Water level measurement system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12385772-B2
Application number	US-202118029191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2021
Priority date	Sep 29, 2020
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A water level measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a support pipe installed in a water tank filled with a fluid to measure a water level and extending in a depth direction of the water tank, a support rod disposed in an inner space of the support pipe and extending in the depth direction of the water tank, a plurality of ultrasonic probes attached to the support rod and generating ultrasonic waves, and a water level calculator connected to the plurality of ultrasonic probes and calculating the water level in the water tank, wherein the water level calculator calculates the water level of the water tank by using an order of the ultrasonic probes disposed at a highest position among the plurality of ultrasonic probes that detect a signal of a reflected wave reflected from the support pipe.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A water level measurement system comprising:
a support pipe installed in a water tank filled with a fluid to measure a water level and extending in a depth direction of the water tank,
a support rod disposed in an inner space of the support pipe and extending in a depth direction of the water tank,
a plurality of ultrasonic probes attached to the support rod and generating ultrasonic waves, and
a water level calculator connected to the plurality of ultrasonic probes and calculating the water level of the water tank, wherein
the plurality of ultrasonic probes are configured to propagate the ultrasonic waves in a horizontal direction parallel to a surface of the fluid and detect reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves reflected by an interior surface of the support pipe and propagating in the horizontal direction, and
the water level calculator calculates the water level of the water tank by using an order of the ultrasonic probes disposed at a highest position among the plurality of ultrasonic probes that detect a signal of a reflected wave reflected from the support pipe.

2. The water level measurement system of 1 , wherein
when the number of the plurality of ultrasonic probes is N, a length of the support rod is L, and the order of the ultrasonic probes disposed at the highest position among the ultrasonic probes that detect the signal of the reflected wave is S, the water level of the water tank is calculated as (−L/N)*S.

3. The water level measurement system of 1 , wherein
the support rod is disposed on the central axis of the support pipe.

4. The water level measurement system of 1 , wherein
the support rod is disposed on one side of the support pipe based on the central axis of the support pipe.

5. The water level measurement system of 1 , wherein
the plurality of ultrasonic probes are disposed in the depth direction of the water tank.

6. The water level measurement system of 1 , wherein
the water tank includes a nuclear fuel reloading tank or a nuclear fuel storage tank of a nuclear power plant.

7. The water level measurement system of claim 3 , wherein
the support rod and the support pipe do not directly contact each other.

8. The water level measurement system of claim 4 , wherein
the ultrasonic probe is installed at a position facing an exposed inner wall of the support pipe.

Assignees

• Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co

Inventors

• Lee Seung Chan
• Yoon Duk-Joo
• Kim Yo-Han

Classifications

• G21C19/07

  Storage racks; Storage pools · CPC title

• G01D11/30

  Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments · CPC title

• G21C17/035

  Moderator- or coolant-level detecting devices {(indicating or measuring liquid level in general G01F23/00)} · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title

• G01F23/2961 Primary

  for discrete levels (G01F23/2962 - G01F23/2968 take precedence) · CPC title