CA1184777A - Liquid level measuring device - Google Patents

Liquid level measuring device

Info

Publication number
CA1184777A
CA1184777A CA000417049A CA417049A CA1184777A CA 1184777 A CA1184777 A CA 1184777A CA 000417049 A CA000417049 A CA 000417049A CA 417049 A CA417049 A CA 417049A CA 1184777 A CA1184777 A CA 1184777A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
drum
float
shaft
liquid level
measuring device
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000417049A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Adolf Baljohr
Klaus Schinlauer
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Wintershall Dea Deutschland AG
Original Assignee
Deutsche Texaco AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Deutsche Texaco AG filed Critical Deutsche Texaco AG
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1184777A publication Critical patent/CA1184777A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01FMEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F23/00Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
    • G01F23/30Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats
    • G01F23/40Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats using bands or wires as transmission elements
    • G01F23/44Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats using bands or wires as transmission elements using electrically actuated indicating means
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01FMEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F23/00Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
    • G01F23/30Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats
    • G01F23/40Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats using bands or wires as transmission elements
    • G01F23/42Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats using bands or wires as transmission elements using mechanically actuated indicating means
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01FMEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F23/00Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
    • G01F23/30Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats
    • G01F23/40Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats using bands or wires as transmission elements
    • G01F23/46Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats using bands or wires as transmission elements using magnetically actuated indicating means
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01FMEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F23/00Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
    • G01F23/30Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats
    • G01F23/64Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats of the free float type without mechanical transmission elements
    • G01F23/72Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats of the free float type without mechanical transmission elements using magnetically actuated indicating means

Abstract

LIQUID LEVEL MEASURING DEVICE

ABSTRACT
The invention relates to liquid level measuring device comprising a probe fixed to a rope which is uncoilable from a drum. The measuring device further comprises a take-up motor that engages the shaft of the drum. The take-up motor maintaining motor tension in the rope. And, an electrical indication is effec-ted through an electrical indicating means attached to one end of the drum shaft. A digital display is effected through a rotary pulse generator that has its shaft also coupled to the shaft of the drum and scans a slotted disk by means of light detectors.

Description

7~

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
_ _ _ _ Field of the Invention The invention relates to a tank level measur-ing device comprising a probe fixed to a rope paid 5 out by a drum and including a take-up motor enga2ing the shaft of the drum and maintaining the rope under tension, and further including an electrical indicat-ing means acted by the shaft of the drum.
Tank level measuring devices of this kind are 10 ~enerally known and are employed, for instance, for the continuous moni-toring o~ the level in petroleum tanks. The probe of such tank level measuring devices consists e.g. of an axially magnetized permanent mag-netic rod suspended from a rope within a tube inside 15 the tank and adapted to be lifted and lowered therein, or of a float or a sensing plate having a correspond-ing guide means. Lifting is effected by means of a motor acting on the drum shaft which in turn carries the drum taking up the rope. The motor is designed 20 SUCh that it will continuously tension the rope support-ing the probe.
On the tube, which passes vertically through the the tank and receives the probe, for instance a spheri-cal float is movably supported. The spherical float consists of a hollow sphere in which there is disposed an annular body of similarly axially magnetized permanent magnetic columns which are oriented ~ertically. As the spherical float is lifted and lowered the probe will be taken along and will thus indicate the level of the liquid ~i~

in the tank. In another embodiment a float which is directly coupled to the rope slides up and down along a vertical ~uide means in the tank and indicates the liquid level in the tank.
A similar embodiment in employed for sensing the liquid level by means of a sensing plate.
In a measuring device disclosed ln DE-OS
24 26 085 the drum shaft drives an angle coder through a reducing gear unit capable of transforming the angular 10 position of the shaft into a digital electrical signal which in parallel bit, binary coded form may be trans-ferred to receivinæ and displaying means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Level indication by means of the prior art tank 15 level measuring devices is extremely inaccurake and thus unsatisfactory. For instance, the interaction between spherical float and probe results in offsets of the meaY
ured value which are unavoidable because of slippage.
Measurement errors due to the variation~ in density of 20 the medium to be measured in case of major temperature fluctuations are also unavoidable. Further errors are due to tooth clearance and friction in the reducing gear unit, to the conversion of the rotary motion into electrical analog values because of linearity and trans-25 ducer errors, to the conversion of current in the powerconverter, and finally toan additional tolerance error in the A~D-converter. Due to these numerous tolerances and error sources the errors in measurement are considerable, 7'7~

