An IoT water meter with antifreeze structure

Abstract

This invention discloses an IoT water meter with an anti-freeze structure, comprising a water meter body, within which is an intelligent detection mechanism. The intelligent detection mechanism includes a rechargeable battery and a control unit. The mechanism includes a side shell, within which is an upwardly arched partition plate dividing the side shell into an upper cavity and a lower cavity for direct water flow. The upper cavity is further divided by a heat insulation plate into a lower power generation cavity and an upper electrical cavity. The electrical cavity contains a generator and a generator shaft. The generator shaft is hollow, and its bottom is fitted with a heat-conducting base cylinder. The heat-conducting base cylinder contains a thermoelectric generator chip electrically connected to the rechargeable battery. Multiple sets of laterally arranged heat-conducting blades are attached to the outside of the heat-conducting base cylinder. A heating element is located inside the intelligent detection mechanism, electrically connected to the rechargeable battery and the control unit. This invention cleverly combines thermoelectric power generation and water turbine power generation to improve the anti-freeze performance of the IoT water meter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of IoT water meters, and more specifically to an IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the internet and IoT industries, the metering industry is facing upgrades, and the demand for smart water management and smart water supply systems is increasing. The era of smart water meters 2.0 is also deeply integrated into the "Internet+" environment, beginning a transformation from providing products to providing services. "Smart water meter 2.0" was proposed in response to the development of smart water supply and management technologies, as well as the demand for automation, informatization, and intelligentization of pipeline network monitoring and control. Its emergence signifies a major quantitative and qualitative transformation and breakthrough in smart water meter technology and applications. "Smart water meter 2.0" technology has moved beyond the application model centered on smart terminal products of the "smart water meter 1.0" era. Instead, the focus is shifting towards a model that integrates terminals, systems, and applications to provide solutions to users. This involves integrating smart terminals into the overall architecture of water supply network monitoring and control systems and internet applications to further explore and showcase the role and function of smart water meters in water supply and drainage systems. Such IoT water meters have powerful functions; however, IoT water meters use lithium batteries (which have a large capacity), and these batteries are often disposable, requiring very few replacements throughout their lifespan.

[0003] Currently, existing IoT water meters are prone to freezing inside the meter in cold regions, which can damage the meter due to poor antifreeze performance. Moreover, lithium batteries experience a 20% capacity reduction at 0 degrees Celsius, and may only have about half the capacity at -10 degrees Celsius. Therefore, improving the antifreeze performance of IoT water meters is crucial for their use in cold regions. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes an IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure, which solves the shortcomings of existing IoT water meters in high-altitude and cold regions, where the water inside the meter is prone to freezing and damaging the meter, and the antifreeze performance is poor.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: An IoT water meter with an anti-freeze structure includes: a water meter body, a water inlet on one side of the water meter body, and a power generation mechanism connected to the end of the water inlet; an intelligent detection mechanism inside the water meter body, the intelligent detection mechanism containing a rechargeable battery and a control unit; the power generation mechanism including a side shell, the side shell containing an upwardly arched partition plate dividing the interior of the side shell into an upper cavity and a lower cavity for direct water flow; the upper cavity containing a heat insulation plate dividing the upper cavity into a lower power generation cavity and an upper electrical cavity; the electrical cavity containing a generator and a generator shaft; a driven wheel mounted on the drive shaft of the generator; and the bottom end of the generator shaft extending downward into the generator cavity. The invention comprises a generator shaft equipped with a drive wheel, which is connected to a driven wheel via a transmission belt. The generator shaft is hollow, and a heat-conducting base cylinder is mounted at its bottom. Inside the heat-conducting base cylinder is a thermoelectric generator chip electrically connected to a rechargeable battery. Multiple sets of laterally arranged heat-conducting blades are attached to the outside of the heat-conducting base cylinder. A cooling element and a heating element are connected to the thermoelectric generator chip. The heating element contacts the heat-conducting base cylinder, and the cooling element passes through the generator shaft and extends upwards through the side housing. A heat-conducting pipe is connected to the end of the cooling element. The generator is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery. A heating element is located inside the intelligent detection mechanism, and this heating element is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery and a control unit. The control unit controls the heating element to heat up or stop heating. This invention employs a side housing at the front end of the water meter, within which a generator mechanism is installed. It cleverly combines thermoelectric power generation and water turbine power generation. Water flow through the generator chamber in the upper cavity drives the generator shaft to rotate, causing the drive wheel to rotate, which in turn drives the driven wheel via a transmission belt, thus generating electricity that is transmitted to the rechargeable battery. When the outdoor temperature is below 10℃, the control unit controls the heating element to generate heat, keeping the temperature of the intelligent detection mechanism above 0℃ to prevent the lithium battery from experiencing a sharp drop in capacity at low temperatures. At the same time, it heats the water inside the water meter to keep it above 0℃ to prevent the water from freezing and expanding, which could damage the water meter body. Meanwhile, when the outdoor temperature is below 10℃, the water temperature inside the water meter is above 0℃ before it freezes. The large temperature difference between the inside and outside causes the thermoelectric generator chip to start working, generating current to charge the rechargeable battery. At the same time, the rapid rotation of the water wheel allows the heat-conducting blades to quickly come into contact with the water, increasing the heat transfer rate.

