METHOD FOR MONITORING A LEVEL METER OPERATING ACCORDING TO THE RADAR PRINCIPLE AND LEVEL METER

Abstract

A level meter and a method for monitoring the level meter operating according to the radar principle, in which a signal conductor is lead out of an inner space of a leakage chamber of a bracket housing through a process-side opening of the leakage chamber and/or of the bracket housing into the process-side outer space of the bracket housing. The method involves transmitting a signal in the form of a pulse along the signal conductor, receiving a reflected received signal, relaying the received signal to the control and evaluation unit. In addition to the simple verification of the presence of a leak, a change in the received signal can also be quantified by the frequency spectrum of the received signal being determined and monitoring of the level meter carried out in the frequency domain.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a level meter operating according to the radar principle, wherein the level meter has a bracket housing with a leakage chamber arranged on a process side, a signal conductor for conducting transmitted and/or received signals, a transmitting and receiving unit designed for transmitting and receiving the transmitted or, respectively, received signals, and a control and evaluation unit for controlling the transmitting and receiving unit and for evaluating the received signals, wherein the signal conductor is lead out of the inner space of the leakage chamber of the bracket housing through a process-side first opening of the leakage chamber and/or of the bracket housing into the process-side outer space of the bracket housing, wherein the process-side first opening of the leakage chamber and/or of the bracket housing and a second opening of the leakage chamber and/or bracket housing facing the transmitting and receiving unit are each sealed with a first seal or with a second seal, the method comprising the following steps: transmitting a transmitted signal in the form of a pulse along the signal conductor, receiving a reflected received signal, relaying the received signal to the control and evaluation unit, determining a frequency spectrum of the received signal, and carrying out monitoring of the level meter in the frequency domain.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the frequency spectrum of a range of the received signal is determined, which is assigned to the leakage chamber due to its transit time.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one monitoring parameter for monitoring the level meter is extracted from the frequency spectrum of the received signal.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein a leakage is detected as a change in the monitoring parameter.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the monitoring parameter is a value of individual frequencies and/or amplitudes of the signals in the frequency domain and/or parameters that are indirectly derived from the frequency spectrum.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein additional or alternative monitoring parameters are resonance frequencies of the signal conductor.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein additionally or alternatively, the monitoring parameters are individual frequencies and/or amplitudes of a frequency spectrum that are combined and wherein at least one parameter is determined that changes in dependence on the change of one or several of these frequencies and/or amplitudes.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the measured frequencies and/or the amplitudes of the signals in the frequency domain are combined in a matrix and that one or more singular values of the matrix is/are monitoring parameter(s).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the frequency spectrum is determined using a Fourier transformation of the received signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control and evaluation unit has a plurality of stored, measured and/or simulated reference matrices for different media and wherein a matrix generated from the measured frequencies and/or amplitudes is compared to the stored matrices.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the matrix for determining the medium entering the leakage chamber is only compared to the reference matrices stored in the evaluation unit in the case of a leakage.

12. Level meter operating according to the radar principle having a bracket housing with a leakage chamber arranged on the process side, a signal conductor for conducting transmitted and/or received signals, a transmitting and receiving unit designed for transmitting and receiving of transmitted or received signals and a control and evaluation unit for controlling the transmitting and receiving unit and for evaluating the received signal, wherein the signal conductor is lead out of the inner space of the leakage chamber of the bracket housing through a process-side first opening of the leakage chamber and/or of the bracket housing into the process-side outer space of the bracket housing, wherein the process-side first opening of the leakage chamber and/or of the bracket housing and the second opening of the leakage chamber and/or bracket housing facing the transmitting and receiving unit are each sealed with a first seal or with a second seal, wherein the evaluation unit is adapted for determining a frequency spectrum of the received signal and for carrying out monitoring of the level meter in the frequency domain.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of a device according to the invention,

[0033] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of a method according to the invention,

[0034] FIG. 3 a second embodiment of a device according to the invention and graphs representing a method according to the invention,

[0035] FIG. 4 is a graph representing a first measurement of the received signal both for the defect-free state as well as for the case of a leak, wherein two different media enter into the leakage chamber,

[0036] FIG. 5 is a graph representing the defect-free state in comparison to the entering of the first medium in the frequency domain,

[0037] FIG. 6 is a graph representing the defect-free state in comparison to the entering of the second medium n the frequency domain, and

