US 11,933,654 B2
Level and/or density sensor device for liquid vessels
Fábio Patrício Domingues Gonçalves, Santiago de Litém (PT); Lúcia Maria Botas Bilro, Gafanha Da Encarnação (PT); and Rogério Nunes Nogueira, Beira Litoral (PT)
Assigned to Watgrid, S.A., (PT)
Appl. No. 16/207,514
Filed by Watgrid, Lda., Ílhavo (PT)
PCT Filed Jun. 14, 2017, PCT No. PCT/IB2017/053549
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 3, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2017/216746, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 21, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 109451 (PT), filed on Jun. 14, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0185806 A1, Jun. 20, 2019
Int. Cl. G01F 23/14 (2006.01); G01F 23/16 (2006.01); G01F 23/18 (2006.01); G01N 9/26 (2006.01); C12M 1/34 (2006.01)
CPC G01F 23/14 (2013.01) [G01F 23/168 (2013.01); G01F 23/18 (2013.01); G01N 9/26 (2013.01); C12M 41/44 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor device, wherein the sensor device comprises:
a main body;
a first stainless steel tube comprising two ends, and wherein:
the first stainless steel tube has a first end that is coupled to the main body,
the first stainless steel tube is configured to be submerged in a liquid contained in a vessel,
the first stainless steel tube is tilted in relation to vertical to form an angle as measured between an opening at a second end of the first stainless steel tube and a surface of the liquid, wherein the first stainless steel tube is straight between the first end to the second end and configured to be both submerged in the liquid and tilted in relation to vertical; and
the angle is greater than 30° and less than 60°;
a first air injector, within the main body, for injecting air into the first end of the first stainless steel tube; and
a first hydrostatic pressure differential sensor, within the main body, configured to collect data to measure a volume of the liquid contained in the vessel according to pressures at two inlets of the first hydrostatic pressure differential sensor, wherein a first inlet of the first hydrostatic pressure differential sensor is operably coupled to the first end of the first stainless steel tube, and wherein a second inlet of the first hydrostatic pressure differential sensor is configured to communicate with an interior of the vessel, and wherein the first hydrostatic pressure differential sensor is configured to maintain air in the first stainless steel tube when the second end of the first stainless steel tube is inserted into the liquid contained in the vessel.