Solid state illuminator for bi-color ported water level gauges

• US 7,197,926 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fossil Power Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fossil Power Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Spencer, John, Kalix, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): BELLAMY, TAMIKO D
• Application Number:
  US11/216,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20050284219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 733/13, 733/14, 73326-330, 732/93, 733/28
• US Class Current: 73/293
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/02 by gauge glasses or other apparatus involving a window or transparent tube for directly observing the level to be measured or the level of a liquid column in free communication with the main body of the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2921 for discrete levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2927 for several discrete levels, e.g. with more than one light-conducting sensing element

Abstract

A solid state illuminator and display means are provided for bi-coloured ported water level gauges suitable for use in high pressure steam drums or similar water/steam devices to facilitate making an accurate determination of water level in such a device. The illuminator comprises an array of bi-coloured solid state light emitting diodes (LEDs), as the light source, and a precision lens to focus the light provided from the LEDs through a gauge body and onto the view screen.

Claims

1. A bi-colour water level gauge illuminator for use in determining the water level in a boiler steam drum, heater, or other piping or pressure vessel, said illuminator comprising:

a housing having a gauge mounting side adapted for mounting said illuminator to a first lens side of a bi-colour water level gauge, said housing including at least one aperture defined in the gauge mounting side of said housing;

a plurality of first colour and second colour light emitting diodes arranged and configured within said housing to facilitate the emission of bi-colour illumination through said aperture, and through an aligned ports or window of said gauge to a second lens side of said gauge; and

a heat divider for separating said light emitting diodes from exposure to high temperatures existing at said gauge.

2. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of focusing lenses aligned with said light emitting diodes to focus said bi-colour illumination through a respective plurality of ports or windows of said gauge.

3. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 2, wherein said housing further includes a lens divider board within which said focusing lenses are mounted.

4. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 2, wherein said illuminator is adapted for use with a ported water level gauge having ports, and including a plurality of apertures, said apertures and focusing lenses being equal in number to the number of ports and positioned for alignment with the ports when the illuminator is mounted to said gauge.

5. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 2, wherein said focusing lenses are plano-convex lenses.

6. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 1, wherein said first colour and second colour light emitting diodes are mounted on at least one electronic printed circuit board.

7. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 1, wherein said first colour and second colour light emitting diodes are configured in a paired linear array along a longitudinal axis of the illuminator housing, with each pair including one first colour and one second colour light emitting diode.

8. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 7, wherein the first colour and second colour light emitting diodes in each pair are mounted adjacent to each other along a lateral axis of at least one electronic printed circuit board.

9. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 1, wherein said first colour and second colour light emitting diodes are configured in a paired linear array mounted along a longitudinal axis of at least one electronic printed circuit board, with one first colour and one second colour light emitting diode in each pair mounted adjacent to each other along a lateral axis of said electronic printed circuit board.

10. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 1, wherein the first colour and second colour light emitting diodes are configured with at least two light emitting diodes of said first colour in parallel for independent operation and at least two light emitting diodes of said second colour in parallel for independent operation.

11. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 1, wherein said heat divider includes a heat divider board mounted at or near the gauge mounting side of said housing, said at least one aperture being defined in said heat divider board.

12. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 1, wherein said housing includes an array of offset slots defined therein, said slots extending at least along portions of the housing adapted for contact with said bi-colour water level gauge, and facilitating reduction of heat transmission from said bi-colour water level gauge to the light emitting diodes during operation.

13. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 1, wherein said illuminator is configured with a display device onto which light originating from the light emitting diodes is projected for inspection by an operator.

14. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator according to claim 1, wherein said first colour is red, and said second colour is green.

15. The bi-colour water level gauge illuminator as defined in claim 1, wherein said illuminator is configured with a bi-colour water level gauge configured to determine the water level in a boiler steam drum, heater, or other piping or pressure vessel.

16. A method of illuminating a column of a fluid level gauge used in determing the water level in a boiler steam drum, heater or other piping or pressure vessel, said method comprising the steps of:

projecting a first light from one or more light emitting diodes of a first colour;

projecting a second light from one or more light emitting diodes of a second colour different from said first colour;

passing said first and second lights through the column to an opposing side of said column realtive to said light emitting diodes such that water or steam present at varying vertical levels in the column may be determined by observing a position of the first and second lights along the column; and

protecting said light emitting diodes from heat generated at said column.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said steps of projecting said first and second light includes a further step of focusing said first and second lights with a focusing lens.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of projecting a first light includes utilizing at least two light emitting diodes of said first colour configured in parallel for independent operation.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of projecting a second light includes utilizing at least two light emitting diodes of said second colour configured in parallel for independent operation.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein said first colour is red and said second colour is green.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein said first and second lights are passed through the column to an opposing side of said column and displayed on a display screen.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of protecting includes passing said lights through a heat divider board.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein said illuminating is continuous.