Radar level gauge system with operation monitoring functionality
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G01S-013/08
G01S-013/10
G01F-025/00
G01S-007/292
G01F-023/284
G01S-007/40
G01S-013/88
출원번호
US-0876569
(2010-09-07)
등록번호
US-8830118
(2014-09-09)
발명자
/ 주소
Wennerberg, Tomas
Grahn, Marcus
출원인 / 주소
Rosemount Tank Radar AB
대리인 / 주소
Westman, Champlin & Koehler, P.A.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
1인용 특허 :
5
초록▼
A method of monitoring operation of a radar level gauge system installed at a tank and arranged to determine a filling level of a product contained in the tank. The method comprises the steps of: providing a first propagation property discontinuity at a first distance from a reference position at a
A method of monitoring operation of a radar level gauge system installed at a tank and arranged to determine a filling level of a product contained in the tank. The method comprises the steps of: providing a first propagation property discontinuity at a first distance from a reference position at a top of the tank; generating and transmitting an electromagnetic signal; propagating the transmitted electromagnetic signal towards the product contained in the tank; receiving a reflected electromagnetic signal comprising a plurality of echoes resulting from reflections at propagation property discontinuities encountered by the transmitted electromagnetic signal, including a first reference echo resulting from reflection at the first propagation property discontinuity and a surface echo resulting from reflection at a surface of the product contained in the tank; identifying the surface echo; determining the filling level based on the surface echo; evaluating a first portion of the reflected electromagnetic signal exhibiting a time-of-flight corresponding to the first distance from the reference position; determining, based on the evaluation, whether or not the first reference echo is detectable in the first portion of the reflected electromagnetic signal. If it is determined that the first reference echo is detectable in the first portion of the reflected electromagnetic signal, a first signal indicative of the filling level is provided; and if it is determined that the first reference echo is non-detectable in the first portion of the reflected electromagnetic signal, a second signal different from the first signal is provided.
대표청구항▼
1. A method of monitoring operation of a radar level gauge system installed at a tank and arranged to determine a filling level of a product contained in the tank, comprising the steps of: providing a first propagation property discontinuity at a first level in the tank, said first level defining an
1. A method of monitoring operation of a radar level gauge system installed at a tank and arranged to determine a filling level of a product contained in the tank, comprising the steps of: providing a first propagation property discontinuity at a first level in the tank, said first level defining an overfill detection zone above a normal filling level range for the tank;generating and transmitting an electromagnetic signal;allowing said transmitted electromagnetic signal to propagate towards and into said product contained in the tank;receiving a reflected electromagnetic signal including a first reference echo resulting from reflection at said first propagation property discontinuity and a surface echo resulting from reflection at a surface of said product contained in the tank;determining, based on the reflected electromagnetic signal, if said first reference echo is detectable at said first level;determining, based on the reflected electromagnetic signal, if said surface echo is detectable;in response to said surface echo being detectable, providing a fill level output indicative of said filling level; andin response to said surface echo being non-detectable and said first reference being detectable at said first level, deducing that the monitoring device is functional, and continuing operation of the tank, andin response to said surface echo being non-detectable and said first reference being non-detectable at said first level,providing an overfill condition output. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said steps of determining comprise the steps of: acquiring a candidate signal property set based on said first portion of the reflected electromagnetic signal; andcomparing said candidate signal property set with a stored signal property set indicative of said first reference echo. 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: providing a second propagation property discontinuity at a known distance from said first propagation property discontinuity and closer to the bottom of the tank than said first propagation property discontinuity;determining an electrical distance between the first propagation property discontinuity and the second propagation property discontinuity based on said reflected electromagnetic signal; anddetermining a vapor compensated time-of-flight corresponding to said first distance from the reference position at the top of the tank based on said known distance and said electrical distance,wherein a vapor compensated portion of the reflected electromagnetic signal exhibiting said vapor compensated time-of-flight is evaluated. 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a probe extending into the product contained in the tank, and providing said first propagation property discontinuity along said probe. 