Liquid level monitoring apparatus and methods

• US 8,297,119 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mulitrode Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Multitrode Pty Ltd. (Xylem, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parkinson, Craig Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Devito, Alex
• Application Number:
  US11/922,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,328 Days
• Field of Search: 732/99, 324/800
• US Class Current: 73/299
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/0007 for discrete indicating and measuring G01F23/02 - G01F23/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/185 for discrete levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/24 by measuring variations of resistance of resistors due to contact with conductor fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/241 for discrete levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/242 Mounting arrangements for electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/20 of apparatus for measuring liquid level

Abstract

The present invention relates to a liquid sensor for locating in a liquid. The liquid sensor includes a level sensor including one or more sensing stations located between a head and a tail of the liquid sensor. The liquid sensor is suitable for sensing the liquid level. The liquid sensor further includes a depth sensor for sensing the depth of the tail in the liquid. The liquid sensor is particularly suited to pumping station applications.

Claims

1. A wastewater sensor to be located in wastewater, the wastewater sensor including:

an elongate body defining a head and a tail;

a level sensor including one or more sensing stations supported by the body between the head and the tail and for sensing the wastewater level, each sensing station including one or more electrodes for contacting the wastewater and through which electricity can enter or leave the wastewater; and

a depth sensor fixedly supported by the body to sense the depth of the tail in the wastewater wherein the depth sensor includes a pressure sensor wherein the pressure sensor is releasably engaged within a bottom cap located at the tail, the bottom cap able to be separated from the rest of the body whilst bearing the pressure sensor.

2. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 1, further including another pressure sensing device for sensing a pressure in a gas space supplied with gas within the elongate body.

3. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gas space is maintained substantially isobaric with hydrostatic pressure at the tail of the elongate body.

4. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensing stations include at least three sensing stations that are linearly spaced apart, and the wastewater sensor is pre-calibrated and can be moved without the need to recalibrate the sensors.

5. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sensing stations are regularly spaced apart by a common separation distance.

6. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sensing stations are each elongate and are arranged coaxially and in alignment with the body.

7. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 4, wherein each sensing station includes a pair of opposed electrodes which are exposed so as to each contact the wastewater for redundancy purposes owing to an accumulation of fat from the wastewater.

8. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 7, wherein each electrode of the pair is interconnected by a conductive bridge so that the electrodes are at a common potential.

9. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 7, wherein each electrode is a protrusion extending from the body to contact the wastewater.

10. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein each sensing station includes a pair of conductors for individually and directly coupling to a control means.

11. The liquid sensor as claimed in claim 1, further including a pair of multicore cables wherein damage to one of the cables can be detected by reference to the other cable.

12. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 11, wherein the multicore cables each include an insulation sheath and each carry like signals for redundancy purposes.

13. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 1, further including a vibrator for vibrating deposited residue free from the wastewater sensor.

14. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 13, wherein the vibrator includes a piezo or electromechanical vibrator means.

15. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wastewater sensor includes an elongate and hollow body which defines the head and tail.

16. The wastewater sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein each sensing station includes a binary sensor which indicates a first state when submerged in the wastewater and a second state when not submerged in the wastewater, the binary sensors being electrically isolated from each other.

17. A wastewater level monitor to be located in a wastewater well, the wastewater monitor including:

an elongate body defining a head and a tail;

a level sensor including one or more sensing stations supported by the body between the head and the tail and for sensing the wastewater level, each sensing station including one or more electrodes for contacting the wastewater and through which electricity can enter or leave the wastewater;

a depth sensor fixedly supported by the body to sense the depth of the tail in the wastewater wherein the depth sensor includes a pressure sensor wherein the pressure sensor is releasably engaged within a bottom cap located at the tail, the bottom cap able to be separated from the rest of the body whilst bearing the pressure sensor; and

a controller electrically coupled to both the level sensor and depth sensor so that readings of the sensors can be cross-checked for integrity.

18. The wastewater level monitor as claimed in claim 17, wherein the controller can provide for diagnostic outputs determined by monitoring the relative conditions of the sensors.

19. The wastewater level monitor as claimed in claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to detect the necessity to clean the wastewater sensor using comparative data when fat from the wastewater builds up on the wastewater sensor.