Monitoring liquid level infed tank and flow rate of liquid therefrom to point of use
AssigneeMobil Oil Corporation
InventorClarence C. Hon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The flow rate of liquid being fed to a point of use is continuously monitored as is the liquid level in the feed tank by detecting the level in a liquid gauge member at two successive locations while feed from the tank is blocked, so that such detected data can be employed in a computer to output the flow rate and tank level.
Claims14
In a liquid feed system wherein liquid is withdrawn through an outlet at the bottom of a feed tank with a pump having an inlet which delivers the liquid to a use point and a constant cross-section liquid gauge member communicates with the interior of the tank such that a column of liquid is present in said gauge member to the same level as that in the tank, the gauge member further being in communication with the inlet of said pump, a method for checking the rate at which the pump is delivering liquid to the point of use, said method comprising
- blocking the tank outlet at time T.sub.0 so that the pump withdraws liquid only from the gauge member thereby reducing the level in the gauge member,
- detecting the level of liquid in the gauge member at first and second reduced levels thereof and converting these detections to electrical signals indicative of times T.sub.1, and T.sub.2,
- processing the time T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 electrical signals in a computer to provide the flow rate in said gauge member as a processed signal output indicative of the pump delivery flow rate to the point of use, and
- further processing the flow rate, the T.sub.1 electrical signal and data representative of time T.sub.0 to compute the height of the level of the liquid column in the gauge member at time T.sub.0.
In a liquid feed system which includes a feed tank for holding a liquid and having a bottom outlet, a pump having an inlet operating to withdraw liquid from the tank through said outlet and deliver it to a point of use, and a constant cross-section liquid gauge member communicating with the interior of said tank such that a column of liquid is present in said gauge member to the same level as that in the tank, the gauge member further being in communication with the inlet of said pump, apparatus for checking the rate at which the pump is delivering liquid to the point of use, said apparatus comprising
- a normally open power operated closure valve intervening the tank outlet and the pump,
- means for power actuating said closure valve at time T.sub.0 to move it to a closed position so that the pump withdraws liquid only from the gauge member thereby reducing the level of liquid in said gauge member,
- first and second level detection means on said liquid gauge member positioned thereon at respective first and second vertically spaced locations and operable to detect level presence at such locations as times T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 values and output such detections as electrical signals, and
- means for processing the time T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 electrical signals to provide the flow rate in said gauge member as a processed signal output indicative of the pump delivery flow rate to the point of use, said means for processing the electrical signals comprising a computer acquiring said signals, the computer being operable to generate a command signal at time T.sub.0 to control the power actuation of the closure valve to closed position thereof, the computer being further operable to process the flow rate, the T.sub.1 electrical signal and data representative of time T.sub.0 to compute the height of the level of the liquid column in the gauge member at time T.sub.0.
In a liquid feed system which includes a feed tank for holding a liquid and having a bottom outlet, a pump having an inlet operating to withdraw liquid from the tank through said outlet and deliver it to a point of use, and a constant cross-section liquid gauge member communicating with the interior of said tank such that a column of liquid is present in said gauge member to the same level as that in the tank, the gauge member further being in communication with the inlet of said pump, apparatus for checking the rate at which the pump is delivering liquid to the point of use, said apparatus comprising
- a normally open power operated closure valve intervening the tank outlet and the pump,
- means for power actuating said closure valve at time T.sub.0 to move it to a closed position so that the pump withdraws liquid only from the gauge member thereby reducing the level of liquid in said gauge member,
- first and second level detection means on said liquid gauge member positioned thereon at respective first and second vertically spaced locations and operable to detect level presence at such locations as times T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 values and output such detections as electrical signals, the liquid gauge member being an upright tube extending to a point a distance below the bottom of said tank, the first level detection means being located on the gauge member proximate the bottom of said feed tank, the second level detection means being located on the gauge member below the tank bottom, and
- means for processing the electrical signals to provide the flow rate in said gauge member as a processed signal output indicative of the pump delivery flow rate to the point of use.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.