Shaftless disc type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device
Through the self-powered design of the shaftless disc turbine flowmeter and the optimization of the blade parameters, the dependence of external power supply and shaft system stagnation problems are solved, and self-powered, low-cost and high-precision flow monitoring is realized, which is suitable for complex working conditions.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510499986.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-21
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-11
AI Technical Summary
Turbine flowmeters are severely dependent on external power supplies, with a risk of power outage and high operation and maintenance costs, making it difficult to adapt to long-distance power supply and impurity-containing fluid conditions. Traditional shaft designs are prone to cause shaft system stagnation.
It adopts a shaftless disc design, uses magnetic induction coils and permanent magnet components to generate power by self-generating power, combines dynamic sealing structure and optimized blade parameters, and integrates a multi-functional data processing module to realize self-power supply and high-precision flow measurement.
It reduces installation and maintenance costs, improves the reliability and measurement accuracy of the flowmeter, adapts to complex working conditions, reduces mechanical failures and fluid leakage, and enhances anti-interference ability.
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Figure CN120293253A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of pipeline turbine flowmeters, and particularly relates to a shaftless disk-type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device. Background Art
[0002] Turbine flowmeters play a key role in many fields such as factory fluid transportation and municipal water supply due to their high precision and high response characteristics. They accurately monitor the flow rate and velocity of fluids in pipelines, providing strong support for detecting pipeline leaks and are widely used. However, their development faces multiple dilemmas. On the one hand, turbine flowmeters rely heavily on external power sources. Although common DC or AC power supplies can ensure stable operation and are suitable for long-term operation, there is a risk of power failure; battery power can only barely maintain the basic measurement of the instrument, is unable to support long-term signal transmission, and is accompanied by high operation and maintenance costs. On the other hand, it is difficult to ensure real-time power supply during long-distance transportation. The pipe network structure is complex and the blade gaps are tiny, resulting in long detection time, extremely difficult maintenance, and high costs, seriously hindering leak detection, increasing the water loss rate, and even threatening pipeline safety, reducing the operation efficiency and service life of the equipment. Turbine flowmeters rely heavily on external power sources. Although common DC or AC power supplies can ensure stable operation and are suitable for long-term operation, the risk of power failure follows closely; battery power can only maintain the basic measurement of the instrument, cannot support long-term signal transmission, and is accompanied by high operation and maintenance costs. In addition, traditional shaft turbine flowmeters are difficult to adapt to the working conditions of fluids containing impurities, and the impurities are likely to cause shaft system jamming and interfere with normal operation. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The present invention provides a shaftless disk-type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device, which improves the energy conversion and utilization efficiency of the shaftless turbine flowmeter and expands the applicable range of the flow rate that the turbine flowmeter can monitor by improving the runner structure, structural connection and sealing method, power generation method and overall working method of the turbine flowmeter, and improves the progress of flowmeter monitoring.
[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A shaftless disk-type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device, including a stationary component and a rotating component arranged coaxially; The stationary component includes a housing and a housing end cover; The rotating component includes a turbine and a pair of bearings connecting the rotating component and the stationary component; A plurality of magnetic induction coils are circumferentially and equidistantly distributed inside the housing; The housing end cover includes a guide vane placed at the front end of the turbine, and a plurality of magnetic induction coils are circumferentially and equidistantly distributed inside, and the central axes of the coils are parallel to the axis of the flowmeter main body; The turbine of the rotating assembly includes: a plurality of shaftless hydrodynamic blades evenly distributed circumferentially, with a streamline transition connection between the roots of the shaftless hydrodynamic blades and the outer wall of the hub. It also includes a permanent magnet arrayed distribution, and the magnetic yoke is rigidly connected to the impeller assembly through a rotating support mechanism; It also includes a data processing module arranged outside the housing. The data processing module integrates a signal conditioning circuit, a microprocessor, and a liquid crystal display unit, including a flow data collection part and a power generation receiving module.
[0005] Preferably, the permanent magnets are arranged in a Halbach array, with a 90° phase difference in the magnetization directions of adjacent permanent magnets, and are integrally coated with a non-magnetic alloy protective cover.
[0006] Preferably, the turbine is dynamically connected to the housing through a pair of bearings to achieve shaftless rotation support. The dynamic sealing interface adopts a three-stage labyrinth seal structure, including alternately arranged metal seal tooth rings and polymer compensation rings. The sealing gap δ satisfies: 0.03mm ≤ δ ≤ 0.20 mm.
[0007] Preferably, the shaftless hydrodynamic blades have a NACA airfoil cross-section, and the number of blades N satisfies 3 ≤ N ≤ 8.
