METHOD FOR ROBUST GAUGING ACCURACY FOR LEVEL GAUGES UNDER MISMATCH AND LARGE OPENING EFFECTS IN STILLPIPES AND RELATED APPARATUS

• US 20100070207A1
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enraf B. V.
• Original Assignee: Enraf B. V.
• Inventors: Sai, Bin
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/55
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/284 Electromagnetic waves

Abstract

A method includes transmitting wireless signals towards a material in a tank and receiving wireless signals reflected off the material. The method also includes calculating a phase velocity of the wireless signals reflected off the material and identifying a level of the material in the tank using the phase velocity. Calculating the phase velocity of the wireless signals could include identifying a plurality of linearly-spaced frequencies and performing linear interpolation using the data identifying the wireless signals to identify data points at the linearly-spaced frequencies. The identification of the data points at the linearly-spaced frequencies could represent the only interpolation operation performed during the calculation of the phase velocity and the identification of the level of the material. Moreover, a mismatch could exist between an inner diameter of a stillpipe through which the wireless signals are transmitted and a diameter of an antenna used to receive the wireless signals.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to receive data identifying wireless signals reflected off material in a tank; and

a processing system configured to calculate a phase velocity of the wireless signals reflected off the material using the data and to identify a level of the material in the tank using the phase velocity.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to calculate the phase velocity of the wireless signals by:

identifying a plurality of linearly-spaced frequencies; and

performing linear interpolation using the data identifying the wireless signals to identify data points at the linearly-spaced frequencies.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the identification of the data points at the linearly-spaced frequencies represents the only interpolation operation performed during the calculation of the phase velocity and the identification of the level of the material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to calculate the phase velocity of the wireless signals by:

determining a dispersed phase velocity of the wireless signals; and

converting the dispersed phase velocity into a normal velocity based on a speed of light in a propagation medium.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor comprising an antenna configured to receive the wireless signals reflected off the material, the sensor configured to generate the data identifying the wireless signals reflected off the material.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a stillpipe disposed within the tank, wherein the antenna is configured to receive the wireless signals within the stillpipe.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein an inner diameter of the stillpipe does not equal a diameter of the antenna.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the diameter of the antenna differs by at least 25% compared to the inner diameter of the stillpipe.

9. A method comprising:

transmitting wireless signals towards a material in a tank;

receiving wireless signals reflected off the material;

calculating a phase velocity of the wireless signals reflected off the material; and

identifying a level of the material in the tank using the phase velocity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating the phase velocity of the wireless signals comprises:

identifying a plurality of linearly-spaced frequencies; and

performing linear interpolation using the data identifying the wireless signals to identify data points at the linearly-spaced frequencies.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identification of the data points at the linearly-spaced frequencies represents the only interpolation operation performed during the calculation of the phase velocity and the identification of the level of the material.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating the phase velocity of the wireless signals comprises:

determining a dispersed phase velocity of the wireless signals; and

converting the dispersed phase velocity into a normal velocity based on a speed of light in a propagation medium.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

transmitting the wireless signals towards the material comprises transmitting the wireless signals through a stillpipe; and

receiving the wireless signals reflected off the material comprises receiving the wireless signals at an antenna disposed within the stillpipe.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein an inner diameter of the stillpipe differs by at least 25% compared to a diameter of the antenna.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

displaying the identified level of the material;

transmitting the identified level of the material; and

storing the identified level of the material.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

controlling a pump that loads the material into the tank or unloads the material from the tank using the identified level of the material.

17. A computer readable medium embodying a computer program, the computer program comprising:

computer readable program code for receiving data identifying wireless signals reflected off material in a tank;

computer readable program code for calculating a phase velocity of the wireless signals reflected off the material using the data; and

computer readable program code for identifying a level of the material in the tank using the phase velocity.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code for calculating the phase velocity of the wireless signals comprises:

computer readable program code for identifying a plurality of linearly-spaced frequencies; and

computer readable program code for performing linear interpolation using the data identifying the wireless signals to identify data points at the linearly-spaced frequencies.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the identification of the data points at the linearly-spaced frequencies represents the only interpolation operation performed during the calculation of the phase velocity and the identification of the level of the material.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code for calculating the phase velocity of the wireless signals comprises:

computer readable program code for determining a dispersed phase velocity of the wireless signals; and

computer readable program code for converting the dispersed phase velocity into a normal velocity based on a speed of light in a propagation medium.