WO2023078953A1

WO2023078953A1 - System and method for determining the volume of bodies or substances composed of dielectric and/or conductive material

Info

Publication number: WO2023078953A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/080587
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dr. Stefan Gebhardt; DR. Armin KOHLER; Eduard Bischler
Original assignee: Rechner Industrie-Elektronik Gmbh
Priority date: 2021-11-03
Filing date: 2022-11-02
Publication date: 2023-05-11
Also published as: DE202021106006U1

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (100) for measuring filling material within a first measuring cell (400A) and a second measuring cell (400B), the first and second measuring cells (400A, 400B) having interiors delimited from one another. For the purpose of measurement within the first measuring cell, the system comprises a first antenna (202) for emitting a transmission signal (702, 704) into the interior of the first measuring cell, the first antenna being designed as an electrically short antenna having an at least substantially hemispherical radiation characteristic and comprising a disk-shaped carrier substrate (205), a first sensor (200) for receiving a time-of-flight-based radiation signal (703, 705) and an evaluation module (201) for evaluating the received time-of-flight-based radiation signal. For the purpose of measurement within the second measuring cell, the system comprises a second sensor (300) for receiving a measurement signal relating to a filling level and/or a volume within the interior of the second measuring cell, which signal is able to be evaluated by an evaluation module (201, 301) of the system. The system is configured, for the purpose of determining the volume of bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504) composed of dielectric and/or conductive material within the interior of the first measuring cell, to put both evaluated signals jointly in a functional relationship with an adjustable reference volume of bodies or substances within the interior of the first measuring cell. The invention furthermore relates to a method which can be carried out by means of the system.

Description

System and method for determining the volume of bodies or substances made of dielectric and/or conductive material

The invention relates to a system and a method for determining the volume of bodies or substances made of dielectric and/or conductive material within an interior space of a first measuring cell with a conductive and/or non-conductive measuring cell wall, which has a surface facing the interior space.

In particular, in the course of the trend towards intelligent factories as part of the future project Industry 4.0, manufacturing companies are faced with considerable tasks. Among other things, greater flexibility is required, the products must be customizable, and at the same time the products and manufacturing processes are becoming more complex. Individual production also goes hand in hand with lower production quantities from batch size 1, which necessitate more flexible production systems. In order to achieve consistently high production quality even with small consumption quantities and dynamic processes, all relevant control variables must be permanently available. This also includes the filling quantities and material distributions of liquids, viscose substances and free-flowing bulk materials in an increasing number of small storage and process containers, which must be continuously recorded by sensors.

In the future, for example, sensors will also be required that provide contactless information on volumetric filling material distribution and/or are suitable for level measurements through layers of material.

Level measurements are nowadays implemented using a wide variety of measuring methods, with a fundamental distinction being made between point level measurement and continuous measurement. For limit level measurements, several sensors are usually installed at defined height positions in the container wall or vertically from above, so that they usually only serve to avoid overfilling or emptying. On the other hand, continuous level measurements provide much more dedicated information and are advantageous, for example, if several limit levels are to be generated above the level. For continuous level sensors a distinction is made, as is known, between sensors that come into contact with the product and sensors that measure without contact. In all types of sensors that come into contact with the product, the measuring electrodes extend over a defined filling level in the container and are always in contact with the product, ie they must meet the environmental conditions in the container. Complicated container geometries, such as corners, slopes, changes in diameter, or fixtures such as filling/heating devices and/or agitators, atmospheric interference and chemical and physical properties of the medium, such as viscosity, vapor, foam, reactivity, density changes, can impair the measurement or even make it impossible.

Ideally, every measurement should therefore take place from the outside, at least without contact with the product. Non-contact measuring sensors work, for example, on the basis of ultrasound, microwaves, radiometry or radar. With pulse radar, for example, short pulses are sent from above into the container and when they hit the boundary surface of the medium, part of the energy is reflected and can be detected as an echo. The distance to the sensor is then determined from the transit time of the signal received and the fill level is finally calculated using the specified container height. Traditionally, radar systems with a beam lobe that is as narrow as possible are used to detect only reflections from the surface of the filling material. However, this usually means that strongly focusing antennas are used, which, however, only lead to practicable sizes at high frequencies and can then only detect a small area of the surface, which can lead to considerable differences between the measured value and the actual filling quantity in the case of existing material cones. Due to the generally narrow radiation lobes or small opening angles of today's radar sensors, material cones are usually not detected outside of the radiation lobe and can consequently lead to a considerable difference between the measured level and the actual filling quantity. These sensors also have a dead zone, especially in the field area close to the antenna, in which the measurement accuracy decreases significantly and the existing container volume can therefore only be used to an incomplete extent. DE 10 2006 019 688 B4 describes, for example, a planar antenna for a level radar for level detection by sensors, with a glass or ceramic pane being provided for process separation, on the back of which, ie on the side facing away from the level area to be detected by sensors, at least one planar radiator element is applied and at a distance from it, a metal wall is also provided as a ground surface for the radiator element on the side facing away from the filling level area to be detected by sensors. The planar antenna structure applied by the at least one emitter element is made of a conductive material and can be an individual patch emitter or an array of several individual patches. An electromagnetic high-frequency transmission signal with a wavelength λ is thereby generated and radiated through the pane to the filling material, which has a thickness of a multiple of λ/2 in order to minimize the interference. In addition, to maximize the bandwidth of the antenna, a gas, e.g. B. air, or a vacuum with low dielectric constant. Furthermore, according to DE 10 2006 019 688 B4, it is provided that such a planar antenna additionally designed with process separation can in turn be used in particular within a horn antenna or for installation in a waveguide.

Apart from the non-contact measurement proposed in DE 10 2006 019 688 B4, in which at least all electronic components of the sensors are located outside the fill level range to be detected by sensors, a broader beam lobe would still be required, especially for detecting filling goods or objects in more complex container structures therefore much more advantageous.

With the applicant's European patent application EP20174239.2, filed on May 12, 2020, a system for the detection and/or volume determination of bodies or substances made of dielectric and/or conductive material within an interior of a measuring cell with a conductive and/or non-conductive measuring cell wall was developed , which has a surface directed into the interior space, is proposed, which comprises an ultra wide band microwave unit and at least one ultra-wideband antenna with at least one disc-shaped carrier substrate with a first surface directed towards a first side and a second surface directed opposite to the first surface, which forms an outer side of the antenna, wherein the carrier substrate is arranged and provided, during operation, a part of to replace the surface of the measuring cell wall directed into the interior or to extend in the interior at a distance in front of the measuring cell wall, and wherein the ultra-broadband antenna with radiator elements arranged on or in the carrier substrate is set up as an electrically short antenna with an at least essentially hemispherical radiation characteristic, for Covering a volumetric measuring field. In this way, a non-contact measurement within a measuring cell could be improved in such a way that even geometrically complicated measuring cell volumes can be detected essentially completely and thus in particular without dead areas with regard to bodies or substances with a cost-effective design.

In many applications, however, it is also necessary to remove filling material from a container previously filled with filling material. For certain areas of application, it may be necessary to only remove filling material from the container that has a predetermined material property, for example a particle size that does not exceed a predetermined maximum value, or filling material in a specific, e.g. liquid or gaseous, aggregate state. In such applications, it is of great interest to obtain knowledge both of the volume of the filling material which does not or not yet have the predetermined material property and of the filling level and/or the volume of the filling material having the predetermined material property.

Against this background, the task arises, in particular as a further development of EP20174239.2, of providing a system and a method, in particular to be carried out by means of the system, which, in addition to an improved non-contact measurement of filling material within a first measuring cell, also has a second measurement separate therefrom Level and/or volume determination of Filling material within a second measuring cell, which includes an interior space delimited from the interior space of the first measuring cell, allows.

The solution of the present invention is given by a system and a method with the features of the respective independent claims. Expedient developments are the subject of the subclaims.

According to the invention, a system is therefore provided, in particular for determining the volume of bodies or substances made of dielectric and/or conductive material within an interior space of a first measuring cell with a conductive and/or non-conductive measuring cell wall, which has a surface directed into the interior space, which is as follows is set up.

