Flow meter mutual inductance structure, structure optimization method, flow meter and smart meter

Abstract

The present application is applicable to the technical field of flowmeter structure, and provides a flowmeter mutual inductance structure, a structure optimization method, a flowmeter, and a smart meter. The flowmeter mutual inductance structure includes: a mechanical turntable, a sensor plane, and a rotating shaft; the sensor plane is located above the mechanical turntable, and the rotating shaft passes through the center of the mechanical turntable and the center of the sensor plane, and is perpendicular to the mechanical turntable and the sensor plane; a metal material is coated outside a preset area in an area on one side of the mechanical turntable, and the preset area includes multiple concentric rings of the same shape, with preset intervals between the multiple concentric rings; a primary coil and a secondary coil are provided on the sensor plane; when an excitation signal is present in the primary coil on the sensor plane, the rotating shaft drives the mechanical turntable to rotate, and the induced voltage in the secondary coil changes with the rotation speed of the mechanical turntable, that is, a coupled coil mutual inductance voltage is generated. The present application improves the measurement accuracy and anti-interference ability of the flowmeter and reduces the cost of the flowmeter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of flow meter structures, and in particular relates to a flow meter mutual inductance structure, a structure optimization method, a flow meter, and a smart meter. Background Art

[0002] Most non-magnetic flowmeters typically consist of a mechanical turntable and a sensor positioned a certain distance above it. The turntable is partially covered with a metal sheet, while the sensor typically includes coupled primary and secondary coils. When the flowmeter is operating, the mechanical turntable rotates with the flow of liquid / gas, and the metal and non-metal components on the turntable affect the mutual inductance of the primary and secondary coils. Currently, one traditional approach is to use specialized materials to enhance the mechanical strength and waterproofing of the sensor placement surface, thereby reducing the distance between the mechanical turntable and the sensor coupling coil to increase the voltage amplitude change in the secondary coil when the turntable rotates. Another traditional approach is to increase the resolution (number of bits) of the ADC chip, thereby improving the ability to resolve changes in the voltage amplitude of the secondary coil when the turntable rotates.

[0003] However, neither of these traditional methods incorporates structural design for the metal coating of the mechanical disc. Furthermore, specialized materials and high-resolution ADCs significantly increase the cost of the flowmeter. Therefore, increasing the coupled inductance within a given chip area (coupling inductor area) and the distance between the mechanical disc and the sensor is crucial for improving flow measurement accuracy and anti-interference capabilities, while also reducing sensor costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a flow meter mutual inductance structure, a structure optimization method, a flow meter, and a smart meter to improve the measurement accuracy and anti-interference capability of the flow meter and reduce the cost of the flow meter.

[0005] This application is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a flow meter mutual inductance structure, including: a mechanical turntable, a sensor plane and a rotating shaft.

[0007] The sensor plane is located above the mechanical turntable, and the rotation axis passes through the center of the mechanical turntable and the center of the sensor plane and is perpendicular to the mechanical turntable and the sensor plane.

[0008] A metal material is coated outside a preset area in an area on one side of the mechanical turntable. The preset area includes a plurality of concentric rings in the same shape, and preset intervals are provided between the plurality of concentric rings.

[0009] A primary coil and a secondary coil are arranged on the sensor plane.

[0010] When there is an excitation signal in the primary coil on the sensor plane, the rotating shaft drives the mechanical turntable to rotate, and the induced voltage in the secondary coil changes with the rotation speed of the mechanical turntable, which generates a mutual inductance voltage of the coupled coils.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the sensor plane is provided with multiple primary coils and multiple secondary coils, the number of the primary coils is the same as the number of the secondary coils, and the primary coils and the secondary coils are in one-to-one correspondence.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the preset area is a plurality of concentric rings, and there is a preset distance between the plurality of concentric rings.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the preset area is a plurality of concentric elliptical rings, and there is a preset distance between the plurality of concentric elliptical rings.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the preset area is a plurality of concentric rectangular rings, and there is a preset distance between the plurality of concentric rectangular rings.

[0015] With reference to the first aspect, in some possible implementations, the metal material is copper or silver.

[0016] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for optimizing the mutual inductance structure of a flowmeter, comprising: establishing a first flowmeter mutual inductance structure model in which a plurality of concentric rings are spaced at a first preset spacing. Based on the first flowmeter mutual inductance structure model, a first mutual inductance difference is calculated. Establishing a second flowmeter mutual inductance structure model in which a plurality of concentric rings are spaced at a second preset spacing. Based on the second flowmeter mutual inductance structure model, a second mutual inductance difference is calculated, wherein the second mutual inductance difference is multiple. Based on the first mutual inductance difference and the second mutual inductance difference, an optimal flowmeter mutual inductance structure is obtained.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, based on the first mutual inductance difference and the second mutual inductance difference, an optimal flow meter mutual inductance structure is obtained, including: comparing the sizes of the first mutual inductance difference and the second mutual inductance difference to obtain the maximum mutual inductance difference, and the flow meter mutual inductance structure model corresponding to the maximum mutual inductance difference is the optimal flow meter mutual inductance structure.

