Wireless sensing system for non-invasive monitoring of attributes of contents in a container

• US 7,814,786 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Woodard, Stanley E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOLB, NATHANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/015,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 733/04.C, 733/04.R, 732/90.R, 732/91, 73/530.1
• US Class Current: 73/291
• 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: G01R 33/1223 Measuring permeability, i.e. permeameters G01R33/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A wireless sensing system monitors the level, temperature, magnetic permeability and electrical dielectric constant of a non-gaseous material in a container. An open-circuit electrical conductor is shaped to form a two-dimensional geometric pattern that can store and transfer electrical and magnetic energy. The conductor resonates in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field to generate a harmonic response. The conductor is mounted in an environmentally-sealed housing. A magnetic field response recorder wirelessly transmits the time-varying magnetic field to power the conductor, and wirelessly detects the harmonic response that is an indication of at least one of level of the material in the container, temperature of the material in the container, magnetic permeability of the material in the container, and dielectric constant of the material in the container.

Claims

1. A wireless sensing system for simultaneously monitoring one or more of level, temperature, magnetic permeability and electrical dielectric constant of a non-gaseous material in an electrically non-conductive container, said system comprising:

an environmentally-sealed housing that is electrically non-conductive, said housing adapted to be positioned adjacent to an electrically non-conductive container that stores a non-gaseous material having electrical dielectric and magnetic permeability properties, said housing spanning a selected height of the container;

an electrical conductor having first and second ends and shaped to form a two-dimensional geometric pattern between said first and second ends, said conductor in said geometric pattern and portions thereof defining an open-circuit that can store and transfer electrical and magnetic energy, said conductor resonating in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field to generate a harmonic response, said conductor mounted in said housing such that said geometric pattern substantially spans said selected height of the container; and

a magnetic field response recorder for wirelessly transmitting said time-varying magnetic field to power said conductor and for wirelessly detecting said harmonic response that is an indication of at least one of level of the material in the container, temperature of the material in the container, magnetic permeability of the material in the container, and dielectric constant of the material in the container.

2. A wireless sensing system as in claim 1 wherein said conductor comprises a thin-film trace defining said geometric pattern.

3. A wireless sensing system as in claim 2 wherein the width of said trace is non-uniform.

4. A wireless sensing system as in claim 2 wherein the spacing between adjacent portions of said trace is non-uniform.

5. A wireless sensing system as in claim 1 wherein said geometric pattern is a spiral.

6. A wireless sensing system as in claim 1 wherein said magnetic field response recorder includes a transceiving antenna mounted in said housing and spaced apart from said conductor so-shaped in said geometric pattern.

7. A wireless sensing system as in claim 6, further comprising a vapor barrier between said antenna and said container.

8. A wireless sensing system for simultaneously monitoring one or more of level, temperature, magnetic permeability and electrical dielectric constant of a non-gaseous material in an electrically non-conductive container, said system comprising:

an environmentally-sealed housing that is electrically non-conductive, said housing adapted to be positioned adjacent to an electrically non-conductive container that stores a non-gaseous material having magnetic permeability and electrical dielectric properties, said housing defining a chamber spanning a selected height of the container;

an electrical conductor having first and second ends and shaped to form a two-dimensional geometric pattern between said first and second ends, said conductor in said geometric pattern and portions thereof defining an open-circuit that can store and transfer electrical and magnetic energy, said conductor resonating in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field to generate a harmonic response, said conductor mounted in said chamber such that said geometric pattern substantially spans said selected height of the container at a fixed distance from the container and in a fixed orientation with respect to the container; and

a magnetic field response recorder for wirelessly transmitting said time-varying magnetic field to power said conductor and for wirelessly detecting said harmonic response that is an indication of at least one of level of the material in the container, temperature of the material in the container, magnetic permeability of the material in the container, and dielectric constant of the material in the container.

9. A wireless sensing system as in claim 8 wherein said conductor comprises a thin-film trace defining said geometric pattern.

10. A wireless sensing system as in claim 9 wherein the width of said trace is non-uniform.

11. A wireless sensing system as in claim 9 wherein the spacing between adjacent portions of said trace is non-uniform.

12. A wireless sensing system as in claim 8 wherein said geometric pattern is a spiral.

13. A wireless sensing system as in claim 8 wherein said magnetic field response recorder includes a transceiving antenna mounted in said housing and spaced apart from said conductor so-shaped in said geometric pattern.

14. A wireless sensing system as in claim 13, further comprising a vapor barrier between said antenna and said container.

15. A wireless sensing system for simultaneously monitoring one or more of level, temperature, magnetic permeability and electrical dielectric constant of a non-gaseous material in an electrically conductive container, said system comprising:

an environmentally-sealed housing that is electrically non-conductive, said housing adapted to be partially positioned in said electrically conductive container that stores a non-gaseous material having electrical dielectric and magnetic permeability properties, said housing spanning the height of said container and extending for a selected distance beyond said container height;

an electrical conductor having first and second ends and shaped to form two-dimensional geometric pattern between said first and second ends, said conductor in said geometric pattern and portions thereof defining an open-circuit that can store and transfer electrical and magnetic energy, said conductor resonating in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field to generate a harmonic response, said conductor mounted in said housing such that said geometric pattern substantially spans said height of said housing; and

a magnetic field response recorder for wirelessly transmitting said time-varying magnetic field to power said conductor and for wirelessly detecting said harmonic response that is an indication of at least one of level of the material in said container, temperature of the material in the container, magnetic permeability of the material in the container, and dielectric constant of the material in the container.

16. A wireless sensing system as in claim 15 wherein said conductor comprises a thin-film trace defining said geometric pattern.

17. A wireless sensing system as in claim 16 wherein the width of said trace is non-uniform.

18. A wireless sensing system as in claim 16 wherein the spacing between adjacent portions of said trace is non-uniform.

19. A wireless sensing system as in claim 15 wherein said geometric pattern is a spiral.

20. A wireless sensing system as in claim 15 wherein said magnetic field response recorder includes a transceiving antenna mounted in said housing and spaced apart from said conductor so-shaped in said geometric pattern.

21. A wireless sensing system as in claim 15 wherein said magnetic field response recorder includes a transceiving antenna mounted apart from said housing and from said conductor so-shaped in said geometric pattern.

22. A wireless sensing system as in claim 21, further comprising a vapor barrier between said antenna and said container.

23. A wireless sensing system as in claim 21 wherein said antenna is positioned between a vapor barrier and said container.