Radar filling level measuring device with attachment, and method for automatically identifying an attachment
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- VEGA GRIESHABER GMBH & CO
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-27
AI Technical Summary
Radar level measuring devices require manual calibration and adjustment for each type of antenna and process connection, which complicates handling and increases the risk of errors due to varying measurement influences.
A radar level measuring device with automatic attachment identification using electrical, magnetic, or optical means, such as NFC chips or barcodes, to recognize and assign specific parameters to the type of antenna or process connection, allowing for simplified setup and flexible use of different attachments.
Automatically identifies attachments, eliminating the need for manual parameter entry, reducing errors, and enabling easy parameter adjustment and updates through a higher-level unit, thus simplifying the setup and increasing flexibility in using various antennas and process connections.
Smart Images
Figure EP2024065606_23012025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Radar level gauge with attachment and method for automatic identification of an attachment
[0002] The invention relates to a radar level measuring device according to patent claim 1. The invention further relates to a method for automatically identifying an attachment to a radar level measuring device according to patent claim 8.
[0003] Level measurement systems for determining and / or monitoring a fill level in a container are known in various designs. Radar level measuring devices, for example those operating according to the time-of-flight principle, emit electromagnetic radiation pulses of a specific wavelength and then detect the temporal progression of the reflected electromagnetic radiation as an echo curve. Among other things, reflections on the surface of the liquid to be measured or of the material filled in the container are detected. The reflections combine to produce a signal that is measured over time and is detected and displayed as a time-dependent echo curve, usually with several maxima. The fill level of the material in the container is then determined from the progression of this echo curve.
[0004] Such radar level gauges can be equipped with various antennas to shape, amplify, and transmit the radar beams. A radar level gauge can also be mounted on a container, pipe, wall, or lid using various process connections or mounting adapters. The type of antenna and process connection influences the measurement result. These influences must generally be factored out when processing the measurement result, or the radar level gauge must be calibrated and adjusted separately for each attachment.
[0005] The underlying object of the invention is to provide a radar level measuring device and a method for automatically identifying an attachment on a radar level measuring device, by means of which the handling of radar level measuring devices with various attachments in the form of antennas and / or process connections is made as simple as possible. This object is achieved with the features of the independent claims. Further practical embodiments and advantages are described in conjunction with the dependent claims.
[0006] A radar level gauge according to the invention comprises a housing, within which electronics are arranged. The electronics comprise, in particular, a radar chip for generating radar radiation and evaluation electronics for processing the measurement results.
[0007] The level measuring device can be a two-wire device, where power and signal transmission takes place via the familiar 4 mA to 20 mA current loop. Alternatively, power and signal transmission can also take place via Modbus, IO-Link, Profibus, APL, etc. Alternatively, the radar level measuring device can be a standalone device without an external power supply. In this case, an energy storage unit is installed in the housing.
[0008] Furthermore, the radar level sensor has an attachment in the form of an antenna and / or a process connection arranged on the housing. The antenna and the process connection can be integrated into a single component, e.g., a horn antenna with an external thread for screwing into a container. They can also be two separate components, with the process connection serving, for example, to attach the radar level measuring device to a lid within a container. In this case, the process connection can also be referred to as a mounting adapter. In particular, the attachment and the housing are screwed, clipped, and / or pressed together.
[0009] The attachment and the housing have corresponding means for automatically identifying the attachment. In particular, the attachment has an identifier, and an identification unit is arranged on or in the housing, which is suitable for reading and recognizing the attachment based on the identifier.
[0010] Specifically, each antenna type and / or each type of process connection has means for identifying the respective type. When the attachment and housing are connected, the means for automatic identification are then recognized and assigned to the specific type and, in particular, to the measurement influences associated with the type of antenna or process connection.
[0011] Simple and, in particular, automatic identification is advantageous because a given antenna type and / or process connection type is associated with various parameters that influence the propagation of radar radiation and must be taken into account when evaluating the measurement. For example, antennas may exhibit certain false echoes and / or offsets, or the process connection may cause certain offsets and / or false echoes that must be eliminated after the measurement. For example, if the antenna and its properties are automatically recognized directly, this does not need to be entered manually, and the parameters can then be easily adjusted.
[0012] Overall, this simplifies the process of setting up a radar level gauge and increases the flexibility of arranging different antennas and / or process connections.
[0013] The corresponding means for automatically identifying the attachment are, in particular, electrical means. In particular, the attachment comprises a chip as an identifier, and the housing comprises a reading unit for reading the chip as an identification unit. The chip is arranged, in particular, in a section of the attachment that directly adjoins the housing in order to create a connection with the best possible signal strength. In particular, the chip is arranged in a connection section.