The system comprises at least one first antenna, which is designed to emit a transmission signal in the form of electromagnetic radiation into a measurement volume defined by the interior of a first measurement cell. The first antenna comprises at least one disk-shaped carrier substrate with a first surface directed towards a first side and a second surface directed opposite to the first surface, which forms an outside of the first antenna. In other words, the first surface directed towards the first side is expediently located on the side facing away from the fill level area to be detected by sensors. In addition, the system includes a first sensor and an evaluation module. The system is configured in such a way that the carrier substrate can be arranged in the interior of the first measurement cell at a distance from the measurement cell wall or can be installed in the measurement cell wall in such a way that part of the surface of the measurement cell wall directed into the interior of the first measurement cell passes through the second surface of the carrier substrate is replaceable. Furthermore, the system is configured in such a way that the first antenna is set up with radiator elements arranged on the second surface of the carrier substrate or in the carrier substrate as an electrically short antenna with an at least essentially hemispherical radiation characteristic for radiating the transmission signal into the measurement volume that the first sensor is designed to receive a runtime-based radiation signal and that the evaluation module for Evaluating the transit time-based radiation signal received from the first sensor is formed.

The system according to the invention is further characterized in that it has a second sensor which is used to receive a measurement signal relating to a filling level and/or a volume within a cell that is delimited from the interior of the first measuring cell and is in particular connected to it for the exchange of bodies or substances , Interior of a second measuring cell is formed. The evaluation module or another evaluation module included in the system is designed to evaluate the measurement signal received from the second sensor. Furthermore, the system is set up to determine the volume of bodies or substances made of dielectric and/or conductive material within the interior of the first measuring cell, by functionally relating the two evaluated signals to an adjustable reference volume of bodies or substances within the interior of the first measuring cell.

Such a system can thus contribute with the help of the first sensor and the evaluation module to the volume determination of bodies or substances in the first measuring cell and with the help of a second sensor independent of the first sensor and the evaluation module or a further evaluation module in a second measuring cell for level and/or or contribute to volume determination. The first and the second measuring cell are expediently arranged in a common container, but can also be arranged in different containers. The inner space of the second measuring cell is delimited from the inner space of the first measuring cell, in particular spatially delimited in such a way that the respective inner spaces are connected to one another for the exchange of bodies or substances. Bodies or substances can thus, for example, get from the interior of the first measuring cell into the interior of the second measuring cell. If no further filling material is filled into at least one of the two measuring cells and no filling material is removed from it, the system is then set up in such a way that the first sensor receives a measuring signal which essentially corresponds to the proportion of bodies or Corresponds to substances reduced measurement signal, and that the second sensor receives a measurement signal, which on the other hand, corresponds to a measurement signal which is essentially increased by the proportion of bodies or substances that have passed from the interior of the first measurement cell into the interior of the second measurement cell. After the evaluation of the two measurement signals by the evaluation module or modules, the system can use the two evaluated measurement signals to determine the volume of bodies or substances inside the interior of the first measuring cell by functionally relating the evaluated measurement signals to an adjustable reference volume of bodies or substances inside of the interior of the first measuring cell, for example a volume taken up immediately after the first measuring cell has been filled, also called the initial filling volume. The additional measurement for determining the fill level and/or volume of bodies or substances within the interior of the second measuring cell allows the system to provide a more accurate measurement result with regard to the non-contact measurement within the interior of the first measuring cell. In addition, the system enables a separate determination of the volume of bodies or substances in the first measuring cell and the filling level and/or the volume of bodies or substances in the second measuring cell.

The measurement signals received from the first and the second sensor can be transmitted to the evaluation module or to the further evaluation module, in which they can then be processed and evaluated, in particular by downstream digital algorithms, depending on the application. By means of a signal evaluation that has been shifted to digital algorithms, the system according to the invention can take measurements down to the bottom and in a wide variety of areas including the corners of at least the first measuring cell, i.e. in particular up to a container bottom and into the corners of a container containing the first measuring cell, in particular under Consideration of transit time and signal shape analysis, especially in the presence of multiple reflections of the measurement volume, can be carried out extremely precisely.

Furthermore, since the carrier substrate of the first antenna replaces part of the surface of the measuring cell wall directed into the interior space or extends in the interior space at a distance from the measuring cell wall and the radiator elements arranged thereon or therein have an at least essentially hemispherical shape Have radiation characteristics, dead zones can be essentially completely avoided and the system can thus be used for measurements in the vicinity of the first antenna.

The system according to the invention preferably comprises the first measuring cell, the second measuring cell and also a separating layer. The separating layer is designed to delimit the interior of the first measuring cell from the interior of the second measuring cell in such a way that the separating layer is permeable to bodies or substances made of dielectric and/or conductive material which have at least one predetermined material property. Such a further developed system makes it possible for filling material in the form of bodies or substances made of dielectric and/or conductive material to be divided up and, to a certain extent, selected in the first measuring cell. Bodies or substances that have a predetermined material property can pass through the separating layer and get into the interior of the second measuring cell due to this predetermined material property. On the other hand, the bodies or substances that do not have the predetermined material property remain in the interior of the first measuring cell, since these bodies or substances cannot pass through the separating layer. The system is thus set up to use the first sensor and the evaluation module to determine the filling volume of the bodies or substances that do not have the predetermined material property in the first measuring cell and also to use the second sensor and the evaluation module or a further evaluation module to determine the fill level and/or or to determine the filling volume of the bodies or substances that have the predetermined substance property in the second measuring cell. The system can therefore be used to determine at any time what filling volume and/or what level bodies or substances occupy depending on the predetermined substance property, and thus in particular how large the proportion of bodies or substances in the predetermined substance property is in relation to an adjustable reference volume or reference value is.

The separating layer can in particular be designed as a metallic lattice, which preferably has a predetermined lattice spacing, so that the metallic lattice for bodies or substances that have a predetermined material property Particle size substantially smaller than the lattice spacing of the lattice, is permeable. Thus, bodies or substances whose particle size is essentially smaller than the lattice spacing of the metallic lattice can pass through this lattice and get into the interior of the second measuring cell. Bodies and substances whose particle size exceeds the grid spacing of the grid cannot pass through the grid and remain in the interior of the first measuring cell. The metallic grid can in particular be a heating grid which is designed to heat, in particular to melt, bodies and substances located within the interior of the first measuring cell, and which is also particularly permeable to molten and/or liquid bodies or substances.

As an alternative to a metallic grid, however, the separating layer can also be designed as a membrane which is permeable to bodies and substances with a predetermined material property. In this case, the membrane is preferably selected on the basis of the predetermined material property.

The second sensor of the system according to the invention can be, for example, a capacitive sensor, in particular a capacitive sensor based on the three-electrode measuring principle, with at least one measuring electrode for capacitive level measurement of the bodies and substances that have entered the second measuring cell, with a counter-electrode being attached to a measuring cell wall of the second measuring cell or at least part of the measuring cell wall of the second measuring cell serves as a counter electrode. The second sensor thus receives a level measurement signal, which is evaluated by the evaluation module or by the further evaluation module.

Alternatively, the second sensor of the system according to the invention can be, for example, a runtime-based radiation sensor, which is designed for the volumetric detection of bodies or substances in the second measuring cell and is in particular a runtime-based radiation sensor designed in accordance with the first sensor. The system also includes a second antenna for emitting a second transmission signal in the form of electromagnetic radiation through the interior the measurement volume defined by the second measurement cell, the second antenna preferably being designed substantially in accordance with the first antenna.

In a preferred development, at least the first antenna is designed as a transmitting and receiving antenna. In addition to emitting the transmission signal, the emitter elements are also set up to receive a reception signal and to transmit the reception signal to the first sensor. The received signal is present in particular in the form of a transmitted signal reflected by the bodies or substances to be detected in volume and/or a transmitted signal reflected on the measuring cell wall of the first measuring cell. The received signal transmitted to the first sensor corresponds to the received propagation time-based radiation signal.

In addition, the system expediently also has a transmission module for generating the transmission signal and a cable connection electrically connected to the transmission module and to the radiating elements of at least the first antenna for wired transmission of the transmission signal generated to the radiating elements of the first antenna.

It has been shown that particularly useful radiation characteristics can be set up if the system has two planar radiator elements arranged on the second surface of the carrier substrate or in the carrier substrate and preferably horizontally and/or vertically parallel to these two planar radiator elements at least two more on the second surface of the Has carrier substrate or arranged in the carrier substrate planar radiator elements. The two planar radiating elements and, if present, two of these at least two further planar radiating elements, extending essentially parallel to the carrier substrate and held by it in a common plane, together form a flat antenna structure, for example as a planar dipole. The advantage is that the radiator elements can in principle be of any shape in order to form a large number of possible antenna structures, such as circular, elliptical and ring structures or butterfly structures, fly structures, ie “bow tie” structures, and so-called Batwing structures. Furthermore, in a supplementary and/or alternative embodiment, it is provided that at least the first antenna comprises a shielding arranged at a distance from the carrier substrate on the side of the carrier element facing away from the measurement volume. A wave propagation of the transmission signal in this direction can thus be avoided in a simple manner and the field propagation behind the first antenna can be minimized. The shielding can be formed in particular by a metal measuring cell wall or by a metal cover of the first antenna.

