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WO2023041278A1 - Dispositif de mesure de niveau de remplissage - Google Patents

Dispositif de mesure de niveau de remplissage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2023041278A1
WO2023041278A1 PCT/EP2022/072994 EP2022072994W WO2023041278A1 WO 2023041278 A1 WO2023041278 A1 WO 2023041278A1 EP 2022072994 W EP2022072994 W EP 2022072994W WO 2023041278 A1 WO2023041278 A1 WO 2023041278A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
signal
measuring device
rhf
designed
unit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/EP2022/072994
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Florian FALGER
Pascal Mutter
Philipp Höre
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Endress and Hauser SE and Co KG
Original Assignee
Endress and Hauser SE and Co KG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Endress and Hauser SE and Co KG filed Critical Endress and Hauser SE and Co KG
Publication of WO2023041278A1 publication Critical patent/WO2023041278A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F23/00—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
    • G01F23/22—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by measuring physical variables, other than linear dimensions, pressure or weight, dependent on the level to be measured, e.g. by difference of heat transfer of steam or water
    • G01F23/28—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by measuring physical variables, other than linear dimensions, pressure or weight, dependent on the level to be measured, e.g. by difference of heat transfer of steam or water by measuring the variations of parameters of electromagnetic or acoustic waves applied directly to the liquid or fluent solid material
    • G01F23/284—Electromagnetic waves
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
    • G01S13/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of radio waves, e.g. radar systems; Analogous systems using reflection or reradiation of waves whose nature or wavelength is irrelevant or unspecified
    • G01S13/88—Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a high-frequency-based fill-level measuring device that can be optimally installed on the container with regard to its alignment.
  • a large number of different measured variables have to be determined depending on the process.
  • this can be, for example, a fill level, a flow rate, a pressure, the temperature, the pH value, the redox potential, a conductivity or the dielectric value of a medium in a process plant.
  • Field devices designed for this purpose which are based on suitable sensors or on suitable measuring principles, are used to record the corresponding measured values.
  • Various types of field devices are manufactured and sold by the Endress + Hauser group of companies.
  • High-frequency-based measurement methods have become established for level measurement of filling goods in containers, as they require little maintenance and have a high resolution.
  • the term "high frequency” in the context of this invention refers to ultrasonic signals with frequencies between 20 kHz and 10 GHz, as well as radar signals with frequencies between 0.03 GHz and 300 GHz and optical radiation between 300 GHz and 1 PHz. Common frequency bands at which radar-based level measurement is performed are 2 GHz, 26 GHz, 79 GHz, or 120 GHz.
  • the FMCW principle Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave
  • the pulse propagation time principle being implemented in ultrasonic, radar and optical measuring devices. In the case of radar, these measurement principles are described in more detail, for example, in “Radar Level Detection, Peter Devine, 2000”.
  • radar-based fill level measuring devices are usually mounted in such a way that their antenna, as a transmitting/receiving unit for transmitting/receiving the high-frequency signal, is directed downwards as vertically as possible in order to maximize the reflection of the high-frequency signal transmitted. This maximizes the signal strength of the received signal at the antenna, which means that the received signal can be reliably evaluated.
  • the vertical alignment of the antenna or level gauge only applies to (liquid) products with a smooth surface.
  • the maximum reflection of the emitted high-frequency signal can occur at a different emission direction in relation to the perpendicular than at 0° due to the conical surface.
  • the invention is therefore based on the object of being able to install high-frequency-based fill-level measuring devices in such a way that adequate reception of the reflected high-frequency signal is ensured even with non-planar filling material surfaces.
  • the invention solves this problem with a high-frequency-based fill-level measuring device for measuring a fill level in a container, with the fill-level measuring device comprising the following components for this purpose:
  • a transmitter/receiver unit by means of which a high-frequency signal can be sent in a defined emission direction towards the filling material, and/or by means of which the high-frequency signal can be received as a reception signal after reflection on the surface of the filling material,
  • a signal generation unit that is designed to generate the high-frequency signal accordingly, an evaluation unit that is designed o to determine a signal strength of the received signal, and o to use the received signal to determine the fill level , a fastening means, by means of which the fill level measuring device can be fastened to the container in such a way that the direction of emission of the transmitting/receiving unit can be adjusted in relation to the vertical over a defined solid angle range, and an output unit which is designed o to provide a graphic, to output an optical or acoustic signal which represents the signal strength of the received signal.
  • the level gauge can be optimally aligned on the container using the following process steps:
  • unit 1 means in principle any electronic component that is suitably designed for the intended application. Depending on the requirements, it can therefore be an analog circuit for generating or processing corresponding analog signals. However, it can also be a digital circuit such as an FPGA or a storage medium in cooperation with a program. The program is designed to carry out the corresponding procedural steps or to apply the necessary arithmetic operations of the respective unit. In this context, different electronic units of the measuring device within the meaning of the invention can potentially also access a common physical memory or be physically operated using the same digital circuit.
  • the invention does not generally prescribe whether the high-frequency or the received signal is designed as an ultrasonic, radar, infrared or laser signal.
  • the transmission/reception unit or the signal generation unit in the case of infrared can be designed as a ToF camera (“Time of Flight”).
  • the idea according to the invention is particularly useful in the case of radar-based filling level measurement, so that the high-frequency signal or the received signal is a radar signal.
  • the transmit/receive unit can be designed as an antenna or antenna array. Due to the generally reciprocal properties of antennas, their beam lobe or direction of emission is the same for each specific type of antenna, both with regard to transmission and reception. Therefore, the term “radiation direction” in the context of the present invention is that vector in three-dimensional space in relation to the perpendicular along which the radiation lobe of the antenna has its maximum transmission intensity or its maximum reception sensitivity.
  • the output unit can display the signal strength of the received signal, for example, graphically in the form of bars, visually using a color code, or acoustically, in particular using an interrupted tone.
  • the output unit can be designed not only as an integral part of the fill level measuring device, but also as a separate module, such as a mobile phone or a tablet PC.
  • the fill level measuring device also includes an inclination measuring unit, by means of which the direction of emission of the transmitting/receiving unit is Reference to the solder can be determined.
  • the output unit can also be expanded to include the current transmission direction of the transmit/receive unit, and/or even a spectrum which receive Signal strength as a function of the radiation direction represents to be able to display.
  • the recording of the spectrum shows that the overall level of the received signal strength is too high or too low to be able to identify a signal maximum