5. An operation monitoring device for monitoring operation of a radar level gauge system installed at a tank and arranged to determine a filling level of a product contained in the tank, the operation monitoring device comprising: a transceiver which generates, transmits and receives electromagnetic signals;a propagation device connected to said transceiver and arranged to guide a transmitted electromagnetic signal from said transceiver towards and into said product inside the tank, and to return a reflected electromagnetic signal including a surface echo resulting from reflection at a surface of said product contained in the tank;at least a first propagation property discontinuity being arranged at a first level in the tank, said first level defining an overfill detection zone above a normal filling level range for the tank;a signal evaluator which determines, based on the reflected electromagnetic signal, if said surface echo is detectable, and if a first reference echo from said first propagation discontinuity is detectable at said first level; anda signal generator which: in response to said surface echo being detectable, provides a fill level output inductive of said filling level; andin response to said surface echo being non-detectable and said first reference being detectable at said first level, deduces that the monitoring device is functional and continuing operation of the tank, andin response to said surface echo being non-detectable and said first reference being non-detectable at said first level, provides an overfill condition output in response to said surface echo being non-detectable and said first reference echo being non-detectable at said first level. 6. The operation monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein said signal evaluator comprises: an acquisition unit for acquiring a candidate signal property set based on a first portion of the reflected electromagnetic signal; anda comparator for comparing said candidate signal property set with a stored signal property set indicative of said first reference echo. 7. The operation monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein said first propagation property discontinuity is provided by a movable reference reflector. 8. The device according to claim 5, wherein said signal generator further provides an output indicating said filling level is below said first propagation property discontinuity in response to said surface echo being non-detectable and said first reference echo being detectable at said first level. 9. The device according to claim 5, wherein said propagation device is a probe extending into the product contained in the tank, and wherein said first propagation property discontinuity is provided along said probe. 10. A method of monitoring level a product in a tank using a radar level gauge system, comprising: placing a first propagation discontinuity at a first level in the tank;transmitting an electromagnetic signal into the tank;receiving an echo profile from the tank based upon the transmitted electromagnetic signal;identifying normal operation of the tank and providing a proof test if the echo profile includes a first echo reflected from the first propagation discontinuity which first echo is detectable at the first level and a surface echo reflected from a surface of the product and wherein the surface is located below the first propagation discontinuity;identifying an overfill condition if the echo profile does not include the first echo reflected from the first propagation discontinuity which first echo is detectable at the first level and does include the surface echo reflected from the surface of the product and wherein the surface is located above the first level;identifying that the radar level gauge system is functional and the product is not in an overfill condition if the echo profile does include the first echo reflected from the first propagation discontinuity which first echo is detectable at the first level and does not include the surface echo reflected from the surface of the product; andidentifying a surface level at or above the first level if the echo profile does not include the first echo reflected from the first propagation discontinuity which first echo is detectable at the first level and does not include the surface echo reflected from the surface of the product, andproviding a fill level output based on said surface echo when normal operation is identified. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said steps of identifying comprise the steps of: acquiring a candidate signal property set based on a first portion of the reflected electromagnetic signal; andcomparing said candidate signal property set with a stored signal property set. 12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of: providing a second propagation property discontinuity at a known distance from said first propagation property discontinuity and closer to the a bottom of the tank than said first propagation property discontinuity;determining an electrical distance between the first propagation property discontinuity and the second propagation property discontinuity based on said echo profile; anddetermining a vapor compensated time-of-flight corresponding to said first distance from the reference position at a top of the tank based on said known distance and said electrical distance,wherein a vapor compensated portion of the echo profile exhibiting said vapor compensated time-of-flight is evaluated. 13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising providing a probe extending into the product contained in the tank, and providing said first propagation property discontinuity along said probe.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (5)
Glab Charles Duncan (Dubuque IA) Lattner Michael Donald (Dubuque IA), Alarm assembly for product level gauge.
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