Water level measuring device

Abstract

The present invention discloses a water level measuring device, comprising: a ranging device for emitting ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves to measure the water level; and a transmission housing structure including an incident pipeline and a reflection pipeline structure that are interconnected and have an included angle. The ranging device is installed on the incident pipeline, and the transmission distance of the ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the ranging device in the incident pipeline and the reflection pipeline structure is greater than the blind zone distance of the ranging device. The water level measuring device provided by the present invention aims to solve the problem in the traditional technology that both ultrasonic water level gauges and radar water level gauges have blind zones, and there is a lack of applicability in the case of limited installation space or installation conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of water level monitoring, and particularly to a water level measuring device. Background Art

[0002] At present, water level measurement mainly includes contact devices such as pressure water level gauges, electronic water gauges, and float-type water level sensors, as well as non-contact devices such as ultrasonic water level gauges, radar water level gauges, and laser water level gauges. The float-type water level sensor is a mechanical detection with poor repeatability accuracy, not suitable for viscous or impurity-containing liquids, and is prone to float blockage. The electronic water gauge is affected by water quality and water temperature and has poor measurement accuracy. The pressure water level gauge is a contact measurement and is affected by water quality, water garbage, and silt. Although the laser water level gauge is a non-contact measurement, it requires structural components such as a floating target and a tube for use. The floating target is prone to blockage during long-term use, resulting in measurement errors. For ultrasonic water level gauges and radar water level gauges, they are non-contact measurements, not affected by water pollution, and do not damage the water flow structure. However, the current problem is that both ultrasonic water level gauges and radar water level gauges have blind spots.

[0003] When an ultrasonic water level gauge and a radar water level gauge emit signals, they will generate vibrations. During this period of vibration, the returned signals cannot be received. Therefore, within a certain distance, it is regarded as the blind spot of the ultrasonic water level gauge or the radar water level gauge, and normal measurement cannot be carried out. For example, for an ultrasonic water level gauge, the blind spot of the ultrasonic water level gauge varies according to the measuring range. The smaller the measuring range, the smaller the blind spot; the larger the measuring range, the larger the blind spot. The blind spot of an ultrasonic water level gauge with a 3m measuring range is generally about 30cm, and the blind spot of a radar water level gauge is generally about 25cm. In many fields of water level measurement, due to space limitations and installation condition limitations, ultrasonic or radar water level gauges with very small blind spots are required. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, the present invention provides a water level measuring device, aiming to solve the problem in the traditional technology that both ultrasonic water level gauges and radar water level gauges have blind spots and lack applicability under limited installation space or installation conditions.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention proposes the following technical solutions:

[0006] A water level measuring device, characterized by comprising:

[0007] A ranging device for emitting ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves to measure the water level; and,

[0008] A transmission housing structure including an incident pipe and a reflection pipe structure that are interconnected and have an included angle. The ranging device is installed on the incident pipe, and the transmission distance of the ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the ranging device in the incident pipe and the reflection pipe structure is greater than the blind spot distance of the ranging device.

[0009] Optionally, the reflection duct structure includes a reflection duct that is bent and communicated with the incident duct arranged in a straight line, and at least one reflection plate arranged in the reflection duct. The ultrasonic wave or electromagnetic wave emitted by the ranging device is projected onto the reflection plate of the reflection duct through the incident duct and exits from the outlet of the reflection duct.

[0010] Optionally, the reflection duct includes a straight transmission duct that is communicated with the incident duct, and a corner structure is formed at the communication position between the straight transmission duct and the incident duct. One of the reflection plates is arranged at the corner structure;

[0011] The ultrasonic wave or electromagnetic wave emitted by the ranging device is projected onto the reflection plate through the incident duct structure, reflected into the straight transmission duct, and exits from the outlet of the straight transmission duct.

[0012] Optionally, the reflection duct includes a plurality of straight transmission ducts that are sequentially communicated. The first straight transmission duct is communicated with the incident duct and a first corner structure is formed at the communication position. One of the reflection plates is arranged at the first corner structure;

[0013] A second corner structure is formed between two adjacent and communicated straight transmission ducts, and one of the reflection plates is arranged at each of the second corner structures.

