Patent · US Expired

Apparatus including a capacitive probe for measuring the level and/or the volume of a liquid

US5052223A · kind A · utility

47Cited by
12References
44Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 30, 1990
Grant dateOct 1, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 30, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01F23/263
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus for measuring the level and/or the volume of liquid contained in the tank. The apparatus being of the type comprising a capacitive probe including at least two generally vertical parallel separate main plates for immersing in the liquid, and capacitance-measuring means having a detection input and a ground, the detection input being connected to a first one of the main plates and the ground being connected to the second main plate, wherein the first plate is surrounded by a guard ring. Furthermore, the present invention measures the level or volume of a liquid by calculating a coefficient K using the expression K=(Cmes-Cair)/(Cimm-Cair); in which Cmes is the measuring capacitance between the first and second plates; Cair is the capacitance of the first plate and the second plate in air; Cimm is the capacitance of the first plate and the second plate when they are totally immersed; and K is defined as the area of the first plate in the liquid divided by the total area of the first plate.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.