Method of determining the volume of a substance having a density, in vertical storage tanks
OwnerJames Alleninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for determining the volume a substance having a density level in vertical storage tanks. This method uses a strain gauge that is attached to the exterior of the side wall of a tank. As the volume of the substance fluctuates in the tank, the walls are acted upon by the weight of the substance. The greater the volume of a substance, the greater the force pushing on the tank walls and vice-versa. This force causes the walls to deform slightly. This deformation can be measured by the strain gauge mounted on the tank wall. Because this deformation is directly related to the volume of the substance being stored in the tank, the deformation read by the strain gauge can be translated into its volume by calibrating the gauge measurements with known volumes in the tank.
Claims16
A method of determining a volume of a substance, having a density, in a vertical storage tank having, a bottom, a valve, being positioned at a height above ground level, and a side wall, forming a vessel with dimensions of height, width and volume, comprising the steps of:
- a) fastening a strain gauge to the side wall of said vertical storage tank at a height above the valve;
- b) obtaining strain measurements from said strain gauge;
- and
- c) determining the volume of said substance having a density in the vertical storage tank by applying the strain gauge measurement to a mathematical formula wherein the volume of said substance having a density is a function of the density of the substance, the strain measured on the side wall of said vertical storage tank, and the dimensions of the vertical storage tank.
A method of determining a volume of a substance having a density, in a vertical storage tank having, a bottom a valve, being positioned at a height above ground level, and a side wall, forming a vessel with dimensions of height, width and volume, comprising the steps of:
- a) fastening a strain gauge to the side wall of said vertical storage tank at a height above the valve;
- b) obtaining strain measurements from said strain gauge;
- and
- c) transmitting said strain measurements from said strain gauge to a means for monitoring said strain measurements.
A method of determining a volume of a substance having a density, in a vertical storage tank having, a bottom, and a side wall, forming a vessel with dimensions of height, width and volume, comprising the steps of:
- a) fastening a strain gauge to the side wall of said vertical storage tank;
- b) obtaining strain measurements from said strain gauge;
- c) transmitting said strain measurements from said strain gauge to a means for monitoring said strain measurements;
- and
- d) calibrating said means for monitoring said strain measurements by:
- a) filling the vertical storage tank with a measured quantity of the substance having a density, thereby establishing a first level of the substance having a density;
- b) measuring the strain measurements of said strain gauge;
- c) correlating said strain measurements of said strain gauge to the measured quantity of the substance having a density;
- d) adding an additional measured quantity of the substance having a density, thereby establishing a second level of the substance having a density;
- e) correlating said measurements of said strain gauge to the additional measured quantity of the substance having a density;
- and
- f) repeating steps (d) and (e), raising the level of the substance having a density by a successive increment in each step, until said vertical storage tank is full.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.