In addition and/or as an alternative to the shielding, a non-conductive layer, in particular for covering, and/or an absorber layer, in particular for electromagnetic absorption, can also be arranged as a protective layer on a surface adjacent to the carrier substrate facing the first side. With at least one such layer designed for covering and/or absorption, additional reflections on rear-side layers, in particular also layers grounded to ground, can thus be avoided in a simple manner.

A multi-layer circuit board can also be used as the carrier substrate and/or the radiator elements can be embedded in the carrier substrate.

The carrier substrate can additionally or alternatively be part of an integrated circuit. In addition or as an alternative to this, the system can also have at least one matching element and in particular at least one cable connection connected to the radiator elements via the matching element, it also being possible for the matching element to be part of an integrated circuit.

Further advantages and features of the invention result from the following description of some preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings each show a sketch in a greatly simplified representation that is not true to scale: 1 shows a first embodiment of a system according to the invention for determining the volume of bodies or substances in a first measuring cell and at least for determining the filling level of filling material in a second measuring cell,

2 shows a second embodiment of a system according to the invention for determining the volume of bodies or substances in a first measuring cell and at least for determining the filling level of filling material in a second measuring cell,

3 shows a third embodiment of a system according to the invention for determining the volume of bodies or substances in a first and a second measuring cell,

4 shows a plan view of a first embodiment of a board antenna designed as a dipole antenna for use within a system according to the invention,

5 shows a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a board antenna with embedded radiating elements for use within a system according to the invention,

6 shows a top view of a third embodiment of a circuit board antenna designed as a dipole antenna, in particular for bistatic measurements for use within a system according to the invention,

7 shows a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a board antenna with embedded radiating elements for use within a system according to the invention;

8 shows a cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment of a board antenna with embedded radiating elements and rear shielding for use within a system according to the invention; 9 shows a cross-sectional view of a sixth embodiment of a board antenna with embedded radiating elements for use within a system according to the invention,

10 shows a cross-sectional view of a seventh embodiment of a board antenna with embedded radiating elements for use within a system according to the invention;

11 shows a cross-section of a measuring system according to the prior art with bundling high-frequency antennas when measuring the fill level in a container,

12 in cross-section the measurement system according to the prior art with bundling high-frequency antennas when detecting an object in a container, and

13 shows a cross section of the measuring system according to the prior art with bundling high-frequency antennas when detecting an object in another container.

In the following, reference is made to the figures for the further description of some preferred embodiments of the invention

Comparison of the systems according to the invention first briefly on the in Figs. 11 to 13 will be discussed, which show measuring systems according to the prior art with bundling high-frequency antennas for level and object detection in different containers.

In particular, the in Figs. 11 to 13 systems shown in cross-section each have a level radar 10 with antennas (or an antenna) 12 that focus high-frequency beams. The respective antenna structure of the focussing antenna 12 can be made of a conductive material, not shown in detail, and in particular and of a single patch radiator or an array several individual patches, as described for example in DE 10 2006 019 688 B4. The bundling antennas 12 are each arranged with a rear side, ie on the side facing away from the level area to be detected by sensors, with a Ground surface or reflector layer 13 is electrically conductively connected, with a high-frequency connection 14 leading from the bundling antenna 12 to microwave electronics 11 . According to Figs. 11 and 12 each show a “rectangular” or “cylindrical” container 30 with a container wall 31, through which a measuring cell is defined. In other words, the container wall 31 forms the measuring cell wall, so that the surface of the container wall 31 directed into the interior ultimately defines the fill level range to be detected by sensors. Such a fill level area is consequently essentially “hollow cuboid” or also “hollow cylindrical” in shape. In a modification to Figs. 11 and 12, FIG. 13 does not show a merely “rectangular” or “cylindrical” container, but a container 40 with essentially any structure, in particular any complex structure, which consequently also includes a container wall 41 following this any structure . A measuring cell defined in this way, and thus also the fill level area to be detected by sensors, which is defined by the surface of the container wall 41 facing into the interior, is consequently not just “hollow cuboid” or “hollow cylindrical” in shape, but can also have shoulders, corners, slopes and include the like.

A measuring field 60 generated in each case by means of the bundling antenna 12 is likewise shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 outlined. As can be seen, the generated measuring field 60 is a bundled measuring field and consequently has a correspondingly bundled directional lobe 61, which delimits the area in which a transmitted signal 62 with a specific minimum field strength is generated or a received signal 63 with a specific minimum signal strength is received can.

If the container 30 according to Fig. 11 is a liquid or bulk material as filling material 500, for example, so that the filling level area and thus the interior of the measuring cell is filled essentially homogeneously from the bottom up with the liquid or bulk material, the respective filling material surface can consequently be filled 501 can also be carried out satisfactorily with the measuring system shown in FIG. 11 according to the prior art, since in such a In the case of a homogeneous filling material distribution, a bundled directional lobe 61 generally has no negative effects on the measurement result.

Are in the container 30 according to FIGS. 12 and 13 as filling material, however, several bodies or substances, such as those marked with 502 and 503, which do not fill the filling level area and thus the interior of the measuring cell homogeneously from the bottom up or are arranged distributed from one another inside the measuring cell, consequently the bundled directional lobe 61 lead to the fact that only part of the bodies or substances or only individual bodies or substances within the area of the directional lobe 61 can be detected by sensors, ie can be recognized. In FIG. 13, for example, only the body marked 502 is detected by sensors, but not the filling material marked 500 that is outside of the directional lobe 61, for example a liquid or bulk material with homogeneous distribution from the bottom of the interior of the measuring cell upwards, or not Shown other body located outside of the directional lobe 61. In FIG. 12, in addition to the body marked 502, the filling material surface 501 of the filling material 500 is also detected by sensors, but not the further body marked 503, which is located outside the directional lobe 61. However, a filling level measurement based on a recognized body or according to FIGS. 12 and 13 a volume determination of the body 502 can already lead to different results in these exemplary embodiments. If, as can be seen in Fig. 12, the body 502 lies, for example, on the bottom of the "rectangular" or "cylindrical" container there and the measuring field 60 extends within the directional lobe 61 around the body 502 to the filling material surface 501 of the Filling material 500, the body surface 504 of the body 502 detected by sensors and the filling material surface 501 of the filling material 500 can also be used to determine the volume of the body 502 with appropriate electronics in addition to simply detecting the body 502. However, the volume determination becomes less precise due to the filling material 500 surrounding the body 502 than would be the case without the filling material 500 surrounding the body 502 . If, on the other hand, the body is in the near-field region of antenna 12, such as body 502 in FIG. 13, only a part of body 502 is consequently detected with the measurement system according to the prior art shown in FIG. Consequently, although based on the sensory detected Body surface 504 of the body 502 of the body 502 recognized in principle, however, as a rule, no volume determination of the body can be carried out. A further negative effect is when the body, such as body 502 in FIG. 13, does not lie on the bottom of a merely “rectangular” or “cylindrical” container, but rather, for example, on a shoulder or on others individually under the body located other distributed bodies. In such a case, the body surface 504 of the body 502 detected by sensors can reflect an incorrect fill level.

Above all, this allows in Figs. The measuring system 10 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 does not measure the body 502 on the one hand and the filling material 500 on the other hand separately. Rather, a sensory detection of the body surface 504 of the body 502 and the filling material surface 501 of the filling material 500 carried out with the same sensor, as in FIG. 12, can lead to significant and sometimes even unacceptable measurement inaccuracies. If, on the other hand, the measuring volume to be detected is limited, for example according to FIG. 13, then only the body 502 located within the directional lobe 61 can be detected by sensors, but without being able to determine its volume. The in Figs. The measuring systems of the prior art shown in FIGS. 11-13 usually quickly reach their limits in terms of their measuring accuracy when there are different filling goods with different material properties, for example very different particle sizes, physical states, chemical composition, etc., in the measuring cell and these different filling goods 500, 502 , 503 are to be detected separately from one another by sensors.

