Underground storage tank monitoring system and method
US6374187B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 19, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 16, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 19, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S13/88
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An underground storage tank monitoring system and method uses special micropower impulse radar probes, with one such probe being inserted into each storage tank. The micropower impulse radar probes use flexible waveguides which extend downward to the tank bottom such that micropower radar impulses travel to and from the liquid surface via a wave guide, with the lapse between emission and reception of the impulse indicating a distance from the probe, and thus a liquid level. Each micropower impulse radar probe is connected to a dedicated spread spectrum transmitter which collects level and status information from the probe, encodes and transmits it to a matching spread spectrum receiver nearby. The receiver converts the coded signals into electrical signals and forwards them to a processor, a modem and a back-up battery are located. The processor stores the liquid level information for later transmission, along with liquid dispensed and liquid replaced information, to a central monitoring site via the modem.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.