Use of resilient seals for high temperature and/or high pressure sealing in a guided wave radar level measurement device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9810568-B2
Application number	US-201414512814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2014
Priority date	Oct 13, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A guided wave radar level measurement device includes a process connection composed of an outer conductor and a central conductor. The central conductor is surrounded at least in part by a dielectric material. One or more resilient metal seals can be employed to form a hermetic seal around a portion of the probe. The metal seal protects the dielectric material such that the hermetic seal is isolated from process and temperature shock. The metal seal(s) can be further mated with one or more insulators and one or more gaskets, the metal seal(s) to provide a thermal and mechanical barrier as well as offering chemical resistance to the guided wave radar level measurement apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A guided wave radar level measurement device, comprising:
a probe comprising an outer conductor and a central conductor, said central conductor surrounded at least in part by a dielectric material;
at least two metal seals that form a hermetic seal around a portion of said probe, said dielectric material protected by said at least two metal seals such that said hermetic seal is isolated from process and temperature shocks; and
at least one insulator and at least one gasket wherein said at least two metal seals are mated with said at least one insulator and said at least one gasket to provide a thermal and mechanical barrier as well as isolating electronics of said guided wave radar level measurement device from said process and temperature shocks.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said dielectric material comprises a plastic material.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising an upper load ring located above said at least two metal seals and wherein said central conductor comprises an upper central conductor located above said at least two metal seals and wherein said dielectric material forms a dielectric sleeve that surrounds a pin receptacle located beside a seal body, wherein said upper load ring, said dielectric sleeve, and said seal body are placed onto said upper central conductor.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said guided wave radar level measurement device comprises cooler regions and warmer regions, wherein said cooler regions include said plastic material, wherein said at least two metal seals are utilized in said cooler regions of said guided wave radar level measurement device where said plastic material resides versus warmer regions of said guided wave radar level measurement device.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one insulator comprises a ceramic material.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said ceramic material comprises at least three ceramic rings among a plurality of ceramic rings configured in a spine arrangement with respect to said central conductor.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one gasket comprises a graphite material.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said at least two metal seals are co-located within a retaining ring about a load ring which in turn assists in maintaining said central conductor within a connector cap.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said at least two metal seals assist in protecting internal components of said guided wave radar level measure device from being damaged by a fluid or a gas being measured by said guided wave radar level measurement device and wherein said connector cap contains a T-shaped portion that includes an upper central conductor of said central conductor.

10. The device of claim 8 further comprising an O-Ring with a venting hole formed therein that assists in providing a venting, which assists in preventing an electronics housing of said guided wave radar measurement device from being flooded if a primary seal thereof fails.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein said outer conductor is surrounded by a glass ring.

12. A guided wave radar level measurement device, comprising:
at least two resilient metal seats and wherein said guided wave radar level measurement device includes a cooler region and a warmer region, wherein said cooler region includes a plastic material; and
a conductor probe wherein a lower portion of said conductor probe is surrounded by a glass material, a central portion of said conductor is surrounded by a plurality of ceramic rings, and an upper portion of said conductor probe is surrounded by a plastic material, wherein said central portion is located between said lower portions and said upper portion, and wherein said at least two resilient metal seals are located in said cooler region of said guided wave radar level measurement device where said plastic material resides, said plastic material having a dielectric lower than that of said plurality of ceramic rings.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said plurality of ceramic rings includes at least three ceramic rings configured in a spine arrangement with respect to said central portion of said conductor.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein said glass material, said plurality of ceramic rings, and said plastic material comprise a glass, ceramic, and plastic arrangement that allows for isolation of electronics within said device.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein said at least two resilient metal seals are co-located within a retaining ring about a load ring which in turn assists in maintaining said central conductor within a connector cap.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein said at least two resilient metal seals assist in protecting internal components of said guided wave radar level measure device from being damaged by a fluid or a gas being measured by said guided wave radar level measurement device and wherein said at least one resilient metal seal comprises an O-Ring with a venting hole formed therein that assists in providing a venting, which assists in preventing an electronics housing of said guided wave radar measurement device from being flooded if a primary seal thereof fails.

17. A method of configuring a guided wave radar level measurement device, comprising:
providing a process connection comprising an outer conductor and a central conductor;
surrounding said central conductor at least in part by a dielectric material;
configuring at least two metal seals to form a hermetic seal around a portion of said probe, said dielectric material protected by said at least two metal seals such that said hermetic seal is isolated from process and temperature shocks; and
mating said at least two metal seals with at least one insulator and at least one gasket to provide a thermal and mechanical barrier as well as isolating electronics of said guided wave radar level measurement device from said process and temperature shocks.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said dielectric material comprises a plastic material.

19. The method of claim 17 guided wave radar level measurement device comprises cooler regions and warmer regions, wherein said cooler regions include a plastic material, and wherein said at least two metal seals are located in said cooler region of said guided wave radar level measurement device where said plastic material resides.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said at least one
insulator comprises a ceramic material and said at least one gasket comprises a graphite material and wherein said at least two metal seals are co-located within a retaining ring about a load ring which in turn assists in maintaining said central conductor within a connector cap.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Heath Stuart James

Classifications

• G01S13/10

  using transmission of interrupted, pulse modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurement G01S13/32) · CPC title

• H01Q1/225

  used in level-measurement devices, e.g. for level gauge measurement · CPC title

• H01Q13/08

  Radiating ends of two-conductor microwave transmission lines, e.g. of coaxial lines, of microstrip lines · CPC title

• G01S7/28

  Details of pulse systems · 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