Method and apparatus for monitoring fill level of a medium in a container

US10416020B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Armin Wernet · Rheinfelden (Baden), DE
• Gerd Bechtel · Steinen, DE
• Kaj Uppenkamp · Wehr, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 27, 2015
• Grant date: Sep 17, 2019
• Expiry date: May 31, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01F23/80
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Method for monitoring a predetermined fill level of a medium (3) in a container (2) with at least one measuring probe (1) and an electronics unit (7), wherein the measuring probe (1) is operated alternately in the conductive and in the capacitive operating modes, wherein the measuring probe (1) is supplied with an exciter signal, which is composed of two different, time alternatingly sequential, periodic signal components, wherein in a first time interval the first periodic signal component is generated for the conductive operating mode and in a second time interval the second periodic signal component is generated for the capacitive operating mode, wherein from the capacitive or conductive operating mode response signal obtained from the measuring probe (1) as a function of the current signal component, it is ascertained, whether the predetermined fill level has been reached, and wherein a report is generated upon the exceeding or subceeding of this fill level.