Breakthrough Technology for Measuring
Liquid Parameters and Ice Detection

The purpose of this invention is to apply solid state technology to accurately measure liquid levels, such as that of fuel in an automobile fuel tank or lubrication oil level in an automobile engine compartment. The advantages of this invention are:
  1. It can measure continous and discrete liquid levels accurately, within a fraction of a centimeter,
  2. The power and signal conditioning circuitry, the powered heater and the thermocouples are easy to manufacture on a single substrate,
  3. The devise can monitor the health of the probe and the electronic hardware and software, thus eliminating the need for periodic maintenance,
  4. It requires a very small amount of power to operate,
  5. It is compact and light wieght and can, if necessary, be installed in relatively small liquid containers.
  6. It is reliable since it has no moving parts,
  7. Because it requires very small power for operation, it does not generate significant amounts of electromegnetic energy which could interfere with the performance of other electrical/electronic equipment,
  8. With certain modifications the device can be used to measure other important liquid parameters such as viscosity and density.
  9. This device can also be adapted for the detection of ice formation on the external surface of roads or bridges, cooling pipes in a food box, or an external surface of an aircraft wing or fuel tank.

Wave Profile Technology

The Wave Profile Technology Sensor consists of themocouples spaced approximately 1/2" apart which have a common wire. A low average DC currrent is applied to the common wire which acts as a heater. Before the current from the power source is applied, and after it is turned off, the voltage of the thermocouples is measured and recorded. These readings before and after power is applied are repeated and a temperature profile is generated. By comparing the values from each relevant thermocouple to the wave profile (curve) and discarding inconsistent readings, localized errors are minimized. The Wave Profile Technology software has three major functions: health monitoring, self-calibration, and data processing algorithm.

Figure 1

Wave Profile Analysis

Figure 1 above breaks the data from the probe into three sections: Section 111 (from Thermocouple 8-12), indicates the portion of the probe that is in the liquid. Therocouple 8 is the exact liquid level. Section 112 (from Thermocouple 1-6) indicates the portion of the probe section that is in air, furthest away from the liquid level. Section 110 (from Thermocouple 6-8) represents the portion of the probe in air, closest to the liquid level. This section constitutes the maximum gradient along the profile and forms a wave shape. In determining the liquid level, all three sections of the profile in Figure 1 are relevant.

Figure 2

The horizontal axis in Figure 2 shows the increase in temperature along the 13 millimeter distance between thermocouple 8 and thermocouple 7. Thermocouple 8 is exactly where the liquid level is in Figure 1 and thermocouple 7 is in the air just above the liquid. The vertical axis shows the temperature (after power is applied) relative to the temperatures of line 56 in Figure 1, which is the temperature of the thermocouples in Section 111, all of which are in the liquid. Each dot represents 1/10 of that distance (or approximately 1.3mm)

The thermocouple reads the temperature of the heater along the sensor. By considering all of the sections, the localized error sources will be average over the entire length of the heater to minimize the error. In contrast, the other technologies, which use algebraic equations, have reading errors almost equal to the localized error.

Test Results for Liquid Level

Two test files are available (by email) on request. The file called Stages XIS is a liquid filling file. More specifically, we filled a distance of 0.15 inch and stopped for one minute. After that we took readings from all the thermocouples. Then we filled another 0.15 inch and stopped for one minute. After that we took readings from all the thermocouples. We repeated this cycle and the results are shown in Chart 1. The second test file is called slow-drain. Here, we slowly and continuously drained the liquid. The main purpose of those tests is to show that we can tell where the liquid level is between the themocouples and not just discrete thermocouples.

Method for Detecting Ice

The proposed method of detecting ice requires development and use of "Igloo Effects" parameters. Those parameters include the time delay due to latent heat for a phase change from ice to liquid, steady-state response inside the "Igloo" and the response time inside the "Igloo."

Detailed data on test methodology and results, both for use as a liquid level indicator and for ice detection, can be obtained from the patent application, a copy of which is available on request from Josef Maatuk (email: maxperfect@aol.com).

 

Commercialization Considerations

  1. Reasonably priced for commercialization.
  2. Materials required are all non-toxic.
  3. The probe of the sensor does not require new materials or processes.
  4. The sensor was tested with automotive oil, diesel and coolant.
  5. The ice detector prototype was tested in the NASA icing tunnel in Cleveland.

Objective

I am looking for an organization that has marketing capabilities and wants to cut the time and cost to bring a multi-function liquid sensor to market.

Josef Maatuk - Background

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

Craduate Engineering Classes at Wayne State and Illinois Institute of Technology

M.S.M.A., 1973 UCLA

B.S.M.E., 1966 Technion, Haifa, Israel

 

INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE

Solved engineering system problems that require expertise in using, developing, and analyzing deterministic and stochastic dynamics, structural and control analysis. This approach was used to analyze the handling characteristics of vehicles for Mercedes in Germany. The same approach for evaluating the acquisition and tracking aerospace system for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

To CONTACT:

Josef Maatuk, the inventor of the Wave Profile Sensor, can be reached by:

EMAIL maxperfect@aol.com

Phone/Fax: 1 310 274 1434

Write:

Josef Maatuk
MaxEm Engineering
PO Box 351055
Los Angeles, CA 90035

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latest update:6/30/05