System and method for filling level determination

The present invention relates to a radar level gauge system, for determination of a filling level of a product contained in a tank, and to a method for achieving such a filling level determination.

Radar level gauge systems are in wide use for measuring process variables of a product contained in a tank, such as filling level, temperature, pressure etc. Radar level gauging is generally performed either by means of non-contact measurement, whereby electromagnetic signals are radiated towards the product contained in the tank, or by means of contact measurement, often referred to as guided wave radar (GWR), whereby electromagnetic signals are guided towards and into the product by a probe acting as a waveguide. The probe is generally arranged vertically from top to bottom of the tank. The electromagnetic signals are subsequently reflected at the surface of the product, and the reflected signals are received by a receiver or transceiver comprised in the radar level gauge system. Based on the transmitted and reflected signals, the distance to the surface of the product can be determined.

More particularly, the distance to the surface of the product is generally determined based on the time between transmission of an electromagnetic signal and receipt of the reflection thereof in the interface between the atmosphere in the tank and the product contained therein. In order to determine the actual filling level of the product, the distance from a reference position to the surface is determined based on the above-mentioned time (the so-called time-of-flight) and the propagation velocity along the probe of the electromagnetic signals.

This propagation velocity is determined by various factors, such as the configuration of the probe and environmental conditions inside the tank. Such environmental conditions, for example, include the composition of the atmosphere above the surface of the product contained in the tank, and product residue which may have adhered to the probe as the filling level of the product changes inside the tank.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,867,729 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,463 disclose different systems designed to compensate for varying vapor concentrations in the atmosphere above the surface of the product in the tank.

The level measuring system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,867,729 normally operates at a relatively low gain to determine a material level of material contained in a tank, and periodically operates at a relatively high gain to determine a distance to a target marker provided along the probe above an expected sensing region of the probe. The determined distance to the target marker is used to compensate the determined material level for properties of vapor above the material level.

The level measuring system for measuring a water level disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,463 comprises a probe provided with a pair of spaced reference discontinuities above the maximum level of the water. The difference between the measured and the known distance between the reference discontinuities is used to provide a measurement of the water level, that is independent of changes in the dielectric constant of the vapor above it.

Neither of the systems and methods disclosed in the above documents take any account of other factors influencing the propagation velocity along the probe than vapor concentration, and are therefore not suitable for use in situations when other factors, such as probe contamination, dominate.

In view of the above-mentioned and other drawbacks of the prior art, a general object of the present invention is to provide an improved radar level gauge system and method, and in particular a radar level gauge system and method capable of providing measurement results that are adjusted for environmental conditions in the tank.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, these and other objects are achieved through a method for determining a filling level of a product contained in a tank, by means of a radar level gauge system comprising a transceiver for generating, transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals; a probe connected to the transceiver and arranged to guide a transmitted electromagnetic signal from the transceiver towards and into the product inside the tank, and to return a reflected electromagnetic signal resulting from reflection of the transmitted electromagnetic signal by a surface of the product back towards the transceiver; and a plurality of reference reflectors each being arranged at a respective known position along the probe and being configured to reflect a portion of the transmitted electromagnetic signal back towards the transceiver. The method comprises the steps of identifying, based on received electromagnetic signals reflected by the reference reflectors, a set of reference reflectors located above the surface of the product; selecting first and second reference reflectors comprised in the set of reference reflectors; determining a propagation velocity compensation factor based on a known distance between the first and second reference reflectors and a distance therebetween determined using received electromagnetic signals reflected by the first and second reference reflector, respectively; and determining the filling level based on a received electromagnetic signal reflected by the surface of the product, and the propagation velocity compensation factor.

It should be noted that the method according to the present invention is by no means limited to performing the steps thereof in any particular order.

In the context of the present application, the “probe” is a waveguide designed for guiding electromagnetic signals. Several types of probes, for example single-line (Goubau-type), and twin-line probes may be used. The probes may be essentially rigid or flexible and they may be made from metal, such as stainless steel, plastic, such as PTFE, or a combination thereof.

The “transceiver” may be one functional unit capable of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, or may be a system comprising separate transmitter and receiver units.

The tank may be any container or vessel capable of containing a product, and may be metallic, or partly or completely non-metallic, open, semi-open, or closed.

Each reference reflector may be implemented as a structure capable of reflecting electromagnetic signals traveling along the probe and may be achieved by means of a structure external to the probe, an internal structure in the probe, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, different reference reflectors may be provided as identical or different reflecting structures.

That the position of each of the reference reflectors is “known” means that the position has been previously determined by means of any suitable measurement technique. For example, the position may be determined based on received electromagnetic signals reflected by the respective reference reflectors, but under controlled conditions, such as during production of the radar level gauge system or when the system is installed but the probe is clean and the tank empty.

Furthermore, the reference reflectors may be regularly or irregularly spaced with a spacing that may typically be around 1-2 m. Especially in the case of a relatively long probe, such as a probe longer than, say, 15-20 m, it may be advantageous to arrange the reference reflectors to be irregularly spaced along the probe so as to avoid interference effects.

In the context of the present application, the reference reflectors should be understood to be irregularly spaced if the standard deviation of the distances between adjacent reference reflectors is larger than a quarter of the achievable distance resolution of the radar level gauge system.

For an exemplary radar level gauge system of pulsed GWR type having a pulse length of 1 ns, the resolution in distance is about 150 mm, that is, for discrimination of two adjacent echo signals to be enabled, these echo signals should result from reflections at impedance transitions which are spaced apart by at least 150 mm. For such a system, the above-mentioned standard deviation should therefore be at least 150/4=37.5 mm. In practice, the standard deviation should preferably be slightly larger, such as above 50 mm, especially for a long probe (longer than about 20 m) having a large number (more than about 20) of reference reflectors.

This will effectively reduce the effect of co-operation between reflections from different reference reflectors and multiple reflections, and will allow a smaller spacing and/or a larger number of reflectors.