Method and apparatus for determining and indicating the quantity of a stored liquid or solid material

Claim 1

A method for determining the quantity of a liquid or solid product stored in a container of known volume comprising: opening a first valve of a first line, said first line communicating at one of its ends with a gas contained within a gas zone in said container and at the other of its ends with a reference gas of known reference pressure, and thereby allowing the pressure of the gas in said gas zone to become essentially the same as the pressure of said reference gas; closing said first valve so as to completely seal off said container; measuring the pressure of the gas in said gas zone with a pressure measuring device; positioning a second valve of a second line, with said second line communicating at one of its ends with fluid pumping means and at the other of its ends with at least one inflatable hollow body completely enclosed within said container, so that fluid can pass from said fluid pumping means through said second valve and into said at least one inflatable hollow body; completely inflating with said fluid pumping means said at least one inflatable hollow body to a predetermined volume; measuring with said pressure measuring device the new pressure of the gas in said gas zone which results from the reduction in volume of said gas zone; determining the initial volume (V1) of gas in the gas zone by utilizing Boyle's law of (P1·V1=P2·V2), where (P1) represents the measured pressure of the gas in the gas zone after said first valve is closed and before said second valve is positioned so as to allow the fluid to flow from said fluid pumping means to said at least one hollow body, (P2) represents the measured pressure of the gas in the gas zone after said hollow body is inflated to the predetermined volume, and (V2) is equal to the initial volume of the gas zone (V1) minus the predetermined volume displaced by said at least one inflatable hollow body upon complete inflation thereof; determining the volume of stored product in said container by taking the difference between the known volume of said container and the determined volume (V1) of the gas zone in said container; positioning said second valve to a second position so as to allow the fluid to escape from said at least one inflatable hollow body to a lower pressure area.

Claim 2

A method for determining the quantity of a liquid or solid product stored in a container of known volume comprising: opening a first valve of a first line, said first line communicating at one of its ends with a gas contained within a gas zone in said container and at the other of its ends with a reference gas of known reference pressure, and thereby allowing the pressure of the gas in said gas zone to become essentially the same as the pressure of said reference gas; closing said first valve so as to completely seal off said container; measuring the pressure of the gas in said gas zone with a pressure measuring device; positioning a second valve of a second line, with said second line communicating at one of its ends with fluid pumping means and at the other of its ends with at least one inflatable hollow body completely enclosed within said container, so that fluid can pass from said fluid pumping means through said second valve and into said at least one inflatable hollow body; completely inflating with said fluid pumping means said at least one inflatable hollow body to a predetermined volume; measuring with said pressure measuring device the new pressure of the gas in said gas zone which results from the reduction in volume of said gas zone; determining the initial volume (V1) of gas in the gas zone by utilizing Boyle's law of (P1·V1=P2·V2), where (P1) represents the measured pressure of the gas in the gas zone after said first valve is closed and before said second valve is positioned so as to allow the fluid to flow from said fluid pumping means to said at least one hollow body, (P2) represents the measured pressure of the gas in the gas zone after said hollow body is inflated to the predetermined volume, and (V2) is equal to the initial volume of the gas zone (V1) minus the predetermined volume displaced by said at least one inflatable hollow body upon complete inflation thereof; determining the volume of stored product in said container by taking the difference between the known volume of said container and the determined volume (V1) of the gas zone in said container; positioning said second valve to a second position so as to allow the fluid to escape from said at least one inflatable hollow body to a lower pressure area.

Claim 4

A method for determining the quantity of a liquid or solid product stored in a container of known volume comprising: opening a first valve of a first line, said first line communicating at one of its ends with a gas contained within a gas zone in said container and at the other of its ends with a reference gas and thereby allowing for the pressure of the gas in said gas zone to become essentially the same pressure as said reference gas; positioning a second valve of a second line, said second line communicating at one of its ends with fluid pumping means and at the other of its ends with at least one inflatable hollow body completely enclosed within said container, so as to allow fluid to pass from said fluid pumping means through said second valve and into said at least one inflatable hollow body; completely inflating, with said fluid pumping means, said at least one inflatable hollow body to a predetermined volume; closing said first valve so as to completely seal off said container; measuring the pressure (P1) of the gas in said gas zone with a pressure measuring device; positioning said second valve to a position which allows the fluid in said at least one hollow body to completely escape to a lower pressure area; measuring with said pressure measuring device the new pressure (P2) of the gas in said gas zone which results from the increase in volume of said gas zone; determining the resultant volume (V2) of the gas in the gas zone by utilizing Boyle's law of (P1·V1=P2. V2), where the resultant volume (V2) of the gas in the gas zone is equal to the volume (V1) of the gas in the gas zone when said at least one hollow body is completely inflated to the predetermined volume plus the predetermined volume displayed by said at least one inflatable hollow body upon complete inflation thereof; determining the volume of stored product in said container by taking the difference between the known volume of said container and the determined volume (V2) of the gas zone in said container.

