Ultrasonic depth gauge for liquids under high pressure
First Claim
1. An active method of continuous measurement of the depth of a liquid maintained at a pressure of at least 3000 pounds per square inch in a storage vessel comprising the steps of:
- providing a composite resonator as part of a transducer assembly bonded in a high pressure plug, said plug having tapered threads providing a pressure seal in the base of the storage vessel wherein the resonating surface of the composite resonator is exposed to the liquid and is impervious to pressures in excess of 3000 pounds per square inch;
exciting the composite resonator wherein the resonating surface transmits a vibration directly into the liquid under high pressure; and
measuring the round-trip transit time for the vibration to propagate up from the resonating surface to the surface of the liquid and then to reflect back to the resonating surface wherein the round-trip transit time is proportional to the depth of the liquid under high pressure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic depth gauge 20 for liquids under high pressure is comprised of a transducer assembly 21 and a supporting electronics unit 22. The transducer assembly is mounted into the bottom wall of a storage vessel 12 with its resonating surface directly exposed to the highly pressurized liquid 13 in the vessel. The transducer assembly consists of a conventional transducer element 38 rigidly bonded to the inside wall of a bored out conventional high-pressure plug 30 thereby forming a composite resonator 50. The element and the plug wall resonate as one upon electrical excitation of the element while the transducer element is completely shielded from any exposure to the liquid under high pressure. The composite resonator sends a vibration up to the surface of the liquid where it is reflected back to the composite resonator. The supporting electronics unit measures the vibration round-trip transit time which is proportional to the depth 15 of the liquid.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. An active method of continuous measurement of the depth of a liquid maintained at a pressure of at least 3000 pounds per square inch in a storage vessel comprising the steps of:
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providing a composite resonator as part of a transducer assembly bonded in a high pressure plug, said plug having tapered threads providing a pressure seal in the base of the storage vessel wherein the resonating surface of the composite resonator is exposed to the liquid and is impervious to pressures in excess of 3000 pounds per square inch; exciting the composite resonator wherein the resonating surface transmits a vibration directly into the liquid under high pressure; and measuring the round-trip transit time for the vibration to propagate up from the resonating surface to the surface of the liquid and then to reflect back to the resonating surface wherein the round-trip transit time is proportional to the depth of the liquid under high pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A self-contained composite ultrasonic gauge for providing active continuous measurement of the depth of a liquid maintained at a pressure of at least 3000 pounds per square inch in a storage vessel comprising:
a composite resonating means for transmitting an ultrasonic vibration directly into said liquid from the base of said storage vessel, said resonating means being bonded in a high pressure plug, said plug having tapered threads providing a pressure seal in the base of said storage vessel; and
a means for measuring the round-trip transit time for said vibration to propagate up to the surface of said liquid and reflect back to said composite resonating means wherein said round-trip transit time is proportional to the depth of said liquid.- View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
Specification