In contrast, Figs. 1 to 3 in a greatly simplified representation of different measuring systems according to the invention. In particular, three different embodiments of one compared to the measuring system 10 of FIGS. 11-13 improved system 100 according to the invention for determining the volume of bodies or substances in a first measuring cell 400A of an arbitrarily structured container 900, which comprises a second measuring cell 400B in addition to the first measuring cell 400A. The first and second measuring cells 400A, 400B do not have to necessarily be comprised by a common container 900, but alternatively each can also be comprised by a separate container.

As can be seen below, such a system 100 according to the invention is suitable for determining the volume of bodies or substances made of dielectric and/or conductive material 500, 502, 503, 504 within an interior of the first measuring cell 400A with a conductive and/or non-conductive measuring cell wall 401, which has a has directed into the interior surface. In Figs. 1-3, parts of the container wall of the container 900 form, for example, the measuring cell wall 401 of the first measuring cell 400A and also of the second measuring cell 400B. The interior of the first measuring cell 400A defines the measuring area to be detected by a first sensor 200 or a first measuring volume 700A to be detected by sensors, while the interior of the second measuring cell 400B defines the measuring area to be detected by a second sensor 300 or a second sensory sensing measurement volume 700B defined. The measurement volumes 700A, 700B do not just have to be “hollow cuboid” or “hollow cylindrical” in shape, but can include shoulders, corners, bevels and the like, as is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 regarding the measurement volume 700 A can be seen.

The system 100 according to the invention has at least a first antenna 202, as shown in Figs. 1-3 visible. The first antenna 202 is designed to emit at least one transmission signal 702, 704 in the form of electromagnetic radiation into the measurement volume 700A of the first measurement cell 400A and comprises at least one disc-shaped, i.e. planar, carrier substrate 205 with a first surface directed towards a first side and an opposite one first surface directed second surface. This second surface forms an outside of the first antenna 202. The system 100 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-3 configured such that the carrier substrate 205 can be installed in the measuring cell wall 401, so that a part of the surface of the measuring cell wall 401 directed into the interior of the first measuring cell 400 A can be replaced by the second surface of the carrier substrate 205. Alternatively, however, the carrier substrate can also be arranged at a distance from the measuring cell wall and can extend in the interior of the measuring cell 400A. In addition, the system 100 is always configured in such a way that the first antenna 202 is connected to the radiator elements 206a, 206b, 207a, 207b arranged on the second surface of the carrier substrate 205 or in the carrier substrate 205, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 10, as an electrically short antenna with an at least essentially hemispherical radiation characteristic is set up in order to take the transmission signal 702, 704 over a solid angle of at least 2K and thus into the measurement volume 700A, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 by way of example, to radiate.

It is known that an antenna is electrically short if the electrical conductor of the antenna is much smaller than half the operating wavelength. For example, if the antenna emits an ultra-wideband signal, i.e. a signal in particular within a frequency range between 0.1 and 6 GHz, this corresponds to a wavelength range between approximately 30dm and 5cm. Depending on the desired application, half the operating wavelength is preferably between 15 dm and 2.5 cm, and the electrical conductor or the conductor structure of the radiating elements that make up the antenna must be adjusted accordingly as far as possible. In particular, it is provided that the electrical conductor or the conductor structure of the radiator elements as defined in "Textbook of High Frequency Technology", first volume, second edition, page 261, chapter 6.2.2, from 1973, ISBN 3-540-05974-1, to set up of an electrically short antenna is less than or equal to X/8.

The first antenna 202 can, for example, be an ultra-wideband antenna, as described in EP20174239.2, which is suitable for emitting transmission signals in the form of ultra-wideband signals with low frequencies, since ultra-wideband signals can penetrate a wide variety of dielectric materials particularly well. In addition, ultra-broadband antennas are particularly suitable for small measuring cells, since correspondingly small antennas with radiating elements in the centimeter range are required. When considering the entire usable frequency range of an ultra-broadband antenna, by definition, these are electrically short antennas that have little or no directivity and therefore expediently emit transmission signals into an at least essentially hemispherical measurement volume. In contrast to the prior art described above according to FIGS. 11-13 with a system 100 according to the invention, even in geometrically complex measuring cells, for example with shoulders, corners, slopes and the like, and correspondingly geometrically complex measuring volumes, dead areas can be essentially completely avoided due to the covering of a measuring volume 700A over a solid angle of at least 2K . Furthermore, the system 100 can thus also be used for measurements, in particular radar measurements, but also LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) measurements with a corresponding geometry of the first measuring cell 400A, for determining the volume of bodies or substances in the vicinity of the first antenna.

If the carrier substrate is not as shown in Figs. 1-3, but in the interior of the first measuring cell 400A at a distance from the measuring cell wall 401, the first antenna 202 can have a radiation characteristic with which the transmission signal 702 has a solid angle of far more than 2n up to 4K, i.e. up to a substantially spherical radiation pattern, can be radiated.

The system 100 according to the invention expediently has a transmission module 800 for generating the transmission signal 702 to be radiated at least by the first antenna 202 and one with the transmission module 800 and the emitter elements 206a, 206b, 207a, 207b (see Figs. 4-10) of at least the first antenna 202 electrically connected cable terminal 203, such as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The cable connection 203 is used for wired transmission of the transmission signal 702 generated by the transmission module 800 to the radiating elements 206a, 206b, 207a, 207b of the first antenna 202.

The transmission signals 702 radiated from the first antenna 202 into the measurement volume 700A of the first measurement cell 400A usually either directly impinge on the body surface 504 of bodies 502, 503 located therein or on the filling material surface 501 of a, for example liquid, filling material 500 or but first on the measuring cell wall 401, from which they are reflected. Such reflected transmission signals are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 marked with 704, for example. The transmission signals 702, 704 impinging on a body surface 504 and/or filling material surface 501 are reflected by the respective body surface 504 of the body 502, 503 and/or filling material surface 501 of the filling material 500, the signals then reflected being referred to below as received signals. Received signals that are based on transmitted signals that have already been reflected and/or that are reflected again on the measuring cell wall 401 after being reflected from the respective body surface 504 or the filling material surface 501 are marked in FIG. 2 with 705, for example. All other received signals are marked with 703 in the figures.

In order to receive the received signals 703, 705, the system 100 according to the invention has a first sensor 200 designed to receive a transit time-based radiation signal, as shown in FIGS. 1-3 shown. This first sensor 200 is at least suitable for receiving radiation signals in a frequency range in which the transmission signals 702, 704 emitted by the first antenna 202 lie. In order to evaluate the transit time-based radiation signal received from the first sensor 200, the system 100 according to the invention as shown in FIGS. 1-3 an evaluation module 201. It goes without saying that the evaluation module 201 is likewise at least suitable for evaluating radiation signals in a frequency range in which the radiation signals 703, 705 received by the first sensor 200 lie. The evaluation module 201 can use digital algorithms to determine the volume of bodies or substances for signal evaluation, in particular depending on the application-specific further configuration. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the evaluation module 201 is electrically connected to the first sensor 200, while in FIGS. 2 and 3 is comprised by the first sensor 200 by way of example and is therefore a component of the first sensor 200.

At least in the first measuring cell 400A, measurements, in particular radar measurements or LiDAR measurements, can be carried out down to the ground and in the most diverse areas of the first measuring cell 400A using reflected signals and taking into account transit time analyzes and Multiple reflections are evaluated extremely precisely, in particular using digital algorithms. However, it should be noted here that the signal evaluation itself, in particular when using appropriate algorithms, is not the subject of the invention and is therefore not discussed further.

As the Figs. 1-3, the system 100, in contrast to that in Figs. 11-13 shown prior art and compared to EP20174239.2 also a second sensor 300. The second sensor 300 is for receiving a measurement signal relating to a level (see Figs. 1 and 2) and / or a volume (see Fig. 3) formed within an interior space of the second measurement cell 400B of the container 900 (see FIG. 1 ) which is delimited from the interior space of the first measurement cell 400A. The interior of the second measuring cell 400B is shown in FIGS. 1-3 is delimited from the interior of the first measuring cell 400A in such a way that it communicates with the interior of the first measuring cell 400A for the exchange of bodies or substances.

