Marine probe with no moving parts for a marine tank

• US 9,347,848 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2016
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Measurement Methods Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovative Measurement Methods Inc.
• Inventors: Bukhman, Alexander, Brodsky, Yosef, Westmoreland, Allen Ray, Hoben, John Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Carol S
• Application Number:
  US15/041,847
• Time in Patent Office: 103 Days
• Field of Search: 702/50, 701/984, 701/612
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/228 Measuring or indicating means, e.g. of level, volume, weight
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 22/00 Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/18 Indicating, recording or alarm devices actuated electrically
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/185 for discrete levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/80 Arrangements for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2847 Water in oils
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/26 by measuring pressure differences

Abstract

A marine probe with no moving parts for use in one or more tanks on a floating vessel. The marine probe has pressure transducers, temperature sensors, an inclinometer, and a probe processor electrically connected to the pressure transducers, temperature sensors, inclinometer and a probe data storage. The marine probe controls the temperature sensors and pressure transducers to produce bidirectional signals and calculate at least one physical property, performs adaptive measurement for dynamic and static synchronized and non-synchronized measurement, identifies temperature sensors and pressure transducers not covered by the fluid, measures multiple parameters of the fluid in the tank, calibrates pressure transducers in a vapor space of the tank when the pressure transducers are no longer in the fluid, and creates bidirectional signals using values from the inclinometer transferring the bidirectional signals to a client device via a network.

Claims

1. A marine probe with no moving parts for use in a tank of a floating vessel, the tank having a floor and at least one wall, the marine probe configured for continuous measurement of a fluid while immersed in the fluid, wherein the marine probe comprises:

a) a processor housing configured to prevent degradation in marine environments;

b) a plurality of sensor housings connected to the processor housing;

c) a plurality of pressure transducers, each pressure transducer within a sensor housing, each pressure transducer having a diaphragm, each pressure transducer configured for continuous pressure measurement through direct contact with the fluid in the tank;

d) a plurality of temperature sensors, each temperature sensor within a sensor housing or contained in each pressure transducer, each temperature sensor configured for continuous temperature measurement of the fluid in the tank;

e) an inclinometer mounted to the floating vessel or within the processor housing for measuring angles of the floating vessel relative to gravity;

f) a probe processor in the processor housing, the probe processor electrically and bidirectionally connected to the plurality of pressure transducers, to the plurality of temperature sensors, the inclinometer and a network; and

g) a probe data storage in the processor housing, the probe data storage in communication with the probe processor, the probe data storage being a computer readable medium with computer instructions for instructing the probe processor to control the plurality of temperature sensors and the plurality of pressure transducers to produce bidirectional signals to the network, to the plurality of temperature sensors and to the plurality of pressure transducers, the probe data storage containing;

(i) a tank capacity table;

(ii) computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to calculate at least one physical property for the fluid, the physical property selected from the group consisting of;

1) a mass of the fluid;

2) a volume of the fluid;

3) a density strata of the fluid;

4) an average density of the fluid;

5) a level of the fluid;

6) a fluid temperature;

7) a fluid flow rate;

8) a fluid pressure;

9) an amount of impurity in the fluid;

10) an entrained water content in the fluid; and

11) a free water content in the fluid;

(iii) computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to;

perform adaptive measurement for at least one of;

1) a synchronized measurement of the fluid in static operation;

2) a non-synchronized measurement of the fluid in static operation;

3) a non-synchronized measurement of the fluid in dynamic operation; and

4) a synchronized measurement of the fluid in dynamic operation;

(iv) computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to identify which of the plurality of temperature sensors and the plurality of pressure transducers are not covered by the fluid by comparing signals from the plurality of temperature sensors and the plurality of pressure transducers to each other;

(v) computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to measure movement of the fluid in the tank;

(vi) computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to calibrate pressure transducers of the tank when the pressure transducers are no longer in the fluid;

(vii) computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to use inclinometer values to recalculate the location of each of the temperature sensors and each of the pressure transducers in the fluid, and use the tank capacity table to determine accurate volume and mass of liquid and vapor of the fluid; and

(viii) computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to communicate with a client device via the network using the bidirectional signals.