so that the stock contained in a tank can be de-termined only very inaccurately.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a tank level measuring device having a higher measuring accu-racy.
In accordance wi-th the invention, there is provided a liquid level measuring system, comprising a hollow spherical float for following the level of said liquid, said Eloa-t having a plurality of magnets surrounding a cylindrical passage dia-metrically through said float, a probe comprising a magnetfor being retained in the field of said float magnets to Eollow vertical movement of said float, a flexible line attached to said probe, a drum having said flexible line wound thereon, a hollow tube located beneath said drum to permit said flexible line to extend therein, means for biasing said drum for rotation to take up slack in said flexible line, said drum having a shaft fixed thereto for rotation therewith, a rotary pulse generator having a shaft and comprising a slotted disc and light detectors for scanning said disc, and means for direct]y coupling said generator shaft to said drum shaf-t whereby said pulse generator may be employed for providing digital readings of said liquid level, said hollow tube having a closed lower end to exclude said liquid and extending through said Eloat cylindrical passage for permitting free vertical movement oE
said float while confining it to a substantially vertical path.
Due to the direct coupling of -the drum shaEt -to the generator shaft the -tooth clearance and friction and -therewith the measurement errors caused by the insertion of -the reducing gear are avoided. The ro-tary pulse generator equipped with the flying spot scanned slotted disc permits an extremely high sequence and thereby an extraodrinary accuracy. The rapid ,.~

pulse sequence has a definite influence on the accuracy of the measurement. It is possible without difEiculties to operate with a pulse sequence of one pulse per 1 mm ropeway. Too fast changing of the display can be avoided by using a Ram-Memory in the digital display.
For transmittance only four lines (two for the voltage supply and one each for the counting back and forth) as compared to eighteen lines with the angle coder.
From DE-GB 7003885 it is known to use an electrical transmitter for display, e.g. an pulse generator, a potentio-meter or a synchro system. There is no disclosure as tothe con-structional features of the electrical display.

-4a-With increased accuracy the manufacturing costs of the present measuring device are considerably reduced.

The ~oregoing and other objects and benefits of the invention will be more fully set forth below in con nection with the best mode contemplated by the inven-tors of carrying out the invention, and in connection with which there are illustrations provided in the draw~
ings, wherein:
The figure of drawings is a schematic showing of the apparatus mounted on the top of a tank contain-ing liquid the level of which is being measured.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
., . . . .. . _ _ ~ . . . _ . _ Referring to the drawing figure, there is illustra~
ted a measuring device 7 which is mounted on the cover 3 of e.g. a petroleum or water tank. This measuring device 7 comprises a casing 9 seated on the top 11 of the cover 3. A tube 15, which extends to the bottom 17 of the tank, is passed through a bore 13 in the tank cover. The tube 15 is resiliently supported on the bot-tom 17 by means of a pad 19. A probe 23 is suspended from a rope 21 within the tube. This probe 23 is a permaner.t magnetic rod which is axially magnetized and suspended vertically.
A spherical float 25 is mounted for up- and downward sliding movement along the tube 15. The sphe-rical float i3 floating in the respective region o~ the surface of the liquid in the tank 5.

The spherical float 25 consists of a hollow sphere 27 through which a sleeve-like through-passage 29 extends.
An annular array of further permanent magnet rods 33 is vertically ai3posed on the sleeve wall ~1. In this 5 way the permanent magnet rods 23 of the spherical float 25 will take along the probe 23 as the spherical float 25 moves longitudinally along the tube 15. Buoyancy is imparted to the spherical float 25 by gas or air charge in the hollow space 35.
Inside the casing 9 of the measuring device 7 a rope drum 39 is supported with its drum shaft 41 between two supporting walls 37. A spring motor 49 acts on the drum shaft 41, said drum shaft extending through the supporting walls 37. The spring motor 39 15 is capable of always keeping the rope tensioned.
By means of a stub shaft 51 the drum shaft 41 also drives a reducing gear unit 53 which turns a pair of pointers 55 in front of an indicating dial 57. The reducing gear unit 53, the pair of pointers 55 and the 20 indicating aial 57 form an indicatinæ means 61 within a casing 59.
The drive shaft 65 of a rotary pulse generator 67 is directly coupled to the drum shaft 41 via a coupl-ing 63. The rotary pulse gererator 67 is a component in which, for instance a slotted disk is scanned by means of one or several light detectors. The light pulses produced during the scanning operation are con-verted into electrical pulses from which the built-in 7'7~7 electronic circuit forms digital readings. Display is effected, for instance, by means of a digital dis-play device 69 disposed either in the viscinity of, or remote from, the measuring device. Further pulses may be transmitted via lines 71 to a central unit where the measured values can be continually stored and processed.
The counter has to operate with a rapid pulse se~uence to accomplish the measurements with accuracy.
For this reason, the pulse generator is layed out such that per 1 mm ropeway at least one pulse is released.
A Ram-Memory being provided in the digital display 69 retain~ the obtained measured values. The retained values in turn serve as basis data when the measured values very to higher or lower values.
While a particular embodiment of the invention has been described above in considerable detail, in accordance with the applicable statutes, this is not to be taken as limiting the invention but merely as being descriptive thereof.

