Internal liquid level detector system
First Claim
1. A system for detecting the level of a liquid in a vessel, comprising:
- a detector assembly including a thermally conductive substrate;
means for supporting said substrate within the vessel, a heater mounted on said substrate within the vessel such that said heater is thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel, said heater being able to be actuated to add heat to the surface of the substrate thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel, and a sensor mounted on said substrate within the vessel in proximity to said heater, said sensor being thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel to detect the temperature therein in proximity to said sensor, said sensor being able to be actuated to generate an electrical signal defining a temperature signal indicative of said detected temperature;
a processor electrically connected to said sensor for receiving said temperature signal after actuation of said heater, said processor being programmed to calculate a temperature index proportional to said temperature signal, said processor being further programmed to compare said temperature index to a reference thereby to generate an electrical signal defining an elevation signal indicative of the elevation of the upper surface of the liquid being either above or below said sensor;
an interface electrically connected to said processor for receiving said elevation signal for use as the basis for communicating to the user the relative elevation of the liquid upper surface as either above or below said sensor; and
a power supply electrically connected to said heater, sensor, processor, and interface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for detecting the level of a liquid in a vessel, comprises a detector assembly including a thermally conductive substrate supported within the vessel. One or more heaters are mounted on the substrate within the vessel. One or more temperature sensors, each associated with a respective heater, are mounted on the substrate. The sensor(s) may be actuated to generate an electrical signal defining a temperature signal indicative of the detected temperature. A processor is electrically connected to the sensor(s) for receiving the temperature signal(s) after actuation of the associated heater(s). The processor is programmed to calculate a “temperature index” proportional to the temperature signal(s). The temperature index(s) indicates the temperature increase detected by the sensor(s) resulting from actuation of the heater(s). This, in turn, indicates the presence of liquid or vapor adjacent to the sensor(s). The processor is programmed further to compare the temperature index(s) to a “reference” and to generate an electrical signal(s) defining an elevation signal indicative of the presence of liquid or vapor. The processor is electrically connected to an interface for communicating to a user the elevation of the upper surface of the liquid in the vessel. The aforementioned system is operated according to a method for detecting the level of liquid in the vessel.
11 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for detecting the level of a liquid in a vessel, comprising:
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a detector assembly including a thermally conductive substrate;
means for supporting said substrate within the vessel,a heater mounted on said substrate within the vessel such that said heater is thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel, said heater being able to be actuated to add heat to the surface of the substrate thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel, and a sensor mounted on said substrate within the vessel in proximity to said heater, said sensor being thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel to detect the temperature therein in proximity to said sensor, said sensor being able to be actuated to generate an electrical signal defining a temperature signal indicative of said detected temperature;
a processor electrically connected to said sensor for receiving said temperature signal after actuation of said heater, said processor being programmed to calculate a temperature index proportional to said temperature signal, said processor being further programmed to compare said temperature index to a reference thereby to generate an electrical signal defining an elevation signal indicative of the elevation of the upper surface of the liquid being either above or below said sensor;
an interface electrically connected to said processor for receiving said elevation signal for use as the basis for communicating to the user the relative elevation of the liquid upper surface as either above or below said sensor; and
a power supply electrically connected to said heater, sensor, processor, and interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for detecting the level of a liquid in a vessel, comprising the steps of:
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actuating a heater mounted on a thermally conductive substrate mounted within the vessel, said actuation adding heat to the surface of the substrate thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel;
detecting by a sensor the temperature in the vessel after said addition of heat, the sensor being mounted on the substrate within the vessel in proximity to the heater, the sensor generating an electrical signal indicative of the temperature, said electrical signal defining a temperature signal;
transmitting the temperature signal from the sensor to a processor; and
operating the processor to calculate the difference between the temperature signal and a reference temperature, generate an electrical signal defining a high signal indicating that the elevation of the upper surface of the liquid is above the sensor if the magnitude of the difference is less than a standard, and transmit the high signal to an interface electrically connected to the processor, generate an electrical signal defining a low signal indicating that the elevation of the liquid upper surface is below the sensor if the magnitude of the difference is greater than the standard, and transmit the low signal to the interface;
communicating by the interface to the user the relative elevation of the liquid upper surface as either above or below the sensor based on receipt of either the high or low signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method for detecting the level of a liquid in a vessel, comprising the steps of:
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actuating a heater mounted on a thermally conductive substrate mounted within the vessel, said actuation adding heat to the surface of the substrate thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel;
detecting by a plurality of sensors positioned at different elevations the temperature in the vessel after said addition of heat, the sensors being mounted on the substrate within the vessel in proximity to the heater, the sensors each generating an electrical temperature signal indicative of the thermal energy;
transmitting the temperature signal from each sensor to a processor; and
operating the processor to calculate the difference between each temperature signal and a reference temperature, generate an electrical signal defining a high signal indicating that the elevation of the upper surface of the liquid is above the sensor for any sensor wherein the magnitude of the difference is less than a standard, generate an electrical signal defining a low signal indicating that the elevation of the liquid upper surface is below the sensor for any sensor wherein the magnitude of the difference is greater than the standard, generate an electrical signal defining an elevation signal indicating the elevation of the liquid upper surface relative to the sensors by identifying the sensors which are below the elevation of the liquid upper surface and further identifying the sensors which are above the elevation of the liquid upper surface, and transmit the elevation signal to an interface electrically connected to the processor; and
communicating by the interface to the user the elevation of the liquid upper surface relative to the sensors based on the elevation signal received from the processor.