[0014] Optionally, an opening is provided at the corner structure, the reflection plate is installed at the opening, and a sealing ring is installed between the reflection plate and the surrounding wall surface of the opening.

[0015] Optionally, an installation platform extends inward from the opening, and the reflection plate is fixedly installed on the installation platform.

[0016] Optionally, the ranging device includes a radar ranging device installed on the incident duct;

[0017] The radar ranging device includes a plurality of connecting rods installed on the incident duct, a mounting plate fixedly connected to the ends of the plurality of connecting rods, and a radar rangefinder arranged on the mounting plate.

[0018] Optionally, the radar rangefinder includes a flared tube arranged on the mounting plate, a radar ranging module arranged in the flared tube, and a ranging antenna electrically connected to the radar ranging module. The ranging antenna is installed in the connecting rod to project electromagnetic waves onto the reflection plate.

[0019] Optionally, the inner wall surfaces of the incident duct and the reflection duct structure are both coated with an anti-interference coating.

[0020] Optionally, the water level measuring device further includes a pressure water level gauge disposed outside the transmission housing structure and electrically connected to the ranging device.

[0021] In the technical solution proposed by the present invention, the ultrasonic wave or electromagnetic wave emitted by the ranging device is transmitted in the transmission housing structure to measure the water level; the transmission distance of the ultrasonic wave or electromagnetic wave emitted by the ranging device in the incident pipeline and the reflection pipeline structure is greater than the blind area distance of the ranging device. As a result, the blind area of the ranging device is located inside the device, that is, the area outside the device is the effective measurement area, which has stronger applicability for the situation where the installation environment or installation space is limited. Further, compared with the traditional structure, the structure is optimized and the volume and weight are reduced, which is of great significance for improving the precision of the water level measuring device. Description of the Drawings

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic three-dimensional structure diagram of the water level measuring device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 It is a schematic partial cross-sectional view structure diagram of the water level measuring device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Explanation of the reference numerals in the drawings:

[0026] Label Name Label Name 1000 Water level measuring device 100 Distance measuring device 110 Radar distance measuring device 111 Connecting rod 112 Mounting plate 113 Radar rangefinder 114 Distance measuring antenna 115 Flared tube 116 Radar distance measuring module 200 Transmission housing structure 210 Inlet pipe 220 Reflection pipe structure 221 Reflection pipe 222 Reflection plate 223 Straight transmission pipe 224 Corner structure 225 Sealing ring 226 Opening 227 Mounting table 300 Pressure water level gauge

[0027] The realization of the object of the present invention, functional features and advantages will be further described in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the drawings. Detailed Embodiments

[0028] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, rather than all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] It should be noted that if there are directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, top, bottom...) involved in the embodiments of the present invention, the directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement conditions, etc. between components in a specific posture (as shown in the attached drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0030] In addition, if there are descriptions such as "first", "second", etc. involved in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In addition, the technical solutions between various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of those of ordinary skill in the art to implement. When the combination of technical solutions results in contradictions or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the protection scope required by the present invention.

[0031] At present, the main water level measurement devices include contact devices such as pressure water level gauges, electronic water gauges, and float-type water level sensors, as well as non-contact devices such as ultrasonic water level gauges, radar water level gauges, and laser water level gauges. The float-type water level sensor is a mechanical detection method with poor repeatability accuracy, not suitable for viscous or impurity-containing liquids, and is prone to causing blockage of the float. The electronic water gauge is affected by water quality and water temperature and has poor measurement accuracy. The pressure water level gauge is a contact measurement method and will be affected by water quality, water debris, and silt. Although the laser water level gauge is a non-contact measurement, it requires structural components such as a floating target and a pipe for use. The floating target is prone to blockage during long-term use, resulting in measurement errors. However, ultrasonic water level gauges and radar water level gauges are non-contact measurements, not affected by water pollution, and do not damage the water flow structure. However, the current problem is that both ultrasonic water level gauges and radar water level gauges have blind spots.

