A gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional measurement

Abstract

The present invention discloses a gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional metering, which solves the problems existing in the existing gas turbine flowmeter, such as the complex process of disassembling parts during maintenance and the large amount of time consumed during maintenance, resulting in an increase in the corresponding maintenance cost. The flowmeter includes a housing and a sensor; the improvement is that: it further includes two sets of turbine units; the two sets of turbine units are symmetrically arranged on both sides inside the housing; each side of the turbine unit includes a rectifier, an impeller assembly and an anti-reverse mechanism; in each side of the turbine unit, the anti-reverse mechanism is used to make the impeller in the impeller assembly on this side rotate normally when the gas enters this side, and when the gas enters the opposite side, the impeller in the impeller assembly on this side does not move.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flowmeter, and more particularly to a gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional metering. Background Art

[0002] Turbine flowmeters have always been the first choice for natural gas trade metering. In terms of mechanical structure, the gas is rectified and compressed by the front rectifier to ensure the stability of the air flow and the uniform distribution of the flow field, thereby improving the metering performance. The gas flow field optimized by rectification can act on the impeller blades smoothly, generate a rotational torque, and overcome various resistance torques to achieve balanced rotation, so that the magnetic steel wheel cuts the magnetic field uniformly, and the pulse signal is uploaded to the integrator for amplification and conversion, thereby realizing the monitoring and cumulative metering of the gas flow.

[0003] As Figure 1 shown, the current turbine flowmeters in the industry mainly include a housing 01, a rectifier 02, and an impeller assembly 03. The rectifier 02 and the impeller assembly 03 are both located in the housing 01 and are arranged in sequence along the gas flow direction. After the gas enters from the air inlet, it is first sorted and optimized by the rectifier 02, and then acts on the impeller assembly 03. The impeller 04 in the impeller assembly 03 drives the magnetic steel wheel 05 to rotate, and the signal is transmitted to the sensor 06 to realize gas metering.

[0004] Since the gas source environment and working conditions of the turbine flowmeter are relatively complex and changeable, in order to better ensure its operation reliability and stability, it must be maintained regularly. In extreme environments or under high-load operation, the impeller may get stuck or rotate inflexibly, directly affecting the accuracy of gas trade settlement. It is necessary to judge and disassemble the impeller for repair in a timely manner.

[0005] However, once the existing gas turbine flowmeter needs to be repaired, the following problems will occur:

[0006] 1. Due to the relatively complex structure of the traditional turbine flowmeter, the impeller is located between the bearing seat and the rectifier. The bearing seat is fixed in the housing through a support cylinder and is located at the rear end of the rectifier. All parts must be disassembled one by one for fault judgment and repair. This maintenance process is relatively complex and time-consuming and laborious.

[0007] 2. When a mechanical failure causes the flowmeter to measure inaccurately or not measure at all, and the user is in urgent need of gas and there is no spare metering equipment, due to the time required for repair or replacement of parts, the lag in the after-sales repair process will cause many problems in the metering work and generate corresponding maintenance costs. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In order to solve the problems existing in the existing gas turbine flowmeters, such as the complex process of disassembling parts during maintenance and the large amount of time consumed during maintenance, resulting in an increase in the corresponding maintenance costs, the present invention provides a gas turbine flowmeter that can perform two-way metering.

[0009] The basic design concept of the present invention is as follows:

[0010] By symmetrically arranging two groups of rectifiers and impeller assemblies inside the housing, it is possible to achieve that under extreme working conditions or long-term high-load operation, when a rectifier and an impeller assembly on one side fail or need maintenance, only by switching to the other side for air intake, the metering work can continue almost without stopping the machine, greatly saving the maintenance cost and the energy loss cost.

[0011] The specific technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0012] A gas turbine flowmeter that can perform two-way metering, including a housing and a sensor; the improvement is:

[0013] It further includes two groups of turbine units; the two groups of turbine units are symmetrically arranged on both sides inside the housing;

[0014] Each side of the turbine unit includes a rectifier, an impeller assembly, and an anti-reverse mechanism;

[0015] In the anti-reverse mechanism of each side of the turbine unit, when the air intake is from this side, the impeller in the impeller assembly on this side rotates normally, while when the air intake is from the opposite side, the impeller in the impeller assembly on this side does not move.