That in Figs. The system 100 according to the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3 comprises in particular the first measuring cell 400A, the second measuring cell 400B and a separating layer 600. The separating layer 600 is designed to delimit the interior of the first measuring cell 400A from the interior of the second measuring cell 400B in such a way that they is permeable to the bodies or substances 500, 502, 503 to be detected, which have at least one predetermined substance property. This has the advantage that the bodies or substances can be separated or selectively divided between the first and second measuring cells 400A, 400B depending on a predetermined material property of the bodies or substances. For example, only the bodies and substances that have a predetermined substance property can be removed from the interior of the second measuring cell 400B. In this case, the separating layer is designed in such a way that it is only permeable to bodies and substances with this predetermined substance property. Evaluation module 201 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) or another evaluation module 301 (see FIG. 2) included in system 100 is designed to evaluate the measurement signal received from second sensor 300.

The system 100 according to the invention is always set up to determine the volume of bodies or substances 502, 503, 500 made of dielectric and/or conductive material within the interior of the first measuring cell 400A. Both evaluated signals are functionally related to an adjustable reference volume of bodies or substances within of the interior of the first measuring cell 400A. The adjustable reference volume serves as a reference value and can, for example, correspond to a volume occupied by bodies or substances immediately after the first measuring cell 400A has been filled, i.e. an initial filling volume, or for example to the measuring volume 700A.

If, after filling the first measuring cell 400A with filling material or bodies or substances, neither further filling material is refilled nor filling material removed from the first and/or second measuring cell 400B, so that a unit consisting of the first and second measuring cell 400A, 400B forms an essentially closed system , an increase in an evaluated measurement signal received by the second sensor 300 must essentially be reflected in a corresponding decrease in the evaluated radiation signal received by the first sensor 200 for determining the volume of the bodies located in the interior of the first measurement cell 400A. The evaluated measurement signal received by the second sensor 300 can thus be used in such a case to check the evaluated radiation signal received by the first sensor 200, at least with regard to the entire volume occupied by the bodies located in the interior of the first measuring cell 400A, or to check it improve. Consequently, the system 100 according to the invention can provide a more accurate measurement result with regard to the non-contact measurement within the interior of the first measuring cell through the additional measurement for determining the fill level and/or volume of bodies or substances within the interior of the second measuring cell 400B, which represents the total volume of the bodies or substances located in the measurement volume 700A. In addition the system 100 enables a separate determination of the volume of bodies or substances in the first measuring cell 400A and the fill level and/or the volume of bodies or substances in the second measuring cell 400B. This is particularly advantageous when separating filling material as a function of a predetermined material property.

In the following, the individual differences between the in Figs. 1-3 embodiments shown explained in more detail.

The system 100 shown in Figure 1 is configured such that the first antenna 202 is designed purely as a transmitting antenna, i.e. the first antenna 202 of a system 100 according to the invention does not necessarily have to be designed as a transmitting and receiving antenna. A transmission module 800 electrically connected to the first antenna 202 via a cable connection 203 is set up to generate the transmission signal 702, with the cable connection 203 being used for wired transmission of the transmission signal 702 generated to the first antenna 202 or its radiating elements. The first sensor 200 of the system 100 is for directly receiving time-of-flight based radiation signals including the. received signals 703 shown in FIG. 1 are formed within the measurement volume 700A. In FIG. 1, the first sensor 200 is arranged, for example, on the measuring cell wall 401 of the first measuring cell 400A, so that it extends into the interior of the first measuring cell 400A. As an alternative to this, the first sensor 200 could also be installed in the measuring cell wall 401 corresponding to the carrier substrate 205 of the first antenna 202 . For example, the first sensor 200 can be embodied as a receiving antenna and, in particular, can be embodied in accordance with the first antenna 202 . In an embodiment that is not shown, the system can also include a receiving antenna or even multiple receiving antennas in addition to the first antenna 202 as a transmitting antenna and the first sensor 200, with the receiving antenna(s) then transmitting the received radiation signals to the first sensor 200, for example.

The interior of the second measuring cell 400B is delimited from the interior of the first measuring cell 400A by a separating layer 600, which is shown in FIG. 1 by way of example is designed as a membrane which is particularly liquid-permeable. Thus, liquid filling material 500 can get from the interior of the first measuring cell 400A through the membrane into the interior of the second measuring cell 400B, and thus be separated from the bodies 502, 503 in the interior of the first measuring cell 400A.

The second sensor 300 included in the system 100 in Fig. 1 is, for example, a capacitive sensor based on the three-electrode measuring principle with at least one measuring electrode (not shown for the sake of clarity) for capacitive level measurement of the bodies and substances that have entered the second measuring cell 400B or of the substances that have entered the second Liquid filling material 500 reached measuring cell 400B. A counter-electrode (not shown) is attached to a measuring cell wall 401 of the second measuring cell 400B, or at least part of the measuring cell wall 401 serves as a counter-electrode.

A central evaluation module 201 included in system 100 and electrically connected to first sensor 200 and to second sensor 300 is designed to evaluate the propagation-time-based radiation signal received from first sensor 200 and the measurement signal received from second sensor 300 . In addition, the evaluation module 201 assumes the function of functionally relating the two evaluated signals to an adjustable reference volume of bodies or substances within the interior of the first measuring cell 400A.

The system shown in FIG. 1 has the particular advantage that liquid filling material 500 is separated from filling material in the form of solid bodies 502, 503, but above all separately from one another in measuring cells 400A, 400B that are spatially delimited from one another, with two different ones corresponding to the respective application suitable sensors 200, 300 can be measured. For example, a capacitive sensor for level measurement can be used as the second sensor 300 for the detection of liquid filling material 500, while a transit time-based radiation sensor is used as the first sensor 200 for the volume determination of solid bodies 502, 503, as shown in FIG. The system 100 according to the invention according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 comprises a first antenna 202, which is designed as a transmitting and receiving antenna. Their emitter elements 206a, 206b, 207a, 207b (see FIGS. 4-10) are set up not only to emit the transmission signal 702, 704 but also to receive the reception signal 703, 705 and to transmit the reception signal 703, 705 to the first sensor 200. The received signal 703, 705 transmitted to the first sensor 200 corresponds to the received transit time-based radiation signal and is in particular in the form of a transmitted signal 702 reflected by the bodies 502, 503 or substances 500 and/or a transmitted signal 704 reflected on the measuring cell wall 401 of the first measuring cell 400A before. According to FIG. 2, the first antenna 202 comprises a shield 402 arranged at a distance from the carrier substrate 205 on the side of the carrier element 205 facing away from the measurement volume 700A. The shield 402 is embodied in FIG alternatively, it can also be formed by a metal measuring cell wall 401 of the first measuring cell 400A. In FIG. 2, the first sensor 200 comprises an evaluation module 201 which is designed to evaluate the transit time-based radiation signal received from the first sensor 200, ie the received signals 703, 705.

In contrast to FIG. 1 , the interior of the second measuring cell 400B is delimited from the interior of the first measuring cell 400A by a separating layer 600 , which is present, for example, as a metallic grid in the form of a heating grid. In particular, the heating grid can heat and even melt the filling material that is in direct contact with it, such as the bodies 502, 503 within the first measuring cell 400A, so that melted filling material can get through the heating grid into the interior of the second measuring cell 400B, e.g eg the filling material 500 located in the second measuring cell 400B. In this way, melted filling material 500 can be separated from non-melted filling material, ie the bodies 502, 503 shown in FIG. An optional removal of only melted filling material 500 is thus facilitated in that it can be removed from the second measuring cell 200B. Above all, however, melted filling material 500 and non-melted material can be measured separately from one another, ie in measuring cells 400A, 400B and 400A that are spatially separated from one another measured with two different sensors 200, 300, which are suitable for the respective application, as already described with regard to FIG.

The second sensor 300 of the system 100 is in Fig. 2 as well as in Fig. 1 a capacitive sensor for level measurement of molten filling material 500. The second sensor 300 is electrically connected to a further evaluation module 301, which according to the embodiment of Fig. 2 is used to evaluate the measurement signal detected by the second sensor 300 and the transmission of the evaluated measurement signal to the evaluation module 201 of the first sensor 200 is used. The latter assumes the task of functionally relating the two evaluated signals to an adjustable reference volume.