[0032] When ultrasonic water level gauges and radar water level gauges emit signals, they will generate vibrations. During this period of vibration, the returned signals cannot be received. Therefore, within a certain distance, it is regarded as the blind spot of the ultrasonic water level gauge or the radar water level gauge, and normal measurement cannot be carried out. For example, for an ultrasonic water level gauge, the blind spot of the ultrasonic water level gauge varies depending on the range. When the range is small, the blind spot is small; when the range is large, the blind spot is large. The blind spot of an ultrasonic water level gauge with a 3m range is generally about 30cm, and the blind spot of a radar water level gauge is generally about 25cm. In many fields of water level measurement, due to space limitations and installation condition limitations, ultrasonic or radar water level gauges with very small blind spots are required.

[0033] In view of this, the present invention provides a water level measurement device. Figure 1 It is a schematic three-dimensional structure diagram of the water level measurement device described in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2Schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional view of the water level measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1 , the present invention provides a water level measuring device 1000, including a ranging device 100 for emitting ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves to measure the water level; and a transmission housing structure 200 including an incident pipe 210 and a reflection pipe structure 220 that are interconnected and have an included angle. The ranging device 100 is installed on the incident pipe 210, and the transmission distance of the ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the ranging device 100 in the incident pipe 210 and the reflection pipe structure 220 is greater than the blind zone distance of the ranging device 100. In the traditional technology, when an ultrasonic or electromagnetic wave water level gauge emits a wave, the probe will generate strong vibrations. If the water level is very close to the water level gauge, the reflected wave will return quickly. At this time, the probe cannot normally receive the reflected wave due to the vibration, so the water level cannot be effectively measured. Therefore, the distance below the water level gauge is called the blind zone, and the water level gauge cannot perform effective measurement within this distance. In this embodiment, when measuring, the ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the ranging device 100 will travel a certain distance in the transmission housing structure 200 and then be projected into the water; since the total transmission distance of the incident pipe 210 and the reflection pipe structure 220 is greater than the blind zone distance of the ranging device 100, the blind zone of the ranging device 100 is located within the water level measuring device 1000, that is, the area outside the water level measuring device 1000 is the effective measurement area, which solves many adaptability problems brought by the blind zone in the traditional water level measuring device, and enables the installation of the water level measuring device 1000 to adapt to more environments and conditions.

[0035] Further, the reflection pipe structure 220 includes a reflection pipe 221 that is bent and connected to the linearly arranged incident pipe 210, and at least one reflection plate 222 provided in the reflection pipe 221. By providing the reflection plate 222, the propagation direction of the wave can be changed. As mentioned above, the larger the range of the ultrasonic or electromagnetic wave water level gauge, the larger the blind zone. By providing the reflection plate 222, the volume of the transmission housing structure 200 can be reduced while increasing the transmission distance, achieving the effect of optimizing the volume of the entire device. The ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the ranging device 100 are projected onto the reflection plate 222 of the reflection pipe 221 through the incident pipe 210 and exit from the outlet of the reflection pipe 221 to reach the water surface to achieve the effect of measuring the water level.

[0036] Specifically, please refer to Figure 2, in this embodiment, the reflection pipeline structure 220 includes a straight transmission pipeline 223. The straight transmission pipeline 223 is connected to the incident pipeline 210, and a corner structure 224 is formed at the connection. A reflector 222 is provided at the corner structure 224. The reflector 222 mainly reflects the ranging wave emitted by the ranging device 100 and changes its propagation path. The ultrasonic wave or electromagnetic wave emitted by the ranging device 100 is projected onto the reflector 222 through the incident pipeline 210 structure, reflected into the straight transmission pipeline 223, and emitted from the outlet of the straight transmission pipeline 223 and projected into the water surface for detection. It should be noted that by setting the reflector 222, the propagation direction of the ultrasonic wave or electromagnetic wave can be changed, which has stronger applicability to harsh installation conditions. At the same time, the inclined reflection pipeline structure 220 and the incident pipeline 210 make the volume ratio of the whole device smaller, which is beneficial to the evolution of the water level measuring device towards a more precise direction.

