System and method for opto-acoustic liquid quantity measurement and transducer therefor

• US 4,900,921 A
• Filed: 09/19/1988
• Issued: 02/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Simmonds Precision Products Incorporated Hercules Plaza Wilmington de 19894
• Original Assignee: Simmonds Precision Products, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Spillman, William B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Application Number:
  US07/246,103
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 250/227, 250/231 R, 250/231 P, 250/577, 73/290 V, 73/293
• US Class Current: 250/227.21
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/292 Light , e.g. infrared or ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2962 Measuring transit time of reflected waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2968 Transducers specially adapted for acoustic level indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 9/004 using fibre optic sensors light guides per se G02B6/00, acousto-optical devices specially adapted for gating or modulating in optical wave guides G02F1/125
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02836 Flow rate, liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/046 using optical excitation, e.g. laser bundle

Abstract

The system and method provide an electrically passive optically controlled acoustic transceiver system which measures the quantity of a liquid, such as aircraft fuel, in a tank. Pulsed electromagnetic radiation, such as light or infrared radiation, is guided through an optical fiber and impinged upon a flexible member adapted to flex when heated and transmit acoustic pulses. An optical fiber detector, is used to monitor the acoustic pulses reflected from the liquid level in a fuel tank. The system is electrically passive and does not require or use electrical power at the sensing location.

Claims

1. An optically controlled acoustic transmission and reception system, comprising:

a tank,

an electrically passive optically controlled acoustic transmitter,

an electrically passive acoustic receiver,

a first and a second source of electromagnetic radiation,

a first and a second optical fiber,

said transmitter being positioned to transmit acoustic waves into said tank,

said first optical fiber being connected to said transmitter and to said first source of electromagnetic radiation, said receiver being connected to said second optical fiber, said transmitter being adapted to convert said electromagnetic radiation into acoustic pulses, said receiver being adapted to modulate electromagnetic radiation from said second source passing through said second optical fiber in response to said acoustic pulses, whereby said acoustic pulses from said transmitter are received by said receiver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a detector, and said second optical fiber is connected to said detector, said detector being adapted to defect said electromagnetic radiation passing through said second optical fiber.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said system further comprises a detector, an analog to digital converter, a microprocessor and a display, and wherein said detector is connected to said second optical fiber and to said converter, said converter is connected to said microprocessor and said microprocessor is connected to said display, said modulated light from said second optical fiber being detected by said detector, said detector providing a signal to said converter, said converter providing a signal to said microprocessor, said microprocessor providing a signal representative of fuel quantity to said display, whereby the quantity of fuel in said tank is displayed.

4. An electrically passive optically activated transducer, comprising:

a first and a second optical fiber,

a flexible member adapted to vibrate and thereby provide acoustic waves in response to impingement thereon of pulsed electromagnetic radiation from said first optical fiber, said second optical fiber being adapted to modulate electromagnetic radiation passing through said second optical fiber in response to the impingement of said acoustic waves on said second optical fiber.

5. The transducer of claim 4 further comprising a first and a second source of electromagnetic radiation, said first source of electromagnetic radiation being adapted to transmit radiation into said first optical fiber, said second source of electromagnetic radiation being adapted to transmit light into said second optical fiber.

6. An electrically passive optically activated system, comprising a first and a second optical fiber, a source of pulsed infrared radiation, a source of visible light and a flexible member adapted to vibrate and thereby provide acoustic pulses in response to impingement of pulsed infrared radiation thereon said source of infrared radiation being adapted to transmit pulses of infrared radiation into said first optical fiber, said acoustic pulses from said flexible member being reflected to said second optical fiber, said source of visible light being adapted to transmit visible light into said second optical fiber, said second optical fiber being adapted to modulate said visible light passing through said second optical fiber in response to said reflected acoustic pulses.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a tank, said tank enclosing a chamber, said flexible member being adapted to transmit said acoustic pulses into said chamber, said second optical fiber being adapted to modulate said visible light passing through said second fiber in response to said acoustic pulses traveling within said chamber.

