APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING QUANTITIES OF FLUID IN A CONTAINER

• US 20100006599A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David W. Cebulski
• Original Assignee: James Cebulski
• Inventors: Cebulski, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/71
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/00 Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow measuring a proportion of the volume flow G01F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/00 Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it

Abstract

The present technology relates to a volumetric measurement device and various methods for operation of the device. The device comprises at least one accelerometer for detecting the angle of tilt/tip of a container. The device also comprises at least one fluid property processor capable of providing at least one fluidic property value of a fluid, a flow-rate processor capable of continuously calculating the present flow rate of the fluid when poured from the container, and a volume processor capable of continuously calculating the present volume of the fluid within the container. The flow-rate processor calculates the rate of flow of the fluid poured from the container based on the angle of tilt/tip of the apparatus, the at least one fluid property value, and the present volume of fluid within the container.

Claims

1. A volumetric measurement device, comprising:

a) at least one accelerometer for detecting the angle of tilt of a container;

b) at least one fluid property processor capable of providing at least one fluidic property value of a fluid;

c) a flow-rate processor capable of continuously calculating the present flow rate of the fluid when poured from the container; and

d) a volume processor capable of continuously calculating the present volume of the fluid within the container;

wherein the flow-rate processor calculates the rate of flow of the fluid poured from the container based on the angle of tilt of the apparatus, the at least one fluid property value, and the present volume of fluid within the container.

2. The volumetric measurement device of claim 1, wherein the volume processor continuously updates the present volume of fluid in the container based upon the volume of fluid poured from the container.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a calibration processor for determining the initial volume of fluid within the container.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a central processor for real-time monitoring of the interaction between the accelerometer, the fluid property processor, the flow-rate processor and the volume processor.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display showing a value for the volume of fluid transferred from, or remaining in, the container.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display showing a value for the volume of fluid remaining in the container

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a container processor providing at least one container property value of the container, wherein the flow-rate processor calculates the present rate of flow of fluid, the volume processor continuously calculates the present volume of fluid within the container based further upon the at least one container property value.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one fluid property value provided by the fluid property processor includes at least one of dynamic viscosity, kinematic viscosity, fluid density or fluid specific gravity measurement, or a combination thereof.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising an input device allowing a user to enter information pertaining to at least one container property value, fluid property value.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising an input device allowing a user to enter the initial volume of fluid in the container.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the input device allows the user to select a fluid type from a list of pre-stored fluid types, each fluid type having at least one pre-assigned fluid property value.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a temperature gauge for monitoring the ambient temperature, wherein the at least one fluid property value is based on the ambient temperature.

13. A method for measuring the volume of fluid poured from a container comprising the steps of:

a) providing a monitor comprising an accelerometer and at least one processor;

b) attaching the monitor to the container at a location about the tipping axis of the container;

c) tilting the container along the tipping axis;

d) measuring the angle of tilt using the monitor;

e) continuously calculating the present volume of fluid remaining in the container relative to the angle of tilt; and

g) continuously calculating the rate of flow of fluid poured from the container based at least on the angle of tilt and the present volume within the container.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor calculates the volume poured from the container based upon the continuously calculated flow rate and the amount of time poured.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the monitor further comprises a temperature gauge measuring the ambient temperature, and wherein the flow rate of fluid poured from the container is based further on the ambient temperature.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of displaying the amount of fluid remaining in, or poured from, the container on a display.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of inputting data into the monitor to calculate flow rate of fluid poured from the container based upon the data inputted.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising inputting the initial volume of fluid in the container.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising inputting fluid property values or container property values into the monitor.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the container has a volume between approximately one pint and approximately one hundred gallons.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the container is a 55-gallon drum.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the container has a volume less than or equal to approximately one gallon.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the fluid is water.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the fluid is oil.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein the fluid is a render of water and oil.

26. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of determining an initial volume of fluid within the container.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein determining the initial volume measurement comprises:

i) tilting the container to a point at which fluid begins to pour from the container;

ii) recording the pouring angle of tilt where fluid begins to pour from the container;

iii) calculating the initial volume based upon the physical dimensions of the container and the pouring angle of tilt.

28. A fluid storage system monitoring the volume of fluid poured from a container, the system comprising:

a) a container capable of storing a fluid;

b) a pouring monitor attached to the container, the monitor comprising;

i) an accelerometer detecting the angle of tilt of the container;

ii) a fluid property processor providing at least one fluid property value of the fluid in the container;

iii) a flow-rate processor continuously calculating the present rate of flow of fluid poured from the container; and

iv) a volume processor for continuously calculating the present volume of fluid within the container;

wherein the flow-rate processor calculates the rate of flow of the fluid poured from the container based on the angle of tilt of the apparatus.

29. The fluid storage system of claim 28, wherein the flow-rate processor calculates the rate of flow of the fluid poured from the container based further on the fluid properties, the present volume of fluid within the container.

30. The fluid storage system of claim 28, wherein the volume processor continuously updates the present volume of fluid based upon the volume of fluid poured from the container.

31. The fluid storage system of claim 28, wherein the pouring monitor further comprises a central processor that dynamically regulates the operation of the accelerometer, the fluid property processor, the flow-rate processor and the volume processor to provide real-time monitoring of the present volume of fluid within the container.

32. The fluid storage system of claim 28, wherein the pouring monitor further comprises a central processor that dynamically regulates the operation of the accelerometer, the fluid property processor, the flow-rate processor and the volume processor to provide real-time monitoring of the present volume of fluid poured from the container.

33. The fluid storage system of claim 28, wherein the pouring monitor further comprises a calibration processor for determining the initial volume of fluid within the container.

34. The fluid storage system of claim 28, further comprising a display showing the present amount of the volume of fluid within the container.

35. The fluid storage system of claim 28, further comprising a display showing the present amount of the volume of fluid poured from the container.

36. The fluid storage system of claim 28, wherein the container is a 55-gallon drum.

37. The fluid storage system of claim 28, wherein the pouring monitor further comprises a container processor providing at least one container property value, wherein the flow-rate processor calculates the rate of flow of the fluid poured from the container based further upon the at least one container property value.

38. The fluid storage system of claim 35, wherein the pouring monitor further comprises a container processor providing at least one container property value, wherein the volume processor continuously calculates the present volume of fluid within the container based further upon the at least one container property value.

39. The fluid storage system of claim 35, wherein the container processor further comprises an input device allowing a user to select a container type from a list of container types, each container type having at least one pre-stored physical property value.

40. The fluid storage system of claim 36, wherein the container processor further comprises an input device allowing a user to select a container type from a list of container types, each container type having at least one pre-stored physical property value.

41. The fluid storage system of claim 28, wherein the container has a shape.

42. The fluid storage system of claim 41, wherein the shape of the container is a cylinder.

43. The fluid storage system of claim 41, wherein the shape of the container is at least one of a box, a cube, a sphere, a cone, an ovoid, a prism, or a pyramid.