Adjustable ultrasonic level measurement device

An ultrasonic level flow detector for measuring the depth of a flowing fluid in a channel comprising:

• ultrasonic transducer means mounted above said channel for transmitting ultrasonic signals toward said channel and for receiving reflected ultrasonic signals therefrom;
• receiving means for detecting ultrasonic signals received by said ultrasonic transducer means;
• echo signal registration means coupled to said receiver for registering the occurrence of an echo signal;
• indicator means connected to said echo signal registration means for expressing the occurrence of said echo signal as an indication of fluid flow level;
• adjustable discriminator means connected to said echo signal registration means to provide a maximum level signal at a minimum signal transit and reflection time and a minimum level signal at a maximum signal transit and reflection time, and to gate said echo registration means to receive an echo signal only during the interval therebetween;
• and
• a programmable read only memory interposed between said echo signal registration means and said indicator means for increasing amplification of said echo signal as a function of the time of occurrence thereof within the time interval between said minimum and maximum signal transit and reflection times.

An ultrasonic level flow detector for measuring the depth of a flowing fluid in a channel comprising;

• ultrasonic transducer means mounted above said channel for transmitting ultrasonic signals toward said channel and for receiving reflected ultrasonic signals therefrom;
• receiving means for detecting ultrasonic signals received by said ultrasonic transducer means;
• echo signal registration means coupled to said receiver for registering the occurrence of an echo signal;
• indicator means connected to said echo signal registration means for expressing the occurrence of said echo signal as an indication of fluid flow level;
• adjustable discriminator means connected to said echo signal registration means to provide a maximum level signal at a minimum signal transit and reflection time and a minimum level signal at a maximum signal transit and reflection time, and to gate said echo signal registration means to receive an echo signal only during the interval therebetween;
• and
• resonance matching means for varying the frequency of ultrasonic signals transmitted toward said channel to match the resonant frequency of said ultrasonic transducer means.

An ultrasonic level flow detector for measuring the depth of a flowing fluid in a channel comprising

• ultrasonic transducer means mounted above said channel for transmitting ultrasonic signals toward said channel and for receiving reflected ultrasonic signals therefrom;
• receiving means for detecting ultrasonic signals received by said ultrasonic transducer means;
• echo signal registration means coupled to said receiver for registering the occurrence of an echo signal;
• indicator means connected to said echo signal registration means for expressing the occurrence of said echo signal as an indication of fluid flow level;
• and
• an ultrasonic driver,
• a connecting cable joining said transducer to said receiver and to said ultrasonic driver, and
• cable impedence compensation means interposed between said cable and said receiver and said ultrasonic driver to automatically stabilize the strength of ultrasonic signals transmitted and echo signals received irrespective of connecting cable length.

An ultrasonic liquid level measurement device for detecting ultrasonic echoes reflected through air from a liquid interface therewith from liquid residing within a solid floored confinement comprising:

• an ultrasonic transducer for transmitting ultrasonic signals toward the floor of said confinement;
• a receiver responsive to reflected ultrasonic signals to produce an electrical echo signal;
• oscillator means connected to said receiver and to said transducer for generating electrical timing signals during a measurement interval;
• adjustable discriminator means connected to said oscillator means to count timing signals to generate a maximum liquid level signal and a minimum liquid level signal corresponding respectively to manually adjustable minimum and maximum ultrasonic signal transmission and reflection times and including a manual coarse adjustment to designate counting totals of said timing signals at which said maximum and minimum level signals are generated and a manual fine adjustment to alter the frequency at which said timing signals are generated;
• echo signal registration means connected to said discriminator means and to said oscillator means for counting timing signals during the interval between said maximum level signal and said echo signal, and for registering the timing signal count accumulated therebetween as a portion of the interval between said maximum and minimum ultrasonic signal transmission and reflection times;
• and
• indicator means connected to said echo signal registration means to transform said timing signal count accumulated in said echo signal registration means to a perceptable indication of liquid level.

An ultrasonic liquid level measurement device for detecting ultrasonic echoes reflected through air from a liquid interface therewith from liquid residing within a solid floored confinement comprising:

• an ultrasonic transducer for transmitting ultrasonic signals toward the floor of said confinement;
• a receiver responsive to reflected ultrasonic signals to produce an electrical echo signal;
• oscillator means connected to said receiver and to said transducer for generating electrical timing signals during a measurement interval;
• adjustable discriminator means connected to said oscillator means to count timing signals to generate a maximum liquid level signal and a minimum liquid level signal corresponding respectively to manually adjustable minimum and maximum ultrasonic signal transmission and reflection times;
• echo signal registration means connected to said discriminator means and to said oscillator means for counting timing signals during the interval between said maximum level signal and said echo signal, and for registering the timing signal count accumulated therebetween as a portion of the interval between said maximum and minimum ultrasonic signal transmission and reflection times;
• indicator means connected to said echo signal registration means to transform said timing signal count accumulated in said echo signal registration means to a perceptable indication of liquid level;
• electrical cable means coupling said ultrasonic transducer to said oscillator means, and
• compensation means interposed between said ultrasonic transducer and said oscillator to automatically stabilize attenuation of electrical signal propogation through said electrical cable means.

An ultrasonic level flow detector for measuring the depth of a flowing fluid in a channel comprising:

• ultrasonic transducer means mounted above said channel for transmitting ultrasonic signals toward said channel and for receiving reflected ultrasonic therefrom;
• receiving means for detecting ultrasonic signals received by said ultrasonic transducer means;
• a delay circuit connected to said receiving means and to said ultrasonic transducer means for establishing a minimum delay between the transmission of successive ones of said ultrasonic signals toward said channel;
• echo signal registration means coupled to said receiver for registering the occurrence of an echo signal;
• indicator means connected to said echo signal registration means for expressing the occurrence of said echo signal as an indication of fluid flow level;
• and
• adjustable discriminator means connected to said echo signal registration means to provide a maximum level signal at a minimum signal transit and reflection time and a minimum level signal at a maximum signal transit and reflection time, and to gate said echo signal registration means to receive an echo signal only during the interval therebetween.