[0006] Optionally, the inner side of the intelligent detection mechanism is provided with an ultrasonic vibration element, which is electrically connected to a rechargeable battery and a control unit. The control unit is used to control the vibration of the ultrasonic vibration element or to stop the vibration. This invention uses an ultrasonic vibration element to emit ultrasonic waves that cause the water to vibrate, thus preventing the water from freezing.

[0007] Optionally, the water inlet is located at the front end of the water meter body.

[0008] Optionally, the control unit is electrically connected to a rechargeable battery.

[0009] Optionally, the end face of the power generation chamber is provided with an electromagnetic flow valve, which is electrically connected to a control unit, and the control unit is used to control the flow rate of the electromagnetic flow valve.

[0010] Optionally, a temperature sensor is provided in the lower cavity, which is electrically connected to the control unit and is used to transmit data to the control unit.

[0011] Optionally, the heat-conducting blade includes a copper fan-shaped connecting plate connected to the heat-conducting base cylinder and multiple extendable units of different sizes connected in series. The size of the multiple extendable units increases sequentially from the end closer to the fan-shaped connecting plate to the end farther away from the fan-shaped connecting plate. Each extendable unit includes a pair of triangular metal heat-conducting plates arranged side by side. The sides of the pair of metal heat-conducting plates are connected by a stretchable silicone film. The bottom edge of the pair of metal heat-conducting plates is a folded aluminum foil. A fixing seat is installed on the outside of the edge of the connection between two adjacent extendable units. A fixing strip is rotatably mounted on the fixing seat. A spring connected to the aluminum foil is mounted on the fixing strip. A torsion spring is mounted on the fixing strip to provide elasticity for folding the spring inward. The metal heat-conducting plates, aluminum foil, and silicone film constitute a closed heat-conducting cavity. The heat-conducting cavities of the multiple extendable units are interconnected. The heat-conducting cavity contains a heat-conducting liquid and a heat-conducting gas. The heat-conducting liquid in the heat-conducting cavity oscillates with centrifugal force to provide heat convection and heat conduction exchange. The heat-conducting blades of this invention consist of multiple extendable units of varying sizes connected in series. When the heat-conducting blades rotate under the impact of water flow, the heat-conducting liquid inside the heat-conducting cavity accumulates in the outermost extendable unit under the action of centrifugal force, and the aluminum foil unfolds under the action of centrifugal force, thus expanding the entire extendable unit. The extension unit is stretched, thus providing a larger contact area and enabling rapid heat exchange between the extension unit and the water flow. Simultaneously, the control unit of this invention can adjust the flow rate of the electromagnetic flow valve, allowing the extension unit to repeatedly stretch or fold. The heat-conducting liquid in the heat-conducting cavity oscillates with centrifugal force to provide heat convection and heat conduction exchange, causing the heat-conducting liquid inside the heat-conducting cavity to flow in multiple heat-conducting cavities, enabling heat to be quickly transferred to the heat-conducting bottom cylinder and improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0012] Optionally, the heat-conducting liquid is water.

[0013] Optionally, the heat-conducting gas is nitrogen.

[0014] Optionally, the spring is a retractable telescopic plate.

