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US 10,209,119 B2Granted
System for sensing flowable substrate levels in a storage unit
AssigneeExtron Company
InventorRandall G. Honeck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for estimating a flowable substrate level in a storage unit is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a transmitter and a conductor that extend downwardly into a grain storage bin, which cycles through a range of frequencies in order to determine the resonant frequency of the conductor which changes depending on the amount of grain in the bin.
Claims14
A system for estimating a surface level of a flowable substrate in a storage unit comprising:
- a cable including a sheath and first and second conductors housed in the sheath, central axes of the first and second conductors being spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of a central axis of the cable, the first conductor comprising a transmission line configured to extend from a top portion of the storage unit to a bottom portion of the storage unit, the second conductor extending from a top portion of the storage unit to a bottom portion of the storage unit;
- and
- a receiver positioned at a top portion of the second conductor and adapted to receive a signal transmitted via the transmission line to the second conductor;
- wherein at least one characteristic of a signal transmission between the transmission line and the receiver correlates to a length of the second conductor that extends above the surface level of the flowable substrate, the at least one characteristic being one or more of:
- a) a resonant frequency of the signal received by the receiver as compared to a base value resonant frequency of the second conductor;
- b) an attenuation of the signal transmission;
- or c) a time delay of the signal transmission.
4 more elements
A system for estimating a surface level of a material in a storage unit comprising:
- a cable including a sheath and first and second conductors housed in the sheath, central axes of the first and second conductors being spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of a central axis of the cable, the cable and the first and second conductors extending from a top portion of the storage unit to a bottom portion of the storage unit;
- the first conductor comprising a transmitter adapted to transmit a first signal;
- and
- a receiver positioned at a top portion of at least one of the first and second conductors and adapted to receive a reflected second signal provided from at least one of the first and second conductors;
- wherein a time delay between transmitting the first signal and receiving the second reflected signal correlates to a length of the cable that extends above the surface level of the material.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.