Analysis and Design of a Multi-sensor Prototype for Measuring the Level in Large-sized Tanks

The purpose of this study is the definition and conception of a measurement system capable of continuously determining the level of carbon type bulk products, stored in a large-sized tank (mine shaft). This storage system has several supply circuits and a tapping circuit using motorized conveyor belts. The measurement system, associated with a data processing procedure, makes it possible to estimate the level in a relatively severe and hostile environment (near the working face, in particular). The industrial prototype realized uses the principle of data redundancy using multi sensors. The redundant data coming from several data sources (ultrasonic sensors for tank height, flow rates on belts from ultrasonic measurement of product height, motor intensities, capacitive gauges for level measurement, etc.) is processed in order to make it coherent amongst them and to supply a reliable estimation of the level variable.