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US 11,698,282 B2Granted
Time domain reflectometry liquid level sensing for launch vehicles
AssigneeABL Space Systems
InventorsKirill Vladimir Safin, Roy Cohen, Constantinos Emmanuel Gerontis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for determining a fluid level includes a front end and a measurement probe. The measurement probe receives a pulse from the front end and returns a partially reflected pulse and a fully reflected pulse to the front end. The partially reflected pulse is evaluated to determine a liquid level within a tank that includes the measurement probe. The measurement probe includes a conductive trace configuration to provide a time delay to prevent pulse build up.
Claims20
A fluid level detection system, comprising:
- a probe, the probe including a conductive trace extending along at least a portion of the probe, the probe being positioned within an interior of a tank, the tank containing a fluid with a level, and at least a portion of the probe being in contact with the fluid;
- a pulse generator, the pulse generator adapted to supply a pulse to the probe for transmission along the conductive trace;
- a timer, the timer adapted to identify a first time, corresponding to a transmission time of the pulse, and a second time, corresponding to a receipt time of a reflected pulse;
- and
- a comparator, the comparator adapted to receive at least the reflected pulse from the probe and to determine a value for the reflected pulse;
- and
- a connecting region forming at least a portion of the probe, the connecting region including a plurality of channels to separately receive the pulse from the pulse generator, the plurality of channels including at least a measurement channel and a first calibration channel, the first calibration channel being disconnected from the measurement channel so that when the pulse is transmitted to the measurement channel the pulse is isolated from the first calibration channel, and wherein the measurement channel includes a launch zone corresponding to a trace pattern having a longer length than a connecting region length to provide a time delay between transmission of the pulse and entry of the pulse at the probe.
4 more elements
A method for determining a fluid level, comprising:
- transmitting, to a first portion of a probe, a pulse;
- directing the pulse, along a measurement channel disconnected from a calibration channel, to a second portion of the probe, the second portion being electrically coupled to the first portion, wherein a time period of the pulse in the first portion is increased by a trace pattern of the measurement channel;
- receiving, from the second portion of the probe, a partially reflected pulse, the partially reflected pulse being indicative of a property change for at least a portion of the probe;
- determining the partially reflected pulse satisfies a threshold;
- and
- determining, based at least in part on the partially reflected pulse, the fluid level.
3 more elements
A fluid level detection system, comprising:
- a measurement probe, comprising:
- a launch zone, the launch zone having a launch zone length including a first portion of a conductive trace, the launch zone arranged to provide a time delay;
- a lead trace, coupled to the launch zone, the lead trace having a lead trace length including a second portion of the conductive trace;
- and
- a plurality of channels, including at least a measurement channel and a first calibration channel, the first calibration channel being disconnected from the measurement channel;
- and
- a front end, the front end configured to transmit a pulse, to the measurement probe, and receive one or more reflected pulses in response to the pulse, the front end comprising:
- a pulse generator to transmit the pulse to the measurement probe;
- and
- a timer to record one or more indicators corresponding to a pulse transmission and a reflected pulse receipt.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.