Method and assembly for overfill detection in liquid level sensing in a vessel by the pulse transit time technique

US6142015A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Endress+Hauser Inc. · DE

Inventors

• Igor Getman · Lörrach, DE
• Sergej Lopatin · Lörrach, DE
• Roland Muller · Weiling, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 6, 1998
• Grant date: Nov 7, 2000
• Expiry date: Apr 6, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01F23/2968
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Sensing the level of a liquid in a vessel by the pulse transit time technique is done by means of an ultrasonic transducer mounted above the highest-permissible level in the vessel which emits ultrasonic transmission pulses to the surface of the liquid and receives the ultrasonic echo pulses reflected from the liquid surface. The level in the vessel is established from the transit time of the ultrasonic pulses. To detect an overfill when the ultrasonic transducer is immersed in the liquid the decaying output signal of the ultrasonic transducer generated by the ringing of the ultrasonic transducer following the end of the each ultrasonic transmission pulse is analyzed. In this arrangement the fact is exploited that due to the better coupling of the ultrasonic transducer to the liquid than to air the ringing duration is shorter when the ultrasonic transducer is covered by the liquid.