Fill level measuring device working with microwaves

• US 8,884,632 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• 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): Hollington, Jermele M
• Assistant Examiner(s): CURTIS, SEAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/122,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20110193567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 324/629, 324/637, 324/642, 324/76.56
• US Class Current: 324/642
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/284 Electromagnetic waves

Abstract

A fill level measuring device. On a plurality of different signal paths, microwave signals can be transmitted into a container, and their associated echo signals recorded. The device includes: measuring device electronics having a microwave generator for the successive production of microwave signals; and, connected thereto, a frequency-selective, passive antenna arrangement, which has a number of frequency-selective elements—especially bandpass filters—in each case transmissive for one of the different wanted frequencies. Via the antennas and the frequency-selective elements, for each of the different microwave signals and its echo signal, a uniquely associated signal path is specified, via which a microwave signal is transmitted into the container and its echo signal, reflected back to the antenna arrangement, is received and fed to the measuring device electronics. The device also includes an apparatus, which is provided in the measuring device electronics and which associates successively arriving echo signals with the associated signal path.

Claims

1. A fill level measuring device working with microwaves according to the travel time principle for fill level measurement of fill substances located in containers, comprising:

a measuring device electronics having a microwave generator for successive production of microwave signals having different wanted frequencies;

a frequency-selective, passive antenna arrangement connected thereto, which has a plurality of antennas, which serve to successively transmit the different microwave signals into the container, and to receive their echo signals reflected back to said antenna arrangement, which has a plurality of frequency-selective elements, especially bandpass filters, in each case transmissive for one of the different wanted frequencies, and in which, via said antennas and said frequency-selective elements, for each of the different microwave signals and its echo signal, a uniquely associated signal path is specified, via which such microwave signal is transmitted into the container, and

its echo signal, reflected back to the antenna arrangement, is received and fed to said measuring device electronics; and

an apparatus, which is provided in said measuring device electronics and which associates successively arriving echo signals with the associated signal path.

2. The fill level measuring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

one of said antennas is a transmitting antenna, which serves to transmit the different microwave signals into the container;

the remaining antennas are receiving antennas, which serve to receive the echo signals of the different microwave signals reflected back to said antenna arrangement by reflections in the container;

in said antenna arrangement, after each receiving antenna, a frequency-selective element is connected, especially a bandpass filter, transmissive for one of the different wanted frequencies, this element serving to filter out from the received signal taken up by said particular receiving antenna the echo signal having such wanted frequency; and

said apparatus associates the successive echo signals transmitted from said antenna arrangement to said measuring device electronics with said receiving antennas, from which they were received.

3. The fill level measuring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

one of said antennas is a receiving antenna 1, which serves to receive the echo signals of the different microwave signals reflected back to said antenna arrangement by reflections in the container;

the remaining antennas are transmission antennas, which serve, in each case, to transmit one of the different microwave signals into the container;

in the antenna arrangement, placed in front of each transmitting antenna is a frequency-selective element, especially a bandpass filter, transmissive for one of the different wanted frequencies, which serves to filter out from the microwave signals produced by said microwave generator that signal, which, in measurement operation, is transmitted via the particular transmitting antenna; and

said apparatus associates the successive echo signals transmitted from said antenna arrangement to said measuring device electronics with said transmitting antennas, from which the associated microwave signals were transmitted.

4. The fill level measuring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said antennas are transmitting and receiving antennas, which serve to transmit the different microwave signals into the container, and to receive their echo signals reflected back to said antenna arrangement by reflections in the container;

in said antenna arrangement, associated with each transmitting and receiving antenna is a frequency-selective element, especially a bandpass filter, transmissive for one of the different wanted frequencies, and serving to filter out from the microwave signals produced by said microwave generator and conveyed to said antenna arrangement, and to convey to said transmitting and receiving antenna, that signal, which is transmitted via such transmitting and receiving antenna; and

serving to filter out from the received signal taken up by such transmitting and receiving antenna the associated echo signal having such wanted frequency; and

said apparatus associates the successive echo signals transmitted from said antenna arrangement to said measuring device electronics with said transmitting and receiving antenna, via which the associated microwave signal was transmitted and its echo signal received.

5. The fill level measuring device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said measuring device electronics is connected with said antenna arrangement exclusively via a single waveguide;

via which the different microwave signals are transmitted from said measuring device electronics to said antenna arrangement, and the echo signals are transmitted from said antenna arrangement to said measuring device electronics; and

via which is connected a transmitter/receiver separator provided in said antenna arrangement to all of said transmission antennas and to all of said receiving antennas.

6. The fill level measuring device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said measuring device electronics is connected with said antenna arrangement via a transmission waveguide, via which the transmission antennas are fed with the different microwave signals; and

said measuring device electronics is connected with said antenna arrangement via a receiving wave guide, via which the echo signals are transferred from said antenna arrangement to said measuring device electronics.

7. The fill level measuring device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said receiving antennas are arranged in a group spatially neighboring one another; and

said transmitting antenna is arranged spatially outside the group.

8. The fill level measuring device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said transmission antennas are arranged in a group spatially neighboring one another; and

said receiving antenna is arranged spatially outside the group.

9. The fill level measuring device as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said receiving antennas spatially surround said transmitting antenna;

said transmitting antenna is pointed toward the fill substance in the container,

said receiving antennas have, in each case, an orientation inclined relative to the orientation of said transmitting antenna; and

the receiving regions of the individual receiving antennas covered by the respective receiving antenna and predetermined by the orientation of the receiving antennas overlap partially.

10. The fill level measuring device as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said transmission antennas spatially surround said receiving antenna;

said receiving antenna is pointed toward the fill substance in the container;

said transmission antennas have, in each case, an orientation inclined relative to the orientation of said receiving antenna; and

the transmission regions of the individual transmission antennas predetermined by the orientations of the transmission antennas lie at least partially in the receiving region of the receiving antenna and overlap partially.