FIG. 3 shows a system 100 according to the invention, in which the first antenna 202 corresponding to FIG. 2 is designed, for example, as a transmitting and receiving antenna. The radiator elements 206a, 206b, 207a, 207b (see FIGS. 4-10) of the first antenna 202 are thus also designed to receive a received signal (not shown in FIG. 3) and to transmit the received signal to the first sensor 200. In addition to the first antenna 202, the system 100 shown in FIG. 3 also includes a further transmission antenna 212 with a carrier substrate (not shown for the sake of clarity). In alternative embodiments, the system can also include a number of other such transmission antennas 212, each with a carrier substrate. With emitter elements arranged at distributed locations of the first measuring cell 400A on the second surface of the respective carrier substrate or in the respective carrier substrate, a radar measurement with support points at different locations within the measuring cell can therefore be carried out, for example, which reflects the possible structural complexity of the measuring volume 700A to be detected by sensors in the applicability the subject of the invention is essentially no longer limits. In FIG. 3, as in FIG. 2, the first sensor 200 includes an evaluation module 201 for evaluating the propagation-time-based radiation signal received via the antenna 202 designed as a transmitting and receiving antenna. In an embodiment of the system according to the invention that is not shown, the first sensor can, in contrast to FIGS. 2 and/or 3 in particular also as a receiving part of the first antenna designed as a transmitting and receiving antenna and thus be encompassed by the first antenna. In this case, the first antenna is expediently electrically connected to an evaluation module for evaluating the propagation-time-based radiation signal received by the first antenna.

The system shown in FIG. 3 comprises a separating layer 600 designed as a metallic grid. The metallic grid has a predetermined grid spacing 601, so that it is permeable to bodies or substances that have a particle size as a predetermined material property that is essentially smaller than this grid spacing 601. As outlined in FIG. 3, the bodies marked with 503 were obviously able to pass through the metallic grid with grid spacing 601 and get from the interior of the first measuring cell 400A into the interior of the second measuring cell 400B. The metallic grid thus has a sieve-like function and enables the filling material to be separated depending on the respective particle size of the individual bodies or substances. Due to its metallic property, the grid ensures that the measurement volumes 700A, 700B are shielded from one another in terms of measurement technology.

The second sensor 300 of the system 100 in FIG. 3 is a transit time-based radiation sensor, in particular corresponding to the first sensor 200, which is designed for the volumetric detection of bodies or substances in the second measuring cell 400B. The system 100 also includes a second antenna 302 for emitting a second transmission signal 312 in the form of electromagnetic radiation into a measurement volume 700B defined by the interior of the second measurement cell 400B. In this case, the second antenna 302 is in particular designed essentially in accordance with the first antenna 202 . The second sensor 300 is also electrically connected to the evaluation module 201 of the first sensor 200, so that a runtime-based radiation signal received by the second sensor 300 can be transmitted directly as a measurement signal to the evaluation module 201 in order to be evaluated by it. In addition, the evaluation module 201 of the first sensor 201 in Fig. 3 takes over Furthermore, the task of putting the two evaluated signals together in a functional relationship to an adjustable reference volume.

To generate the transmission signals 702, 312 to be radiated by the first antenna 202 and by the second antenna 302, the system 100 in Fig Second antenna 302 electrically connected cable connection 203 for wired transmission of the transmission signal 702, 312 generated in each case to the corresponding radiating elements. In order to generate a further transmission signal, which is to be radiated from the further transmission antenna 212 into the measurement volume 700A, the system 100 expediently also has a further transmission module 800'. The transmission module 800 is designed, for example, to generate radiation signals in the radio and/or microwave range, while the transmission module 800' is designed, for example, to generate radiation signals in the infrared range and/or in the optical range, i.e. in the range of visible light.

In the following, individual preferred embodiments are discussed in particular in connection with emitter elements arranged on the second surface of the carrier substrate 205 or in the carrier substrate 205, which are connected to a cable connection 203, e.g Transmission signal 702, 312 to the radiating elements is also connected to the transmission module 800.

Before this, in particular to the with Figs. 4-10 represented embodiments, it is briefly noted that these Figs. 4-10 essentially correspond to Figs. 4-10 of EP20174239.2, but as a further supplement to the embodiments described in EP20174239.2 also represent embodiments which, in addition to the use of ultra-wideband signals, additionally or alternatively also allow the use of other electromagnetic signals, ie electromagnetic signals which in another Frequency range are located and / or can be detected, for example, by means of radar and lidar measurement described above.

As sketched for example with FIG. 4 using a first embodiment of a circuit board antenna in plan view, at least two planar radiator elements 206a, 206b are expediently arranged on the second surface of the carrier substrate 205 or in the carrier substrate 205 of the first antenna 202. The planar radiator elements 206a, 206b extend essentially parallel to the carrier substrate 205 and are held by the carrier substrate 205 in a common plane, i.e. in particular a common planar plane spanned by the planar radiator elements 206a, 206b consequently extends essentially parallel to one of the carrier substrate 205 spanned level, and together form a flat antenna structure in the form of a surface dipole. Due to the design of the first antenna 202 as an electrically short antenna, a correspondingly designed flat antenna structure is consequently not adapted to the excitation frequencies. The emitter elements 206a, 206b also expediently also have a horizontal extension to the plane of the carrier substrate.

As also shown in FIG. 4, the cable connection 203 is designed as a high-frequency connection, for example, and is connected to the radiator elements 206a, 206b forming this flat antenna structure via an adapter 204, which is expediently included in the system. In particular, this allows impedance conversions between the line-bound, asymmetrical transmission path of the transmission signals and the associated electromagnetic signal waves of the flat antenna structure and the transmission path of the transmission signals, which is based in the interior of the at least first measuring cell, i.e. in particular based on the medium of air or, generally speaking, non-line-bound transmission path and the associated electromagnetic Make signal waves application-specific, as is known per se for a person skilled in the art. In this case, the matching element 204 can in particular be part of an integrated circuit.

The first antenna 202 according to FIG. 4 can consequently be designed as a transmitting and receiving antenna, in particular monostatic. In this case, the first Antenna 202, and according to the present example thus the two radiator elements 206a, 206b, expediently with a transmission module for generating a transmission signal used for the measurement and at the same time with an evaluation module comprised by the first sensor for evaluating a signal received from the first sensor via the first antenna 202 Radiation signal connected, which is not shown in detail for reasons of clarity.

Alternatively or in addition to this, FIG. 5 sketches in a cross-sectional view an embodiment of a circuit board antenna as the first antenna with emitter elements 206a, 206b embedded in the carrier substrate 205 for use within a system according to the invention.

In a modification to Figs. 4 and 5, FIG. 6 sketches in plan view an embodiment of a board antenna as the first antenna, in particular for bistatic measurements for use within a system according to the invention. In addition to the two planar radiator elements 206a, 206b, namely horizontally parallel to these two planar radiator elements 206a, 206b, at least two further planar radiator elements, in the example shown two further planar radiator elements 207a, 207b, are comprised by the first antenna 202. In each case two 207a, 207b of such at least two further planar radiator elements extending essentially parallel to the carrier substrate 205 are held by this in a common plane to one another and also together form a flat antenna structure. Furthermore, a cable connection 203 designed in particular as a coaxial conductor connection is provided for line-based transmission of a transmission signal from the transmission module, which is expediently electrically connected to the cable connection 203, to these radiator elements 207a, 207b. Since in the example shown a separate cable connection 203 is connected to each of the radiator elements 206a, 206b and to the radiator elements 207a, 207b, again in an expedient embodiment via a separate adapter element 204, the first antenna 202 can in this case also be set up for bistatic measurement, ie two of the antenna elements forming a flat antenna structure, for example the antenna elements 206a, 206b, are used for the emission of a measurement radiation signal, in particular an ultra-broadband signal, and is therefore expediently connected to at least one transmission module for generating the radiation signal used for the measurement, and two other radiating elements forming a flat antenna structure, e.g. the radiating elements 207a, 207b, are set up to receive the radiation signal used for the measurement and thus expediently connected to an evaluation module comprised by the first sensor for evaluating the received radiation signal. As can also be seen, the emitter elements forming a common flat antenna structure can share a common carrier substrate, ie they are arranged on the second surface of the same carrier substrate or in the same carrier substrate 205 . Alternatively, however, the arrangement on basically a divided carrier substrate could also be considered, ie the radiating elements forming a common flat antenna structure are each arranged on a partial carrier substrate.

