System for monitoring fluent material within a container
First Claim
1. In a method of monitoring an unknown volume of a fluent material within a container by directing acoustical energy at an excitation frequency into the container and sensing acoustical vibrations emitted therefrom having phase and amplitude characteristics, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- varying the excitation frequency to sweep a frequency band between limits respectively corresponding to cavity resonance conditions of the container when full and empty;
measuring at least one of the characteristics of the acoustical vibrations during said variation in the excitation frequency;
detecting abrupt changes in said one of the measured characteristics of the acoustical vibrations;
registering the excitation frequency during said detection of the abrupt changes in the measured characteristic; and
calculating the unknown volume of the fluent material from said registered excitation frequency corresponding to cavity resonance conditions of the container between said limits of the frequency band.
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Abstract
The acoustical energy output of a source is varied in frequency between limits to sweep a frequency band encompassing cavity resonance conditions which depend on the quantity of a fluent material within a tank excited by such acoustical energy. The volume of the fluent material is calculated from the excitation frequency registered during verified detection of resonance conditions, based on abrupt changes in signal characteristics and stored data relating to the geometry of the acoustic sensor arrangement through which the tank interior is monitored.
170 Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a method of monitoring an unknown volume of a fluent material within a container by directing acoustical energy at an excitation frequency into the container and sensing acoustical vibrations emitted therefrom having phase and amplitude characteristics, the improvement comprising the steps of:
- varying the excitation frequency to sweep a frequency band between limits respectively corresponding to cavity resonance conditions of the container when full and empty;
measuring at least one of the characteristics of the acoustical vibrations during said variation in the excitation frequency;
detecting abrupt changes in said one of the measured characteristics of the acoustical vibrations;
registering the excitation frequency during said detection of the abrupt changes in the measured characteristic; and
calculating the unknown volume of the fluent material from said registered excitation frequency corresponding to cavity resonance conditions of the container between said limits of the frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- varying the excitation frequency to sweep a frequency band between limits respectively corresponding to cavity resonance conditions of the container when full and empty;
- 7. A system for monitoring the quantity of a fluent material within a container, including a source of acoustical energy externally of the container, means for directing the acoustical energy from said source into the container, said acoustical energy varying in excitation frequency between frequency limits respectively established under cavity resonance conditions in the container when empty and full of the fluent material, means operatively mounted on the container for sensing acoustical vibrations emitted therefrom during said variation of the excitation frequency, means operatively connected to the sensing means for detecting abrupt changes in at least one of the signal characteristics of the sensed acoustical vibrations, data storage means connected to the detecting means for registering the excitation frequency of the acoustical energy during said detection of the abrupt changes corresponding to cavity resonance conditions in the container and data processing means connected to the storage means for calculating volume of said fluent material as a function of the registered excitation frequency and said frequency limits.
- 14. In a system for monitoring the quantity of a fluent material, including a source of acoustical energy varying in excitation frequency, resonance cavity means into which said acoustical energy is directed for producing acoustical vibrations at a resonance value of the excitation frequency dependent on the quantity of the fluent material therein and sensing means for producing signals in response to said acoustical vibrations, the improvement residing in said resonance cavity means including separate interrelated chambers within which the fluent material is retained and the sensing means is located, respectively, means directing the acoustical energy into at least one of the chambers without interference for inducing the acoustical vibrations at said excitation frequency varying between limits respectively established by resonance conditions within said one of the chambers when empty and full of the fluent material retained therein, resonance detecting means connected to the sensing means for registering said resonant value of the excitation frequency during an abrupt change in characteristic of the signal produced in response to the acoustical vibrations being sensed and data processing means connected to the resonance detecting means for calculating the quantity of the fluent material as a function of the registered resonant value of the excitation frequency and the established limits thereof.
Specification