Systems and methods of determining a quality and a quantity of a fluid

• US 9,038,442 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SSI Technologies, LLC (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SSI Technologies, Inc. (Amphenol Corporation)
• Inventors: Reimer, Lawrence B., Murphy, Gregory P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rogers, David A
• Application Number:
  US14/286,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20140250986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 73 6141- 6144, 73/614.9, 73/616.1, 73/645.3, 732/90.B, 732/90.R, 732/90.V
• US Class Current: 73/61.61
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2610/1406 Storage means for substances, e.g. tanks or reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/2066 Selective catalytic reduction [SCR]
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2962 Measuring transit time of reflected waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2965 Measuring attenuation of transmitted waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/20 of apparatus for measuring liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/024 by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A system for sensing a fluid. The system including a fixed object; a first transducer generating a first sound wave in a horizontal direction and to detect a first echo of the first sound wave from the fixed object; a second transducer generating a second sound wave in a vertical direction; a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the fluid; and a controller. The controller configured to produce a first signal to drive the first transducer to produce the first sound wave, produce a second signal to drive the second transducer to produce the second sound wave, receive a first indication of the detected first echo, receive a second indication of the detected second echo, receive a temperature indication, determine a quality of the fluid based on the first indication and the temperature indication, and determine a quantity of the fluid based on the second indication.

Claims

1. A system for determining a quality and a quantity of a fluid in a tank having a bottom, the system comprising:

a fixed object;

a first transducer configured to generate a first sound wave in a horizontal direction and to detect a first echo of the first sound wave from the fixed object, the first transducer configured to be positioned near the bottom of the tank, and the fixed object positioned a known distance away from the transducer;

a second transducer configured to generate a second sound wave in a vertical direction and to detect a second echo of the second sound wave, the second transducer configured to be positioned near the bottom of the tank such that the second sound wave travels toward a surface of the fluid in the tank;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fluid; and

a controller configured to;

produce a first signal to drive the first transducer to produce the first sound wave,

produce a second signal to drive the second transducer to produce the second sound wave,

receive a first indication of the detected first echo from the first transducer,

receive a second indication of the detected second echo from the second transducer,

receive a temperature indication of the fluid from the temperature sensor,

determine a quality of the fluid based on the first indication and the temperature indication, and

determine a quantity of the fluid based on the second indication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a contaminant exists in the fluid based on whether a dilution of the fluid is detected while a measured volume of the fluid decreases.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transducer and the second transducer produce an ultrasonic sound wave.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines that the detected first echo is valid when the detected first echo is received by the first transducer within a predetermined time limit, has an amplitude that falls within a predetermined range, has a duration within a predetermined time range, or a combination of the foregoing.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines that the detected second is valid when the detected second echo is received by the second transducer within a predetermined time limit, has an amplitude that falls within a predetermined range, has a duration within a predetermined time range, or a combination of the foregoing.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid is a urea solution.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller determines a speed of sound of the fluid based on the first indication and the temperature indication.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the quality of the fluid includes determining a concentration of the fluid.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the quantity of the fluid includes determining a level of the fluid.

10. A sensing system for sensing a fluid in a tank, the system comprising:

a sensor housing;

a fixed target;

a first transducer configured to generate a first sound wave and to detect a first echo of the first sound wave from the fixed target, the first transducer positioned near the bottom of the tank, the fixed object positioned a known distance away from the transducer;

a second transducer configured to generate a second sound wave and to detect a second echo of the second sound wave, the second transducer positioned to direct the second sound wave toward a surface of the fluid in the tank;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fluid; and

a controller configured to;

produce a first signal to drive the first transducer to produce the first sound wave,

produce a second signal to drive the second transducer to produce the second sound wave,

receive a first indication of the detected first echo from the first transducer,

receive a second indication of the detected second echo from the second transducer,

receive a temperature indication of the temperature of the fluid from the temperature sensor,

determine a quality of the fluid based on the first indication and the temperature indication, and

determine a quantity of the fluid based on the second indication, and the temperature indication.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a contaminant exists in the fluid based on whether a dilution of the fluid is detected while a measured volume of the fluid decreases.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first transducer and the second transducer produce an ultrasonic sound wave.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller determines that the detected first echo is valid when the detected first echo is received by the first transducer within a predetermined time limit, has an amplitude that falls within a predetermined range, has a duration within a predetermined time range, or a combination of the foregoing.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller determines that the detected second echo is valid when the detected second echo is received by the second transducer within a predetermined time limit, has an amplitude that falls within a predetermined range, has a duration within a predetermined time range, or a combination of the foregoing.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the fluid is a urea solution.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller determines a speed of sound of the fluid based on the first indication and the temperature indication.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the quality of the fluid includes determining a concentration of the fluid.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the quantity of the fluid includes determining a level of the fluid.

19. A method of sensing a fluid in a tank, the method comprising:

generating a first sound wave in a horizontal direction;

detecting an echo of the first sound wave from a fixed object positioned at a known location;

generating a second sound wave in a vertical direction such that the second sound wave travels toward a surface of the fluid in the tank;

detecting an echo of the second sound wave;

detecting a temperature of the fluid;

determining a quality of the fluid based on the echo of the first sound wave and the temperature; and

determining a quantity of the fluid based on the echo of the second sound wave, and the temperature.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining whether a contaminant exists in the fluid based on whether a dilution of the fluid is detected while a measured volume of the fluid decreases.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining that the echo of the first sound wave is valid when the echo of the first sound wave is received within a predetermined time limit, has an amplitude that falls within a predetermined range, has a duration within a predetermined time range, or a combination of the foregoing.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining that the echo of the second sound wave is valid when the echo of the second sound wave is received within a predetermined time limit, has an amplitude that falls within a predetermined range, has a duration within a predetermined time range, or a combination of the foregoing.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the fluid is a urea solution.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining a speed of sound of the fluid based on the echo of the first sound wave and the temperature.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein determining the quality of the fluid includes determining a concentration of the fluid.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein determining the quantity of the fluid includes determining a level of the fluid.