Similar to FIG. 5, FIG. 7 outlines a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a board antenna with radiating elements embedded in the carrier substrate 205 for use within a system according to the invention. In a further modification to FIG. 5 and also to FIG. 6, in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. in the example shown, the two further planar radiator elements 207a, 207b are covered by the first antenna 202. These two further planar radiator elements are also held here, extending essentially parallel to the carrier substrate 205, in each case in a common plane with respect to one another and together they basically form a flat antenna structure. Since in the example shown all four illustrated two 207a, 207b of such at least two further planar radiator elements are shown embedded in the carrier substrate 205, it is evident that such a carrier substrate 205 can also be embodied as a multi-layer circuit board, for example. This also has the advantage, for example, of being able to produce, in a simple manner, the desired embedding of radiator elements parallel to one another vertically. A multi-layer circuit board as the carrier substrate 205 can, of course, also be used without embedded radiator elements. Furthermore, the carrier substrate 205 can be part of an integrated circuit. In addition or as an alternative to this, the adapter element 204, via which at least the radiator elements 206a, 206b in FIG. 7 are expediently connected to a cable connection (not shown), can be part of an integrated circuit.

Furthermore, in an embodiment according to FIG. 7, according to a variant, it can be provided that a separate cable connection 203, in particular high-frequency connection, is connected to the radiator elements 206a, 206b and to the radiator elements 207a, 207b, again in an expedient embodiment via a separate adapter 204, which is not shown for reasons of clarity. In an alternative variant, however, provision can also be made for the radiator elements 206a, 206b and the radiator elements 207a, 207b to be connected to a common cable connection 203, in particular a high-frequency connection. In this case, each of the radiating elements 206a, 206b, which together form a flat antenna structure, is expediently electrically connected to a different radiating element 207a, 207b, which together form a further flat antenna structure. According to FIG. 7, the emitter element 206a is electrically connected to the emitter element 207a and the emitter element 206b is electrically connected to the emitter element 207b. However, this variant is also not shown for reasons of clarity.

The respective application-specific device of the first antenna 202, i.e. in particular for bistatic or monostatic measurements and as a transmitting and/or receiving antenna, is consequently extremely flexible within the scope and when using the invention. It should be pointed out that mixed forms of further planar radiator elements arranged horizontally and vertically parallel to the two planar radiator elements 206a, 206b are also within the scope of the invention, for example two further planar ones arranged horizontally and two vertically parallel to the two planar radiator elements 206a, 206b radiator elements.

Fig. 8 outlines in cross-section another embodiment of a first antenna according to the invention, in the example shown a board antenna with two im Radiator elements 206a, 206b embedded in carrier substrate 205, with additional rear shielding 402, ie on the side facing away from the fill level area to be detected by sensors, also being included, as also shown in FIG. It has proven to be expedient if the shielding 402 is formed by the metallic measuring cell wall itself or by a metallic cover of the first antenna 202. A rear wave propagation of the transmission signal can thus be avoided in a simple manner, but at least reduced.

As can also be seen, the shielding 402 is therefore arranged on the first side, viewed from the carrier substrate 205 , and expediently spaced apart from the carrier substrate 205 . As shown, an inserted matching element 204 can also be expediently arranged between the shielding 402 and the carrier substrate 205 . Consequently, in a practical embodiment, a cavern 210 is also present between shielding 402 and carrier substrate 205 . Depending on the application, this can also be filled with a suitable gas (e.g. air) or vacuum, in particular in order to provide further dielectric properties that are desired in each case to improve the radar measurement.

In the embodiment of the first antenna according to the invention sketched in a cross-sectional view in Fig. 9, in the example shown a circuit board antenna with two radiating elements 206a, 206b embedded in the carrier substrate 205, in a modification to Fig. 8 it is in particular adjacent to the carrier substrate 205 and to the first A protective layer 209 is arranged on the first surface directed towards the side, which is expediently formed by a non-conductive layer, in particular for covering, and/or by an absorber layer. Even with at least one such protective layer designed for covering and/or absorption, additional reflections on layers on the rear side, in particular also layers grounded to ground, can thus be avoided in a simple manner. A broadband HF material in the form of a film or a foam, for example, has also proven to be particularly expedient as such a protective layer 209 . As shown, an adapter element 204 used within the scope of the invention can be embedded in the protective layer 209 and/or used within a cavern 210 formed in the protective layer 209 . In the In the latter case, an existing free space in the cavity 210 between the adapter element 204 and the protective layer 209 can also be filled with a suitable gas (eg air) or vacuum, depending on the application.

In the case of the embodiment sketched in FIG. 10 in cross-sectional view, a mixed form of the ones shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 outlined versions shown.

It is advantageous that the radiator elements 206a, 206b, 207a, 207b described above can in principle be of any shape. Depending on the requirement or application-specific, a large number of possible antenna structures can consequently be used for a particularly suitable design of a respective flat antenna structure constructed by the radiating elements. Radiating elements have proven themselves within the scope of the invention, for example for forming circular, elliptical and ring structures or also with butterfly structures, fly structures, i.e. "bow tie" structures, and so-called batwing structures.

In recognition of the above description, it can thus be summarized that the invention creates an industrial-grade sensor system and method for detecting the presence of filling goods in two measuring cells, which in particular have a complicated structure, with interior spaces that are separated from one another, in particular for empty detection, for filling level measurement and/or for determining the volume of filling goods. If the filling material is selectively divided between the first and second measuring cell, for example depending on a predetermined material property of the filling material such as the state of aggregation or particle size, the system according to the invention can carry out a separate measurement of the filling material in the first measuring cell and a filling material in the second measuring cell by means of a first and second sensor that is respectively suitable for this purpose. The evaluated measurement signals can be functionally related to one another to a reference value, so that in particular a more accurate measurement result with regard to the non-contact measurement is provided at least within the first measurement cell. Because at least one first antenna is set up as an electrically short antenna with at least essentially hemispherical radiation characteristics for emitting a transmission signal into the interior of the first measuring cell, dead zones can also be largely avoided in geometrically complex measurement volumes and measurements in the vicinity of the first antenna are also made possible become. A second antenna designed according to the first antenna can also be used for corresponding measurements in the second measuring cell. With an overall cost-effective construction, measurements up to the bottom of the container and into the corners of a container are possible.

Based on the system and the method according to the invention, a large number of digital algorithms can then be used for the subsequent signal evaluation and data analysis relating to the presence detection and calculation of the physical properties of the filling material, e.g. using a time-based impedance jump detection, including using of AI (artificial intelligence) including machine learning, a sub-area of artificial intelligence in which by recognizing patterns in existing databases, a system is able to carry out independent analyzes and problem solving.

In summary, the invention consequently relates to a system 100 for measuring filling material within a first measuring cell 400A and a second measuring cell 400B, the first and second measuring cells 400A, 400B having interior spaces that are delimited from one another. For measurement within the first measuring cell 400A, the system 100 comprises a first antenna 202 for emitting a transmission signal 702, 704 into the interior of the first measuring cell 400A, the first antenna 202 being designed as an electrically short antenna with at least essentially hemispherical radiation characteristics and a disk-shaped carrier substrate 205 comprises a first sensor 200 for receiving a propagation-time-based radiation signal 703, 705 and an evaluation module 201 for evaluating the received propagation-time-based radiation signal 703, 705. For measuring within the second measuring cell 400B, the system 100 comprises a second sensor 300 for receiving a Measurement signal relating to a level and / or volume within the interior of the second measuring cell 400B, which of a Evaluation module 201, 301 of the system 100 can be evaluated. The system 100 is set up to determine the volume of bodies or substances 500, 502, 503, 504 made of dielectric and/or conductive material within the interior of the first measuring cell, both evaluated signals with one another in a functional relationship to an adjustable reference volume of bodies or substances within the interior of the first measuring cell. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method to be carried out by means of the system.

Based on the above description, it can be seen that with the invention, a system according to the European patent application EP20174239.2 filed on May 12, 2020 has been further developed at least to the extent that a system within the scope of the invention is now

comprises a second sensor 300, which is designed to receive a measurement signal relating to a fill level and/or a volume within an interior space of a second measurement cell 400B that is delimited from the interior space of the first measurement cell 400A, and

- After evaluating the measurement signal received from the second sensor 300 for determining the volume of bodies or substances 500, 502, 503, 504 within the interior of the first measuring cell 400A, both evaluated signals are functionally related to one another to an adjustable reference volume of bodies or substances 500, 502, 503, 504 within the interior of the first measuring cell 400A.