[0018] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a flow meter, comprising: a flow meter mutual inductance structure as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a smart electric meter, comprising: a flow meter mutual inductance structure as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0020] It can be understood that the beneficial effects of the second to fourth aspects mentioned above can be found in the relevant description of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of the present application have the following beneficial effects:

[0022] This application coats metal material on one side of the mechanical turntable to increase the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the mutual inductance voltage generated in the secondary coil, thereby increasing the difference range and thereby increasing the accuracy of the flowmeter. In addition, the increase in the difference range enables accurate metering even in the presence of certain interference, thereby improving anti-interference capabilities. There is no need to add or replace special materials or high-resolution ADCs in traditional solutions, thereby reducing the cost of the flowmeter.

[0023] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or descriptions of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the mutual inductance structure of a flow meter provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of a method for optimizing the mutual inductance structure of a flow meter provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures and techniques are provided for purposes of illustration rather than limitation to facilitate a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application may be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to avoid obscuring the description of the present application with unnecessary detail.

[0028] It should be understood that when used in the present specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or collections thereof.

[0029] It will also be understood that the term "and / or" used in this specification and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0030] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "if" can be interpreted as "when" or "upon" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "if it is determined" or "if [described condition or event] is detected" can be interpreted as meaning "upon determination" or "in response to determining" or "upon detection of [described condition or event]" or "in response to detecting [described condition or event]," depending on the context.

[0031] In addition, in the description of the present application specification and the appended claims, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0032] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," and "in other embodiments" appearing in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more but not all embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof all mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0033] Currently, most non-magnetic flowmeters typically consist of a mechanical turntable and a sensor positioned some distance above it. The turntable is partially covered with a metal sheet, while the sensor typically consists of coupled primary and secondary coils. During operation, the mechanical turntable rotates with the flow of liquid / gas. The metal and non-metal components on the turntable affect the mutual inductance between the primary and secondary coils. When an excitation signal is applied to the primary coil, the induced voltage in the sensor's secondary coil changes with the turntable's rotation. By measuring the change in coupled voltage in the secondary coil, the turntable's rotational speed and direction can be determined, and thus the liquid / gas flow rate.

[0034] However, to reduce costs, chip size is often limited, which in turn limits the coupling inductance of the coupling coil. Furthermore, in practical flowmeters, the distance between the mechanical turntable and the sensor placement plane above the turntable should not be too small.

[0035] On the one hand, if the distance is too small, mechanical vibration can easily cause the turntable to malfunction. On the other hand, the thickness of the surface on which the sensor is placed should not be too thin due to factors such as mechanical strength, processing cost, and waterproofing. Considering that the change in coupling inductance in the coupling coil decreases with increasing distance between the turntable (metallic or non-metallic material) and the coupling coil in the sensor, the voltage amplitude change in the secondary coil during turntable rotation is generally small (around 10mV) in typical applications.

[0036] One traditional approach involves using specialized materials to enhance the mechanical strength and waterproofing of the sensor mounting surface. This reduces the distance between the mechanical turntable and the sensor's coupling coil, increasing the voltage amplitude change across the secondary coil as the turntable rotates. Another traditional approach involves increasing the resolution (number of bits) of the ADC chip, thereby improving the ability to discern changes in the secondary coil voltage amplitude as the turntable rotates.

[0037] Although the above two methods can solve the problem that the voltage amplitude change is usually small, the cost is too high for mass production. The present application can improve the flow meter's measurement accuracy and anti-interference ability without using special materials and without increasing the resolution (number of bits) of the ADC chip, so as to reduce the cost of the flow meter.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the mutual inductance structure of a flow meter provided in an embodiment of the present application, referring to Figure 1 The mutual inductance structure of the flow meter includes: a mechanical turntable 10, a sensor plane 20 and a rotating shaft 30.

[0039] The sensor plane 20 is located above the mechanical turntable 10 , and the rotation axis 30 passes through the center of the mechanical turntable 10 and the center of the sensor plane 20 , and is perpendicular to the mechanical turntable 10 and the sensor plane 20 .

[0040] A metal material 102 is coated outside a preset area 101 in one side area of ​​the mechanical turntable 10 . The preset area 101 includes a plurality of concentric rings of the same shape, with preset intervals between the plurality of concentric rings.

