Level sensor

Abstract: In oil and gas and geothermal installations, open channels followed by sieves for removal of drill cuttings, are used to monitor the quality and quantity of the drilling fluids. Drilling fluid flow rate is difficult to measure due to the varying flow conditions (e.g., wavy, turbulent and irregular) and the presence of drilling cuttings and gas bubbles. Inclusion of a Venturi section in the open channel and an array of ultrasonic level sensors above it at locations in the vicinity of and above the Venturi constriction gives the varying levels of the drilling fluid in the channel. The time series of the levels from this array of ultrasonic level sensors are used to estimate the drilling fluid flow rate, which is compared with Coriolis meter measurements. Fuzzy logic, neural networks and support vector regression algorithms applied to the data from temporal and spatial ultrasonic level measurements of the drilling fluid in the open channel give estimates of its flow rate with sufficient reliability, repeatability and uncertainty, providing a novel soft sensing of an important process variable. Simulations, cross-validations and experimental results show that feedforward neural networks with the Bayesian regularization learning algorithm provide the best flow rate estimates. Finally, the benefits of using this soft sensing technique combined with Venturi constriction in open channels are discussed.

Abstract: A novel arrangement of a capacitive oil level and temperature sensor specifically provided to be mounted to a drive axle housing of a motor vehicle, is disclosed. The sensor comprises an L-shaped hollow body allowing for a simple fit in current production axles. The L-shaped hollow housing of the oil level sensor comprises a pair of mutually perpendicular legs. A substantially vertically oriented first leg includes an oil level detecting capacitor and adapted to be at least partially immersed in an oil reservoir of the axle housing. An oil temperature detecting thermistor is also disposed within the sensor housing. A second leg is substantially horizontally extending from the axle housing and contains an electronic sensor circuitry electrically coupled to the oil level detecting capacitor and to the thermistor, and is adapted to generate oil level and temperature output signals. Furthermore, the second leg of the sensor body is provided with a threaded mounting surface suitable for screwing the sensor into a threaded opening in the drive axle housing and a hexagonal wrench-engaging surface facilitating the installation of the oil level sensor.

Abstract: In this paper an attempt has been made for the conceptual design of an automatic fluid level controller for cryogenic tank lucratively for aerospace applications. An ideal design technique of the low temperature multi-phase fluid level control system for estimating the boil-off rate and/or the flow rate to facilitating the estimation of the total quantity of effective fluid available for completing the mission based on the use of microcontroller has been presented. The proposed control system model is mainly composed of microcontroller, level sensor, temperature sensors, pump and relay. This system could estimate the actual fluid volume of the low temperature cryogenic fluid for the evaluation of the effective propulsive efficiency of the entire aerospace vehicle. The preliminary sea level test results, using water as the base fluid, show that the system model being proposed is able to monitor the liquid level very effectively and accurately for estimating the total volume of the fuel and oxidiser for estimating the operating time of the aerospace vehicle lucratively.

Abstract: The utility model relates to a measurement system, in particular to a measuring installation used for measuring fixed points of a rail and building line. The measuring installation comprises a sensing unit consisting of a group of sensors, and the sensing unit is connected with a data-processing unit through an interface circuit, and the data-processing unit is connected with an offset output unit and a displayer. The sensing unit, the data-processing unit and the offset output unit are arranged on a measurement trolley which can be pushed along a steel rail and the sensing unit comprises a level sensor, an angle sensor and a laser ranging sensor. The measuring installation of the utility model can measure the horizontal distance and the vertical distance of a rail face center corresponding to a reference point located at the lateral of the rail as well as the horizontal level of the rail and has the advantages of automatic display and storage of metrical data and a good human-computer interface; in addition, the measuring results can be used as reference for the operating of a railway line tamper car.