[0008] Preferably, the data processing module integrates: a micro piezoresistive pressure sensor; an electromagnetic flow sensing unit; an embedded data recording system that supports the Modbus communication protocol; a touch-type human-machine interface that real-time displays the instantaneous flow rate, cumulative flow rate, and pressure waveform; a micro water flow sensor is used to monitor and analyze the water flow rate in the pipeline in real time; a micro temperature sensor is used to monitor and collect the temperature in the pipeline in real time.
[0009] Preferably, the magnetic induction coil adopts a three-layer closely wound structure, with an iron core embedded in the center, and a nanocrystalline insulating tape is provided between layers to suppress the interlayer eddy current loss. After being vacuum impregnated with epoxy resin as a whole, it is press-fitted into the inner cavity of the generator housing.
[0010] Preferably, the magnetic conduction pipeline, the integrated rotor axial flow impeller group, and the self-lubricating bearing are all made of insulating non-ferromagnetic materials.
[0011] Preferably, the bearing adopts a zirconia angular contact ceramic bearing to simultaneously achieve self-lubrication and insulation isolation.
[0012] Preferably, it is connected to the pipeline through a flange with a male-female surface seal.
[0013] Preferably, 6 guide vanes are circumferentially evenly distributed and integrally connected to the housing; the axial distance L between the trailing edge of the guide vane and the leading edge of the turbine blade satisfies: L ∈ [0.5D1, 1.2D1], where D1 is the outer diameter of the turbine rotor, which is used to establish a laminar boundary layer transition zone and control the fluid incident angle within the range of 15° - 25°.
[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. Traditional flow meters usually require external power supply, while the present invention generates electricity by itself using the electromagnetic induction principle through the cooperation of the magnetic induction coil in the annular generator housing and the permanent magnet assembly in the rotating assembly, without the need for an external power supply, reducing the installation and use costs, and is especially suitable for some occasions where it is difficult to provide an external power supply, such as remote areas or field environments.
[0015] 2. The shaftless design of the present invention eliminates the friction and wear between the shaft and the bearing, reduces the probability of mechanical failures, improves the reliability and service life of the flow meter, and also reduces the maintenance cost.
[0016] 3. The data processing module of the present invention integrates an electromagnetic flow sensing unit with a resolution of 0.5% FS, capable of achieving high-precision flow measurement. In addition, the sampling frequency of the micro piezoresistive pressure sensor ≥1kHz, which can quickly and accurately measure pressure changes, helping to calculate the flow more precisely, with higher measurement accuracy compared to some traditional flow meters.
[0017] 4. The dynamic sealing interface of the present invention adopts a three-stage labyrinth seal structure, including alternately arranged metal seal tooth rings and polymer compensation rings, with the seal gap controlled within the range of 0.05 - 0.15mm. This seal structure can effectively prevent fluid leakage, improve the sealing performance and measurement accuracy of the flow meter, and is more reliable than the seal structures of traditional flow meters.
[0018] 5. The blades of the present invention adopt a NACA airfoil section, and parameters such as the number of blades, aspect ratio, cascade pitch density, and installation angle are optimized to better adapt to fluid flow, reduce fluid resistance, and improve the stability and accuracy of measurement.
[0019] 6. The permanent magnet assembly is arranged in a Halbach array, with a 90° phase difference in the magnetization directions of adjacent permanent magnets, and is integrally coated with a non-magnetic alloy protective cover. This design can enhance the magnetic field strength, improve the power generation efficiency, and effectively reduce external magnetic field interference, having better anti-interference ability compared to traditional flow meters in a complex electromagnetic environment. In addition, the magnetic induction coil adopts a three-layer closely wound structure, with the wire diameter precisely controlled, a nanocrystalline insulating tape provided between layers, and is vacuum impregnated with epoxy resin and then pressed into the inner cavity of the generator housing, which also helps to improve the stability and anti-interference ability of the coil. Description of the Drawings
[0020] Figure 1 This is the overall appearance schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is the partial sectional structure schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 3 This is the schematic diagram of the housing structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is the schematic diagram of the housing end cover structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is the schematic diagram of the turbine structure of the present invention; Figure 6 This is the schematic diagram of the data processing module of the present invention.
[0021] In the figure: 1. Housing; 11. Flange; 12. Connecting flange; 2. Housing end cover; 21. Guide vane; 22. Magnetic induction coil; 23. Second flange; 3. Turbine; 31. Shaftless hydrodynamic blade; 32. Permanent magnet; 4. Data collection module; 41. Power generation receiving module; 42. Flow data collection part; 5. Bearing. Detailed implementation manners
[0022] Here, the exemplary embodiments will be described in detail, and the examples are shown in the drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementation manners described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementation manners consistent with the present application. On the contrary, they are only examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.
