Patent ID: 7542864

Claim:
A material transfer system for transferring a material to a batching tank, the batching tank having a weight, a pressure, and a volume, the batching tank initially comprising a fluid, the fluid having a density, the material having a density, the system comprising: a vacuum pump, the vacuum pump removeably connected to the batching tank and operable to remove fluid from the batching tank; a weight measurement device operable to measure one or more first weights of the batching tank and a second weight of the batching tank, the weight measurement device having an output; a pressure measurement device operable to measure one or more first pressures in the batching tank and a second pressure in the batching tank, the pressure measurement device having an output; one or more valves for allowing the material to enter the batching tank, each valve having a control input; and a control unit in communication with the output of the weight measurement device and the output of the pressure measurement device, the control unit operable to record one or more first weights measured by the weight measurement device and one or more first pressures measured by the pressure measurement device, and the control unit operable to determine a corrected weight; wherein the control unit is operable to: receive one or more first weights from the weight measurement device; receive one or more first pressures from the pressure measurement device; operating one of the valves, causing material to be transferred to the batching tank; receive a second weight from the weight measurement device, wherein the second weight is determined while material is being transferred into the batching tank; receive a second pressure from the pressure measurement device, wherein the second pressure is measured substantially simultaneously with measurement of the second weight; and determine a corrected weight based on the second weight, the second pressure, one or more first weights, one or more first pressures, and one or more material properties.