Method and system for detecting volumetric parameters of liquid in a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10921172-B2
Application number	US-201816758469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2018
Priority date	Oct 30, 2017
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A method and detection system for determining volumetric parameters of liquid within a container using the diffusion of a reference amount of gas are described The method includes filling a first tube with gas to a reference pressure, allowing the gas to diffuse to the container, and measuring a first stable pressure of the gas. The container is then filled with an amount of the liquid and the first tube is filled with gas to the reference pressure. The supply of gas diffuses to the container and a second stable pressure of the gas is measured. Then, a portion of the amount of the liquid is discharged from the container and the first tube is filled with gas to the reference pressure. The supply of gas diffuses to the container, an instantaneous pressure of the supply of gas is detected, and an instantaneous volume of the liquid within the container is calculated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of determining volumetric parameters of liquid within a container, the method comprising:
a) closing a second valve and opening a first valve connected to the second valve by a first tube;
b) filling the first tube with gas through the first valve until a supply of gas within the first tube reaches a reference pressure;
c) closing the first valve and opening the second valve, such that the supply of gas diffuses to the container through a second tube attached to the second valve and the container, wherein the container contains none of the liquid;
d) measuring a first stable pressure of the supply of gas;
e) filling the container with an amount of the liquid;
f) closing the second valve;
g) filling the first tube with gas through the first valve until the supply of gas within the first tube reaches the reference pressure;
h) closing the first valve and opening the second valve, such that the supply of gas diffuses to the container through the second tube;
i) measuring a second stable pressure of the supply of gas;
j) discharging a portion of the amount of the liquid from the container;
k) closing the second valve;
l) filling the first tube with gas through the first valve until the supply of gas within the first tube reaches the reference pressure;
m) closing the first valve and opening the second valve, such that the supply of gas diffuses to the container through the second tube;
n) detecting an instantaneous pressure of the supply of gas; and
o) calculating an instantaneous volume of the liquid within the container.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step o) includes calculating the instantaneous volume according to the equation:

Δ
⁢
V

=

P
0

·

V
0

⁡

(

1

P
E

-

1

P
T

)

where:
ΔV=the instantaneous volume;
P 0 =the reference pressure
V 0 =a volume of the supply of gas at the reference pressure
P E =the first stable pressure; and
P T =the instantaneous pressure.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
p) repeating steps j)-o).

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
p) calculating a volumetric percentage of the liquid in the container based on the first stable pressure, the second stable pressure, and the instantaneous pressure.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein step p) includes calculating the volumetric percentage according to the equation:

V
⁢

⁢
%

=

P
E

·

P
F

P
F

-

P
E

·

(

1

P
E

-

1

P
T

)

where:
V %=the volumetric percentage;
P E =the first stable pressure;
P F =the second stable pressure; and
P T =the instantaneous pressure.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
q) emptying the container, such that the container contains none of the liquid;
r) repeating steps a)-o) multiple times; and
s) calculating the volumetric percentage of the liquid in the container based on an average of the first stable pressures, an average of the second stable pressures, and an average of the instantaneous pressures.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
p) calculating an accuracy of the instantaneous volume.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein step p) includes calculating the accuracy of the instantaneous volume according to the equation:

δ
=

P
E

·

P
F

P
F

-

P
E

·

1

P
T
2

where:
δ=accuracy of the instantaneous volume (%);
P E =the first stable pressure;
P F =the second stable pressure; and
P T =the instantaneous pressure.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
p) displaying the instantaneous volume on a human-machine interface (HMI) device.

10. A detection system for determining a volumetric parameter of a liquid in a container, the detection system comprising:
a first valve;
a second valve;
a first tube connected to the first valve and the second valve, wherein the first tube is configured to receive a supply of gas at a reference pressure when the first valve is open and the second valve is closed;
a second tube connected to the second valve and the container;
a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the first and second tubes; and
a controller in signal communication with the first and second valves and

Assignees

• Nordson Corp
• Nordson Corporartion

Inventors

• Qiu Zhongquan
• Yang Chenyu
• Jiang Wen

Classifications

• G01F25/20

  of apparatus for measuring liquid level · CPC title

• G01F22/02 Primary

  involving measurement of pressure · CPC title

• G01F23/18 Primary

  Indicating, recording or alarm devices actuated electrically · CPC title

• B05B1/3013

  Lift valves (B05B1/3033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01F23/16

  Indicating, recording, or alarm devices being actuated by mechanical or fluid means, e.g. using gas, mercury, or a diaphragm as transmitting element, or by a column of liquid · CPC title