[0023] The terms used in the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms of "a", "the" and "said" used in the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0024] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in the present application to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the present application, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when" or "while" or "in response to determining".
[0025] Please refer to Figures 1-3, an embodiment of the present invention provides a shaftless disk-type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device, including a housing 1, a housing end cover 2, a turbine 3, a data processing module 4, and a bearing 5. The housing 1 is hermetically connected to an external pipeline through a flange 11, and the housing end cover 2 is fixed to the housing 1 through a connecting flange 12, and a guide vane 21 is provided at its front end for guiding the fluid to flow uniformly into the turbine area. The turbine 3 is dynamically connected to the housing 1 through a pair of zirconia angular contact ceramic bearings 5 to achieve shaftless rotational support. Six shaftless hydrodynamic blades 31 with NACA airfoil cross-sections are evenly distributed circumferentially on the turbine 3, the aspect ratio λ of the blade is 3.2, the pitch density σ of the cascade is 0.75, the installation angle β is 35°, and the root of the blade is connected to the hub by a streamline transition to reduce fluid resistance. A permanent magnet 32 arranged in a Halbach array is embedded inside the turbine 3, and the magnetization directions of adjacent permanent magnets have a 90° phase difference. The whole is coated with a non-magnetic alloy protective cover to enhance the magnetic field strength and suppress magnetic leakage.
[0026] Magnetic induction coils 22 are evenly embedded at equal intervals in the inner circumferences of the housing 1 and the housing end cover 2. The coils adopt a three-layer closely wound structure, the wire diameter is 0.15 mm, the number of turns per layer is 160 turns, and an iron core is embedded in the center to concentrate the magnetic induction line distribution. A nanocrystalline insulating tape is provided between the coil layers, and the whole is impregnated with epoxy resin and then press-fitted into the inner cavity of the housing to effectively suppress eddy current loss. The second flange 23 of the housing end cover 2 is connected to the external pipeline to ensure the sealing of the overall structure. The data processing module 4 is integrated on the outside of the housing 1 and integrates a signal conditioning circuit, a microprocessor, and a liquid crystal display unit, including a flow data collection part 42 and a power generation receiving module 41, with a built-in micro piezoresistive pressure sensor (sampling frequency 1.2 kHz), an electromagnetic flow sensing unit (resolution 0.5% FS), and an embedded data recording system, supporting real-time data transmission to the monitoring terminal through the Modbus protocol.
[0027] Please refer to Figure 2 , the dynamic sealing interface adopts a three-stage labyrinth seal structure, including alternately arranged metal sealing tooth rings and polytetrafluoroethylene compensation rings, and the sealing gap is controlled within 0.1 mm ± 0.05 mm. This design increases the leakage resistance through a multi-stage tortuous flow channel, and at the same time, the compensation ring can adapt to thermal expansion deformation to ensure long-term sealing under high-pressure (≤2.5 MPa) and high-temperature (≤120 °C) working conditions. The housing 1, the turbine 3, and the bearing 5 are all made of insulating non-ferromagnetic materials (such as silicon carbide composite materials) to avoid stray current interference with electromagnetic signals. The guide vane 21 and the housing end cover 2 are an integral casting structure, reducing assembly errors and improving structural stiffness.
[0028] Please refer to Figures 4-6, the magnetic induction coil 22 adopts a core-nanocrystalline composite structure. The core material is silicon steel sheet, and the thickness of the nanocrystalline layer is 50μm, effectively suppressing the skin effect under high-frequency magnetic fields, so that the induction electromotive force volatility ≤ 1%. The rigid connection structure between the turbine 3 and the bearing 5 is optimized through finite element analysis to ensure that the critical speed is 20% higher than the operating speed, avoiding the risk of resonance. In addition, the data processing module 4 is built-in with redundant circuits and overvoltage protection modules. When abnormal current (such as lightning surge) is detected, the power supply circuit is automatically cut off, and an alarm is prompted through the liquid crystal screen.
[0029] This device is connected to the pipeline through the flange 11 and the second flange 23 by a male-female surface seal. During installation, only the flange hole positions need to be aligned and the bolts tightened evenly, without additional calibration. The angle between the guide vane 21 and the fluid flow direction can be finely adjusted by ±5° by adjusting the flange installation angle to adapt to complex flow field environments. The maintenance period is up to 5 years. Only the sediment on the surface of the turbine blades needs to be cleaned regularly (recommended once a year). The ceramic bearing 5 does not require lubrication, greatly reducing the operation and maintenance costs.
