A Multi-Level Storage Tank Gauging And Monitoring System Using A Nanosecond Pulse
 |
International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) | 
|
| © 2013 by IJETT Journal | ||
| Volume-5 Number-1 |
||
| Year of Publication : 2013 | ||
| Authors : Salah I. Yahya |
Citation
Salah I. Yahya. "A Multi-Level Storage Tank Gauging And Monitoring System Using A Nanosecond Pulse". International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT). V5(1):17-24 Nov 2013. ISSN:2231-5381. www.ijettjournal.org. published by seventh sense research group
Abstract
In this paper, a one-port time-domain/frequency-domain based technique using a short-circuited coaxial geometry inserted vertically in a liquid tank is designed and presented as a multi-level storage tank gauge and monitor. For storage tanks of small physical liquid levels, the attenuation inside the coaxial cable sensor may be neglected and both the physical liquid levels and liquid permittivity can be measured simultaneously, whereas, for large physical liquid levels, as in the crude oil mass storage tanks, the attenuation coefficient of the liquid filled coaxial cable sensor should be considered and predetermined for all level materials in the tanks, and then both liquid levels and permittivity can be measured simultaneously. In this work a multi-level liquid tank contains four different materials; air, combustion engine oil, water, and mud, with physical level thickness of 30- cm, 60-cm, 10-cm and 5-cm, respectively, was examined to measure both physical levels, assuming them unknown, and permittivity of each level content. From the measured data, the error of the calculated levels was less than 0.01, which may be improved to be almost neglected by considering the attenuation in the coaxial sensor and using a signal processing unit to display the levels accurately.
References
[1] Varec. Tank gauging, [online] Available at: http://www.tankgauging.com/> [Accessed 10 August 2012].
[2] United States Army Combined Arms Support Command, Petroleum storage tank, Subcourse Number QM 4500, edition A, Fort Lee, Virginia 23801-18095, 1991.
[3] T. L. Greenwood, Capacitance change indicates liquid levels. Electronics, pp. 66-67, 1960. [4] M. Wei? and R. Knochel, Novel methods of measuring impurity levels in liquid tanks. In: MTT-S International Microwave Symposium, vol. 3, pp. 1651-1654, 1997.
[5] M. Wei?, and R. Knochel, Novel method of determining the permittivity of liquids, IEEE Transaction on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 488-493, 2000.
[6] B. E. Dozer, Liquid level measurement for hostile environment. Instrum. Technol., vol. 14, pp. 55-58, 1967.
[7] W. J. Harney and C. P. Nemarich, Electromagnetic level indicating (EMLI) system using time domain reflectometry. in Proc. of the MTS-IEEE Oceans Conf.: San Francisco, CA, 1983, pp. 233-236.
[8] C. P. Nemarich, Time domain reflectometry liquid level sensors. IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 40-44, 2001.
[9] R. Di Sante, Time domain reflectometry-based liquid level sensor. Review of scientific instruments, American Institute of Physics (AIP), vol. 76, no. 9, pp. 095107-095107-5, 2005.
[10] S. I., Yahya, A multi-level gauging system for crude oil settling mass tanks using a one-port time-domain technique, in Proc. Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Vol. 81. WIT Transactions on Engineering Sciences, ©2012 WIT Press, ISSN 1743-3533, doi: 10.2495/PMR 120231.
[11] C. C. Courtney and W. Motil, One-port time domain measurement of the approximate permittivity and permeability of materials. IEEE Transaction on Microwave theory and Techniques, vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 551-555, 1999.
[12] S. I. Yahya, A modified complex permittivity measurement technique at microwave frequency. International Journal on New Computer Architecture and Their Applications (IJNCAA), vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 390-402, 2012.
[13] S. I. Al-Mously and A. Y. Ahmad, An Alternative Test for Evaluating Transformers-Oil Deterioration Using Microwaves, in Proc. ASIA PACIFIC MICROWAVE CONFERENCE, The Westin Stamford & Westin Plaza, Singapore, 1999, vol. 3, p. 884.
[14] S. I. Al-Mously, Z. K. Alhamadani, M. M. Abousetta, M. E. Al-Daghistani and K. F. Omran, Evaluation of A used-Oil Deterioration Using Microwave Technique”, in Proc. Sixth Mediterranean Conference (MPC’99), Tripoli - Libya (GSPLAJ), 1999, vol. 1, p. 281.
[15] S. I. Al-Mously and A. Z. Abdalla, Microwave Evaluation of Used-Oil Quality Degradation, Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. 9, no. 2, pp 72-77, 2001.
[16] J. D. Kraus, Electromagnetics, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992.
Keywords
Attenuation, coaxial sensor, crude oil, level gauge system, one-port, permittivity, oil storage tank, time-domain, TDR.