Tank feed through structure for a radar level gauge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291492-B2
Application number	US-201313796105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2013
Priority date	Mar 12, 2013
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A radar level gauge using electromagnetic waves for determining a filling level of a product in a tank, comprising a transceiver, processing circuitry, a signal propagating device and a tank feed through structure. The tank feed through structure includes a fixed tank connection arranged to be secured to the tank, a tank connection adaptor arranged in a through hole of the fixed tank connection, a coupling arrangement arranged in the through hole and resting against the tank connection adaptor, and a fastening member attached to the fixed tank connection and securing the coupling arrangement between the tank connection adaptor and the fastening member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radar level gauge using electromagnetic waves for determining a filling level of a product in a tank, said radar level gauge comprising:
a transceiver for transmitting an electromagnetic transmit signal and receiving an electromagnetic echo signal,
processing circuitry connected to said transceiver for determining said filling level based on said electromagnetic echo signal,
a signal propagating device for directing said electromagnetic transmit signal towards a surface of said product and to return a reflection from said surface as said electromagnetic echo signal; and
a tank feed through structure including:
a fixed tank connection arranged to be secured to the tank, said fixed tank connection having a through hole with an abutment surface,
an electrically conducting tank connection adaptor arranged in said through hole in abutment with said abutment surface,
a coupling arrangement arranged in said through hole and resting against said tank connection adaptor, said coupling arrangement providing electromagnetic coupling between said transceiver and said signal propagating device through the feed through structure, and
a fastening member attached to said fixed tank connection thereby securing said coupling arrangement between said tank connection adaptor and said fastening member and securing said tank connection adapter between said coupling arrangement and said fixed tank connection.

2. The radar level gauge according to claim 1 , wherein said feed through structure is configured such that, when said radar level gauge is mounted to a roof of said tank, said abutment surface faces out of said tank and said fastening member is attached to an upper portion of said fixed tank connection.

3. The radar level gauge according to claim 1 , wherein said fixed tank connection and said tank connection adaptor are made of the same material, so that the fixed tank connection and the tank connection adaptor form an integrated tank connection.

4. The radar level gauge according to claim 1 , wherein said tank connection adaptor in its entirety is made of an electrically conducting material.

5. The radar level gauge according to claim 4 , wherein said coupling arrangement comprises an electrically conducting signal transmission member extending through a dielectric sleeve.

6. The radar level gauge according to claim 5 , wherein said signal propagating device comprises a transmission line probe connected to said signal transmission member.

7. The radar level gauge according to claim 6 , wherein said propagating device comprises a hollow wave guiding structure mounted to said adaptor part and surrounding said transmission line probe thereby forming a coaxial probe.

8. The radar level gauge according to claim 4 , wherein said tank connection adaptor forms part of a hollow wave guide connecting the transceiver and the signal propagation device.

9. The radar level gauge according to claim 8 , wherein said fixed tank connection forms part of said hollow wave guide.

10. The radar level gauge according to claim 8 , wherein said coupling arrangement comprises a dielectric filling member arranged in said hollow wave guide.

11. The radar level gauge according to claim 8 , wherein said propagating device comprises a directional antenna mounted to said tank connection adaptor.

12. The radar level gauge according to claim 1 , wherein said coupling arrangement further includes at least one sealing member, so as to form a process seal of said tank.

Assignees

• Rosemount Tank Radar Ab

Inventors

• Fredriksson Hakan

Classifications

• Y10T29/49947

  by applying separate fastener · CPC title

• G01F23/284 Primary

  Electromagnetic waves · CPC title

• G01S13/88

  Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications (electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00) · CPC title