[0030] Next, to facilitate the understanding of the above technical solutions of the present invention, the actual working principle and operation method will be described in detail below.
[0031] The working process of this device is as follows: When the self-powered shaftless disk turbine flowmeter of the present invention is actually working, a series of energy conversion and measurement processes are carried out relying on the special environment of the fluid flow in the pipeline. When the fluid flows in the pipeline, it first reaches the guide vane at the end cover of the housing. The guide vane is integrally connected to the housing and is circumferentially evenly distributed with 6 pieces. Its function is to guide the incoming fluid, making the originally chaotic flow field become uniform and orderly, so that the fluid can impact the turbine at a specific speed and flow direction.
[0032] The turbine part is the core rotating component of the flowmeter. It is circumferentially evenly distributed with N shaftless hydrodynamic blades, and the number of blades N satisfies 3 ≤ N ≤ 6. These blades are of NACA airfoil section, the aspect ratio λ is between 2.5 - 4.0, the blade pitch density σ ranges from 0.6 - 0.9, and the installation angle β is 35° ± 5°; it is integrally connected to the housing; the axial distance L between the trailing edge of the guide vane and the leading edge of the turbine blade satisfies: L ∈ [0.5D1, 1.2D1], where D1 is the outer diameter of the turbine rotor, used to establish a laminar boundary layer transition zone and control the fluid incident angle within the range of 15° - 25°. Such blade design can better adapt to fluid flow. When the fluid impacts these blades along the outer diameter direction, it will generate a sufficiently powerful torque to push the turbine to start rotating. Since the root of the blade and the outer wall of the hub are connected by a streamline transition, the resistance of the fluid at the root of the blade is reduced, making the process of the fluid pushing the blade to rotate smoother and improving the energy conversion efficiency.
[0033] The turbine is also provided with a permanent magnet array. The permanent magnets are arranged in a Halbach array, and the magnetization directions of adjacent permanent magnets have a 90° phase difference. And the whole is covered with a non-magnetic alloy protective cover. When the turbine rotates driven by the fluid, the permanent magnets also rotate accordingly, thereby generating a continuously rotating magnetic field.
[0034] On the inner circumferences of the housing and the housing end cover, a number of magnetic induction coils are equally spaced. These magnetic induction coils adopt a three-layer closely wound structure, with a wire diameter of 0.15mm ± 0.01mm, the number of turns per layer is not less than 150, an iron core is embedded in the center, a nanocrystalline insulating tape is provided between layers, and after being vacuum impregnated with epoxy resin as a whole, they are press-fitted into the inner cavity of the generator housing. When the rotating magnetic field of the permanent magnets interacts with the magnetic induction coils, according to the principle of electromagnetic induction, the magnetic induction coils will cut the magnetic induction lines in the moving magnetic field, thereby generating an induced current. This realizes the process of converting the mechanical energy of the fluid into electrical energy, provides power for the operation of the entire flowmeter, enabling the flowmeter to operate without an external power supply, especially suitable for occasions where it is difficult to provide an external power supply.
[0035] In terms of structural connection and sealing, the rotating assembly and the stationary assembly are connected by a pair of zirconia angular contact ceramic bearings. This kind of bearing not only reduces the risk of corrosion, but also can achieve self-lubrication and insulation isolation synchronously, effectively avoiding the interference of stray current on the electromagnetic measurement signal. The dynamic sealing interface adopts a three-stage labyrinth sealing structure, which consists of alternately arranged metal sealing tooth rings and polymer compensation rings, and the sealing gap is strictly controlled within the range of 0.05 - 0.15mm. This sealing structure can effectively prevent fluid leakage, ensure the stability of the internal environment of the flowmeter, and thus improve the measurement accuracy.
[0036] The data processing module is installed on the outside of the generator housing and integrates a variety of functional units. Among them, the electromagnetic flow sensing unit has a resolution of 0.5%FS and can accurately measure the flow rate; the micro piezoresistive pressure sensor has a sampling frequency ≥ 1kHz and can quickly and accurately measure the pressure change, which helps to calculate the flow rate more accurately. The embedded data recording system supports the Modbus communication protocol, facilitating data storage and transmission; the touch-type human-machine interface displays the instantaneous flow rate, cumulative flow rate and pressure waveform in real time, making it convenient for the operator to intuitively obtain the measurement data. The micro water flow sensor is used to monitor and analyze the water flow rate in the pipeline in real time, and the micro temperature sensor is used to monitor and collect the temperature in the pipeline in real time.