  • the filling level measuring device also includes an inclination measuring unit
  • the evaluation unit can also be expanded in such a way that it can independently determine the emission direction at which the signal strength reaches its maximum value.
  • Fig. 1 A radar-based level gauge on a container
  • Fig. 2 possible graphical representations of the signal strength
  • FIG. 1 shows a radar-based, freely radiating filling level measuring device 1, by means of which the filling level L of a filling material 2 located in a container 3 can be determined.
  • the pulse propagation time or the FMCW method can be implemented in the filling level measuring device 1 .
  • the level measuring device 1 comprises a horn antenna 11 as a transmitting/receiving unit in the exemplary embodiment shown.
  • the transmission/reception unit 11 can be designed as a piezo element.
  • the fill-level measuring device 1 is attached to the top of the container 3 in such a way that the antenna 11 for transmitting and receiving the radar signals SHF, RHF is directed toward the filling material 2 inside the container. Since the installation height h of the fill level measuring device 1 above the container brine must be known at the factory, the installation height h is stored in the fill level measuring device 1 or in an external evaluation unit 4, such as a decentralized server or a central process control system.
  • the radar signal SHF to be transmitted is transmitted via the antenna 11 in pulse form or frequency-modulated in accordance with the FMCW or pulse propagation time method in the direction of the filling material 2 .
  • the emitted radar signal SHF is then reflected at the level of the filling material surface and, after a corresponding signal propagation time t, is received in the level measuring device 1 as a received signal RHF.
  • the signal propagation time t of the signal SHF depends on RHF
  • c is the propagation speed of the high-frequency signal SHF, RHF in the container 3, which corresponds to the speed of light or, in the case of ultrasound, the speed of sound in the respective filling material 2 and is therefore also known.
  • the level measuring device 1 includes a correspondingly designed signal generation unit:
  • the signal generation unit can, for example, Include frequency or phase-controlled high-frequency resonant circuit or a quartz oscillator.
  • the capacitor or the quartz oscillator is controlled in a correspondingly clocked or modulated manner.
  • a transmit/receive switch is connected in order to feed the received signal RHF after reflection in the container s to an evaluation unit of the fill level measuring device 1, in which the received signal RHF is digitized or processed .is recorded (not shown explicitly).
  • the design of the transmit/receive switch is not fixed; it can be implemented as a duplexer, for example.
  • the received signal RHF can be recorded in the evaluation unit, for example by subsampling the received signal RHF according to the pulse propagation time principle, so that the received signal RHF is time-stretched by a defined factor.
  • the time-extended recording of the received signal RHF is made by mixing the received signal RHF with achieved with the instantaneously transmitted high-frequency signal SHF.
  • the evaluation unit can determine the fill level L with simple circuitry, since the signal propagation time t of the radar signal SHF, RHF can be determined using the signal maximum.
  • the antenna 11 is generally aligned in such a way that its radiation direction a runs exactly vertically towards the filling material 2 .
  • the transmitted radar signal SHF impinges directly orthogonally on the surface thereof, so that the reflection from antenna 11 is at a maximum.
  • This ensures that the intensity or signal strength of the received signal RHF is sufficient for the evaluation unit to be able to reliably determine the filling level L using the received signal RHF.
  • mainly bulk material-like contents 3 have conical surfaces due to the filling process, so that the signal strength A of the received signal RHF may be too weak when the antenna 11 is aligned vertically to be able to determine the filling level L.
  • the antenna 11 can therefore be variably aligned within a specific solid angle range in relation to the perpendicular.
  • the fill level measuring device 1 in the embodiment variant shown in Fig. 1 is fastened to the container 3 via a ball joint as fastening means 12, so that the radiation direction a of the antenna 11 relative to the plumb line can be adjusted accordingly in a defined solid angle range of, for example, ⁇ 20°.
  • the ball joint can be finally fixed in its position or its alignment, for example via a sleeve.
  • the fill-level measuring device 1 also includes an output unit 13 which is connected to the evaluation unit in order to output a graphic, optical or acoustic signal which represents the signal strength A of the received signal RHF.
  • the fill-level measuring device 1 comprises a display as the output unit 13, the bar-shaped representations shown in FIG. 2a or 2b, for example, being selected as the graphic signal for representing the signal strength A of the received signal RHF can.
  • the representation or the graphic signal is standardized to a previously defined maximum value A max . Accordingly, the signal strength A in the representations shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b is approximately half of the maximum value A max in each case.
  • the signal for reproducing the received signal strength A can also be generated in any other conceivable way, for example as an interrupted tone whose duration of interruption depends on the signal strength A of the received signal RHF.
  • the fill level measuring device 1 can be individually aligned during installation by changing the radiation direction a of the antenna 11 over the entire, adjustable solid angle range and at the same time the signal strength A is detected using the graphic, optical or acoustic signal. In this way, the maximum signal strength A max that can be achieved in the solid angle range of the received signal RHF at the antenna 11 or the corresponding emission direction a A max can be determined. Thus, the antenna 11 or the fill level measuring device 1 can then be fixed under this radiation direction ( max ) by tightening the sleeve on the ball joint.
  • the fill level measuring device 1 Spectrum that shows the instantaneous signal strength A of the received signal RHF as a function of the associated solid angle a, in which the antenna 11 is aligned.
  • a spectrum which reflects the reflection conditions of the situation shown in Fig. 1, is shown in Fig. 3:
  • the maximum signal strength A max for bulk goods 2 with a cone of repose is not at an antenna alignment of 0° in relation to the vertical, but rather at that radiation direction (Umax of the antenna 11, which approximately orthogonal to the cone.
  • the fill level measuring device 1 In order to record such a spectrum, the fill level measuring device 1 must be assigned an inclination measuring unit, which can determine the instantaneous radiation direction a of the antenna 11 in relation to the perpendicular. As a rule, the electronic units of the fill-level measuring device 1 already have integrated inclination sensors for this purpose, which can be used accordingly. On the other hand, the evaluation unit must be connected to the inclination measuring unit in order to be able to set the instantaneous signal strength A in relation to the corresponding emission direction a of the antenna 11 .
  • the fill-level measuring device 1 can pivot the fill-level measuring device 1 over the solid angle range while emitting the radar signal SHF on the fastening means 12 so that the fill-level measuring device 1 or the evaluation unit can record the spectrum in a separate mode, if necessary.
  • the evaluation unit automatically determines the maximum signal strength A max and possibly also the associated emission direction aA max on the basis of the recorded spectrum.
  • the recorded spectrum can optionally also be displayed on the output unit 13 . If, for example, when recording the spectrum, it should turn out that
  • the signal generation unit to be adjustable with regard to the power of the radar signal SHF to be transmitted.
  • the power of the radar signal SHF to be transmitted can be adjusted accordingly if the overall signal strength A of the received radar signal RHF is too high or too low to be able to determine a dedicated signal maximum A max .