[0041] A primary coil 201 and a secondary coil 202 are provided on the sensor plane 20 .

[0042] When an excitation signal is present in the primary coil 201 on the sensor plane 20 , the rotating shaft 30 drives the mechanical turntable 10 to rotate, and the induced voltage in the secondary coil 202 changes with the rotation speed of the mechanical turntable 10 , generating a coupled coil mutual inductance voltage.

[0043] Specifically, the mechanical turntable 10 rotates horizontally around a rotation axis 30. The rotation axis 30 is perpendicular to the mechanical turntable 10 and the sensor plane 20. The mechanical turntable 10 can be divided into a metal side and a non-metal side depending on whether it is coated with a metal material 102. The rotation axis 30 is perpendicular to the boundary between the metal side and the non-metal side, and the intersection is the center of the mechanical turntable.

[0044] Specifically, the distance between the mechanical turntable 10 and the sensor plane 20 is 10 mm.

[0045] Exemplarily, the sensor plane 20 is provided with a plurality of primary coils and a plurality of secondary coils, the number of the primary coils is the same as the number of the secondary coils, and the primary coils correspond to the secondary coils one-to-one.

[0046] Specifically, when the rotating shaft drives the mechanical turntable to rotate, the order in which the mutual inductance voltage appears is different between the multiple primary coils and the corresponding multiple secondary coils, and the order in which the voltage changes reflected on the sensor plane is also different. The rotation direction of the turntable can be determined based on the relative positions of the multiple primary coils and the corresponding multiple secondary coils and the order in which the voltage changes on the sensor plane.

[0047] Exemplarily, the preset area is a plurality of concentric rings, and there is a preset distance between the plurality of concentric rings.

[0048] Specifically, different preset spacings will result in different mutual inductance voltages generated by the secondary coils at the same rotation speed.

[0049] Exemplarily, the preset area is a plurality of concentric elliptical rings, and there is a preset distance between the plurality of concentric elliptical rings.

[0050] Exemplarily, the preset area is a plurality of concentric rectangular rings, and there is a preset distance between the plurality of concentric rectangular rings.

[0051] Exemplarily, the metal material is copper or silver.

[0052] Specifically, the material of the mechanical turntable 10 itself needs to meet certain mechanical strength requirements, and the metal material 102 is a metal with relatively high electrical conductivity.

[0053] The above-mentioned flowmeter mutual inductance structure coats metal material on one side of the mechanical turntable to increase the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the mutual inductance voltage generated in the secondary coil, thereby increasing the difference range and thereby increasing the accuracy of the flowmeter. In addition, the increase in the difference range enables accurate metering even in the presence of certain interference, thereby improving anti-interference capabilities. There is no need to add or replace special materials or high-resolution ADCs in traditional solutions, thereby reducing the cost of the flowmeter.

[0054] Figure 2: is a flow chart of a flow meter mutual inductance structure optimization method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method is described in detail as follows:

[0055] Step 101: Establish a first flowmeter mutual inductance structure model in which a plurality of concentric rings are spaced at a first preset distance from each other. Calculate a first mutual inductance difference based on the first flowmeter mutual inductance structure model.

[0056] Specifically, the first mutual inductance difference is the mutual inductance difference between the metal side and the non-metal side in the mutual inductance structure model of the first flowmeter.

[0057] Step 102: Establish a second flowmeter mutual inductance structure model in which the spacing between the multiple concentric rings is a second preset spacing. Based on the second flowmeter mutual inductance structure model, calculate and obtain a second mutual inductance difference, which may be a plurality of second mutual inductance differences.

[0058] Specifically, the second mutual inductance difference is the mutual inductance difference between the metal side and the non-metal side in the mutual inductance structure model of the second flowmeter.

[0059] Specifically, the second mutual inductance difference may be a second mutual inductance difference corresponding to a plurality of second preset intervals.

[0060] Step 103: Obtain an optimal flow meter mutual inductance structure based on the first mutual inductance difference and the second mutual inductance difference.

[0061] Exemplarily, based on the first mutual inductance difference and the second mutual inductance difference, the optimal flow meter mutual inductance structure is obtained, including: comparing the sizes of the first mutual inductance difference and the second mutual inductance difference, obtaining the maximum mutual inductance difference, and the flow meter mutual inductance structure model corresponding to the maximum mutual inductance difference is the optimal flow meter mutual inductance structure.

[0062] Specifically, in some specific embodiments, the optimal solution for the mutual inductance structure of the flow meter is obtained by the following steps:

[0063] Step 1. Follow Figure 1 A simulation model is established based on the structure and chip area shown. That is, a coupled inductor coil and a mechanical turntable simulation model of the sensor plane are established in electromagnetic simulation software such as ANSYS HFSS, CST, or Microwave Office, and the spacing h between the sensor plane and the mechanical turntable in the ammeter is set to an actual value.

