Apparatus for measuring the level of a liquid in a tank

• US 5,602,333 A
• Filed: 06/17/1994
• Issued: 02/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing UK Ltd. (Signature Aviation US Topco LLC)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
• Inventors: Larrabee, David A., Wyler, John S., Ahmad, Farid
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMROZOWICZ, PAUL DOUGLAS
• Application Number:
  US08/261,844
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 73/304 R, 73/304 C, 73/149, 73/290 R, 340/620, 361/284, 324/675, 324/681, 324/682, 324/690, 364/509, 364/550, 364/560, 364/576
• US Class Current: 73/149
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/26 by measuring variations of capacity or inductance of capacitors or inductors arising from the presence of liquid or fluent solid material in the electric or electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/266 measuring circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/268 mounting arrangements of probes

Abstract

A fuel gauging system for use in determining the level of fuel in a tank. The system incorporates a resonant circuit for measuring the resonant frequency of at least one probe immersed in the fuel located in the tank. From measurements of variations of the frequency of resonance, the level of liquid in the tank is determined, and the fuel quantity is then calculated and displayed.

Claims

1. Apparatus for measuring the level of a liquid in a tank comprising:

at least one probe disposed in the tank for at least partial immersion in the liquid;

means electrically coupled to said probe for providing a resonant circuit defining a resonant frequency, said resonant frequency being a function of the level of immersion of the probe by the liquid in the tank;

a generator for applying an electrical input signal to said probe resonant circuit;

means for determining said probe resonant frequency;

means electrically coupled to said probe resonant frequency determining means for computing and displaying the quantity of said liquid in said tank; and

at least another probe disposed in said tank and connected in electrical parallel relation with said at least one probe, each probe connected in said resonant circuit having a distinct resonant frequency corresponding to a predetermined liquid level in the tank, and each probe resonant frequency lying within a range of frequencies which do not overlap with one another between maximum and minimum probe immersion conditions;

whereby the quantity of liquid in the tank can be determined from said resonant frequency measurement.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said resonant circuit includes a capacitor and an inductor connected in series.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said probe has a capacitance which is a function of its depth of immersion in the liquid, and wherein said resonant frequency is a function of said capacitance.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said capacitor and said inductor are provided in said probe.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said capacitor comprises an inner tube and an outer tube concentric with one another and disposed transversely relative to changes in liquid level in the tank, and wherein said inductor is carried within said inner tube of said capacitor.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, including means for spacing said inner and outer tubes apart along their lengths, and means for preventing said tubes from rotating relative to one another.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said inductor includes a wire wrapped helically around an electrically-insulated tube encapsulated in a electrically non-conductive material and surrounded by said inner tube of said capacitor.

8. Apparatus for measuring the level of a liquid in a tank comprising:

a plurality of probes disposed in the tank for at least partial immersion in the liquid;

means electrically coupled to each probe for providing a series LC resonant circuit defining a distinct resonant frequency, said resonant frequency being a function of the level of immersion of the probe in the liquid;

means connecting said series LC resonant circuits in electrical parallel relation, said LC resonant circuits being operable in ranges of resonance which do not overlap one another;

a generator for applying electrical input signals at selected ones of different frequencies to said probe resonant circuits;

means for determining said probe resonant frequencies; and

means electrically coupled to said probe resonant frequency determining means for comparing stored resonant frequencies with known liquid levels and computing and displaying the quantity of said liquid in said tank;

whereby the quantity of liquid in the tank can be determined from said resonant frequency measurements.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said ranges of resonance of the probes correspond to ranges of immersion of the probes in the liquid between minimum and maximum conditions of immersion.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said probe includes elongate electrically conductive elements extending alongside one another in spaced relation to form a capacitive gap therebetween, and an inductor carried by one of said elements for cooperating therewith to form said LC circuit.

12. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of probes comprises:

an elongate capacitor assembly having an inner tube and an outer tube, said inner and outer tubes being of electrically conductive material and being concentric with each other;

spacer means for providing a gap between said inner and outer tubes along their lengths for admitting liquid therebetween;

an elongate inductor connected in series with said inner tube of said capacitor assembly, said inductor being of electrically-conductive material wrapped helically around an electrically insulated core;

a layer of electrical insulating material surrounding said inductor on the inside of said inner tube of said capacitor assembly; and

said inductor being substantially coextensive in length with said inner tube of said capacitor assembly.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the capacitance of said capacitor assembly is in a range of between about 48 and 192 pF in the absence of liquid between the tubes and in a range of between about 96 to about 384 pF when full of liquid between the tubes;

where the inductor has an inductance in a range about 141 to about 824 mH, to provide a resonant frequency in the absence of liquid in a range of 1.935 to 0.4 MHz and a resonant frequency in a range of 1.368 to 0.283 MHz when full of liquid.

11. In an aircraft having a fuel tank, apparatus for measuring the level of fuel in the tank comprising:

a plurality of probes disposed in the tank for at least partial immersion in the fuel;

each probe including an elongate air gap capacitor and an inductor associated with it for providing an LC resonant circuit defining a distinct resonant frequency, said resonant frequency being a function of the level of fuel in the air gap;

means connecting said LC resonant circuits of each probe in electrical parallel relation, said LC resonant circuits operable in ranges of resonance which do not overlap one another in their normal course of operation;

a generator for applying electrical input signals at selected ones of different frequencies to said probe resonant circuits;

means for determining said probe resonant frequencies; and

means electrically coupled to said probe resonant frequency determining means for comparing stored resonant frequencies with known fuel levels in the tank and computing and displaying the fuel quantity in said tank;

whereby the fuel level in the tank and hence quantity of fuel can be determined from said resonant frequency measurements.