US 12,474,194 B2Granted

Measuring a volume of gas in liquid form stored in a tank using magnetic sensors

Assignee7-Eleven, Inc.

InventorsRamin Belivan, Matthew O'Daniel Redmond

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Abstract

A system comprises a rod placed inside a tank and configured to move a pre-configured distance as the level of a gas stored in the tank changes. A chamber is positioned in relation to a top region of the tank. A magnet is coupled to an upper portion of the rod and disposed inside the chamber such that the magnet moves with the rod. A circuit board is positioned adjacent to the chamber and includes two sensors positioned along the length of the chamber, wherein each sensor generates a voltage signal corresponding to a strength of magnetic field associated with the magnet. A memory stores voltage values corresponding to the voltage signal and a processor coupled to the memory calculates a volume of the gas in liquid form in the tank based on a voltage value generated by at least one of the sensors.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a circuit board positioned adjacent to a longitudinal chamber, wherein:
the longitudinal chamber represents a total volume of a tank that stores a gas in liquid form;
a magnet is disposed inside the longitudinal chamber and configured to move along the length of the chamber, wherein a position of the magnet inside the longitudinal chamber represents a volume of the gas in liquid form stored in the tank;
the circuit board comprises:
a first sensor positioned at an upper half of the chamber and configured to generate a first voltage signal corresponding to a strength of magnetic field associated with the magnet, wherein the first voltage signal is based at least in part upon a position of the magnet in the upper half of the chamber in relation to the first sensor, wherein the upper half of the chamber represents an upper half of the total volume of the tank;
a second sensor positioned at a lower half of the chamber and configured to generate a second voltage signal corresponding to a strength of the magnetic field associated with the magnet, wherein the second voltage signal is based at least in part upon a position of the magnet in the lower half of the chamber in relation to the second sensor, wherein the lower half of the chamber represents a lower half of the total volume of the tank;
a memory configured to store a first voltage value associated with the first voltage signal and a second voltage value associated with the second voltage signal;
and
a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to:
access at least one of the first voltage value and the second voltage value;
convert at least one of the first voltage value and the second voltage value to a partial volume of the gas in liquid form in the upper half or lower half respectively of the tank;
and
calculate a total volume of the gas in liquid form in the tank based at least in part upon the partial volume of the gas in liquid form.

10 more elements

A method comprising:

obtaining at least a first voltage value associated with a first voltage signal generated by a first sensor and a second voltage value associated with a second voltage signal generated by a second sensor, wherein:
the first sensor is positioned at an upper half of a longitudinal chamber and the second sensor is positioned at a lower half of the longitudinal chamber;
the longitudinal chamber represents a total volume of a tank that stores a gas in liquid form;
a magnet is disposed inside the longitudinal chamber and configured to move along the length of the chamber, wherein a position of the magnet inside the longitudinal chamber represents a volume of the gas in liquid form stored in the tank;
the first sensor is configured to generate the first voltage signal corresponding to a strength of magnetic field associated with the magnet, wherein the first voltage signal is based at least in part upon a position of the magnet in the upper half of the chamber in relation to the first sensor, wherein the upper half of the chamber represents an upper half of the total volume of the tank;
and
the second sensor is configured to generate the second voltage signal corresponding to a strength of the magnetic field associated with the magnet, wherein the second voltage signal is based at least in part upon a position of the magnet in the lower half of the chamber in relation to the second sensor, wherein the lower half of the chamber to represents a lower half of the total volume of the tank;
converting at least one of the first voltage value and the second voltage value to a partial volume of the gas in liquid form in the upper half or lower half respectively of the tank;
and
calculating a total volume of the gas in liquid form in the tank based at least in part upon the partial volume of the gas in liquid form.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/154,701Filed 13 Jan 2023
Published: US 2024/0240980 A118 Jul 2024
Granted: 18 Nov 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G01F 23/38
Using rotatable arms or other pivotable transmission elements: using magnetically actuated indicating means
G01F 23/80
Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm:…
G01F 23/72
Of the free float type without mechanical transmission elements: using magnetically actuated indicating means
G01F
Measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level