Arrangement for fill level measurement

• US 8,511,159 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Company KG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Original Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Company KG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Inventors: Klofer, Peter, Mayer, Winfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG T
• Application Number:
  US12/457,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20100000314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 732/90.V, 733/27, 342/124, 342/22, 342 73-103, 342/118, 342/125, 342128-144, 324/600, 324/629, 324/637, 324/642, 324/644
• US Class Current: 73/290.V
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/284 Electromagnetic waves

Abstract

An arrangement for measuring fill levels of fill substances located in containers with a single fill-level measuring device operating according to the travel time principle, and arranged removed from the measuring locations at which a fill level is to be measured and having an antenna for directed sending of microwaves and for receiving microwaves. The arrangement includes: a mirror arrangement, which has, arranged at a measuring location above the fill substance, at least one mirror, which transmits, to the surface of the fill substance, microwaves sent from the antenna in their transmission direction and which transmits, back to the antenna, their echoes reflected on the surface of the fill substance; and a measuring device electronics, which is fed, in measurement operation, received signals received with the antenna, and which, on the basis of the received signals, ascertains the travel times of the microwaves reflected at the measuring locations on the surface of the fill substance and ascertains therefrom, on the basis of the positions of the mirrors arranged above the fill substance at the measuring locations, the fill levels at the measuring locations.

Claims

1. An arrangement for measuring fill levels of fill substances located in containers at different predetermined measuring locations, comprising:

a fill level measuring device arranged removed from the measuring locations, and operating with microwaves according to the travel time principle, said fill-level measuring device having an antenna for directed sending of microwaves and for receiving microwaves;

a mirror arrangement, which has mirrors arranged at the measuring locations above the fill substance, and which transmits onto the surface of the fill substance, at the measuring locations, microwaves sent from said antenna in their transmission direction and which transmits back to said antenna their echoes reflected on the surface of the fill substance; and

a measuring device electronics, to which are fed, in measurement operation, received signals received with said antenna, and which, on the basis of the received signals, ascertains the travel times of the microwaves reflected at the measuring locations on the surface of the fill substance and ascertains therefrom, on the basis of the positions of said mirror arrangement arranged above the fill substance, the present fill levels at the measuring locations.

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said antenna is arranged outside the container above the fill substance, and is oriented in such a manner, that it radiates, in measurement operation, microwaves in a transmission direction, which extends out over the surface of the fill substance;

said mirrors include a single mirror arranged at the measuring location above the fill substance, on which microwaves radiated in the transmission direction impinge in measurement operation, and which is arranged inclined relative to the transmission direction in such a manner, that microwaves impinging on said single mirror in the transmission direction are reflected therefrom at the measuring location onto the surface of the fill substance, and that their echoes reflected on the surface of the fill substance are transmitted by said single mirror to said antenna.

3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

certain of said mirrors have a form, which, in the reflection of microwaves impinging thereon, effect a focusing of the microwaves.