[0038] FIG. 7 is a graph representing a second measurement of the singular values of a matrix of measured frequencies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] A first embodiment of a level meter 2 according to the invention, which is suitable for carrying out a method 1 according to the invention, is represented in FIG. 1. The level meter 2 operates according to the radar principle. It is comprised of a bracket housing 3 with a leakage chamber 4 arranged on the process side, a signal conductor 5 for conducting transmitted and/or received signals of a transmitting and receiving unit 6a designed for transmitting and receiving the transmitted or, respectively, received signals, and a control and evaluation unit 6b designed for controlling the transmitting and receiving unit 6a and for evaluating the received signals. In the illustrated level meter 2, the signal conductor 5 is lead out of the inner space of the leakage chamber 4 of the bracket housing 3 through a process-side first opening 7 of the leakage chamber 4 and of the bracket housing 3 into the process-side outer space of the bracket housing 3. Additionally, the process-side first opening 7 of the leakage chamber 4 and of the bracket housing 3 and the second opening 8 of the leakage chamber 4 facing the transmitting and receiving unit 6a are each sealed with a first seal 9 or with a second seal 10, the medium held in the container is thereby prevented from reaching the environment. This is particularly relevant when the medium held in the container is harmful to the environment or when there is a high pressure in the container.

[0040] Due to the presence of the leakage chamber 4, the leak tightness of the process-side first seal 9 is tested by the method 1 according to the invention. For this, the control and evaluation unit 6b in the shown embodiment is designed so that it is suitable for carrying out the method 1 according to the invention for monitoring a level meter 1. In the shown embodiment, the leakage chamber 4 is filled with dry air. If the first, process-side seal 9 is leaky, then the medium enters into the leakage chamber 4 from the container (not shown). This state can be quickly and reliably verified by the method 1 according to the invention.

[0041] A first embodiment of a method 1 according to the invention for monitoring a level meter 2 is shown in FIG. 2, wherein the level meter 2 is designed according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. In a first step 11, an electromagnetic signal in the form of a pulse, presently a radar signal, is transmitted along the signal conductor 5 in the direction of the medium to be measured. This signal in the form of a pulse is reflected on impedance jumps, such as the transition in the process-side container not shown in FIG. 1 or is reflected on the surface of the medium to be measured in the container. In a second step 12, the reflected received signal is received by the transmitting and receiving unit 6a and relayed 13 to the control and evaluation unit 6b for further evaluation. In the control and evaluation unit 6b, the frequency spectrum of the received signal is determined 14 by means of a Fourier transformation.

[0042] This frequency spectrum that can be assigned to a received signal is the basis for the monitoring of the level meter 2, in particular for the verification of the seal-tightness of the first, process-side seal 9. Thereby, the presence of a leak is detected by a change in the measured frequency spectrum. Using the method 1 according to the invention, it is possible to quickly and reliably detect a leak in an advantageous manner. Furthermore, it is also possible, based on the verification of a change in the frequency spectrum, to quantify this change using precise parameters and thus to make further statements about the medium that has entered into the leakage chamber 4.

[0043] In order to improve the detection of changes in the frequency spectrum, the frequency spectrum of the range of the received signal is determined in the shown embodiment of the method 1 according to the invention, which is to be assigned to the leakage chamber 4 due to its transit time. Insofar, changes that are not relevant, such as changes in the fill level of the container, are not taken into account for the evaluation of the verification of a leak.

[0044] In order to provide a simple and quick detection of a leak, a monitoring parameter is determined in a next step 15 from the frequency spectrum, whose change correlates with a leak.

[0045] Presently, the measured frequencies and the amplitudes of the signals in the frequency domain are combined in a matrix for this, so that an image of the received signal exists. From this matrix, the singular values of the matrix clearly assignable to the matrix are determined with the help of singular value decomposition 16. These signal values change in dependence on the individual values of the matrix and, insofar, in dependence on the change of the frequency spectrum. The seal-tightness of the first, process-side seal 9 can be continually monitored using the continuous determination of one or several singular values of the measured frequency spectrum.

[0046] Additionally, in the illustrated method, the control and evaluation unit 6b has reference matrices based on frequency spectrums that were recorded or simulated with different media. By comparing the matrix created in step 15 with the reference matrices, not only is a leak verified, but the medium entering into the leakage chamber 4 can also be determined.

[0047] Insofar, the method according to the invention ensures, first, a quick and reliable verification of a leak in the seal to be monitored, and also the medium entering into the leakage chamber can be determined with a comparison to previously stored matrices.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of a level meter 2 according to the invention and a method 1 according to the invention for monitoring the level meter 2. The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 of a level meter 2 according to the invention has a bracket housing 3 with a leakage chamber 4 arranged on the process side, a signal conductor 5 for conducting transmitted and/or received signals of a transmitting and receiving unit 6a designed for transmitting and receiving of transmitted or received signals and a control and evaluation unit 6b designed for controlling the transmitting and receiving unit and for evaluating the received signal. The signal conductor 5 in the shown level meter 2 is lead out of the inner space of the leakage chamber 4 of the bracket housing 3 through a process-side first opening 7 of the leakage chamber 4 and of the bracket housing 3 into the process-side outer space of the bracket housing 3. Additionally, the process-side first opening 7 of the leakage chamber and of the bracket housing 3 and the second opening 8 of the leakage chamber facing the transmitting and receiving unit 6a are each sealed with a first seal 9 or with a second seal 10.

