Apparatus for determining a vertical level or density of a material column

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11892336-B2
Application number	US-202017633848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2020
Priority date	Oct 1, 2019
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus for determining a vertical level or density of a material column including one or more of a granular solid, a wet granular solid, a slurry, and a suspension, the apparatus having a support member; and at least one measurement module, wherein the measurement module includes a support arm mounted to the support member and extending outwardly from the support member; a displacer mounted to the support arm, and a force measurement device configured to measure a force attributable to a mass of the displacer mediated by a buoyancy of the displacer in the material column, wherein the measurement module has a data connection to a data processing unit for transmitting measurement data from the measurement module to the data processing unit to generate level or density information about the material column.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for determining a vertical level or density of a material column including a granular solid or a solid-liquid mixture, the apparatus comprising:
a support member; and
at least one measurement module;
wherein the measurement module comprises:
a support arm mounted to the support member and extending outwardly from the support member;
a displacer mounted to the support arm; and
a force measurement device configured to measure a force attributable to a mass of the displacer mediated by a buoyancy of the displacer in the material column,
wherein the measurement module has a data connection to a data processing unit for transmitting measurement data from the measurement module to the data processing unit to generate level or density information about the material column,
wherein the apparatus further comprises a vibration actuator configured to vibrate material surrounding the displacer in the material column to fluidize the material surrounding the displacer in the material column,
wherein the vibration actuator is mounted to, or disposed within, the support member, the support arm, or the displacer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vibration actuator is configured to vibrate the displacer to vibrate material surrounding the displacer in the material column to fluidize the material surrounding the displacer in the material column.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vibration actuator is configured to generate a vibration frequency in a range 1 Hz to 800 kHz.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a controller for controlling the vibration actuator, the controller being configured to cause the vibration actuator to generate a vibration immediately before the force measurement device takes a measurement.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the vibration actuator to continue vibrating during the measurement.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the vibration actuator to stop vibrating during the measurement.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to vary one or both of amplitude and frequency of vibration.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to tune one or both of amplitude and frequency of vibration based on the measurement data from the force measurement device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to implement a cleaning cycle wherein the vibration actuator imparts a different mode of vibration to that used for taking measurement.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data processing unit is configured to process the measurement data to remove vibrational noise from the vibration actuator.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the displacer is mounted to the support arm via the force measurement device and the force measurement device is contained within the displacer.

12. A method of determining a vertical level or density of a material column including a granular solid or a solid-liquid mixture, the method comprising:
introducing the apparatus according to claim 1 into the material column;
vibrating material surrounding the displacer in the material column to fluidize the material surrounding the displacer in the material column;
measuring a force attributable to the mass of the displacer mediated by the buoyancy of the displacer in the material column;
transmitting measurement data from the measurement module to the data processing unit, and
processing the measurement data from the measurement module to generate level or density information about the material column.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the material column comprises cement or grout.

14. An apparatus for determining a vertical level or density of a material column including a granular solid or a solid-liquid mixture, the apparatus comprising:
a support member; and
at least one measurement module;
wherein the measurement module comprises:
a support arm mounted to the support member and extending outwardly from the support member;
a displacer mounted to the support arm; and
a force measurement device configured to measure a force attributable to a mass of the displacer mediated by a buoyancy of the displacer in the material column,
wherein the measurement module has a data connection to a data processing unit for transmitting measurement data from the measurement module to the data processing unit to generate level or density information about the material column,

wherein the apparatus further comprises a vibration actuator configured to vibrate material surrounding the displacer in the material column to fluidize the material surrounding the displacer in the material column,
wherein the data processing unit is configured to process the measurement data to remove vibrational noise from the vibration actuator.

15. An apparatus for determining a vertical level or density of a material column including a granular solid or a solid-liquid mixture, the apparatus comprising:
a support member; and
at least one measurement module;
wherein the measurement module comprises:
a support arm mounted to the support member and extending outwardly from the support member;
a displacer mounted to the support arm; and
a force measurement device configured to measure a force attributable to a mass of the displacer mediated by a buoyancy of the displacer in the material column,
wherein the measurement module has a data connection to a data processing unit for transmitting measurement data from the measurement module to the data processing unit to generate level or density information about the material column,

wherein the apparatus further comprises a vibration actuator configured to vibrate material surrounding the displacer in the material column to fluidize the material surrounding the displacer in the material column,
wherein the displacer is mounted to the support arm via the force measurement device and the force measurement device is contained within the displacer.

Assignees

• Johnson Matthey Plc
• Johnson Matthey Plc

Inventors

• Beckett Oliver John

Classifications

• G01F23/76 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the float · CPC title

• G01N9/14

  the body being built into a container · CPC title

• G01F25/22

  Checking proper indicating of discrete level by floats · CPC title

• G01D21/02 Primary

  Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass · CPC title

• G01N9/10 Primary

  by observing bodies wholly or partially immersed in fluid materials · CPC title