Patent · US Expired

Fluid gauging apparatus with inductive interrogation

US5602540A · kind A · utility

40Cited by
48References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 19, 1994
Grant dateFeb 11, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 19, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01D5/48
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A gauging apparatus for fluid containers such as fuel tanks includes a capacitance disposed in the container that changes value based on the volume of fluid in the container; a first antenna disposed below an outer surface of the container and coupled to the capacitance; a second antenna magnetically coupled with the first antenna across a coreless gap; and a gauging circuit coupled to the second antenna and comprising an oscillator for applying an excitation signal at a number of different frequencies to the second antenna, and a signal processing circuit that detects current in the second antenna caused by the excitation signal and by current in the first antenna related to the capacitance value.

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