[0014] In particular, the chip may be an NFC chip, in particular an RFID chip, and the reading unit may be connected to a power source to provide the power to read the RFID chip.
[0015] Alternatively, the attachment can also have an EEPROM or an IC as an identifier, which, when the process connection or antenna is attached, is electrically connected to an identification unit on the housing side. In particular, bidirectional communication is also possible, so that the chip can be read using the reading unit, but information can also be stored on it.
[0016] The exchanged information, and in particular the information regarding the identity of the attachment, is subject to a so-called cyclic redundancy check (CRC), whereby a check value is determined from the transmitted information in order to detect whether an error may have occurred during the transmission of the information or whether the attachment is not authenticated.
[0017] In particular, it is intended that the transmitted information is encrypted in order to prevent unwanted access to the parameters.
[0018] Alternatively or additionally, the means can be magnetic. In particular, the accessory has at least one magnet as an identifier, and the housing has a magnetic sensor as an identification unit. For example, the detected magnetic field strength can then be used to identify the type of antenna and / or process connection.
[0019] The identification means can also be mechanical. In particular, the accessory can have a defined arrangement of projections (pins) and recesses, and the housing is then designed to complement them. Such mechanical means are easy and reliable to read and suitable for high-temperature applications.
[0020] Alternatively or additionally, the means may also be optical means, whereby, for example, a barcode, a QR code or a color sequence is arranged on the attachment, which is recognized by a reading unit in the housing.
[0021] The identification means described above can be arranged individually or in combination with one another on the level measuring device. In a practical embodiment of the radar level measuring device, parameters for parameterizing the radar level measuring device are stored on the attachment. The parameters can in particular be stored directly during production of the attachment, e.g. on a chip. In this case, the identifier must be designed so that it can transmit the parameters in addition to the actual identification. This is the case, for example, with the RFID chip, EEPROM, IC or optically (e.g. in a QR code) described above. This type of data transmission is used primarily for radar level measuring devices that are not connected to a higher-level unit such as a control room or cloud, via which the parameters could be retrieved.
[0022] Particularly with the mechanical, magnetic and, in some cases, optical means described above, it is difficult or even impossible to provide not only the information about the attachment but also the parameters for parameterizing the radar level measuring device. Especially in these cases, but also for the other means, it is advantageous if the radar level measuring device is connected to a higher-level unit (e.g. a cloud), via which the parameters belonging to the identified attachment can then be retrieved. This means that the parameters corresponding to the identified attachment are stored in the cloud. This has the further advantage that the parameters can be adjusted and updated at any time and transferred to the radar level measuring device. The cloud then also stores which attachment is currently being used with the housing.
[0023] Alternatively, the parameters belonging to the antenna can also be stored on the radar level gauge itself, in a look-up table.
[0024] Alternatively, the parameters could be loaded from the cloud and stored in the radar level measuring device via a separate device, which is required for commissioning (e.g. smartphone).
[0025] The parameters stored on the chip, in a look-up table, or in the cloud include, in particular, a measurement offset, a false echo correction, and / or parameters for setting the maximum gain. The choice of process connection, in particular, influences the measurement offset. Depending on where the radar level gauge is located in or on the vessel, the zero point of the measurement (which corresponds to a maximum or minimum fill level) must be set. Depending on the antenna type, certain false echoes and / or offsets may occur, which can be corrected by correctly configuring the level gauge. Likewise, the signal processing must be correctly parameterized to generate the best possible signal-to-noise ratio.
[0026] In particular, a digital twin of the radar level measuring device can be stored in the cloud, from which all relevant information can then be read out and forecasts for the real radar level measuring device can also be created.
[0027] In a further practical embodiment, the means for automatic identification are designed to specify a final assembly position of the housing and antenna in which the antenna is aligned to match the polarization of the radar radiation. In other words, the means for identification are positioned relative to one another in a final assembly position in such a way that an optimal position of the antenna with respect to the polarization of the radar radiation is achieved. With the mechanical means, for example, a single position is specified in which the antenna and the housing match one another. With an NFC chip, the alignment of the antenna can be adjusted, in particular, via the maximum signal strength.
[0028] The invention also relates to a method for automatically identifying an attachment in the form of an antenna and / or a process connection on a housing of a radar level measuring device. The attachment is identified using corresponding identification means, and the radar level measuring device is then parameterized depending on the additional component.
