Liquid level sensing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9574928-B2
Application number	US-201414318181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2014
Priority date	Feb 13, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A liquid level sensing system includes a vessel and an electrode. The vessel includes a vessel wall separating a vessel interior from a vessel exterior. The electrode is mounted to an exterior side of the vessel wall spanning a distance corresponding to a desired-level-determining range. The vessel wall is a dielectric gap between the electrode and the vessel interior. The electrode is configured to collect a charge corresponding to a liquid level. A method for determining a liquid level in a vessel includes collecting a charge on an electrode, sensing the collected charge on the electrode with a capacitance sensor through an electrical line, and determining a liquid level in a vessel based on the collected charge sensed by the capacitance sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid level sensing system comprising:
a vessel including a vessel wall separating a vessel interior from a vessel exterior; and
a single electrode mounted to an exterior side of the vessel wall spanning a distance corresponding to a desired-level-determining range, wherein the electrode is configured to collect a charge corresponding to a liquid level, and wherein the vessel wall is a dielectric gap between the electrode and the vessel interior.

2. A liquid level sensing system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising capacitance detection circuitry operatively connected to the electrode, wherein the capacitance detection circuitry is configured to sense the collected charge on the electrode.

3. A liquid level sensing system as recited in claim 2 , further comprising an electrical line connecting the electrode to the capacitance detection circuitry.

4. A liquid level sensing system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the capacitance detection circuitry is operatively connected to a liquid level determination component for determining a liquid level based on capacitance by correlating the collected charge to an area of a dielectric material in contact with the liquid.

5. A liquid level sensing system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the vessel wall includes a curved surface, wherein at least one of the electrode, the capacitance detection circuitry and the liquid level determination component are configured to remove nonlinearity effects on a liquid level measurement due to the curved surface.

6. A liquid level sensing system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the vessel includes a top and a bottom, wherein a vessel axis is defined therebetween, and wherein the desired-level-determining range extends along an axis parallel to the vessel axis.

7. A liquid level sensing system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a voltage-supply source operatively connected to the electrode for supplying a voltage to the electrode.

8. A liquid level sensing system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an electrical line connecting the electrode to a voltage-supply source.

9. A liquid level sensing system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the vessel includes an insulating material.

10. A liquid level sensing system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the insulating material includes a plastic material.

11. A liquid level sensing system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the vessel is a tank installed on an aircraft.

12. A method for determining a liquid level in a vessel:
collecting a charge on an electrode;
sensing the collected charge on the electrode with a capacitance sensor through an electrical line; and
determining a liquid level in a vessel based on the collected charge sensed by the capacitance sensor.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising supplying a voltage to the electrode with a voltage supply source such that the electrode can collect the charge.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 , wherein determining a liquid level includes correlating the collected charge to an area of a dielectric material in contact with liquid disposed in the vessel, wherein the vessel includes the dielectric material, and wherein the liquid acts as one plate of a capacitor and the electrode acts as a second plate of the capacitor.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 , wherein sensing the collected charge on the electrode includes sensing a continuous analog signal emitted by the electrode.

16. A liquid level sensing system comprising:
a vessel including a vessel wall separating a vessel interior from a vessel exterior; and
a single electrode mounted to an exterior side of the vessel wall spanning a distance corresponding to a desired-level-determining range, wherein the electrode is configured to collect a charge corresponding to a liquid level, and wherein the vessel wall is a dielectric gap between the electrode and the vessel interior.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Periyathamby Sabeshan Sean
• Shearer Jon
• Lei Martin
• Harr John A
• Mackulin Bryan J

Classifications

• G01F23/268 Primary

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