Reference List

10 prior art system

11 Microwave Electronics

12 Focusing antenna

13 Ground plane or reflector layer

14 high frequency connector

30 containers

31 container wall

40 other containers

41 container wall

60 Focused measuring field

61 directional mace

62 broadcast signal

63 reception signal

100 measuring system according to the invention

200 first sensor

201 evaluation module

202 first antenna

203 cable connection

205 carrier substrate

206 radiating element of the flat antenna structure

207 Radiating element of another flat antenna structure

209 protective layer

210 cavern

212 more antenna

300 second sensor

301 additional evaluation module

302 second antenna

312 second transmission signal

400A first measuring cell 400B second measuring cell

401 measuring cell wall

402 shield

500 filling material 501 filling material surface

502 dielectric body or substance

503 nth dielectric body or substance

504 surface of a body or substance

600 separation layer 601 grid spacing

700A measuring volume of the first measuring cell

700B measuring volume of the second measuring cell

702 broadcast signal

703 reception signal 704 reflected transmission signal

705 reflected received signal

800 transmitter module

900 containers

Claims

39

patent claims

1. System (100), in particular for determining the volume of bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504) made of dielectric and/or conductive material within an interior of a first measuring cell (400A) with a conductive and/or non-conductive measuring cell wall (401) , which has a surface directed into the interior, comprising: at least one first antenna (202), which is used to emit a transmission signal (702, 704) in the form of electromagnetic radiation into a measurement volume (700A ) is formed, wherein the first antenna (202) has at least one disc-shaped carrier substrate (205) with a first surface directed towards a first side and a second surface directed opposite to the first surface, which forms an outside of the antenna, the system (100) further comprises a first sensor (200) and an evaluation module (201) and is configured such that

- The carrier substrate (205) can be arranged in the interior of the first measuring cell (400A) at a distance from the measuring cell wall (401) or can be installed in the measuring cell wall (401) in such a way that part of the surface directed into the interior of the first measuring cell (400A) the measuring cell wall (401) can be replaced by the second surface of the carrier substrate (205),

- the first antenna (202) with radiator elements (206a, 206b, 207a, 207b) arranged on the second surface of the carrier substrate (205) or in the carrier substrate (205) as an electrically short antenna with an at least essentially hemispherical radiation characteristic for radiating the transmission signal (702, 704) is set up in the measurement volume (700A), the first sensor (200) is designed to receive a runtime-based radiation signal (703, 705), the evaluation module (201) is designed to evaluate the runtime-based signal received from the first sensor (200). radiation signal (703, 705), characterized in that 40 the system (100) further comprises a second sensor (300), which is designed to receive a measurement signal relating to a fill level and/or a volume within a cell delimited from the interior of the first measuring cell (400A), in particular for exchanging Bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504) related interior of a second measuring cell (400B), wherein the evaluation module (201) or another, from the system (100) included evaluation module (301) for evaluating the second Sensor (300) received measurement signal and also the system (100) is set up for determining the volume of bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504) made of dielectric and / or conductive material within the interior of the first measuring cell (400A) both to put evaluated signals together in a functional relationship to an adjustable reference volume of bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504) within the interior of the first measuring cell (400A). System (100) according to claim 1, wherein the system (100) comprises the first measuring cell (400A), the second measuring cell (400B) and further a separating layer (600), wherein the separating layer (600) is designed to delimit the interior of the first Measuring cell (400A) from the interior of the second measuring cell (400B) in such a way that the separating layer (600) is permeable to bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504) made of dielectric and/or conductive material which have at least one predetermined material property is. System (100) according to claim 2, wherein the separating layer (600) is designed as a metallic lattice which in particular has a predetermined lattice spacing (601) so that the metallic lattice for bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504), which, as a predetermined material property, have a particle size essentially smaller than this lattice spacing (601), is permeable. 41 System (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second sensor (300) is a capacitive sensor, in particular a capacitive sensor based on the three-electrode measuring principle, with at least one measuring electrode for capacitive level measurement of the bodies and substances ( 500, 502, 503, 504), a counter-electrode being attached to a measuring cell wall (401) of the second measuring cell (400B) or at least part of the measuring cell wall (401) serving as a counter-electrode. System (100) according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the second sensor (300) is a transit time-based radiation sensor, which is designed for the volumetric detection of bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504) in the second measuring cell (400B). , in particular a transit time-based radiation sensor designed in accordance with the first sensor (200), the system (100) also having a second antenna (302) for emitting a second transmission signal (312) in the form of electromagnetic radiation into a through the interior of the second measuring cell ( 400B) defined measurement volume (700B), wherein the second antenna (302) is preferably formed essentially corresponding to the first antenna (202). System (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the first antenna (202) is designed as a transmitting and receiving antenna and the radiator elements (206a, 206b, 207a, 207b) are also set up in addition to radiating the transmission signal (702, 704). for receiving a received signal (703, 705), in particular in the form of a transmitted signal ( 702, 704), and for transmitting the received signal (703, 705) to the first sensor (200), wherein the received signal (703, 705) transmitted to the first sensor (200) corresponds to the received propagation-time-based radiation signal (703, 705). 7. System (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system (100) further comprises a transmission module (800) for generating the transmission signal (702, 704) and one with the transmission module (800) and with the radiator elements (206a, 206b, 207a, 207b) of at least the first antenna (202) electrically connected cable connection (203) for wired transmission of the generated transmission signal (702, 704) to the radiating elements (206a, 206b, 207a, 207b) of the first antenna (202).

8. System (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein on the second surface of the carrier substrate (205) or in the carrier substrate (205) two planar radiator elements (206a, 206b), and preferably horizontally and / or vertically parallel to these two planar Radiating elements (206a, 206b) at least two further planar radiating elements (207a, 207b) are arranged, wherein the two planar radiating elements (206a, 206b) and, if present, two of these at least two further planar radiating elements (207a, 207b) are located in the Substantially parallel to the carrier substrate (205) are held extending from this in a common plane and together form a flat antenna structure.

9. System (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the first antenna (202) comprises a shield (402) arranged at a distance from the carrier substrate (205) on the side of the carrier element (205) facing away from the measurement volume (700A), wherein the shielding (402) is formed in particular by a metal measuring cell wall (401) of the first measuring cell (400A) or a metal cover of the first antenna (202).

10. System (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier substrate (205) is a multi-layer board, and / or wherein the radiator elements (206a, 206b, 207a, 207b) are embedded in the carrier substrate (205), and / or wherein the carrier substrate (205) is part of an integrated circuit, and/or wherein the system further comprises at least one matching element (204), in particular a matching element which is part of an integrated circuit, and/or wherein the radiator elements (206a, 206b, 207a, 207b) are connected to a cable connection (203) via an adapter (204).

11. A method, in particular for determining the volume of bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504) made of dielectric and / or conductive material within an interior of a first measuring cell (400A) with a conductive and / or non-conductive measuring cell wall (401), the one has a surface facing the interior, with the steps:

- Emitting a transmission signal (702, 704) in the form of electromagnetic

Radiation with an at least essentially hemispherical radiation characteristic into a measurement volume (700A) defined by an interior space of a first measurement cell (400A),

- receiving a time-of-flight based radiation signal (703, 705),

- evaluating the received runtime-based radiation signal (703, 705), characterized by the steps:

- Receiving a measurement signal relating to a fill level and/or a volume within an interior space of a second one that is delimited from the interior space of the first measurement cell (400A) and is in particular connected to it for the exchange of bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504). measuring cell (400B),

- Evaluation of the received measurement signal for level or

Volume determination of bodies or substances within the second measuring cell (400B),

- Putting the evaluated transit time-based radiation signal (703, 705) and the evaluated measurement signal together in a functional relationship to an adjustable reference volume of bodies and substances within the interior of the first measuring cell (400A) for determining the volume of bodies or substances (500, 502, 503, 504 ) made of dielectric and/or conductive material within the interior of the first measuring cell (400A).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the emission of the transmission signal (702, 704) takes place in such a way that the transmission signal (702, 704) either directly onto a surface 44

(504, 501) of a body (502, 503) or filling material (500) located in the first measuring cell (400A) or initially hits a measuring cell wall (401) of the first measuring cell (400A) and after at least one reflection from such a surface (504, 501) or from the measuring cell wall (401) as a propagation-time-based radiation signal (703, 705). experienced according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the measurement signal is a level measurement signal or a second propagation-time-based radiation signal, wherein the second propagation-time-based radiation signal in particular a at least once on a surface (504, 501) of a body (502, 503) or filling material (500) or emitted second transmission signal (312) reflected on a measuring cell wall (401) of the second measuring cell (400B). experienced according to one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the adjustable reference volume serves as a reference value and corresponds to an initial filling volume taken up immediately after filling the first measuring cell (400A) or to the measuring volume (700A) defined by the interior of the first measuring cell (400A).