[0015] (III) Beneficial Effects 1. This invention features a side housing at the front end of the water meter, within which a power generation mechanism is installed. This mechanism cleverly combines thermoelectric power generation and water turbine power generation. Water flow through the power generation chamber in the upper cavity drives the power generation shaft to rotate, causing the drive wheel to rotate. This, in turn, drives the driven wheel via a transmission belt, generating electricity that is then supplied to a rechargeable battery. When the outdoor temperature is below 10°C, the control unit regulates the heating element to maintain the temperature of the intelligent detection mechanism above 0°C, preventing a sharp drop in lithium battery capacity at low temperatures. Simultaneously, it heats the water inside the water meter to maintain its temperature above 0°C, preventing water from... Ice expansion damages the main body of the water meter; at the same time, when the outdoor temperature is below 10℃, while the water temperature inside the water meter is above 0℃ when it is not frozen, the large temperature difference between the inside and outside causes the thermoelectric chip to start working and generate current to charge the rechargeable battery. Meanwhile, the rapid rotation of the water wheel causes the heat-conducting blades to come into rapid contact with the water, increasing the heat transfer rate.

[0016] 2. This invention uses an ultrasonic vibration element to emit ultrasonic waves to vibrate the water and prevent the water from freezing.

[0017] 3. The heat-conducting blades of this invention consist of multiple extendable units of different sizes connected in series. When the heat-conducting blades rotate under the impact of water flow, the heat-conducting liquid in the heat-conducting cavity accumulates in the outermost extendable unit under the action of centrifugal force. The aluminum foil unfolds under the action of centrifugal force, and the entire extendable unit is stretched. This gives the extendable unit a larger contact area, allowing the extendable unit to exchange heat with the water flow quickly. At the same time, the control unit of this invention can adjust the flow rate of the electromagnetic flow valve, so that the extendable unit can be repeatedly stretched or folded. The heat-conducting liquid in the heat-conducting cavity swings back and forth with the centrifugal force to provide heat convection and heat conduction exchange, so that the heat-conducting liquid inside the heat-conducting cavity flows in multiple heat-conducting cavities, allowing heat to be transferred to the heat-conducting bottom cylinder quickly, thus improving the heat exchange efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a side and partial cross-sectional view of an IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of an IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of an IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the heat-conducting blades of the IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the connection between two adjacent extendable units in the heat-conducting blades of the IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention; Figure 6 This is Embodiment 3 of the present invention, an IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure. Figure 5 A magnified view of part A; Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the spring of the IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0019] The labels for the attached figures are as follows: 1. Water meter body; 2. Water inlet; 3. Generator; 4. Intelligent detection mechanism; 5. Rechargeable battery; 6. Control unit; 7. Side shell; 8. Divider plate; 9. Upper cavity; 10. Lower cavity; 11. Generator cavity; 12. Electrical cavity; 13. Generator; 14. Generator shaft; 15. Driven wheel; 16. Drive wheel; 17. Transmission belt; 18. Ultrasonic vibration element; 19. Heat conduction cavity; 20. Heat conduction base cylinder; 21. Temperature difference. 22. Power generation chip, 23. Heat-conducting blade, 24. Refrigeration component, 25. Heat-conducting pipe, 26. Heating element, 27. Electromagnetic flow valve, 28. Temperature sensor, 29. Heat insulation plate, 30. Fan-shaped connecting piece, 31. Extendable unit, 32. Metal heat-conducting sheet, 33. Silicone film, 34. Aluminum foil, 35. Fixing base, 36. Fixing strip, 37. Spring, 38. Torsion spring. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example 1