Claim 5

A method for determining the quantity of a liquid or solid product stored in a container of known volume comprising: opening a first valve of a first line, said first line communicating at one of its ends with a gas contained within a gas zone in said container and at the other of its ends with a reference gas and thereby allowing for the pressure of the gas in said gas zone to become essentially the same pressure as said reference gas; positioning a second valve of a second line, said second line communicating at one of its ends with fluid pumping means and at the other of its ends with at least one inflatable hollow body completely enclosed within said container, so as to allow fluid to pass from said fluid pumping means through said second valve and into said at least one inflatable hollow body; completely inflating, with said fluid pumping means, said at least one inflatable hollow body to a predetermined volume; closing said first valve so as to completely seal off said container; measuring the pressure (P1) of the gas in said gas zone with a pressure measuring device; positioning said second valve to a position which allows the fluid in said at least one hollow body to completely escape to a lower pressure area; measuring with said pressure measuring device the new pressure (P2) of the gas in said gas zone which results from the increase in volume of said gas zone; determining the resultant volume (V2) of the gas in the gas zone by utilizing Boyle's law of (P1·V1=P2. V2), where the resultant volume (V2) of the gas in the gas zone is equal to the volume (V1) of the gas in the gas zone when said at least one hollow body is completely inflated to the predetermined volume plus the predetermined volume displayed by said at least one inflatable hollow body upon complete inflation thereof; determining the volume of stored product in said container by taking the difference between the known volume of said container and the determined volume (V2) of the gas zone in said container.

Claim 7

An apparatus for determining the quantity of a liquid or solid product stored in a container of known volume comprising: a container having a known interior volume and filling means for insertion of a liquid or solid product for storage in said container; a first gas line extending into said container and having a first end in fluid communication with a gas zone within said container and a second end in fluid communication with a reference gas at a reference pressure; a shut off valve in said first line; a pressure measuring device for measuring the pressure of the gas in the gas zone of said container; volume displacing means including at least one inflatable, hollow body completely enclosed within the gas zone of said container, said volume displacing means having a predetermined volume upon complete inflation of said at least one inflatable hollow body; a second gas line extending into said container and having a first end in fluid communication with said at least one hollow body and having a second end; fluid pumping means in fluid communication with said second gas line second end for inflating said at least one hollow body; at least one valve device located in said second line and having a first setting adapted to block fluid communication from the fluid pumping means to said at least one hollow body and to place the second line in fluid communication with a lower pressure area, and a second setting adapted to provide fluid communication between said fluid pumping means and said at least one hollow body.

Claim 8

An apparatus for determining the quantity of a liquid or solid product stored in a container of known volume comprising: a container having a known interior volume and filling means for insertion of a liquid or solid product for storage in said container; a first gas line extending into said container and having a first end in fluid communication with a gas zone within said container and a second end in fluid communication with a reference gas at a reference pressure; a shut off valve in said first line; a pressure measuring device for measuring the pressure of the gas in the gas zone of said container; volume displacing means including at least one inflatable, hollow body completely enclosed within the gas zone of said container, said volume displacing means having a predetermined volume upon complete inflation of said at least one inflatable hollow body; a second gas line extending into said container and having a first end in fluid communication with said at least one hollow body and having a second end; fluid pumping means in fluid communication with said second gas line second end for inflating said at least one hollow body; at least one valve device located in said second line and having a first setting adapted to block fluid communication from the fluid pumping means to said at least one hollow body and to place the second line in fluid communication with a lower pressure area, and a second setting adapted to provide fluid communication between said fluid pumping means and said at least one hollow body.

Claim 19

A method of determining the quantity of a liquid or solid product stored in a container having a known volume Vc, said method comprising: bringing the interior of the container to a known reference pressure P1; inflating an inflatable hollow body completely enclosed within the container to a known, predetermined volume Vb; measuring the pressure P2 within the container after inflation of the hollow body; determining the quantity Q of the product from Boyle's law, based on P1, P2, Vc and Vb.

Claim 20

A method of determining the quantity of a liquid or solid product stored in a container having a known volume Vc, said method comprising: bringing the interior of the container to a known reference pressure P1; inflating an inflatable hollow body completely enclosed within the container to a known, predetermined volume Vb; measuring the pressure P2 within the container after inflation of the hollow body; determining the quantity Q of the product from Boyle's law, based on P1, P2, Vc and Vb.