[0037] In addition, it should be noted that for a water level monitoring device with a small measurement range, the blind area is small. At this time, a single reflector 222 as mentioned above can meet the requirements. However, for a water level monitoring device with a large measurement range, multiple reflectors 222 need to be set to make the detection wave reflect multiple times to achieve the effect of making the blind area inside the device. Or when the installation conditions are harsh and a very precise detection device is required, the transmission route of the detection wave also needs to be reset to make the device more portable. Therefore, the reflection pipeline 221 can also include multiple straight transmission pipelines 223 connected in sequence. Specifically, the first straight transmission pipeline 223 is connected to the incident pipeline 210, and a first corner structure 224 is formed at the connection. A reflector is provided at the first corner structure 224; a second corner structure is formed between two adjacent connected straight transmission pipelines 223, and a reflector 222 is provided at each second corner structure. At this time, the detection wave will reflect multiple times in the reflection pipeline structure 220, increasing the transmission distance, and it also has strong compatibility with detection devices with a large blind area. How to set it specifically needs to be determined according to the actual situation, and the present invention will not elaborate further.

[0038] Generally, the reflector 222 is tilted, and the best case is that the detection wave can be vertically reflected from the reflector 222, and the water level detection can be directly read without conversion. In this embodiment, an opening 226 is recessed at the corner structure 224, and the reflector 222 is installed at the opening 226. The ultrasonic wave or electromagnetic wave emitted by the detection device is reflected on the reflector 222 and then transmitted to each linear transmission pipe 223. It should be noted that the linear transmission pipe 223 is used to avoid the consumption of electromagnetic waves or ultrasonic waves in the pipe, which affects the measurement effect. At the same time, a sealing ring 225 is installed around the reflector 222 to protect the entire device, so that it can work stably and normally, and prevent external interference, such as waterproofing and moisture-proofing.

[0039] Specifically, see Figure 1 The opening 226 extends inwardly to form a mounting platform 227, and the reflector 222 is fixedly mounted on the mounting platform 227. As shown in the figure, a plurality of bolts are arranged around the reflector 222, and a plurality of mounting holes are correspondingly arranged on the mounting platform 227. The reflector 222 is thus fixedly mounted on the mounting platform 227.

[0040] In this embodiment, the distance measuring device 100 includes a radar distance measuring device 110 installed on the incident pipe 210, and the radar distance measuring device 110 includes a plurality of connecting rods 111 installed on the incident pipe 210, a mounting plate 112 fixedly connected to the ends of the plurality of connecting rods 111, and a radar rangefinder 113 provided on the mounting plate 112. The distance measuring device 100 can also be set as an ultrasonic distance measuring device 100, which can be specifically set according to actual conditions.

[0041] Specifically, the radar rangefinder 113 includes a flared tube 115 disposed on the mounting plate 112, a radar rangefinder module 116 installed in the flared tube 115, and a rangefinder antenna 114 electrically connected to the radar rangefinder module 116. The rangefinder antenna 114 is installed in the connecting rod 111 to project electromagnetic waves to the reflector 222. It should be noted that the rangefinder antenna forms a beam angle, and the width or depth of the incident pipe 210 needs to be matched with the beam angle so that the electromagnetic waves emitted by the rangefinder antenna can be projected on the reflector 222 without interference consumption; in addition, the incident angle formed by the reflector 222 and the electromagnetic waves emitted by the rangefinder antenna 114 is set to 45°. In this case, the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radar rangefinder 113 are reflected by the reflector 222 and then vertically projected into the water surface. At this time, the water level can be simply calculated and read without complicated conversion.

[0042] Furthermore, in order to prevent interference of electromagnetic waves or ultrasonic waves in the transmission pipeline structure, anti-interference coatings are applied to the inner wall surfaces of the incident pipeline 210 and the reflection pipeline 221 structure 220, and the material of the transmission housing structure 200 is set as ABS plastic.

