Apparatus for level measurements

• US 4,535,628 A
• Filed: 01/21/1983
• Issued: 08/20/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bjorn R. Hope
• Original Assignee: Bjorn R. Hope
• Inventors: Hope, Bjorn R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasich, Daniel M.
• Application Number:
  US06/463,885
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 73/290 V, 340/621, 367/908, 318/482, 374/117, 374/142
• US Class Current: 73/290.00V
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/296 Acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2961 for discrete levels G01F23/2962 - G01F23/2968 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2965 Measuring attenuation of transmitted waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02836 Flow rate, liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/908 Material level detection, e.g. liquid level

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring acoustic transmission characteristics of at least one medium to be measured in which at least one elongated hollow chamber is immersed. The chamber is closed at its bottom end and is filled with an acoustic connecting liquid, and at least two separate movable transducers are immersed in the connecting liquid within the chamber in spaced relation to the wall thereof, the chamber having a cross-sectional shape such that a directional acoustic path between opposite emitter and collector transducers passes through the medium to be measured, the medium being out of direct contact with the transducers.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring acoustic transmission characteristics of at least one medium to be measured, e.g. for measuring levels of the medium, in which at least one elongated hollow chamber is immersed, said hollow chamber comprising a guiding chamber filled with an acoustic connection liquid, wherein at least two separated transducers are immersed in said connection liquid inside said guiding chamber, said transducers being arranged on respective branches of a mounting support so that said transducers face one another said guiding chamber having a cross-sectional shape such that a directional acoustic path between opposite transducers passes through said medium to be measured, said guiding chamber being closed at its bottom to avoid contact between said medium and said transducers, and wherein said mounting support on which said transducers are mounted has a cross-sectional shape substantially the same as that of said guiding chamber, but of a lesser cross-sectional area than that of said guiding chamber, one said transducer being arranged on one side of said support and serving as an emitter of an acoustic wave that is emitted toward another said transducer serving as a collector on the other side of said support, said support being selectively movable within said chamber, the primary acoustic path extending from said emitter, through said connection liquid surrounding it, through the wall of the guiding chamber adjacent thereto, through the medium to be measured, through the guiding chamber wall near the collector, through the connection liquid surrounding said collector and to the collector itself.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a directional acoustic path from said emitter to said collector forms an angle with the horizontal.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a secondary acoustic path extends from said emitter to said collector via the body of the mounting support.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said secondary acoustic path extends from said emitter to said collector via said chamber for forming a reference and test signal path.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a a temperature sensor is mounted on said support, the total effect of the transmission characteristics being obtained by recording a temperature profile and an acoustic connection at the same level.

6. An apparatus as stated in claim 1 or 5 characterized in that said transducers (2,4,8) are connected via a coupling link (5) to a contol and recording means (11), which means comprises members to control the movement of said mounting support in at least one of the following operational modi:

(a) a selective setting on a fixed position in said profile,

(b) accompanying the movements of one or several interfaces in the medium to be measured, and

(c) tracing along the entire length of said profile.

7. An apparatus as stated in claim 1, characterized in that said guiding chamber has a O-, C-, U-, V-, or key hole shaped cross section.

8. An apparatus for measuring acoustic transmission characteristics of at least one medium to be measured, and for testing operability comprising two elongated separate spaced chambers immersed in said medium, each chamber being a hollow tube closed at its bottom end and filled with an acoustic connection liquid;

at least one transducer in each hollow tube, each said transducer serving as an emitter and a receiver of sonic pulses, said transducers being mounted stationary in their respective hollow tubes and facing each other in such manner that respective distances between each transducer and an adjacent inside wall of its tube are different; and

a rail in each said tube to which each transducer is attached stationarily, said rail at its lower portion being provided with a fixing block which forms a contact with the inside closed bottom end of each said tube;

wherein for each sonic signal test function each transducer serves as both an emitter and a receiver and is caused to emit a sonic pulse and thereafter to receive a reflected part of the respective sonic pulse from said adjacent inside wall of its tube; and

wherein for testing in a dry state or when medium to be measured is present between said tubes, when said medium to be measured is present between said tubes, the arrival of the received and said reflected parts of the sonic pulses being received within respective time window portions of the sonic pulses to serve as a confirmation test that each said transducer functions as both the emitter and receiver.