[0021] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: An IoT water meter with an anti-freeze structure includes: a water meter body 1, a water inlet 2 on one side of the water meter body, a power generation mechanism 3 connected to the end of the water inlet 2, an intelligent detection mechanism 4 inside the water meter body, a rechargeable battery 5 and a control unit 6 inside the intelligent detection mechanism, the power generation mechanism including a side shell 7, an upwardly arched partition plate 8 inside the side shell, the partition plate dividing the interior of the side shell into an upper cavity 9 and a lower cavity 10 for direct water flow, a heat insulation plate 28 inside the upper cavity dividing the upper cavity into a lower power generation cavity 11 and an upper electrical cavity 12, a generator 13 and a generator shaft 14 inside the electrical cavity, a driven wheel 15 mounted on the drive shaft of the generator, and the bottom end of the generator shaft extending downward into the power generation cavity. Inside, a drive wheel 16 is mounted on the generator shaft, which is connected to a driven wheel via a transmission belt 17. The generator shaft is hollow inside, and a heat-conducting base cylinder 20 is mounted at the bottom of the generator shaft. A thermoelectric generator chip 21 electrically connected to a rechargeable battery is installed inside the heat-conducting base cylinder. Multiple sets of laterally arranged heat-conducting blades 22 are connected to the outside of the heat-conducting base cylinder. A cooling component 23 and a heating component are connected to the thermoelectric generator chip. The heating component contacts the heat-conducting base cylinder, and the cooling component passes through the generator shaft and extends upwards out of the side housing. A heat-conducting pipe 24 is connected to the end of the cooling component. The generator is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery. A heating element 25 is provided inside the intelligent detection mechanism. The heating element is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery and a control unit. The control unit is used to control the heating element to heat up or stop heating. The rechargeable battery in this embodiment is a commercially available rechargeable battery.

[0022] It should be noted that the control unit in this embodiment can be a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller or other Internet of Things chip). The heating element in this embodiment can be a heating wire, a resistance thermometer, or other similar components.

[0023] The water inlet is located at the front end of the water meter body. The control unit is electrically connected to a rechargeable battery. An electromagnetic flow valve 26 is provided on the end face of the power generation chamber; this electromagnetic flow valve is electrically connected to the control unit, which controls the flow rate of the electromagnetic flow valve. A temperature sensor 27 is provided in the lower chamber; this temperature sensor is electrically connected to the control unit and transmits data to the control unit.

[0024] In this embodiment, when water flows through the power generation chamber of the power generation mechanism, the water flow drives the power generation shaft to rotate, causing the driving wheel to rotate. This, in turn, drives the driven wheel to rotate via a transmission belt, generating electricity that is then sent to the rechargeable battery. When the outdoor temperature is below 10°C, the control unit controls the heating element to heat up, ensuring the temperature of the intelligent detection mechanism is above 0°C. This prevents the lithium battery's capacity from dropping drastically at low temperatures. Simultaneously, the temperature of the water inside the water meter is heated to above 0°C to prevent the water from freezing and expanding, which could damage the water meter body. Furthermore, when the outdoor temperature is below 10°C, the water temperature inside the water meter is above 0°C before freezing, creating a significant temperature difference that causes the thermoelectric chip to activate, generating current to charge the rechargeable battery. Simultaneously, the rapid rotation of the water wheel ensures that the heat-conducting blades quickly contact the water, increasing the heat transfer rate. Example 2

[0025] like Figure 3 As shown, the difference between Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 1 is that the inner side of the intelligent detection mechanism is also provided with an ultrasonic vibration element 18. The ultrasonic vibration element is electrically connected to a rechargeable battery and a control unit. The control unit is used to control the vibration of the ultrasonic vibration element or stop the vibration. Example 3

[0026] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the difference between Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 1 is that the heat-conducting blade includes a copper fan-shaped connecting piece 29 connected to the heat-conducting base cylinder and multiple extendable units 30 of different sizes connected in series. The size of the multiple extendable units increases sequentially from the end closer to the fan-shaped connecting piece to the end farther away from the fan-shaped connecting piece. Each extendable unit includes a pair of triangular metal heat-conducting sheets 31 arranged side by side. The sides of the pair of metal heat-conducting sheets are connected by a stretchable silicone film 32. The bottom edge of the pair of metal heat-conducting sheets is a folded aluminum foil 33. The edge of the connecting part of two adjacent extendable units is... A fixing base 34 is installed on the outside of the edge. A fixing strip 35 is rotatably mounted on the fixing base. A spring 36, which is rotatably connected to the aluminum foil, is mounted on the fixing strip. A torsion spring 37 is mounted on the fixing strip to provide elasticity for the spring to fold inward. The metal heat-conducting sheet, aluminum foil, and silicone film constitute a closed heat-conducting cavity 19. The heat-conducting cavities of multiple extendable units are interconnected. Each heat-conducting cavity contains a heat-conducting liquid and a heat-conducting gas. The heat-conducting liquid in the heat-conducting cavity oscillates with centrifugal force to provide heat convection and heat conduction exchange. The heat-conducting liquid is water or other non-toxic liquids with high thermal conductivity. The heat-conducting gas is nitrogen. The spring is a retractable telescopic plate.