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Remote Sensing (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Measurement Of Levels Of Liquids Or Fluent Solid Materials (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif de mesure de niveau de remplissage à base de radiofréquence (1) qui peut être installé de manière optimale en ce qui concerne son orientation. À cet effet, le dispositif de mesure de niveau de remplissage (1) comprend les composants supplémentaires suivants : Un moyen de fixation (12) par l'intermédiaire duquel le dispositif de mesure de niveau de remplissage (1) peut être fixé au récipient (3) de telle sorte que la direction d'émission (α) de l'antenne radiofréquence (11) peut être ajustée sur une plage d'angle solide définie, et : Une unité de sortie (13) qui est conçue pour émettre un signal graphique, optique ou acoustique représentant la force de signal (A) du signal reçu (RHF). Cette conception signifie que le dispositif de mesure de niveau de remplissage (1) peut être orienté de manière optimale sur le récipient au moyen des étapes de procédé suivantes : le montage du dispositif de mesure de niveau de remplissage (1) sur le récipient (3) par l'intermédiaire du moyen de fixation (12) ; la modification de la direction d'émission (α) de l'antenne (11) sur la plage d'angle solide tout en transmettant le signal radiofréquence (SHF) ; la détermination simultanée de la force de signal (A) du signal reçu (RHF) à l'intérieur de la plage d'angle solide au moyen du signal graphique, optique ou acoustique, et ; la fixation du dispositif de mesure de niveau de remplissage (1) dans la direction d'émission (αAmax) dans laquelle la force de signal (A) atteint sa valeur maximale (Amax).
PCT/EP2022/072994 2021-09-14 2022-08-17 Dispositif de mesure de niveau de remplissage Ceased WO2023041278A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102021123735.1A DE102021123735A1 (de) 2021-09-14 2021-09-14 Füllstandsmessgerät
DE102021123735.1 2021-09-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2023041278A1 true WO2023041278A1 (fr) 2023-03-23

