APPARATUS FOR CAPACITIVE MEASUREMENTS

摘要

The invention relates to an apparatus for measuring the capacitance between at least a conductive part of a wall of a vessel and a measuring electrode situated in the vessel and carrying a measuring voltage, comprising a measuring circuit and a compensating circuit for applying a compensating voltage as nearly as possible the same as the measuring voltage to conductors present in the vicinity of conductors carrying the measuring voltage, wherein the capacitance between the measuring electrode and the vessel wall is connected as frequency determining element in an oscillator, so that the frequency of the measuring signal is related to the value of the capacitance. Frequency is a quantity which can be measured much better, can be determined much more precisely, requires less complicated circuits and can be largely implemented in integrated form. According to a first embodiment, the period of the measuring signal is substantially proportional to the capacitance, and the measuring circuit is adapted to measure the period of the measuring signal.