[0016] Further, the anti-reverse mechanism is a ratchet and pawl structure; the ratchet is installed on the central shaft of the impeller assembly, and the pawl is installed on the bearing seat of the impeller assembly. The cooperation relationship between the ratchet and the pawl needs to ensure that when the air intake is from this side, the impeller in the impeller assembly on this side rotates normally, while when the air intake is from the opposite side, the impeller in the impeller assembly on this side does not move.

[0017] Further, the impeller assembly includes a bearing seat, an impeller, a central shaft, and a magnet;

[0018] The bearing seat is fixedly installed inside the rectifier;

[0019] The impeller is located outside the rectifier;

[0020] The central shaft is supported and installed on the bearing seat through two bearing assemblies. The rear end of the central shaft is located inside the rectifier, the middle part of the central shaft is connected to the impeller, and the front end of the central shaft is installed with the magnet.

[0021] Further, the impeller includes a main body and a plurality of blades arranged on the main body; the overall shape of the main body is frustum-shaped.

[0022] Further, the number of the above-mentioned sensors is one, and the installation position of the sensor corresponds to two magnetic steels at the same time.

[0023] Further, the number of the above-mentioned sensors is two, and the installation positions of the two sensors correspond to two magnetic steels respectively.

[0024] Further, the external dimension of the above-mentioned impeller is smaller than the external dimension of the rectifier.

[0025] Further, the above-mentioned impeller is fixedly installed on the central shaft through a pin.

[0026] Further, the above-mentioned ratchet is connected to the central shaft through a key.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0028] 1. The flowmeter of the present invention subverts the core structure mode in the existing industry. By installing the same turbine units on both sides, a new transformation from unidirectional metering to bidirectional metering is realized. When one side of the turbine unit fails or needs maintenance under extreme working conditions or long-term high-load operation, it is only necessary to switch to the other side of the turbine unit for air intake, and the metering work can continue almost without stopping the machine, greatly saving the maintenance cost and energy loss cost.

[0029] 2. The flowmeter of the present invention ensures the number of components of the original core structure. Since the bearing seat in the impeller assembly is embedded in the rectifier, not only the axial dimension of the turbine unit is reduced, and half of the space is compressed (providing effective space for the structure to achieve bidirectional metering), but also the support cylinder used to fix the bearing seat in the original flowmeter is cancelled, reducing the number of parts and the cost of the flowmeter. In addition, compared with the existing flowmeter, since neither the internal dimension nor the external dimension has changed, it can be applied to all scenarios where the existing flowmeter is used, and the internal and external dimensions of the shell have not increased, so the previous shell mold can be used, thus saving the cost of remaking the mold.

[0030] 3. The main body of the flowmeter of the present invention is in a frustum shape as a whole, that is, the outer surface for installing the blades is an inclined surface. Therefore, various impurities can be effectively guided to other areas in the shell, reducing the probability of the impeller being stuck and ensuring the stability and reliability of the instrument operation. Description of the Drawings

[0031] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an existing gas turbine flowmeter.

[0032] Figure 1 The reference numerals in are as follows:

[0033] 01 - Housing, 02 - Rectifier, 03 - Impeller assembly, 04 - Impeller, 05 - Magnetic steel wheel, 06 - Sensor, 07 - Bearing housing.

[0034] Figure 2 This is the structure diagram of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 This is the structure diagram of the turbine unit.

[0036] Figure 4 This is the structure diagram of the ratchet and pawl.

[0037] Figures 2 - 4 The reference numerals are as follows:

[0038] 1 - Housing;

[0039] 2 - Turbine unit;

[0040] 3 - Rectifier, 31 - Inner cylinder, 32 - Outer cylinder, 33 - Guide vane, 34 - Gas passage

[0041] 4 - Impeller assembly, 41 - Bearing housing, 42 - Impeller, 421 - Main body, 422 - Blade, 43 - Central shaft, 44 - Magnetic steel;

[0042] 5 - Anti - reverse mechanism, 51 - Ratchet, 52 - Pawl, 53 - Stop pawl, 54 - Compression spring;

[0043] 6 - Sensor. Detailed implementation manners

[0044] To make the above - mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the following will describe the detailed implementation manners of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the 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 shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0045] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0046] Meanwhile, in the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "front, rear, inner and outer" is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0047] Unless otherwise clearly specified and defined in the present invention, the terms "installation, connection, and coupling" shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. Similarly, it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0048] This embodiment provides a specific structure of a gas turbine flowmeter that can perform bidirectional metering. As Figure 2 shown, it includes a housing 1, two groups of turbine units 2, and a sensor 6. The two groups of turbine units 2 are symmetrically arranged on both sides inside the housing 1.