[0029] Thanks to the automatic identification enabled by the identification means, parameters influenced by the respective type of attachment can then be transferred and configured on the radar level gauge. Time-consuming and error-prone manual entry of the attachment and possibly even the parameters can thus be eliminated. A further advantage of this invention is that parameters for newly developed types of antennas or process connections do not need to be updated on the radar level gauge itself.
[0030] In particular, the identification process detects whether no attachment, an approved attachment, or an unauthorized attachment is mounted on the housing. If no attachment or an unauthorized attachment, or an attachment not authenticated by the manufacturer, is mounted on the housing, the radar level gauge is configured with default parameter values. Alternatively or additionally, an error message can be issued if no attachment or an unauthorized attachment is mounted.
[0031] Depending on the type of identification means, the parameters can be transmitted by the attachment itself and / or retrieved by a higher-level unit. If the identifier located in the attachment is an RFID chip, an EEPROM, or an optical element (QR code), the parameters can also be transmitted after power is applied. In other cases, the parameters can be retrieved via a cloud.
[0032] In a practical embodiment of the method, the antenna orientation is adjusted using the identification means to match the antenna's polarization. The relative arrangement of the antenna to the housing is then adjusted so that the antenna matches the set polarization of the radar radiation.
[0033] This makes it particularly easy to determine the optimal orientation of the antenna with regard to polarization using mechanical means, since the mechanical means only allow a certain relative arrangement of antenna and housing.
[0034] In the case of a chip, this can be done, for example, by rotating the antenna in its relative position until the reception signal at the reader is maximum and the antenna is correctly aligned.
[0035] Further embodiments and advantages are described below in conjunction with the figures. They show: Fig. 1 shows a radar level gauge in a first embodiment with a housing and a first attachment in the form of an antenna in a schematic representation,
[0036] Fig. 2 shows a radar level measuring device in a second embodiment with a housing and a second attachment in the form of an antenna in a schematic representation,
[0037] Fig. 3 shows a radar level measuring device in a third embodiment with a housing and a third attachment in the form of a process connection in a schematic representation,
[0038] Fig. 4 shows a radar level measuring device in a fourth embodiment with a housing and a fourth attachment in the form of a process connection in a schematic representation,
[0039] Fig. 5 shows a radar level gauge according to the first embodiment with a connection to a higher-level unit, and
[0040] Fig. 6 is a flowchart for a method for identifying an attachment on a level measuring device.
[0041] Fig. 1 shows a radar level gauge in a first embodiment.
[0042] The radar level measuring device 10 comprises a housing 12, wherein an electronics unit 14 comprising a radar chip 16 for emitting radar radiation is arranged in the housing 12.
[0043] Various attachments 18 can be mounted on the housing 12. In Fig. 1, a first attachment 18 in the form of an antenna 20 is arranged on the housing. The antenna 20 and the housing 20 are shown here in a non-assembled position. The antenna 20 has an identifier 26 in a connection section 22 for engagement with a nozzle 24 of the housing 12, and a corresponding identification unit 26 is arranged in the housing 12. The identifier 26 and the identification unit 28 together form means 30 for automatically identifying the attachment 18.
[0044] In this case, the identifier 26 is an NFC chip and the identification unit 28 is a reading unit, which also provides the energy for reading the NFC chip.
[0045] To illustrate the various attachments 18 that can be attached to the housing 12, Fig. 2 shows a second attachment 18, also in the form of an antenna 20. The antenna 20 here has an extension piece 32. In this case, the identifier 26, here again in the form of an NFC chip, is arranged in the extension piece 32.
[0046] When the antenna 20 is correctly positioned on the housing 12, the identifier 26 and the identification unit 28 are arranged as close to each other as possible. In this position, the orientation of the antenna 20 is also optimal with respect to polarization.
[0047] If the identifier 26 is an NFC chip, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in addition to the information regarding the type of antenna 20, the associated parameters for parameterizing the level measuring device 10 can also be transmitted. With regard to the antenna 20, parameters for interference echo correction and signal processing are transmitted, among other things.
[0048] Figures 3 and 4 show a third and fourth embodiment of a radar level measuring device 10, which differ in the type of attachment 18 mounted thereon.
[0049] In Figs. 3 and 4, the radar level gauge 10 again has a housing with 12 electronics 14 and a radar chip 16 arranged therein. The attachment in Fig. 3 is a process connection 34 by means of which the radar level gauge 10 can be screwed into a container (not shown). For this purpose, the process connection 34 has a nozzle 36 with an external thread (not shown).
[0050] An identifier 26 in the form of an NFC chip is arranged in the attachment 18 in a connection section 22, which here lies directly against the housing 12. As described above, an identification unit 28, in this case a reading unit, is arranged in the housing 12, which can read the information from the chip and also provides the corresponding power for this purpose.