8. An electrically passive method of optically controlling acoustic transmission comprising:

(a) providing a tank enclosing a chamber, an electrically passive optically controlled acoustic transmitter, a first source of electromagnetic radiation, a first optical fiber, said transmitter being positioned to transmit acoustic waves into said tank, said optical fiber being connected to said transmitter and to said first source of electromagnetic radiation, said transmitter being adapted to convert said electromagnetic radiation into acoustic pulses, and

(b) transmitting electromagnetic radiation from said first source through said first fiber whereby acoustic waves are transmitted from said acoustic transmitter.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising

providing an electrically passive acoustic receiver, and a second source of electromagnetic radiation, said receiver comprising at least a portion of a second optical fiber,

said receiver being positioned to receive acoustic waves from said tank, said receiver being connected to said second optical fiber, said receiver being adapted to modulate electromagnetic radiation from said second source passing through said second optical fiber in response to said acoustic waves whereby said acoustic waves are received by said receiver.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said method further comprises providing a detector, and said second optical fiber is connected to said detector, said detector being adapted to an electrical signal in response to electromagnetic radiation passing through said second optical fiber.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said method further comprises providing an analog to digital converter, a microprocessor and a display, and wherein said detector is connected to said converter, said converter is connected to said microprocessor and said microprocessor is connected to said display, said detector providing a signal to said converter, said converter providing a signal to said microprocessor, said microprocessor providing a signal representative of fuel quantity to said display, whereby the quantity of fuel in said tank is displayed.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said electromagnetic radiation transmitted from said first source is infrared radiation.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said electromagnetic radiation from said first source is visible light.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising providing a stillwell said stillwell enclosing a passage, said stillwell being positioned in said chamber and connected to said tank, said transmitter being adapted to transmit acoustic waves into said passage.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising

providing an electrically passive acoustic receiver, and a second source of electromagnetic radiation, said receiver comprising at least a portion of a second optical fiber,

said receiver being positioned to receive acoustic waves from said tank, said receiver being connected to said second optical fiber, said receiver being adapted to modulate electromagnetic radiation from said second source passing through said second optical fiber in response to said acoustic waves whereby said acoustic waves are received by said receiver.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said receiver is positioned to receive acoustic waves traveling in said passage.

17. An electrically passive method of optically activating an acoustic transmitter for transmission of acoustic waves into a liquid enclosed by a tank comprising:

(a) providing a tank, an optical fiber,

a transducer comprising a flexible member adapted to vibrate in response to impingement of pulsed electromagnetic radiation thereon, said tank enclosing a liquid, said first optical fiber being adapted to pass electromagnetic radiation onto said flexible member, and

(b) passing electromagnetic radiation from an electromagnetic radiation source through said optical fiber onto said flexible member whereby said transducer transmits acoustic waves into said liquid.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said flexible member has a black coating.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing a detector, and wherein said tank encloses air, and said air and said gas form a liquid-air interface, a portion of said acoustic waves being reflected from said liquid-air interface to said detector, said detector being adapted to detect said reflected acoustic waves.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising liquid quantity determining means to determine the quantity of said liquid in said tank, said liquid quantity determining means being connected to said electromagnetic radiation source and to said detector.

21. An electrically passive method of fuel quantity measurement comprising (a) providing a tank enclosing liquid fuel said fuel having air-liquid interface,

(a) providing a first optical fiber,

a flexible member adapted to vibrate in response to impingement of pulsed electromagnetic radiation thereon, said first optical fiber being adapted to pass electromagnetic radiation onto said flexible member,

(b) passing electromagnetic radiation through said fiber optical fiber onto said flexible member whereby said transducer transmits acoustic waves,

providing an electrically passive acoustic receiver, and a second source of electromagnetic radiation, said receiver comprising at least a portion of a second optical fiber,

said receiver being positioned to receive acoustic waves from said tank, said receiver being connected to said second optical fiber, said receiver being adapted to modulate electromagnetic radiation from said second source passing through said second optical fiber in response to said acoustic waves whereby said acoustic waves are received by said receiver,

measuring the time period required for said acoustic waves to travel to said air-liquid interface and back to said receiver, and

determining the quantity of said liquid fuel from said time period and information relating liquid quantity in said tank to said time period.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising providing a microprocessor and a memory and wherein said information relating liquid quantity to said time period is stored in said memory, and said determination of fuel quantity is made in said microprocessor.

23. An electrically passive system for liquid quantity determination, comprising:

a tank,

an electrically passive optically controlled acoustic transmitter, said transmitter comprising an optical fiber,

an optical source,

an acoustic detector,

microprocessor,

said optical source and said acoustic detector being connected to said microprocessor,

said optical source being connected to said optical fiber,

said tank being adapted to enclose liquid and air, said liquid and air having a liquid-air interface,

said transmitter being adapted to transmit initial acoustic waves through said liquid to said liquid-air interface,

a portion of said initial acoustic waves being reflected from said liquid-air interface,

said acoustic detector being adapted to detect said reflected acoustic waves,

said microprocessor being adapted to determine the quantity of said liquid in said tank.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said liquid is a fuel.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said acoustic detector is electrically passive.

26. The system of claim 23 further comprising a display, said display being connected to said microprocessor, said display being adapted to display said quantity of said liquid in said tank.