[0049] Each turbine unit 2 on each side includes a rectifier 3, an impeller assembly 4, and an anti-reverse mechanism 5.

[0050] In each turbine unit 2 on each side, the anti-reverse mechanism 5 is used to ensure that when the gas enters on this side, the impeller in the impeller assembly 4 on this side rotates normally, while when the gas enters on the opposite side, the impeller in the impeller assembly 4 on this side does not move. During operation, when a turbine unit 2 on one side fails or needs maintenance, only by switching to the other turbine unit 2 for gas intake, the metering work can continue almost without shutting down, greatly saving the maintenance cost and the energy loss cost.

[0051] The impeller of the gas turbine flowmeter is both a key core component and a vulnerable part. The significance of bidirectional metering is more based on the special factors of the impeller. In the long-term and complex gas source environment, the impeller faces various interference effects of working conditions. When mechanical failures that cannot be solved occur, in order to minimize the maintenance cycle, bidirectional metering provides the fastest, most reliable, and safest metering mode for users.

[0052] As Figure 3 shown, in this embodiment, the rectifier 3 has a double-layer structure, including an inner cylinder 31, an outer cylinder 32, and a plurality of guide vanes 33 arranged between the inner cylinder 31 and the outer cylinder 32. A plurality of gas channels 34 are formed between the plurality of guide vanes, thereby realizing the rectification of the gas.

[0053] The impeller assembly 4 includes a bearing seat 41, an impeller 42, a central shaft 43, and a magnetic steel 44. One end of the inner cylinder 31 and the outer cylinder 32 of the rectifier 3 is open. The bearing seat 41 is fixedly installed inside the inner cylinder 31 by means of flange connection. The impeller 42 is located outside the rectifier 3 (i.e., on one side of the open end). The central shaft 43 is coaxially supported on the bearing seat 41 by two bearings (as Figure 3As shown in the figure, the rear end of the central shaft 43 is supported by bearing A. Bearing A is positioned through bearing pressure plate A and the shoulder at the rear end of the central shaft 43. The middle part of the central shaft 43 is supported by bearing B. Bearing B is positioned through bearing pressure plate B and the shoulder in the middle of the central shaft 43. The rear end of the central shaft 43 is located inside the inner container 31, the middle part is connected to the impeller 42, and the front end of the central shaft 43 is installed with the magnet 44. For the convenience of disassembly, the outer dimension of the impeller 42 is smaller than the outer dimension of the rectifier (i.e., smaller than the outer dimension of the outer cylinder 32), ensuring that during maintenance, the impeller assembly 4 and the rectifier 3 can be directly pulled out of the housing 1 together.

[0054] In this embodiment, by integrating the impeller assembly 4 and the rectifier 3, the original structure is simplified. Not only is the axial dimension of the turbine unit reduced, compressing half of the space, providing effective space for the structure to achieve two-way metering, but also the support cylinder used to fix the bearing seat in the original flowmeter is cancelled, reducing the cost of the flowmeter. Compared with the existing flowmeter, the internal and external dimensions of the flowmeter of the present invention have not changed, so it can be applied to all scenarios where the existing flowmeter is used, and the internal and external dimensions of the housing 1 have not increased, so the previous housing mold can be used, thus also saving the cost of remanufacturing the mold.

[0055] In this embodiment, the impeller 42 can be installed on the central shaft 43 through a pin, and the magnet 44 can be installed at the front end of the central shaft 43 by welding.