[0027] In this embodiment, when the heat-conducting blades rotate under the impact of the water flow, the heat-conducting liquid in the heat-conducting cavity accumulates in the outermost expandable unit under the action of centrifugal force. The aluminum foil unfolds under the action of centrifugal force, and the entire expandable unit is stretched. This gives the expandable unit a larger contact area, allowing the expandable unit to exchange heat with the water flow quickly. At the same time, the control unit of this invention can adjust the flow rate of the electromagnetic flow valve, so that the expandable unit can be repeatedly stretched or folded. The heat-conducting liquid in the heat-conducting cavity swings back and forth with the centrifugal force to provide heat convection and heat conduction exchange, so that the heat-conducting liquid inside the heat-conducting cavity flows in multiple heat-conducting cavities, allowing heat to be transferred to the heat-conducting bottom cylinder quickly, thus improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0028] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model. Therefore, all equivalent changes or modifications made to the structure, features and principles described in the claims of the present utility model patent application are included in the scope of the present utility model patent application.

Claims

1. An IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure, characterized in that, The system includes: a water meter body with a water inlet on one side, the end of which is connected to a power generation mechanism; an intelligent detection mechanism inside the water meter body, containing a rechargeable battery and a control unit; a power generation mechanism including a side housing with an upwardly arched partition plate dividing the side housing into an upper cavity and a lower cavity for direct water flow; a heat insulation plate inside the upper cavity dividing it into a lower power generation cavity and an upper electrical cavity; a generator and a generator shaft inside the electrical cavity; a driven wheel mounted on the generator's drive shaft; the bottom end of the generator shaft extending downwards into the generator cavity; and a driving wheel mounted on the generator shaft. The driven wheel is connected by a transmission belt. The generator shaft is hollow inside, and a heat-conducting bottom cylinder is installed at the bottom of the generator shaft. The thermoelectric generator chip, which is electrically connected to a rechargeable battery, is installed inside the heat-conducting bottom cylinder. Multiple sets of horizontally arranged heat-conducting blades are connected to the outside of the heat-conducting bottom cylinder. A cooling component and a heating component are connected to the thermoelectric generator chip. The heating component contacts the heat-conducting bottom cylinder. The cooling component passes through the generator shaft and extends upward out of the side shell. The end of the cooling component is connected to a heat-conducting pipe. The generator is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery. A heating element is provided inside the intelligent detection mechanism. The heating element is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery and a control unit. The control unit is used to control the heating element to heat up or stop heating, so that the temperature of the intelligent detection mechanism is higher than 0°C.

2. The IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The water inlet is located at the front end of the water meter body.

3. The IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit is electrically connected to a rechargeable battery.

4. The IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The end face of the power generation chamber is provided with an electromagnetic flow valve, which is electrically connected to a control unit. The control unit is used to control the flow rate of the electromagnetic flow valve.

5. The IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A temperature sensor is installed in the lower cavity, and the temperature sensor is electrically connected to the control unit for transmitting data to the control unit.

6. The IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure as described in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, characterized in that, The heat-conducting blades include a copper fan-shaped connecting plate connected to the heat-conducting base cylinder and multiple extendable units of different sizes connected in series. The size of the multiple extendable units increases sequentially from the end closer to the fan-shaped connecting plate to the end farther away from the fan-shaped connecting plate. Each extendable unit includes a pair of parallel, triangular metal heat-conducting plates. The sides of the pair of metal heat-conducting plates are connected by a stretchable silicone film. The bottom edge of the pair of metal heat-conducting plates is a folded aluminum foil. A fixing seat is installed on the outside of the edge of the connection between two adjacent extendable units. A fixing strip is rotatably mounted on the fixing seat. A rotatable spring connected to the aluminum foil is mounted on the fixing strip. A torsion spring is mounted on the fixing strip to provide elastic force for folding the spring inward. The metal heat-conducting plates, aluminum foil, and silicone film constitute a closed heat-conducting cavity. The heat-conducting cavities of the multiple extendable units are interconnected. The heat-conducting cavity contains a heat-conducting liquid and a heat-conducting gas.

7. The IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The heat-conducting liquid is water.

8. The IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The heat-conducting gas used is nitrogen.

9. The IoT water meter with an antifreeze structure as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The spring is a retractable telescopic plate.

Images