Apparatus for controlling the level of a fluid in a tank

Details Apparatus for controlling the level of a fluid in a tank Apparatus for controlling the level of a fluid in a tank

1999-07-08

2001-04-24

Raevis, Robert (Department: 2856)

Measuring and testing

Gas analysis

Moisture content or vapor pressure

C073S29000R

Reexamination Certificate

active

06220077

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to a device for controlling the level of a fluid in a tank.
The device delivers information when the fluid level crosses a given threshold in the tank. In another of its versions, the device of the invention delivers a plurality of successive items of information for various thresholds, and then controls in stages the amount of fluid contained in the tank. The fluid may be a liquid or a gas; the device according to the invention relates to both cases, even though, to give an idea, a liquid may be referred to below by way of example.
In many situations, it is desirable to be warned when the level of fluid contained in a tank falls below a certain limit; this is the case, for example, with air transport such as airplanes or helicopters, for which it is desirable to minimize the fuel load for a given mission.
A large number of solutions to this problem have been proposed in the past, and the number of level controlling devices currently in use is large; these are of very diverse type, including mechanical, electromechanical, etc. They are widely established in a variety of fields. They will not be described further here.
The invention uses for this purpose the rotatory polarization effect which the fluid to be controlled, in terms of its level, can exert on polarized incident radiation. The radiation in question is electromagnetic radiation in its broad sense. A source delivers the incident radiation, which is subjected to the action of a first polarizer, then to that of a second polarizer, or analyzer, which is separated from the first by a space which is entered by the fluid during variations of its level in the tank. Because of the rotatory effect in question, the radiation collected at the output of the second polarizer depends on the amount of fluid between the polarizers, in this space, and gives information in particular about the presence of the fluid at the level to be controlled, using various methods which are all contained in the invention even though they are not expressly described.
The same is true regarding the corresponding signal, which can be derived from this radiation. This signal depends amongst other things on the orientation of the polarizers.


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