ELECTRO-OPTICAL PENDULUM LEVEL SENSOR Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC G01C9/12 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: level sensor has a pendulum, a light emitter, a line of light detectors and a housing. This scheme includes a slit diaphragm, a switch, a comparator, a reference voltage source, a unit for calculating the number of the middle illuminated light detector, a unit for calculating linear and angular displacement of the pendulum. The light emitter and the slit diaphragm are located on the pendulum and the line of light detectors is located on the housing symmetrically about the pendulum at a certain distance. Outputs of the light detectors are connected to inputs of the switch, the output of which is connected to the first input of the comparator. The second input of the comparator is connected to the output of the reference voltage source and the output of the comparator is connected through the unit for calculating the number of the middle illuminated light detector to the input of the unit for calculating linear and angular displacement of the pendulum. The slit diaphragm forms a narrow radiation beam which illuminates a limited number of light detectors. Signals from the outputs of all light detectors are compared with the reference voltage, as a result of which the index numbers of the illuminated light detectors are determined. The index number of the middle illuminated light detector is then determined.

EFFECT: high accuracy and resolution when measuring the angle of deviation of a pendulum owing to narrowing of the radiation beam by the slit diaphragm and use of a device for processing the signal from the light detectors.

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