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17. A method for detecting the level of a liquid in a vessel, comprising the steps of:
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actuating a heater mounted on a thermally conductive substrate within the vessel, said actuation adding heat to the surface of the substrate thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel;
detecting the temperature at different elevations within the vessel by a plurality of sensors after said addition of heat, the sensors each being able to be actuated to generate an electrical signal defining a temperature signal indicative of the detected temperature;
electrically connecting each sensor to a processor; and
operating the processor to actuate the lowermost sensor and retrieve the temperature signal therefrom, calculate the difference between the temperature signal and a reference temperature, generate an electrical signal defining an elevation signal indicating that the elevation of the upper surface of the liquid is below the lowermost sensor if the magnitude of the difference is greater than the standard and transmit the elevation signal to an interface electrically connected to the processor, operating the processor further if the magnitude of the difference is less than the standard to actuate the succeeding lowermost sensors in upward succession and retrieve the respective temperature signals therefrom, calculate the respective differences between the temperature signals and the reference temperature, generate an electrical signal defining an elevation signal indicating that the elevation of the liquid upper surface is below the next lowermost sensor if the magnitude of one the differences is greater than the standard and transmit the elevation signal to the interface, the elevation signal indicating further that the elevation of the liquid upper surface is above the immediately preceding sensor;
operating the processor further if the magnitude of none of the differences is greater than the standard to generate an electrical signal defining an elevation signal indicating that the elevation of the liquid upper surface is above the uppermost sensor; and
communicating by the interface to the user the elevation of the liquid upper surface relative to the sensors based on the elevation signal received from the processor.
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18. A method for detecting the level of a liquid in a vessel, comprising the steps of:
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actuating a heater mounted on a thermally conductive substrate within the vessel, said actuation adding heat to the surface of the substrate thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel;
detecting the temperature at different elevations within the vessel by a plurality of sensors after said addition of heat, the sensors each being able to be actuated to generate an electrical signal defining a temperature signal indicative of the temperature;
electrically connecting each sensor to a processor;
operating the processor to actuate the uppermost sensor and retrieve the temperature signal therefrom, calculate the difference between the temperature signal and a reference temperature, generate an electrical signal defining an elevation signal indicating that the elevation of the upper surface of the liquid is above the uppermost sensor if the magnitude of the difference is less than the standard and transmit the elevation signal to an interface electrically connected to the processor, operating the processor further if the magnitude of the difference is greater than the standard to actuate the succeeding uppermost sensors in downward succession and retrieve the respective temperature signals therefrom, calculate the respective differences between the temperature signals and the reference temperature, generate an electrical signal defining an elevation signal indicating that the elevation of the liquid upper surface is above the next uppermost sensor if the magnitude of one the differences is less than the standard and transmit the elevation signal to an interface, the elevation signal indicating further that the elevation of the liquid upper surface is below the immediately preceding sensor, operating the processor further if the magnitude of none of the differences is less than the standard to generate an electrical signal defining an elevation signal indicating that the elevation of the liquid upper surface is below the lowermost sensor; and
communicating by the interface to the user the elevation of the liquid upper surface relative to the sensors based on the elevation signal received from the processor.
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19. A method for detecting the level of a liquid in a vessel, comprising the steps of:
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actuating a heater mounted on a thermally conductive substrate within the vessel, said actuation adding heat to the surface of the substrate thermally coupled to the interior of the vessel;
detecting the temperature at different elevations within the vessel by a plurality of sensors after said addition of heat, the sensors each being able to be actuated to generate an electrical signal defining a temperature signal indicative of the temperature;
electrically connecting each sensor to a processor;
operating the processor to actuate one of the sensors and retrieve the temperature signal therefrom, calculate the difference between the temperature signal and a reference temperature, determine whether the magnitude of the difference is greater or less than the standard, actuate one of the sensors adjacent to the preceding sensor and retrieve the temperature signal therefrom, calculate the difference between the temperature signal of the adjacent sensor and a reference temperature, determine whether the magnitude of the difference for the adjacent sensor is greater or less than the standard, generate an electrical signal defining an elevation signal indicating that the elevation of the upper surface of the liquid is between the adjacent sensors if one of the differences is greater than the standard and the other difference is less than the standard, and transmit the elevation signal to an interface electrically connected to the processor, and repeat the actuation of adjacent pairs of sensors, and the comparison of the differences, and generating the elevation signal if one of the differences is greater than the standard and the other difference is less than the standard, and transmit the elevation signal to the interface; and
communicating by the interface to the user the elevation of the liquid upper surface relative to the sensors based on the elevation signal received from the processor.
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Specification