.

Claims

1. A probe for deployment in a fluid and for producing an output representative of a parameter associated with the fluid, the probe comprising:

a submersible housing;

a sensor carried by the submersible housing to sense the parameter and produce a sensor signal representative of the parameter;

a density control system carried by the submersible housing for altering a density of the probe;

a data processor in communication with the sensor to produce an output as a function of the sensor signal;

output circuitry in communication with the data processor; and

a flexible transmission line having a first and a second end, the first end connected to the submersible housing and in communication with the output circuitry and the second end for connecting to a remote process system.

2. The probe of claim 1, wherein the density control system comprises a ballast system.

3. The probe of claim 2, wherein the ballast system comprises releasable weights mounted to the submersible housing.

4. The probe of claim 3, wherein the weights are attached to a first end of a tether and the submersible housing is attached to a second end of the tether.

5. The probe of claim 1, wherein the density control system comprises an inflatable bladder.

6. The probe of claim 5, wherein a compressed air source is connected to the inflatable bladder.

7. The probe of claim 6, wherein the flexible transmission line includes an air channel to deliver compressed air from the first end of the transmission line to the inflatable bladder.

8. The probe of claim 1, wherein the flexible transmission line is part of a process control loop.

9. The probe of claim 1, wherein a plurality of sensors are carried by the submersible housing to sense a plurality of parameters.

10. The probe of claim 1, wherein the submersible housing is spherical.

11. The probe of claim 1, and further comprising:

a locating system in communication with the data processor.

12. The probe of claim 11, wherein the locating system comprises an accelerometer.

13. The probe of claim 1 and further comprising:

a bottom-detect projection for piercing sediment located at a bottom of the fluid.

14. A method for determining a vertical distance between a first location in a fluid of a fluid environment and a second location in the fluid, the method comprising:

deploying a probe at the first location;

changing a density of the probe to move the probe from the first location to the second location;

sensing movement of the probe from the first location to the second location using a locating system carried by the probe; and

determining the vertical distance between the first location and the second location based on the movement sensed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the fluid environment comprises a fluid-handling system.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the fluid-handling system comprises a storage tank.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the locating system comprises an accelerometer.

18. A method for locating a probe in a fluid of a fluid-handling system, the method comprising:

deploying a probe into the fluid of the fluid-handling system;

determining an initial velocity of the probe at a first location;

sensing acceleration of the probe; and

determining a second location of the probe relative to the first location of the probe based on the acceleration sensed.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the fluid-handling system comprises a pipe system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the fluid-handling system comprises a storage tank.