Ultrasonic method for material monitoring

An ultrasonic measurement method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic transducer;
• (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time;
• (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse;
• (d) providing a gain control signal in accordance with said pulse travel time;
• (e) applying said gain control signal to a variable amplifier that amplifies the first electrical signal;
• (f) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time during a time period corresponding to a range of the pulse travel time;
• and
• (g) applying the output of said variable amplifier to a four to twenty amp indicator device.

An ultrasonic measurement method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic transducer:
• (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time;
• (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse;
• (d) providing a gain control signal in accordance with said pulse travel time;
• (e) applying said gain control signal to cascaded variable amplifiers that amplify the first electrical signal;
• and
• (f) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time during a time period corresponding to a range of the pulse travel time.

An ultrasonic measurement method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic transducer;
• (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received pulse varies according to said pulse travel time;
• (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse;
• (d) applying relatively lower amplification to said first electrical signal for relatively lower values of the pulse travel time and applying relatively larger amplification to said first electrical signal for relatively higher values of the pulse travel time;
• and
• (e) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of the second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time during a time period corresponding to a range of the pulse travel time.

An ultrasonic measurement method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic transducer;
• (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time;
• (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse;
• (d) providing a gain control signal for amplification of the first electrical signal in accordance with said pulse travel time, wherein said gain control signal is determined by performing first and second integrations during said pulse travel time to provide first and second integration signals;
• and
• (e) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time during a time period corresponding to a range of the pulse travel time.

An ultrasonic measurement method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic transducer;
• (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time;
• (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse;
• (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time during a time period corresponding to a range of the pulse travel time;
• wherein a level of a material is controlled in accordance with said second electrical signal.

An ultrasonic measurement method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic transducer;
• (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time, and the emitted ultrasonic pulse is attenuated to provide said received electronic pulse;
• (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse;
• and
• (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time during a time period corresponding to a range of the pulse travel time;
• wherein step (d) compensates for said attenuating and said compensating includes compensating for humidity.

An ultrasonic measurement, comprising the steps of:

• (a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic transducer;
• (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time;
• (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse;
• (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time during a time period corresponding to a range of said pulse travel time;
• and
• (e) applying said second electrical signal to a two-wire measurement system.

An ultrasonic measurement method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) emitting an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic transducer;
• (b) receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time;
• (c) providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse and applying variable amplification to said first electrical signal in accordance with said pulse travel time;
• (d) providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time during a time period corresponding to a range of the pulse travel time;
• and
• (e) determining the level of a material in accordance with said second electrical signal.

An ultrasonic measurement system, comprising:

• (a) means for emitting an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic transducer;
• (b) means for receiving an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time;
• (c) means for providing a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse and applying variable amplification to said first electrical signal in accordance with said pulse travel time;
• (d) means for providing a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time during a time period corresponding to a range of the pulse travel time;
• and
• (e) means for determining the level of a material in accordance with said second electrical signal.

An ultrasonic measurement system, comprising:

• (a) an ultrasonic transducer that emits an ultrasonic pulse;
• (b) a receiver that receives an ultrasonic pulse in accordance with a pulse travel time, wherein the amplitude of said received ultrasonic pulse varies according to said pulse travel time;
• (c) signal processing circuitry, coupled to the receiver, that provides a first electrical signal representative of said received ultrasonic pulse and a second electrical signal in accordance with said first electrical signal, wherein the amplitude of said second electrical signal is substantially independent of said pulse travel time during a time period corresponding to a range of the pulse travel time;
• and
• (d) a microprocessor that determines the level of a material in accordance with said second electrical signal.