Patent ID: 6481279
Filing Date: 2002-11-19
Classification: B01F,B01J,B29B,B29C,G01F

Abstract:
A method for monitoring an absolute inventory of a fluid in a vessel having at least one agitator with a rotatable shaft extending in an essentially horizontal direction, wherein there is a resultant force acting on the agitator in the vertical direction in relation to the shaft and a relationship exists between the absolute inventory of the vessel and the force acting on the agitator in the vertical direction, the method comprising:a) obtaining a correlation between the absolute amount of inventory within the vessel and the vertical direction resultant force acting upon the agitator of the vessel, b) measuring the resultant force acting on the agitator in the vertical direction, and c) determining the absolute inventory level within the vessel utilizing the measured resultant force value and the known correlation between the absolute amount of inventory within the vessel and the resultant force value.