Suppression tank scale and level determination
In a system for measuring a fire suppressant or fire suppression propellant quantity, the system comprising: a base ( 102 ); a top plate ( 106 ) positioned to support a tank ( 22 ) of said fire suppressant or fire suppression propellant; a plurality of springs ( 112 ) positioned between the top plate and the base to support the top plate atop the base, the plurality of springs positioned to support the top plate along a range of motion between an extended condition and a retracted condition; a first magnetic member ( 142 ) mounted to the base; a second magnetic member ( 140 ) mounted to the top plate so that a spacing between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member decreases as the top plate moves from the extended condition to the retracted condition. At least one of the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member is a permanent magnet. A magnetic field sensor ( 160 ) is positioned to detect changes in a magnetic field associated with changes in said spacing.
1. A system for measuring a fire suppressant or fire suppression propellant quantity, the system comprising:
a base ( 102 );
a top plate ( 106 ) positioned to support a tank ( 22 ) of said fire suppressant or fire suppression propellant;
a plurality of springs ( 112 ) positioned between the top plate and the base to support the top plate atop the base, the plurality of springs positioned to support the top plate along a range of motion between an extended condition and a retracted condition;
a first magnetic member ( 142 ) mounted to the base;
a second magnetic member ( 140 ) mounted to the top plate so that a spacing between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member decreases as the top plate moves from the extended condition to the retracted condition, at least one of the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member being a permanent magnet;
a magnetic field sensor ( 160 ) positioned to detect changes in a magnetic field associated with changes in said spacing; and
control electronics ( 170 ) having memory ( 182 ) storing at least one of a database ( 194 ) and a function ( 198 ) relating sensor output to mass, the control electronics configured to compensate for variations in tank position on the top plate associated with variations in the magnetic field produced by the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member are permanent magnets.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member have opposed polarity.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the magnetic field sensor is a Hall effect sensor.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member are centrally located.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the plurality of springs is a plurality of coil springs.
7. A combination of the system of claim 1 and a suppressant tank ( 22 ; 410 ) atop the top plate.
8. The combination of claim 7 further comprising said fire suppressant in the tank.
9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said fire suppressant is a clean agent.
10. The combination of claim 8 wherein said fire suppressant is carbon dioxide.
11. A method for using the system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
with the magnetic field sensor, detecting the changes in the magnetic field; and
based upon the detected changes, calculating said quantity of said suppressant in the tank.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein:
the calculating is performed via said control electronics ( 170 ).
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
initializing the control electronics.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein:
the initializing the control electronics comprises populating the database with data for a combination of tank mass and tank position on the scale.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein:
the calculating comprises using said database ( 194 ) with data for a combination of tank mass and tank position on the scale.
16. The method of claim 11 wherein:
the magnetic field sensor is a 3D magnetic field sensor providing a digital output to the control electronics.
17. A system for measuring a fire suppressant or fire suppression propellant quantity, the system comprising:
a base ( 102 );
a top plate ( 106 ) positioned to support a tank ( 22 ) of said fire suppressant or fire suppression propellant;
a plurality of springs ( 112 ) positioned between the top plate and the base to support the top plate atop the base, the plurality of springs positioned to support the top plate along a range of motion between an extended condition and a retracted condition;
a first magnetic member ( 142 ) mounted to the base;
a second magnetic member ( 140 ) mounted to the top plate so that a spacing between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member decreases as the top plate moves from the extended condition to the retracted condition, at least one of the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member being a permanent magnet; and
a magnetic field sensor ( 160 ) positioned to detect changes in a magnetic field associated with changes in said spacing,
wherein:
the changes in the magnetic field include variations in the magnetic field associated with variations in tank position on the top plate; and
the magnetic field sensor is a 3D magnetic field sensor.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein:
the 3D magnetic field sensor is an IC sensor.
19. The system of claim 17 , further comprising:
control electronics ( 170 ) having memory ( 182 ) storing at least one of a database ( 194 ) and a function ( 198 ) relating sensor output to mass, the control electronics configured to compensate for variations in tank position on the top plate.
20. A combination of the system of claim 17 and a suppressant tank ( 22 ; 410 ) atop the top plate.
21. The combination of claim 20 further comprising said fire suppressant in the tank.
22. The combination of claim 21 wherein said fire suppressant is carbon dioxide.