NON-INVASIVE METHOD FOR DETECTING AND MEASURING FILLING MATERIAL IN VESSELS

摘要

A non-invasive method for measuring the level of filling material in a vessel and for detecting the presence of the filling material in the vessel at a predetermined set point level is based on monitoring the oscillation of the vessel's outside wall that follows an impact load applied to the external surface of the vessel's wall. The method may employ short range level measurement and long range level measurement procedures. The short-range level measurement utilizes the macro-dynamic properties of the oscillating space in the vicinity of the center of the impact. The long-range level measurement utilizes the properties of the transverse elastic waves propogating along the vessel's wall after the impact. The value of the measured level may be determined by a joint evaluation of the output of the short range level measurement procedure and the output of the long range level measurement procedure.