Level measuring arrangement

• US 6,184,818 B1
• Filed: 03/12/1999
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Meinel, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US09/266,761
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 342/118, 342/124, 342/165, 342/169, 342/170, 342/172, 342/173, 342/174, 342/175, 342/192, 342/193, 342/195, 342/196, 732/90.R, 732/94, 732/98, 733/04.R, 733/04.C, 733/05, 324/642, 324/643, 324/644
• US Class Current: 342/124
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/284 Electromagnetic waves

Abstract

An arrangement for measuring the liquid level in a tank. The arrangement has a microwave transmitting/receiving device and a waveguide that extends into the tank for guiding a coupled-in microwave. The waveguide has clear and constant wave propagation characteristics for a wave with the operating frequency.

Claims

1. A system for measuring levels of a liquid contained in a tank comprising:

transmitting and receiving device for emitting or receiving microwave signals;

a waveguide coupled to said transmitting and receiving device for guiding said microwave signals, wherein said waveguide extends into the liquid and has a configuration so that microwave signals propagated through said waveguide in an operating frequency remain unambiguous and constant; and

at least one calibration marking positioned along a length of said waveguide, said at least one calibration marking being positioned to avoid interference with the microwave signals propagated through said waveguide for measuring the liquid levels in the tank,

wherein a microwave signal having a polarization plane that is rotated relative to the level measuring operation and high sensitivity to the at least one calibration marking is excited for a calibration operation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said waveguide is a leakage waveguide.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said waveguide is a hollow conductor.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said waveguide is dimensioned to operate in an unambiguous range for an excited fundamental mode.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said waveguide is a round hollow conductor and the excited fundamental mode is an H₁₁ mode.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein said waveguide is a rectangular hollow conductor and the excited fundamental mode is an H₁₀ mode.

7. A system for measuring levels of a liquid contained in a tank comprising:

a transmitting and receiving device for emitting or receiving microwave signals;

a waveguide coupled to said transmitting and receiving device for guiding said microwave signals, wherein said waveguide extends into the liquid and has a configuration so that microwaves signals propagated through said waveguide in an operating frequency remain unambiguous and constant; and

a pipe surrounding said waveguide, said pipe having a first plurality of flow openings disposed along a course of said pipe for allowing liquid to flow into the pipe,

wherein said waveguide has a second plurality of flow openings along one or several casing lines of a wall of said waveguide, said second plurality of flow openings positioned to avoid interference with the microwave signals propagated through said waveguide.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said casing lines are disposed on the waveguide wall and microwave signals propagated through said waveguide for a level measuring operation and microwave signals propagated through said waveguide for a calibration operation are equally influenced by said casing lines.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said casing lines are disposed on the waveguide wall in a center plane between a polarization plane for an excited microwave signal for the level measuring operation and a polarization plane for an excited microwave signal for the calibration operation.