Claims

"The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:"
1. A liquid level measuring system, comprising a hollow spherical float for following the level of said liquid, said float having a plurality of magnets surrounding a cylindrical passage diametrically through said float, a probe comprising a magnet for being retained in the field of said float magnets to follow vertical movement of said float, a flexible line attached to said probe, a drum having said flexible line wound thereon, a hollow tube located beneath said drum to permit said flexible line to extend therein, means for biasing said drum for rotation to take up slack in said flexible line, said drum having a shaft fixed thereto for rotation therewith, a rotary pulse generator having a shaft and comprising a slotted disc and light detectors for scanning said disc, and means for directly coupling said generator shaft to said drum shaft whereby said pulse generator may be employed for providing digital readings of said liquid level, said hollow tube having a closed lower end to exclude said liquid and extending through said float cylindrical passage for permitting free vertical movement of said float while confining it to a substantially vertical path.
CA000417049A 1981-12-16 1982-12-06 Liquid level measuring device Expired CA1184777A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19813149844 DE3149844C1 (en) 1981-12-16 1981-12-16 Tank level measuring device
DEP3149844-2-52 1981-12-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1184777A true CA1184777A (en) 1985-04-02

Family

ID=6148899

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000417049A Expired CA1184777A (en) 1981-12-16 1982-12-06 Liquid level measuring device

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0081832A1 (en)
JP (1) JPS58112993A (en)
CA (1) CA1184777A (en)
DE (1) DE3149844C1 (en)
ES (1) ES518008A0 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT202200007211A1 (en) * 2022-04-12 2023-10-12 G D S P A Apparatus for detecting the level of a liquid product in a packaging machine

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL188542C (en) * 1983-08-04 1992-07-16 Jongerius Hanco B V DEVICE FOR MEASURING AND DELIVERING PRE-DETERMINED FLUID QUANTITIES.
JPH08297815A (en) * 1995-04-26 1996-11-12 Nec Corp Modulation measuring instrument
FR2778242B1 (en) * 1998-04-30 2000-06-16 Exel Ind FLOAT GAUGE, PARTICULARLY FOR AGRICULTURAL SPRAYER TANK
CN103245400A (en) * 2012-02-13 2013-08-14 哈尔滨盛迪电力设备有限公司 Differential liquid level monitor
CN104390190B (en) * 2014-10-08 2016-01-13 宁波市镇海拓迪工业产品设计有限公司 magnetic suspension rotary lamp
CN104390189B (en) * 2014-10-08 2016-01-20 宁波市镇海拓迪工业产品设计有限公司 A kind of magnetic suspension rotary lamp
CN106882497A (en) * 2017-04-10 2017-06-23 成都大漠石油技术有限公司 It is easy to the petroleum storage device of sampling

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE7003885U (en) * 1969-02-26 1970-08-27 Rft Messelektronik Dresden Veb ARRANGEMENT FOR FILL LEVEL MEASUREMENT BY MEANS OF TRACKING DEVICE.
DE2151094C3 (en) * 1971-10-13 1978-09-21 Endress U. Hauser Gmbh U. Co, 7867 Maulburg Electromechanical level measuring device
DE7222495U (en) * 1972-06-16 1974-04-25 Fritz Georg LEVEL GAUGE FOR LIQUID TANK
DE2426085A1 (en) * 1974-05-30 1975-12-04 Ott Fa A Liquid level indicator - has sampler and quantiser with a shaft whose angular position depends on the liquid level
US3974695A (en) * 1975-08-18 1976-08-17 Sun Oil Company Of Pennsylvania Double level gauge

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT202200007211A1 (en) * 2022-04-12 2023-10-12 G D S P A Apparatus for detecting the level of a liquid product in a packaging machine
WO2023199161A1 (en) * 2022-04-12 2023-10-19 G.D S.P.A. Apparatus for detecting the level of a liquid product in a packaging machine

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3149844C1 (en) 1983-08-11
JPS58112993A (en) 1983-07-05
ES8308633A1 (en) 1983-10-01
ES518008A0 (en) 1983-10-01
EP0081832A1 (en) 1983-06-22

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4554494A (en) Fluid level gauge having magnetic sensor
US3935741A (en) Level sensor
CA1184777A (en) Liquid level measuring device
US5483831A (en) Direct liquid level reading device
US3387491A (en) Compass-oriented fluid velocity and direction sensor
US2930131A (en) Tank gauge
US2754596A (en) Telemetric fluid level indicating system
US3309710A (en) Flood hydrograph and rain-gage recorder
ES337531A1 (en) Apparatus for remotely indicating the level of liquid in a tank
CN2650081Y (en) Rope-reading water gauge
US2347861A (en) Measuring system, including a hydrostatic manometer and an indication translating mechanism
Bernstein et al. Real-time digital computer acquisition and computation of gravity data at sea
CN2527975Y (en) Absolute value coding digital type rain gauge
RU2188400C1 (en) Device for measurement of level and density
Lourence et al. A water-level measuring system for determining evapotranspiration rates from a floating lysimeter
US2202404A (en) Apparatus for determining horizon productivity of wells
CN219141958U (en) Magnetic induction liquid level remote transmission device
CN2342360Y (en) Float digital level detector
SU83646A1 (en) Recording device
SU152083A1 (en) Automatic meter
SU718714A1 (en) Discrete level meter
GB532380A (en) Improvements in liquid level indicators
Middleton An ultrasonic current meter for estuarine research
SU634112A1 (en) Discrete level gauge
RU2204809C1 (en) Discrete level gauge

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MKEC Expiry (correction)
MKEX Expiry