2. The marine probe of claim 1, comprising at least one temperature and pressure transducer located in a vapor space of the tank.

3. The marine probe of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the marine probe expands in a stepped configuration, increasing at least ten percent in diameter.

4. The marine probe of claim 1, comprising a channel in the sensor housing to provide contact with the fluid from the tank to at least one of the plurality of temperature sensors and at least one of the plurality of pressure transducers.

5. The marine probe of claim 1, comprising a plurality of switches in the tank that provide a notification signal to the probe processor, the network, or both the probe processor and the network when the liquid exceeds or fails to meet a preset level.

6. The marine probe of claim 1, comprising a tank movement measuring device connected to at least one of:

the probe processor and a remote processor for displaying and measuring marine probe movement due to flexing of the floor of the tank or due to flexing of a roof of the tank.

7. The marine probe of claim 1, wherein the probe data storage comprises at least one of:

a) computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to perform self-calibration;

b) computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to perform self-diagnostics; and

c) computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to perform self-configuration.

8. The marine probe of claim 1, wherein the probe data storage comprises computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to configure and reconfigure online.

9. The marine probe of claim 4, comprising a plurality of inclined surfaces on at least one side of the channel, the plurality of inclined surfaces enabling fluid to contact with at least one of:

a pressure transducer and a temperature sensor.

10. The marine probe of claim 1, comprising a temperature sensor simulation circuit in the probe processor with a temperature reference value in the probe data storage and a pressure transducer simulation circuit in the probe processor with a pressure reference value in the probe data storage, the temperature sensor simulation circuit and the pressure transducer simulation circuit for calibrating the probe processor.

11. The marine probe of claim 6, comprising a remote processor bidirectionally connected to the probe processor via the network, the remote processor further comprising a remote data storage, the remote data storage comprising at least one of:

a) computer instructions configured to instruct the remote processor to calculate parameters necessary for emissions monitoring;

b) computer instructions configured to instruct the remote processor to calculate parameters necessary for leak detection and unauthorized movement of fluid into or out of the tank;

c) computer instructions configured to instruct the remote processor to calculate parameters necessary for overfill protection of the tank; and

d) computer instructions configured to instruct the remote processor to calculate tank overpressure or vacuum parameters in the tank.

12. The marine probe of claim 2, comprising:

an external sensor outside of the tank and electrically connected to the probe processor, the external sensor configured to measure ambient pressure and ambient temperature outside the tank, the external sensor providing signals to the probe processor, the probe processor using computer instructions in the probe data storage, the computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to compare measured ambient pressure and temperature to measured pressure and temperature inside the tank for gas blanket monitoring and asset protection of the tank.

13. The marine probe of claim 12, comprising computer instructions in the probe data storage, the computer instructions configured to instruct the probe processor to use the plurality of pressure transducers and the plurality of temperature sensors internal to the tank, any temperature sensors and any pressure transducer located in the vapor space of the tank and the external sensor to calculate parameters necessary for emissions monitoring.

14. The marine probe of claim 1, comprising computer instructions in the probe data storage configured to instruct the probe processor to use the plurality of temperature sensors and/or the plurality of pressure transducers to calculate parameters necessary for leak detection and unauthorized movement of fluid into and out of the tank.

15. The marine probe of claim 1, further comprising at least one compound containing sulfur detector in communication with the probe processor for detecting compounds containing sulfur and computer instructions in the probe data storage configured to instruct the probe processor to compute compounds containing sulfur concentration for protection of personnel or for estimation of quality of crude oil, wherein the compound containing sulfur detector is in liquid in the tank, in vapor in the tank or mounted external to the tank.

16. The marine probe of claim 1, wherein the processor housing is weatherproof or explosion proof.

17. The marine probe of claim 1, comprising a plurality of conduits connecting the processor housing with the sensor housings and extending to a bottom of the marine probe.

18. The marine probe of claim 1, comprising computer instructions for instructing the remote processor to use a computed mass of the fluid for balancing during loading and unloading of the floating vessel and for inventory control and custody transfer.