Systems and methods for determining floating roof level tilt and characterizing runoff
AssigneePerceptive Sensor Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJOEL D. BURCHAM, EARL CROCHET, LAZAR BIVOLARSKY, JAMES M. HEIM, WILLIAM COLEMAN
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Abstract
Floating roof storage tank systems and related methods are disclosed. The disclosed systems include a storage tank, a floating roof, and a plurality of acoustic sensors. The storage tank has one or more walls defining an interior space and the floating roof is configured to move vertically within the interior space. The acoustic sensors are levelly mounted along a horizontal plane on the one or more walls of the storage tank. One or more signals received by at least a portion of the plurality of acoustic sensors are used to determine a tilt angle of the floating roof.
Claims20
A floating roof storage tank system comprising:
- a storage tank having one or more walls defining an interior space;
- a floating roof configured to move vertically within the interior space of the storage tank;
- and
- a plurality of acoustic sensors mounted on the one or more walls of the storage tank, wherein the plurality of acoustic sensors is levelly mounted along a horizontal plane, wherein one or more signals received by at least a portion of the plurality of acoustic sensors are used to determine a tilt angle of the floating roof.
A system for determining a tilt angle of a floating roof of a storage tank, the system comprising:
- a storage tank having one or more walls defining an interior space;
- a quantity of liquid within the interior space of the storage tank;
- a floating roof positioned on a top surface of the quantity of liquid, wherein the floating roof is movable vertically within the interior space of the storage tank;
- at least three acoustic sensors mounted to an exterior surface of the one or more walls of the storage tank, wherein the at least three acoustic sensors are substantially levelly mounted along a horizontal plane;
- one or more signals received by the three acoustic sensors, the one or more signals indicating a presence of the floating roof at the horizontal plane of each of the three acoustic sensors;
- and
- a computerized device having a computer processor, the computerized device in communication with the at least three acoustic sensors, wherein the computer processor determines a tilt angle of the floating roof using at least the one or more received signals.
A method of determining a tilt angle of a floating roof of a storage tank system, the method comprising:
- providing a storage tank having one or more walls defining an interior space, and a floating roof configured to move vertically within the interior space of the storage tank;
- mounting a plurality of acoustic sensors to the one or more walls of the storage tank, wherein the plurality of acoustic sensors is levelly mounted along a horizontal plane;
- receiving one or more signals by at least a portion of the plurality of acoustic sensors;
- and
- determining a tilt angle of the floating roof based on the received one or more signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.