Flexible Strap Antenna Arrays for Tank Volume Calibration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for calibrating storage tank volumes in the oil and gas industry are inefficient, inaccurate, and invasive, leading to significant errors and costs due to environmental factors affecting measuring instruments, which require frequent calibration and can take days to perform, resulting in infrequent and costly measurements.
Innovation Solution
A measuring system comprising a flexible elongate strap substrate with a flexible antenna array that extends along its length, connected to a network analyzer, allowing for self-calibration based on measured electrical parameters, which vary with physical length changes, enabling precise volume calculations of storage containers without invasive methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional manual strapping or optical techniques are used for tank calibration, then volume measurement can be performed, but the process requires tank downtime and takes 1-2 days to complete
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical measurement systems (manual strapping, optical instruments) with an electromagnetic resonance-based antenna system. The antenna array measures tank dimensions by detecting resonance frequency shifts caused by changes in the electromagnetic field distribution, eliminating the need for physical access to the tank interior and reducing calibration time from days to hours.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an antenna array as an intermediary measurement device that indirectly measures tank dimensions through electromagnetic field interactions. Instead of directly measuring physical distances with mechanical tools, the system uses resonance frequency shifts of the antenna array, which are affected by the tank's geometric parameters, to infer dimensional changes.
2Length of stationary object
If measuring instruments of significant length are used to measure large structures, then dimensions can be measured, but the instruments experience physical expansion/contraction due to environmental factors requiring periodic calibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from direct physical length measurement to electromagnetic resonance frequency measurement. The antenna array's resonance frequency is affected by the electrical length of the transmission path, which in turn is affected by the tank dimensions. This parameter transformation eliminates the thermal expansion issues that plague mechanical measuring instruments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent explicitly addresses thermal expansion by using an electromagnetic measurement system that is not subject to thermal expansion in the same way mechanical instruments are. The resonance frequency measurement method compensates for environmental effects that cause physical dimension changes in traditional measuring tools.
3Measurement precision
If existing calibration methods are used, then tank volume can be measured, but errors of +/â0.2% occur due to environmental variations and instrument physical changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement systems with electromagnetic resonance-based measurement. This substitution eliminates the accumulation of errors from mechanical instrument thermal expansion and physical deformation, achieving measurement precision better than 0.1% by using resonance frequency shifts that are not affected by the same environmental factors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides accurate, efficient, and non-invasive calibration of storage tank volumes by automatically adjusting for physical expansions and contractions, reducing calibration time and errors, and enabling precise measurements of large structures without the need for frequent recalibration.
Implementation Method 1
the antenna array is configured such that the measured electrical parameters vary as a function of the physical length of the antenna array during use
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is disclosed for measuring the dimensions of physical objects. The systems and methods include a measuring instrument of significant length comprising an array of patch antennas arranged along the length of an elongate substrate such that the antenna array expands and contracts with the substrate. The system also includes a diagnostic computing device for measuring the array's electrical properties including resonance frequency and changes in said properties relative to reference electrical properties that correspond to a reference length of the array and substrate. Accordingly, based on the measured changes in electrical properties and the reference length, the diagnostic system can calculate the current length of the measuring instrument. Accordingly, the disclosed systems and methods can provide self-calibrating measuring systems and measuring systems capable of being deployed onto a structure for periodically calibrating the structure's dimensions as it expands or contracts during operation.