[0056] In this embodiment, the anti-reverse mechanism 5 is a ratchet and pawl structure; the ratchet 51 is installed on the central shaft 43 by key connection, and the pawl 52, the stop pawl 53, and the compression spring 54 are all installed on the bearing seat 41. The cooperation relationship between the ratchet 51 and the pawl 52 needs to ensure that when the air enters from this side, the impeller in the impeller assembly on this side rotates normally, while when the air enters from the opposite side, the impeller in the impeller assembly on this side does not move. Of course, in addition to using the ratchet and pawl structure to achieve the anti-reverse function, other anti-reverse forms can also be used.

[0057] In addition, in this embodiment, the main body 421 of the impeller 42 is integrally frustum-shaped, that is, the outer surface for installing the blades 422 is an inclined surface. When the gas passes through, the impurity particles can slide down through its inclined surface and will not be brought into the gap between the impeller and the inner wall of the housing, avoiding the occurrence of accumulation and jamming.

[0058] In this embodiment, to save costs and further save space, there is one sensor 6, and the position where the sensor 6 is installed on the housing 1 corresponds to two magnets 44 at the same time for induction metering. Of course, two sensors 6 can also be set, and the installation positions of the two sensors 6 correspond to the two magnets 44 respectively for induction metering.

[0059] Based on the above description of the structure of this embodiment, the usage process of this embodiment will be briefly described as follows:

[0060] When the gas enters from the left side, after passing through the left rectifier, the gas drives the left impeller to rotate. The impeller drives the central shaft to rotate, causing the left ratchet to rotate synchronously. At this time, both the left pawl and the stop pawl slide on the tooth back of the left ratchet. The rotation of the central shaft causes the magnet to rotate, realizing inductive measurement. At the same time, when the gas reaches the right impeller, since the right pawl is inserted into the tooth groove of the right ratchet, the ratchet is prevented from rotating. Since the ratchet remains stationary, the central shaft and the impeller cannot rotate either, and the magnet cannot rotate for inductive measurement.

[0061] The state when the air flow enters from the right side is the same as the principle described on the left side, and will not be elaborated here.

[0062] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above specific embodiments and application fields. The above specific embodiments are merely illustrative and guiding, rather than restrictive. Those of ordinary skill in the art can also make many forms under the inspiration of this specification and without departing from the scope protected by the claims of the present invention, and all of these fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional metering, comprising a housing and a sensor; Characterized in that: It further comprises two sets of turbine units; the two sets of turbine units are symmetrically arranged on both sides inside the housing; Each side of the turbine unit includes a rectifier, an impeller assembly and an anti-reverse mechanism; The anti-reverse mechanism on each side of the turbine unit is a ratchet and pawl structure; the ratchet is installed on the central shaft of the impeller assembly, and the pawl is installed on the bearing seat of the impeller assembly. The cooperation relationship between the ratchet and the pawl needs to ensure that when the gas enters from this side, the impeller in the impeller assembly on this side rotates normally, while when the gas enters from the opposite side, the impeller in the impeller assembly on this side does not move.

2. The gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional metering according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The impeller assembly includes a bearing seat, an impeller, a central shaft, and a permanent magnet; The bearing seat is fixedly installed inside the rectifier; The impeller is located outside the rectifier; The central shaft is supported and installed on the bearing seat through two bearing assemblies. The rear end of the central shaft is located inside the rectifier, the middle part of the central shaft is connected to the impeller, and the permanent magnet is installed at the front end of the central shaft.

3. The gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional metering according to claim 2, Characterized in that: The impeller includes a main body and a plurality of blades arranged on the main body; the overall shape of the main body is frustum-shaped.

4. The gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional metering according to claim 3, Characterized in that: The number of sensors is one, and the installation position of this sensor corresponds to two permanent magnets at the same time.

5. The gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional metering according to claim 3, Characterized in that: The number of sensors is two, and the installation positions of the two sensors correspond to two permanent magnets respectively.

6. The gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional metering according to claim 2, Characterized in that: The external dimension of the impeller is smaller than the external dimension of the rectifier.

7. The gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional metering according to claim 2, Characterized in that: The impeller is fixedly installed on the central shaft through a pin.

8. The gas turbine flowmeter capable of bidirectional metering according to claim 2, Characterized in that: The ratchet is connected to the central shaft by a key.

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