[0043] Furthermore, since the ultrasonic or electromagnetic wave ranging devices 100 are all non-contact water level measuring devices 1000, when they are arranged in the pipeline and the pipeline is in a state close to full pipe or full pipe, the ranging devices 100 cannot work. In this embodiment, the water level measuring device 1000 further includes a pressure water level gauge 300 arranged outside the transmission housing structure 200 and electrically connected to the ranging device 100. When the pipeline is in a state close to full pipe or full pipe, the pressure water level gauge 300 works to measure the water level, ensuring that the water level measuring device 1000 works normally in all cases.

[0044] In the technical solution proposed by the present invention, the ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the ranging device are transmitted in the transmission housing structure to measure the water level; the transmission distance of the ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the ranging device in the incident pipeline and the reflection pipeline structure is greater than the blind zone distance of the ranging device. In this way, the blind zone of the ranging device is located inside the device, that is, the area outside the device is the effective measurement area, which has stronger applicability for the situation where the installation environment or installation space is limited. Further realizing the structural optimization and reducing the volume and weight compared with the traditional structure is of great significance for improving the precision of the water level measuring device.

[0045] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformation made under the concept of the present invention by using the content of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied to other related technical fields, is included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water level measuring device, characterized in that, Comprising: A ranging device for emitting ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves to measure the water level; And A transmission housing structure including an incident pipe and a reflection pipe structure that are interconnected and have an included angle. The ranging device is installed on the incident pipe, and the transmission distance of the ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the ranging device in the incident pipe and the reflection pipe structure is greater than the blind zone distance of the ranging device; The reflection pipe structure includes a reflection pipe that is bent and connected to the linearly arranged incident pipe, and at least one reflection plate provided in the reflection pipe. The ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the ranging device are projected onto the reflection plate of the reflection pipe through the incident pipe and emitted from the outlet of the reflection pipe; The ranging device includes a radar ranging device installed on the incident pipe; the radar ranging device includes a plurality of connecting rods installed on the incident pipe, a mounting plate fixedly connected to the ends of the plurality of connecting rods, and a radar rangefinder provided on the mounting plate; the radar rangefinder includes a flared cylinder provided on the mounting plate, a radar ranging module installed in the flared cylinder, and a ranging antenna electrically connected to the radar ranging module. The ranging antenna is installed in the connecting rod to project electromagnetic waves onto the reflection plate; The width or depth of the incident pipe is matched with the beam angle of the ranging antenna.

2. The water level measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that The reflection pipe includes a straight transmission pipe that is connected to the incident pipe, and a corner structure is formed at the connection between the straight transmission pipe and the incident pipe. One of the reflection plates is provided at the corner structure; The ultrasonic waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the ranging device are projected onto the reflection plate through the incident pipe structure, reflected into the straight transmission pipe, and emitted from the outlet of the straight transmission pipe.

3. The water level measuring device according to claim 1, wherein, The reflection pipe includes a plurality of sequentially connected straight transmission pipes. The first straight transmission pipe is connected to the incident pipe and a first corner structure is formed at the connection. One of the reflection plates is provided at the first corner structure; A second corner structure is formed between two adjacent and connected straight transmission pipes, and one of the reflection plates is provided at each of the second corner structures.

4. The water level measuring device according to claim 2, characterized in that, An opening is provided at the corner structure, the reflection plate is installed at the opening, and a sealing ring is installed between the reflection plate and the peripheral wall surface of the opening.

5. The water level measuring device according to claim 4, characterized in that, A mounting table extends inward from the opening, and the reflection plate is fixedly installed on the mounting table.

6. The water level measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Anti-interference coatings are applied to the inner wall surfaces of the incident pipe and the reflection pipe structure.

7. The water level measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water level measuring device further includes a pressure water level gauge provided outside the transmission housing structure and electrically connected to the ranging device.

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