[0064] Step 2. Set electromagnetic simulation conditions and extract mutual resistance. In order to simulate accurately, it is necessary to correctly set the electromagnetic simulation conditions in the electromagnetic simulation software, which includes applying an excitation signal (usually a voltage source or current source signal in the circuit) to the coupling coil port, specifying the mechanical turntable according to the actual application, the dielectric material between the turntable and the sensor plane, setting the operating frequency range of the excitation signal, and setting the electromagnetic boundary conditions (such as ideal conductors, simulated air boxes, etc.) for electromagnetic simulation. Through this simulation, the S parameter matrix of the coupling coil can be obtained, and the mutual resistance Z of the coupling coil can be extracted based on the relationship between the S parameter and the Z parameter. mn The matrix [Z] is:

[0065] [Z]=([I]+[S])([I]-[S]) -1 (1)

[0066] Where [I] is the identity matrix, and [S] is the S-parameter matrix obtained by simulation.

[0067] Step 3. Obtain the mutual resistance Z of the elements in the Z matrix according to the two-step formula (1) mn Calculate the coupling mutual inductance M mn , that is, the mutual inductance M of the case where the inductance is completely on the metal side and the case where the inductance is completely on the non-metal side is determined by the following relationship: mn

[0068]

[0069] Where f is the operating frequency of the excitation signal, in Hz, and Im(Z mn ) is the mutual resistance Z mn The imaginary part (usually Z mn is a complex number, that is, Z mn =Re(Z mn )+jIm(Z mn ), where Re(Z mn ) and Im(Z mn ) represent the mutual resistance Z mn Finally, find the difference in the mutual inductance between the coupled coils when they are completely on the metal side and completely on the non-metal side.

[0070] Step 4: Adjust the width of the preset area 101, perform simulation again according to the above steps 1, 2 and 3, and obtain a new difference in coupling mutual inductance.

[0071] Step 5. Compare all calculated coupling mutual inductance differences and select the structure corresponding to the maximum coupling mutual inductance difference as the optimal structure of the mechanical turntable.

[0072] It should be understood that the size of the serial numbers of the steps in the above embodiments does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0073] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present application, and should all be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A flow meter mutual inductance structure, characterized in that: include: Mechanical turntable, sensor plane and rotation axis; The sensor plane is located above the mechanical turntable, and the rotation axis passes through the center of the mechanical turntable and the center of the sensor plane, and is perpendicular to the mechanical turntable and the sensor plane; A metal material is coated outside a preset area in one side area of ​​the mechanical turntable, wherein the preset area includes a plurality of concentric rings of the same shape, and a preset interval is formed between the plurality of concentric rings; A primary coil and a secondary coil are provided on the sensor plane; When there is an excitation signal in the primary coil on the sensor plane, the rotating shaft drives the mechanical turntable to rotate, and the induced voltage in the secondary coil changes with the rotation speed of the mechanical turntable, which generates a mutual inductance voltage of the coupled coils; The flow meter mutual inductance structure optimization method comprises: Establishing a first flow meter mutual inductance structure model in which a plurality of concentric rings are spaced at a first preset distance; Based on the mutual inductance structure model of the first flow meter, a first mutual inductance difference is calculated; Establishing a second flow meter mutual inductance structure model in which a plurality of concentric rings are spaced at a second preset distance; Based on the mutual inductance structure model of the second flowmeter, a second mutual inductance difference is calculated, and the second mutual inductance difference is multiple; The first mutual inductance difference and the second mutual inductance difference are compared to obtain a maximum mutual inductance difference, and the flowmeter mutual inductance structure model corresponding to the maximum mutual inductance difference is the optimal flowmeter mutual inductance structure.

2. The flowmeter mutual inductance structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor plane is provided with a plurality of primary coils and a plurality of secondary coils, the number of the primary coils is the same as the number of the secondary coils, and the primary coils correspond to the secondary coils one to one.

3. The flowmeter mutual inductance structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preset area is a plurality of concentric rings, and there is a preset distance between the plurality of concentric rings.

4. The flow meter mutual inductance structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preset area is a plurality of concentric elliptical rings, and there is a preset distance between the plurality of concentric elliptical rings.

5. The flow meter mutual inductance structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preset area is a plurality of concentric rectangular rings, and there is a preset distance between the plurality of concentric rectangular rings.

6. The flow meter mutual inductance structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal material is copper or silver.

7. A flow meter, characterized in that: The flowmeter comprises a mutual inductance structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A smart electric meter, characterized in that: The flowmeter comprises a mutual inductance structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images