[0049] In this embodiment, the impedances of the inner space of the leakage chamber 4, of the seals 9 and 10 and of the signal conductor 5 are the same size.

[0050] The control and evaluation unit 6b is designed so that it is suitable for carrying out the method 1 according to the invention.

[0051] The graphs illustrated below the level meter 2 show a second embodiment of a method 1 according to the invention. An embodiment of a defect-free state is represented by (A). The upper graph shows the transmission 11 of a signal in the form of a pulse as well as the reflection 17 of this signal on the impedance transition after the process-side first seal 9. The lower graph shows the discrete frequency spectrum determined from this reflection, which is composed of the frequencies f1, f2 and f3.

[0052] In comparison to (A), the situation of a leak of the first seal 9 is represented by (B). Due to the medium having leaked in to the leakage chamber 4, a reflection 18 of the transmitted signal in the form of a pulse has already taken place because of the impedance transition after the second seal 10. Additionally, the second reflection 17 occurs shifted in time because of the lower propagation velocity of the transmitted signal in the medium that has entered into the leakage chamber 4. The lower graph shows the frequency spectrum that can be assigned to the received signal. In comparison to the frequency spectrum of the defect-free state shown by (A), a frequency shift of the frequencies f1 to f3 takes place, wherein differences in the amplitudes of the frequencies in the frequency domain also exist. Furthermore, the frequency spectrum shown by (B) has additional frequencies f4 and f5.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a first measurement of the received signal for both the defect-free state as well as in the case that the seal between the container and the bracket housing or the leakage chamber has a leak. Thereby, the exact range of the received signal is illustrated, which is to be assigned to the leakage chamber. The measurement shows, first, a first received signal 19 of the defect-free state. Because of the reflection of the signal when entering and exiting the leakage chamber, this first received signal 19 has two pulses. In comparison to this state, a second received signal 20 of a state is illustrated, in which a first oil having a permittivity of 2, 3 has entered partially into the leakage chamber. In addition to the pulses based on entering and exiting the leakage chamber, the course of the second received signal 20 has an additional pulse, which is based on the reflection of the transmitted signal at the transition to the first oil. Additionally, a third received signal 21 is illustrated, which is based on the state, in which the first oil has almost completely entered the leakage chamber. The additional reflection, thus, occurs earlier in time compared to the second received signal 20. Finally, a fourth received signal 22 shows the state, in which a second oil having a permittivity of 5, 7 has partially entered into the leakage chamber. The course of this received signal 22 also has an additional pulse in addition to the reflections from entering and exiting the leakage chamber, this pulse being based on the reflection of the transmitted signal on the second oil. A further, fifth received signal 23 shows the state, in which the second oil has almost completely entered into the leakage chamber. In comparison to the course of the fourth received signal 22, the additional pulse occurs, insofar, earlier in time.

[0054] The illustrated measurement shows, as is known from the prior art, that the entering of a medium into the leakage chamber can be verified by the course of the received signal.

[0055] The frequency decomposition of the received signals shown in FIG. 4 is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. In detail, FIG. 5 shows a first frequency spectrum 24 based on the first received signal 19 in the defect-free state. Additionally, FIG. 5 shows a second frequency spectrum 25 based on the received signal, in which the first oil has partially entered into the leakage chamber and a third frequency spectrum 26 of the received signal, in which the first oil has almost completely entered into the leakage chamber. The comparison shows that the frequency spectrums differ both in the position of individual frequencies as well as in their amplitudes.

[0056] FIG. 6 shows a first frequency spectrum 24 based on the first received signal 19 in the defect-free state. Additionally, FIG. 6 shows a second frequency spectrum 27 that is based on the received signal, in which the second oil has partially entered into the leakage chamber and a third frequency spectrum 28 of the received signal, in which the second oil has almost completely entered into the leakage chamber. The comparison also shows that the frequency spectrums differ both in the position of individual frequencies as well as in their amplitudes

[0057] FIG. 7 shows the suitability of the singular values of a matrix of measured values for the verification of a leak. The illustrated measurement first shows the course individual singular values 29 to 33 for the defect-free state. Starting at a measured value 100, the measurement shows a state, in which the leakage chamber has been filled with the second oil. This results in a change of each individual singular value in the shown example. Insofar, the measurement shows the basic suitability of the singular values of the matrix as monitoring parameter and, in particular, for the verification of a leak.