[0037] In practical applications, the self-powered shaftless disk turbine flowmeter of the present invention can not only efficiently convert the mechanical energy of the fluid into electrical energy by the cooperation of the magnetic induction coil and the permanent magnet assembly to achieve the self-power generation function, but also collect data such as flow rate, pressure, and temperature in real time with the help of a variety of sensors integrated in the data processing module. This design of self-power generation and multi-functional integration reduces the dependence on external power supplies, lowers the installation limitations and maintenance costs brought by external power supplies to the equipment. At the same time, the shaftless design, special sealing structure, optimized blade parameters, and anti-interference design, etc., improve the applicability and reliability of the device under complex working conditions (such as fluid containing impurities, complex electromagnetic environment).
[0038] After considering the specification and practicing the disclosed content of the present application, those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the present application. The present application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present application that follow the general principles of the present application and include known common knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed in the present application. The specification and examples are only regarded as exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the present application are pointed out by the claims.
[0039] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present application is only limited by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An axisless disc-type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device, characterized in that, It includes a stationary component and a rotating component arranged coaxially; The stationary component includes a housing (1) and a housing end cover (2); The rotating component includes a turbine (3) and a pair of bearings (5) connecting the rotating component and the stationary component; A number of magnetic induction coils (22) are circumferentially and equally spaced inside the housing (1); The housing end cover (2) includes a guide vane (21) placed at the front end of the turbine (3), and a number of magnetic induction coils (22) are circumferentially and equally spaced inside. The central axis of each coil is parallel to the axis of the flowmeter main body; The turbine (3) of the rotating component includes: a plurality of shaftless hydrodynamic blades (31) evenly distributed circumferentially. The root of the shaftless hydrodynamic blade (31) is connected to the outer wall of the hub by a streamline transition. It also includes a permanent magnet (32) distributed in an array. The yoke is rigidly connected to the impeller assembly through a rotating support mechanism; It also includes a data processing module (4) arranged outside the housing (1). The data processing module (4) integrates a signal conditioning circuit, a microprocessor and a liquid crystal display unit, and includes a flow data collection part (42) and a power generation receiving module (41).
2. The shaftless disk-type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein The permanent magnet (32) is arranged in a Halbach array, and the magnetization directions of adjacent permanent magnets have a 90° phase difference, and the whole is coated with a non-magnetic alloy protective cover.
3. The shaftless disk type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The turbine (3) is dynamically connected to the housing (1) through a pair of bearings (5) to achieve shaftless rotational support. The dynamic sealing interface adopts a three-stage labyrinth seal structure, including alternately arranged metal seal tooth rings and polymer compensation rings. The sealing gap δ satisfies: 0.03 mm ≤ δ ≤ 0.20 mm.
4. The shaftless disk type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shaftless hydrodynamic blade (31) has a NACA airfoil section, and the number of blades N satisfies 3 ≤ N ≤ 8.
5. The shaftless disk type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein, The data processing module (4) integrates: a micro piezoresistive pressure sensor; an electromagnetic flow sensing unit; an embedded data recording system, supporting the Modbus communication protocol; a touch-type human-machine interface, which can display the instantaneous flow rate, cumulative flow rate and pressure waveform in real time; A micro water flow sensor is used to monitor and analyze the water flow rate in the pipeline in real time; a micro temperature sensor is used to monitor and collect the temperature in the pipeline in real time.
6. The shaftless disc type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein The magnetic induction coil (22) adopts a three-layer closely wound structure, with an iron core embedded in the center, and a nanocrystalline insulating tape is provided between layers to suppress the interlayer eddy current loss. After being vacuum impregnated with epoxy resin as a whole, it is pressed into the inner cavity of the generator housing.
7. A shaftless disc turbine self-powered flow monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic conductive pipeline, the integrated rotor axial flow impeller group and the self-lubricating bearing (5) are all made of insulating non-ferromagnetic materials.
8. The shaftless disk-type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that The bearing (5) adopts a zirconia angular contact ceramic bearing, which synchronously realizes self-lubrication and insulation isolation.
9. The shaftless disk-type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It is connected to the pipeline through a flange by a male and female surface seal.
10. The shaftless disk type turbine self-powered flow monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are 6 guide vanes (21) evenly distributed circumferentially, which are integrally connected to the housing; the axial distance L between the trailing edge of the guide vane and the leading edge of the turbine blade satisfies: L ∈ [0.5D1, 1.2D1], where D1 is the outer diameter of the turbine rotor, and it is used to establish a laminar boundary layer transition zone and control the fluid incident angle within the range of 15° - 25°.
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