Apparatus for Water Detection in a Storage Tank

An apparatus for measuring a level of a fluid and detecting water in a storage container, the apparatus comprising:

• a flexible probe immersed in the fluid, the flexible probe including a sleeve holding first and second conductors in spaced relation, ends of the first and second conductors projecting from a lower portion of the sleeve;
• a float coupler moveably coupled to the probe and buoyant upon a surface of the fluid, the float coupler including an internal conductor disposed across and electrically coupling the first and second conductors;
• a pulse transmitter operably coupled to the first conductor, the pulse transmitter generating pulses;
• a pulse sampler operably coupled to the second conductor, the pulse sampler receiving the pulses generated by the pulse transmitter;
• a delay measurement device operably coupled to the pulse transmitter and the pulse sampler, the delay measurement device determining a time delay for the pulses to travel from the pulse transmitter, through the internal conductor of the float coupler, to the pulse sampler, the time of delay indicating a position of the float coupler such that the level of the fluid in the storage container is measured;
• and
• a water detection device operably coupled to the first conductor and the pulse transmitter, the water detection circuit monitoring at least one of conduction and a dielectric constant between the ends of the first and second conductors penetrating the bottom portion of the sleeve such that any of the water in the storage tank is detected.

An apparatus for measuring a level of a fluid and detecting water in a storage container, the apparatus comprising:

• a flexible probe immersed in the fluid, the flexible probe including a sleeve holding first and second conductors in spaced relation, the first conductor coupled to a pulse transmitter node, the second conductor coupled to a pulse sampler node, and ends of the first and second conductors penetrating a bottom portion of the sleeve;
• a float coupler moveably coupled to the probe and buoyant upon a surface of the fluid, the float coupler including an internal conductor disposed across and electrically coupling the first and second conductors;
• a conductive element coupled to the pulse transmitter node;
• a pulse transmitter generating pulses and coupled to the conductive element;
• a first resistive element coupled to a ground and the pulse transmitter node;
• a second resistive element coupled to the second conductor and the pulse sampler node;
• an inductive element coupled the ground and the pulse sampler node;
• a pulse sampler coupled to the pulse sampler node;
• an excitation source coupled to the pulse transmitter node;
• a detection circuit coupled to the pulse transmitter node and the ground;
• a pulse sampler operably coupled to the second conductor, the pulse sampler receiving the pulses generated by the pulse transmitter;
• a delay measurement device operably coupled to the pulse transmitter and the pulse sampler, the delay measurement device determining a time delay for the pulses to travel from the pulse transmitter, through the internal conductor of the float coupler, to the pulse sampler, the time of delay indicating a position of the float coupler such that the level of the fluid in the storage container is measured;
• and
• a water detection device operably coupled to the first conductor and the pulse transmitter, the water detection circuit monitoring at least one of conduction and a dielectric constant between the ends of the first and second conductors penetrating the bottom portion of the sleeve such that any of the water in the storage tank is detected.