Fluid displacement level, density and concentration measurement system
AssigneeSCP Global Technologies, Inc.
InventorsVictor B. Mimken, Sergey A. Velichko, Tom Krawzak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for monitoring characteristics of a fluid contained in a vessel includes a fluid displacer suspended in the vessel. The buoyant force acting on the fluid displacer is measured using a pair of force transducers and used to calculate fluid characteristics such as the height of the fluid in the vessel, fluid density, solute concentration, and/or the presence of fluid cascading from one section of the vessel to another.
Claims9
An apparatus for measuring characteristics of a fluid contained in a vessel, comprising:
- a fluid displacer;
- a first force transducer coupled to the fluid displacer and a second force transducer coupled to the fluid displacer;
- and
- processing means coupled to the first force transducer and to the second force transducer for receiving a first signal from the first force transducer and a second signal from the second force transducer, said first signal and said second signal being indicative of fluid forces acting on the fluid displacer, wherein the processing means is configured to process the first signal and the second signal to generate a signal indicative of a first fluid characteristic.
An apparatus for measuring characteristics of a fluid contained in a vessel, comprising:
- a fluid displacer having a parallelogram-shaped cross-section;
- a first force transducer coupled to the fluid displacer and a second force transducer coupled to the fluid displacer;
- and
- a processing means coupled to the first force transducer and to the second force transducer for receiving a first signal from the first force transducer and a second signal from the second force transducer, said first signal and said second signal being indicative of fluid forces acting on the fluid displacer, wherein the processing means is configured to process the first signal and the second signal to generate a signal indicative of fluid level.
An apparatus for measuring characteristics of a fluid contained in a vessel, comprising:
- a fluid displacer;
- a first force transducer coupled to the fluid displacer;
- a second force transducer coupled to the fluid displacer;
- and
- a processor coupled to the first force transducer and to the second force transducer and configured to receive a first signal from the first force transducer and a second signal from the second force transducer, the first signal and the second signal being indicative of forces acting on the fluid displacer, said processor also being configured to process the first signal and the second signal in accordance with simultaneous expressions relating said first signal and said second signal to fluid level and fluid density to generate both a signal indicative of the fluid level and a signal indicative of the fluid density.
An apparatus for measuring characteristics of fluid having a level and contained in a vessel, said apparatus comprising:
- a fluid displacer having cross-section which varies with depth in the vessel and having a shape such that when the fluid displacer is positioned in the vessel, buoyant force exerted by the fluid on the first fluid displacer depends on the level;
- a first force transducer coupled to the fluid displacer;
- a second force transducer coupled to the fluid displacer;
- and
- a processor coupled to the first force transducer and to the second force transducer and configured to receive a first signal from the first force transducer and a second signal from the second force transducer, the first signal and the second signal being indicative of fluid forces acting on the fluid displacer, said processor also being configured to process the first signal and the second signal to generate at least one signal indicative of at least one characteristic of the fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.