[0051] Fig. 4 shows another variant of a process connection 34 as an attachment 18, which serves to arrange the radar level measuring device 10 on the inside of a container (not shown). Here, too, an NFC chip is arranged in a connection section 22 of the attachment 18, which can be read by a reading unit in the housing 12.
[0052] In addition to pure identification, parameters for configuring the radar level measuring device 10 can also be transmitted from the NFC chip, including a measurement offset. The dashed line 38 visualizes the inside of the lid, which corresponds to the maximum fill level in a container. The dashed line 40 is drawn at the radar radiation's offset height. As can be seen from a comparison of Figs. 3 and 4, depending on the arranged process connection 34, a different measurement offset A results, by which the zero point of the measurement must be corrected.
[0053] Fig. 5 shows the radar level measuring device 10 according to the first embodiment, wherein the radar level measuring device 10 here has a communication unit 42 for connection to a higher-level unit 44 (cloud). The cloud 44 stores the parameters corresponding to the identified attachment 18, which are retrieved from the cloud 44 and transmitted to the radar level measuring device 10.
[0054] A corresponding method is illustrated by a flow chart in Fig. 6. The method is started in step S1, and in step S2 it is queried whether an attachment 18 is mounted on the housing 12.
[0055] If no attachment 18 is mounted (n), an error message is output in step S3.
[0056] If an attachment 18 is detected in step S2 (y), the attachment 18 is identified in step S4 by means of the corresponding means 30 for identifying the attachment 18, e.g. by retrieving corresponding data from an NFC chip.
[0057] In step S5, it is then checked whether the identified attachment 18 is an authenticated attachment 18 provided by the manufacturer. If yes (y), then in step S6 the corresponding parameters are transmitted, either from the attachment 18 itself or from the cloud 44, and in step S7 the radar level measuring device 10 is parameterized accordingly and the measuring operation is started.
[0058] If the attachment 18 is not recognized in step S5 (n), ie it is not an authenticated attachment 18, default parameters for the parameterization are retrieved in step S8 and the radar level measuring device 10 is parameterized accordingly with the default parameters in step S9 and the measuring operation is started.
[0059] List of reference symbols
[0060] 10 radar level gauge
[0061] 12 housings
[0062] 14 Electronics
[0063] 16 radar chips
[0064] 18 Attachment
[0065] 20 antenna
[0066] 22 connecting section
[0067] 24 nozzles
[0068] 26 Identifier
[0069] 28 Identification Unit
[0070] 30 means of automatic identification
[0071] 32 extension piece
[0072] 34 Process connection
[0073] 36 nozzles
[0074] 38 dashed line (maximum fill level)
[0075] 40 dashed line (radiation height of radar radiation)
[0076] 42 Communication unit
[0077] 44 parent unit (cloud)
Claims
Patent claims 1. Radar level measuring device with a housing (12) and at least one attachment (18) arranged on the housing (12) in the form of an antenna (20) and / or a process connection (34), characterized in that the attachment (18) and the housing (12) have corresponding means (30) for automatically identifying the attachment (18).
2. Radar level measuring device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the corresponding means (30) are electrical means, wherein the attachment (18) has a chip as an identifier (26) and the housing (12) has a reading unit for reading the chip as an identification unit (28).
3. Radar level measuring device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means (30) for identification are magnetic means, mechanical means and / or optical means.
4. Radar level measuring device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that parameters for the parameterization of the radar level measuring device (10) are stored on the attachment part (18).
5. Radar level measuring device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is connected to a higher-level unit (44) and in the higher-level unit (44) corresponding parameters for the parameterization of the radar level measuring device (10) are stored to the identified attachment (18).
6. Radar level measuring device according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that the parameters are a measurement offset, a false echo correction and / or parameters for setting the maximum gain.
7. Radar level measuring device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means (30) for automatic identification specify a final assembly position of the housing (12) and antenna (20) so that the antenna (20) is aligned to match the polarization of the radar radiation.
8. Method for the automatic identification of an attachment (18) in the form of an antenna (20) and / or a process connection (34) on a housing (12) of a radar level measuring device (10), characterized in that the attachment (18) is identified by means of corresponding means (30) for identification and the radar level measuring device (10) is parameterized depending on the arranged attachment (18).
9. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the parameters are transmitted from the attachment (18) and / or retrieved from a higher-level unit (44).
10. Method according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that the orientation of the antenna (20) is adjusted to match the polarization of the radar radiation using the means (30) for identification.