Patent ID: 6586760
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
A system for determining the level of a body of water, whether free flowing or stationary, said system comprising:at least one positionable reflective element located at an area adjacent to but spaced from the body of water, for directing a laser beam at an angle to true vertical onto the surface of the body of water such that at least a portion of the directed beam is reflected from the surface to produce a reflected laser beam; a motor including a motor shaft for controlling positioning of said at least one positionable reflective element; a laser signal detector; a receiver, located at a determined distance from the at least one positionable reflective element on the opposite side of the body of water from said at least one positionable reflective element and in a common horizontal plane with the at least one positionable reflective element, for receiving the reflected laser beam and redirecting the reflected laser beam to said signal detector so that said signal detector produces an output; and a controller for controlling said motor to control positioning of said at least one positionable reflective element at an angle to true vertical, for receiving said output from said signal detector, for detecting motor shaft position and determining, based thereon, and on said output of said signal detector, a determined angle to the true vertical at which said at least one positionable reflective element is positioned when said reflected laser beam is received by said receiver, and for calculating, based on said determined angle and the determined distance between the at least one positionable reflective element and the receiver, the distance from the common horizontal plane to the water surface so as to determine the water level.