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2022/072994 Ceased WO2023041278A1 (fr) 2021-09-14 2022-08-17 Dispositif de mesure de niveau de remplissage

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DE (1) DE102021123735A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2023041278A1 (fr)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2803951A1 (fr) * 2013-05-17 2014-11-19 VEGA Grieshaber KG Détermination de la topologie pour des matériaux en vrac
DE102018128253A1 (de) * 2018-11-12 2020-05-14 Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG Verfahren zum Ausrichten eines Radar-basierten Füllstandsmessgerätes
EP3736546A1 (fr) * 2019-05-09 2020-11-11 VEGA Grieshaber KG Appareil radar de niveau de remplissage à ajustement adaptatif de la puissance d'émission

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102010064394A1 (de) 2010-12-30 2012-07-05 Endress + Hauser Gmbh + Co. Kg Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten eines Messgerätes
WO2015139756A1 (fr) 2014-03-20 2015-09-24 Vega Grieshaber Kg Dispositif portatif pour régler l'orientation d'un appareil de mesure du niveau de remplissage sur un récipient
DE102016119149B4 (de) 2016-10-07 2020-12-31 Finetek Co., Ltd Vorrichtung zur Füllstandsmessung über große Entfernung mit automatischer Verbesserung des Signal-Rausch-Verhältnisses

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2803951A1 (fr) * 2013-05-17 2014-11-19 VEGA Grieshaber KG Détermination de la topologie pour des matériaux en vrac
DE102018128253A1 (de) * 2018-11-12 2020-05-14 Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG Verfahren zum Ausrichten eines Radar-basierten Füllstandsmessgerätes
EP3736546A1 (fr) * 2019-05-09 2020-11-11 VEGA Grieshaber KG Appareil radar de niveau de remplissage à ajustement adaptatif de la puissance d'émission

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PETER DEVINE, RADAR LEVEL DETECTION, 2000

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE102021123735A1 (de) 2023-03-16

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