Electronic multi-purpose material level sensor

McEwan, Thomas E

Title: Electronic multi-purpose material level sensor

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Abstract

The present electronic multi-purpose material level sensor is based on time domain reflectometry (TDR) of very short electrical pulses. Pulses are propagated along a transmission line that is partially immersed in a liquid, powder, or other substance such as grain in a silo. The time difference of the reflections at the start of the transmission line and the air/liquid interface are used to determine levels to better than 0.01 inch. The sensor is essentially independent of circuit element and temperature variations, and can be mass produced at an extremely low price. The transmission line may be a Goubau line, microstrip, coaxial cable, twin lead, CPS or CPW, and may typically be a strip placed along the inside wall of a tank. The reflected pulses also contain information about strata within the liquid such as sludge-build-up at the bottom of an oil tank.

Inventors:

McEwan, Thomas E ^[1]

Livermore, CA

Issue Date:: 1997-01-01

Research Org.:: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

OSTI Identifier:: 870854

Patent Number(s):: 5609059

Assignee:: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E05 - LOCKS E05Y - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO HINGES OR OTHER SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS AND DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION, CHECKS FOR WINGS AND WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING

E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E05 - LOCKS E05F - DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION

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E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E05 - LOCKS E05Y - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO HINGES OR OTHER SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS AND DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION, CHECKS FOR WINGS AND WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING
E05Y2400/822 - Light emitters, e.g. LEDs
E05Y2400/61 - Power supply

E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E05 - LOCKS E05F - DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION
E05F15/431 - {specially adapted for vehicle windows or roofs}

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01S - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING
G01S13/88 - Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications
G01S7/285 - Receivers

E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E05 - LOCKS E05Y - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO HINGES OR OTHER SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS AND DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION, CHECKS FOR WINGS AND WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING
E05Y2900/55 - Windows

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01S - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING
G01S13/0209 - {Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband}

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01F - MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL
G01F23/284 - Electromagnetic waves

E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E05 - LOCKS E05Y - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO HINGES OR OTHER SUSPENSION DEVICES FOR DOORS, WINDOWS OR WINGS AND DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION, CHECKS FOR WINGS AND WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING
E05Y2400/452 - for saving energy

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01S - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING
G01S7/282 - Transmitters

E - FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS E05 - LOCKS E05F - DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION
E05F15/42 - Detection using safety edges
E05F15/00 - Power-operated mechanisms for wings

G - PHYSICS G08 - SIGNALLING G08B - SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS
G08B13/2497 - {using transmission lines, e.g. cable}

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DOE Contract Number:: W-7405-ENG-48

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: electronic; multi-purpose; material; level; sensor; based; time; domain; reflectometry; tdr; electrical; pulses; propagated; transmission; line; partially; immersed; liquid; powder; substance; grain; silo; difference; reflections; start; air; interface; determine; levels; 01; inch; essentially; independent; circuit; element; temperature; variations; mass; produced; extremely; price; goubau; microstrip; coaxial; cable; twin; lead; cps; cpw; typically; strip; placed; inside; wall; tank; reflected; contain; information; strata; sludge-build-up; bottom; oil; reflected pulses; material level; domain reflectometry; temperature variations; level sensor; transmission line; coaxial cable; electrical pulses; inside wall; time domain; circuit element; temperature variation; partially immersed; time difference; electrical pulse; reflected pulse; multi-purpose material; liquid interface; mass produced; electronic multi-purpose; /73/342/

Citation Formats


                    McEwan, Thomas E. Electronic multi-purpose material level sensor.  United States: N. p., 1997. 
        Web.

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                    McEwan, Thomas E. Electronic multi-purpose material level sensor.  United States.

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                    McEwan, Thomas E. Wed .  
        "Electronic multi-purpose material level sensor".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/870854.

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@article{osti_870854,

  title        = {Electronic multi-purpose material level sensor},

  author       = {McEwan, Thomas E},

  abstractNote = {The present electronic multi-purpose material level sensor is based on time domain reflectometry (TDR) of very short electrical pulses. Pulses are propagated along a transmission line that is partially immersed in a liquid, powder, or other substance such as grain in a silo. The time difference of the reflections at the start of the transmission line and the air/liquid interface are used to determine levels to better than 0.01 inch. The sensor is essentially independent of circuit element and temperature variations, and can be mass produced at an extremely low price. The transmission line may be a Goubau line, microstrip, coaxial cable, twin lead, CPS or CPW, and may typically be a strip placed along the inside wall of a tank. The reflected pulses also contain information about strata within the liquid such as sludge-build-up at the bottom of an oil tank.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1997},

  month        = {1}

}

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