Tank sonic gauging system and methods
First Claim
1. A method of ultrasonic measurement of liquid level comprising the steps of:
- (a) transmitting from a transducer periodic bursts of ultrasonic pulses;
(b) setting an ultrasonic receiver at a predetermined sensitivity;
(c) adjusting the sensitivity of said receiver until a first reflection of said periodic bursts is detected;
(d) setting as a first value for the echo delay time the time between the detection of said first reflection and the transmission of the pulse burst which was reflected to form said burst reflection;
(e) adjusting the sensitivity and measuring subsequent echo delay times between the detection of reflections and the transmission of the pulse bursts causing said reflections;
(f) measuring an echo delay time difference between the most recently measured echo delay time and the next most recently measured echo delay time;
(g) assigning the most recently measured echo delay time as the new value of a said echo delay time if said echo delay time difference is equal to one period of said pulses in said burst;
(h) adjusting the sensitivity if said echo time difference is less than or equal to one period of said pulses in said burst;
(i) terminating the measurement of said echo delay time if said sensitivity is at a predetermined limit;
(j) choosing as an echo time to be used in ranging the next most recently measured echo delay time if said echo delay time difference exceeds one period of said pulses in said burst; and
(k) using said echo delay time to determine the desired liquid level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Ultrasonic apparatus for measuring and remotely displaying the amount of liquid in a tank, the amount of water in the tank and the velocity of sound through the liquid in the tank is described with special application to a buried tank containing gasoline with the possibility of water in the bottom of the tank. The apparatus includes an ultrasonic transducer at a fixed distance above the bottom of the tank, a plurality of submerged reflectors vertically arranged at fixed distances above the transducer and a remote console, containing a computer, for activating the transducer and receiving signals of ultrasonic reflections developed by the transducer. Methods are disclosed utilizing the apparatus for computing the height of the liquid (gasoline) level, the depth of the water, if any, the velocity of sound through the gasoline and through the liquid as a whole, and for computing average temperature of the liquid in the tank. In the preferred embodiment, the reflectors are thin, planar sheets increasing in horizontal length with increasing distance from the transducer, the lower edges of which may be concave to maximize the reflections of ultrasonic pulses from the transducer back through the fluid to the transducer.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of ultrasonic measurement of liquid level comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting from a transducer periodic bursts of ultrasonic pulses; (b) setting an ultrasonic receiver at a predetermined sensitivity; (c) adjusting the sensitivity of said receiver until a first reflection of said periodic bursts is detected; (d) setting as a first value for the echo delay time the time between the detection of said first reflection and the transmission of the pulse burst which was reflected to form said burst reflection; (e) adjusting the sensitivity and measuring subsequent echo delay times between the detection of reflections and the transmission of the pulse bursts causing said reflections; (f) measuring an echo delay time difference between the most recently measured echo delay time and the next most recently measured echo delay time; (g) assigning the most recently measured echo delay time as the new value of a said echo delay time if said echo delay time difference is equal to one period of said pulses in said burst; (h) adjusting the sensitivity if said echo time difference is less than or equal to one period of said pulses in said burst; (i) terminating the measurement of said echo delay time if said sensitivity is at a predetermined limit; (j) choosing as an echo time to be used in ranging the next most recently measured echo delay time if said echo delay time difference exceeds one period of said pulses in said burst; and (k) using said echo delay time to determine the desired liquid level.
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2. A method of monitoring the volume of a liquid in a tank of known dimensions comprising the steps of:
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(a) measuring the volume of said liquid in said tank at periodic intervals by making average velocity measurements of sound through said liquid during a period when no liquid is purposely added to or removed from said tank; (b) determining the temperature of said liquid during each volume measurement directly from said average velocity measurements; (c) temperature correcting the measured volumes of said liquid, and (d) comparing said temperature-corrected volume measurements to determine any decreases or increases in said liquid volume. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A method of determining an average temperature of a liquid in a tank comprising the steps of:
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(a) measuring the average sound velocity of said liquid in said tank; (b) determining a reference sound velocity vR in said liquid, at a reference temperature TR of said liquid and a relational correspondence between change in temperature and change in sound velocity of said liquid Δ
v/Δ
T; and(c) determining the average temperature of said liquid from vR, TR and Δ
v/Δ
T. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of determining the amount of water in a tank containing fuel and water which meet at a fuel-water interface comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting, from a transducer located beneath the surface of said fuel and above the fuel-water interface, a periodic burst of ultrasonic pulses toward said fuel surface; (b) measuring the combined height of said fuel and water in said tank using said pulse bursts; (c) measuring the fuel-water interface echo delay time for a first set of pulse bursts to travel from said transducer, reflect off said surface of said fuel a first time, reflect off said fuel-water interface, reflect off said surface of said fuel a second time, and be received by said transducer; and (d) determining, from said fuel-water interface echo delay time, the height of said fuel between said fuel surface and said fuel-water interface; and (e) subtracting the height of said fuel from the combined height of said fuel and water in said tank for obtaining the height of said water. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of measuring the amount of water in a tank containing fuel and water comprising the steps of:
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(a) transmitting, from a transducer located beneath the surface of said fuel and above the fuel-water interface, a periodic burst of pulses toward said fuel surface; (b) measuring, using said pulse burst and a plurality of reflectors each at a known distance from said transducer, the average velocity of sound in said fuel; (c) measuring, using said pulse burst and said reflectors, the average velocity of sound in said tank; (d) calculating the average temperature of said water and fuel in said tank from said average velocity of sound in said tank; and (e) determining, from said measured temperature and from the differences between said average velocity of sound in said fuel and said average velocity of sound in said tank, either the height or the volume of water in said tank. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification