A noise-resistant ultrasonic flow meter gas flow adjustment device

Abstract

This invention discloses a noise-resistant ultrasonic flow meter gas flow adjustment device, belonging to the field of flow meter noise reduction and rectification technology. It includes an impeller and a guide fluid connected to each other. The impeller includes sound-insulating blades arranged intersecting the gas flow direction. The guide fluid includes rectification blades arranged parallel to the gas flow direction. A buffer chamber is provided between the impeller and the guide fluid. Gas passes through the impeller, buffer chamber, and guide fluid sequentially before entering the metering section of the flow meter. This noise-resistant ultrasonic flow meter gas flow adjustment device can appropriately adjust gas turbulence and laminar flow while simultaneously reducing ultrasonic noise, achieving two benefits and facilitating the widespread use of ultrasonic flow meters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention discloses a gas flow adjustment device, and more particularly relates to a noise-resistant ultrasonic flow meter gas flow adjustment device, belonging to the field of flow meter noise reduction and rectification technology. Background Technology

[0002] Accurate metering of natural gas consumption has always been a challenge. Mechanical flow meters used for metering natural gas in urban pipelines are prone to significant deviations, failure to measure, or even pipeline blockage due to various factors such as mechanical wear, dust accumulation, and damage to mechanical parts from solid impurities inside the pipe. Therefore, ultrasonic flow meters were developed to address the shortcomings of mechanical flow meters. However, ultrasonic flow meters also experience accuracy deviations in environments with unstable airflow and strong ultrasonic noise. These deviations can range from minor metering errors to complete failure to measure. Excessive ultrasonic noise can even drown out the ultrasonic signal used for metering. Unstable airflow and noise are the main reasons why the widespread adoption of ultrasonic flow meters is currently difficult.

[0003] Factors affecting the stability of the gaseous state at the ultrasonic flow meter include: the distance between the upstream and downstream straight pipes, the presence of bends in the pipes, changes in pipe diameter, the presence of manifolds, the presence of a flow adjustment device before the flow meter, pipe roughness, and the gas Reynolds coefficient. Environmental noise originates from the pressure regulator and partially open valves. GB / T 18604-2014E.3, "Measuring Natural Gas Flow with Ultrasonic Gas Flow Meters," details that the environmental acoustic noise of ultrasonic flow meters primarily comes from the pressure regulator. While the national standard limits the operating noise (audio noise) of the pressure regulator, ultrasonic frequencies are outside the range of human hearing. Because pressure regulator manufacturers limit the audio noise of the regulator while increasing the ultrasonic noise, this change has no effect on mechanical flow meters but is fatal to ultrasonic flow meters.

[0004] To address the impact of unstable airflow, previously, adding external flow adjustment devices and lengthening the distance between the upstream and downstream straight pipe sections could achieve a relatively stable airflow. However, traditional flow adjustment devices, when faced with limited installation conditions, can introduce a 3%-5% error into the measurement of ultrasonic gas flow meters. In such cases, the accuracy of the ultrasonic gas flow meter is no longer at the 1.0 class. Therefore, the accuracy of the flow meter will be affected to some extent during field use, impacting the economic interests of both the gas user and the gas supplier. Furthermore, traditional flow adjustment devices are bulky, inconvenient to install, and offer almost no noise suppression. When bends, manifolds, or diameter changes occur, significant measurement deviations will occur, which is unacceptable for flow metering instruments. Another approach uses a small-aperture filter structure for flow adjustment, but this is prone to clogging and has high pressure loss, contradicting the low pressure loss characteristic of flow meters. This necessitates adding an external flow adjustment device, complicating installation and increasing costs.

[0005] To address noise pollution, gas companies typically install ultrasonic noise reduction devices before ultrasonic flow meters to prevent noise interference with their normal operation. These devices are generally bulky and need to be purchased separately by the gas company. Installation also requires re-cutting and welding of pipes, adding intangible human and material costs for both the gas company and the gas user.

[0006] In summary, gas flow patterns and environmental noise are significant factors affecting the accurate measurement of ultrasonic flow meters. The two points mentioned above essentially boil down to the limitations of installing flow adjustment devices, leading to large accuracy errors, and the cumbersome and costly installation of ultrasonic noise reduction devices, which restricts the operating environment of ultrasonic flow meters and reduces their acceptance by gas companies. This significantly hinders the promotion of ultrasonic flow meters, resulting in slow development and a lack of acceptance by gas companies. Summary of the Invention

[0007] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0008] The technical problem this invention aims to solve is that existing ultrasonic flow meters will produce accuracy deviations in situations with unstable airflow and strong ultrasonic noise, ranging from minor measurement errors to complete failure to measure properly. Furthermore, the installation of flow adjustment devices in existing technologies is limited, leading to large accuracy errors, and the installation of ultrasonic noise reduction devices is troublesome and costly, thus limiting the application environment of ultrasonic flow meters, resulting in low acceptance by gas companies and difficulties in promotion.

[0009] (II) Technical Solution

[0010] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a noise-resistant ultrasonic flow meter gas flow adjustment device, comprising an impeller and a guide body connected to each other. The impeller includes sound-insulating blades, which are arranged intersecting the gas flow direction, i.e., the sound-insulating blades have a certain tilt angle or are spirally arranged, similar to fan blades. When noise reaches the sound-insulating blades, the sound waves are blocked due to the effect of the sound-insulating blades, and some sound waves are reflected on the blades, causing them to attenuate. In addition, the impeller also rearranges the airflow from the front end after passing through the sound-insulating blades. The guide body includes rectifying blades, which are arranged parallel to the gas flow direction to rectify the gas flow. A buffer chamber is provided between the impeller and the guide body. The buffer chamber is a cavity that buffers and equalizes the pressure of the airflow. The gas enters the metering part of the flow meter after passing through the impeller, the buffer chamber, and the guide body in sequence.

[0011] Furthermore, the impeller also includes an outer mounting ring, and the annular array of sound-insulating blades is arranged inside the outer mounting ring. Airflow channels are formed between each pair of sound-insulating blades, and the sound-insulating blades are tightly sealed in the direction of gas travel, that is, there is no vertical gap between two adjacent sound-insulating blades (no gap channel parallel to the direction of airflow), so sound waves cannot propagate in a straight line.

[0012] Furthermore, the impeller also includes multiple coaxially arranged dividing rings, each of different sizes. The dividing rings are integrated with the sound-insulating blades. The dividing rings divide the airflow channels formed between the sound-insulating blades into multiple air inlets of equal size, further rearranging the airflow.

[0013] Furthermore, the impeller also includes an inner mounting ring, and the inner side of the sound-insulating blade is fixed to the inner surface of the inner mounting ring to improve structural strength.

[0014] Furthermore, the sound-insulating blade includes an inclined portion and a horizontal portion. The inclined portion intersects the gas travel direction, and the horizontal portion is parallel to the gas travel direction. The horizontal portion is located on the side of the sound-insulating blade near the buffer chamber.

[0015] Furthermore, the guide fluid also includes multiple coaxially arranged rectifier rings integrated with the rectifier blades. Each rectifier ring is of a different size. The rectifier blades are arranged in a ring array, and a rectifier channel is formed between each pair of rectifier blades. The rectifier rings pass through the ring array of rectifier blades and divide the rectifier channel into multiple rectifier holes of equal area. The guide fluid forms a porous grid, and the area of ​​each grid hole is equal.

[0016] Furthermore, the fluid guide also includes a fixed inner ring, and the rectifier blades are mounted on the outer surface of the fixed inner ring to improve structural strength.

[0017] Furthermore, both the mounting inner ring and the fixed inner ring are equipped with dividing blades. The dividing blades are arranged in a star-shaped pattern to divide the inner cavities of the mounting inner ring and the fixed inner ring into multiple channels, thereby dividing the airflow and facilitating rearrangement and rectification.

[0018] Furthermore, the inner side of the mounting outer ring is provided with a sloping surface, and the sound-insulating blades are fixedly connected to the mounting outer ring along the sloping surface, increasing the connection area, making the connection more stable and reliable, strengthening the integration, and increasing the structural strength. Multiple fixing holes are provided on the mounting outer ring for installing fixing screws. The adjustment device, consisting of the impeller, buffer chamber, and guide fluid, is installed inside the flow meter inlet. A step is provided at the flow meter inlet for installing and fixing this device. The mounting outer ring of the impeller abuts against the step, and screws are installed in its fixing holes to secure the adjustment device.

[0019] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0020] The above-described technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0021] (1) Regarding the impact of noise, the noise reduction circuit has a certain effect on small-amplitude acoustic noise interference, but if the noise amplitude is strong, the circuit noise reduction is powerless. The noise reduction using the sound-insulating blades of the adjustment device proposed in this invention is direct and effective. The noise can play a good noise reduction role after it reaches the impeller. When the noise reaches the impeller, the sound waves are blocked due to the action of the sound-insulating blades, and some of the sound waves are reflected on the blades, thus attenuating them. When the noise is reduced to a level that the circuit can handle, the noise reduction is achieved. Experiments have shown that this method has a very obvious noise reduction effect on the voltage regulator that generates noise.

[0022] (2) To address the impact of unstable airflow, different gas flow states, and different application scenarios, circuits and programs are powerless; only flow state adjustment can achieve the desired effect. The flow adjustment device proposed in this invention is completed by three parts: an impeller, a buffer chamber, and a guide fluid. The impeller rearranges the airflow from the front end after passing through the sound-insulating blades. Faster flow is obstructed, thus achieving pressure equalization after the airflow enters the buffer chamber. Due to the certain inclination of the sound-insulating blades, the airflow rotates as it enters the buffer chamber. The buffer chamber buffers and equalizes the gas pressure, forming a new flow state that is no longer the flow state before entering the impeller and has no direct relationship with the gas flow state before entering the impeller, thus playing a role in rearranging. The guide fluid rectifies the gas in the buffer chamber to form a new flow state, achieving a turbulent and laminar flow effect with uniform and stable flow velocity. The adjusted airflow enters the metering part of the flow meter, resulting in high measurement accuracy, small error, and strong anti-interference capability of the ultrasonic flow meter.

[0023] (3) By using the noise-resistant gas flow adjustment device proposed in this invention, both noise reduction and gas flow adjustment can be achieved. Tests have shown that after installing the noise-resistant gas flow adjustment device, ultrasonic flow meters can be installed in complex locations such as bends, diameter changes, and after pressure regulators. Experimental comparisons show that using a conventional flow adjustment device at a 90° bend 5 times D before the ultrasonic flow meter results in an error as high as 5%, while using the noise-resistant flow adjustment device of this invention still achieves an accuracy of 1.0 level.

[0024] In addition to the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical features of the technical solutions constituted by the present invention, and the advantages brought about by the technical features of these technical solutions as described above, other technical features of the present invention and the advantages brought about by these technical features will be further explained in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0027] In the figure: 1-Impeller, 11-Sound insulation blade, 12-Installation outer ring, 13-Divider ring, 14-Fixing hole, 2-Buffer air chamber, 3-Guide fluid, 31-Rectifying blade, 32-Rectifying ring. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0030] Furthermore, in the description of the invention, unless otherwise stated, the terms "multiple," "multiple roots," and "multiple groups" mean two or more. It should be noted that in the description of the invention, the use of terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer" to indicate orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings is merely for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of the invention.

[0031] The structure of the noise-resistant ultrasonic flowmeter gas flow adjustment device disclosed in this invention is as follows: Figure 1 As shown.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] A noise-resistant ultrasonic flowmeter gas flow adjustment device includes an impeller 1 and a guide tube 3 connected to each other. The impeller 1 includes sound-insulating blades 11, which are arranged intersecting the gas flow direction, forming airflow channels between each pair of sound-insulating blades 11. The guide tube 3 includes flow-rectifying blades 31, which are arranged parallel to the gas flow direction, forming flow-rectifying channels between each pair of flow-rectifying blades 31. A buffer chamber 2 is provided between the impeller 1 and the guide tube 3. Gas enters the metering section of the flowmeter after passing through the impeller 1, the buffer chamber 2, and the guide tube 3 in sequence.

[0034] Example 2

[0035] This embodiment further refines Embodiment 1. In this embodiment: the impeller 1 also includes an outer mounting ring 12, and multiple sound-insulating blades 11 are arranged in a circular array inside the outer mounting ring 12. Airflow channels are formed between each pair of sound-insulating blades 11, and the blades 11 are tightly closed in the gas travel direction. The impeller 1 also includes a dividing ring 13, which divides the airflow channels formed between each pair of sound-insulating blades 11 into multiple air inlets of equal size. The impeller 1 also includes an inner mounting ring, and the inner side of the sound-insulating blades 11 is fixed to the inner surface of the inner mounting ring. Each sound-insulating blade 11 includes an inclined portion and a horizontal portion. The inclined portion intersects the gas travel direction, and the horizontal portion is parallel to the gas travel direction. The horizontal portion is located on the side of the sound-insulating blade 11 closest to the buffer chamber 2.

[0036] The guide fluid 3 also includes a rectifier ring 32, and the rectifier blades 31 are arranged in a ring array, with each pair of rectifier blades 31 forming a rectifier channel. The rectifier ring 32 passes through the ring array of rectifier blades 31 and divides the rectifier channel into multiple rectifier holes of equal area. The guide fluid 3 also includes a fixed inner ring, and the rectifier blades 31 are mounted on the outer surface of the fixed inner ring.

[0037] Both the inner mounting ring and the inner fixing ring are provided with segmented blades, which are arranged in a star-shaped pattern. The inner side of the outer mounting ring 12 is provided with a sloping surface, and the sound insulation blades 11 are fixedly connected to the outer mounting ring 12 along the sloping surface. The outer mounting ring 12 is provided with multiple fixing holes 14.

[0038] Example 3

[0039] The only difference between this embodiment and embodiment 2 is that: the impeller 1, the buffer chamber 2, and the guide fluid 3 are configured as polygonal structures (or the impeller 1 and the guide fluid 3 are configured with polygonal flow channels), and the outer ring of the impeller 1 is still a circular ring to be fixedly connected to the flow meter. The sound insulation blades 11 and the rectifier blades 31 are respectively arranged in an array on the impeller 1 and the guide fluid 3 to form a polygonal structure that is compatible with the impeller 1 and the guide fluid 3 (or the polygonal flow channels on them).

[0040] The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A noise-resistant ultrasonic flow meter gas flow adjustment device, characterized in that: It includes an impeller (1) and a guide fluid (3) connected to each other. The impeller (1) includes sound-insulating blades (11) which are arranged intersecting the gas flow direction. The guide fluid (3) includes flow-rectifying blades (31) which are arranged parallel to the gas flow direction. A buffer chamber (2) is provided between the impeller (1) and the guide fluid (3). The gas passes through the impeller (1), the buffer chamber (2) and the guide fluid (3) in sequence before entering the metering part of the flow meter. The impeller (1) also includes an outer ring (12), and multiple sound-insulating blades (11) are arranged in a ring array inside the outer ring (12). Airflow channels are formed between each pair of sound-insulating blades (11), and the sound-insulating blades (11) are tightly sealed in the direction of gas travel. The sound insulation blade (11) includes an inclined part and a horizontal part. The inclined part intersects with the gas travel direction, and the horizontal part is parallel to the gas travel direction. The horizontal part is located on the side of the sound insulation blade (11) near the buffer chamber (2). The guide fluid (3) also includes a rectifier ring (32), the rectifier blades (31) are arranged in a ring array, and the rectifier blades (31) form a rectifier channel between each pair of rectifier blades (31). The rectifier ring (32) passes through the rectifier blades (31) arranged in the ring array and divides the rectifier channel into multiple rectifier holes of equal area.

2. The noise-resistant ultrasonic flowmeter gas flow adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The impeller (1) also includes a dividing ring (13), which divides the airflow channel formed between the two sound insulation blades (11) into multiple air inlets with equal air inlet area.

3. The noise-resistant ultrasonic flowmeter gas flow adjustment device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The impeller (1) also includes an inner mounting ring, and the inner side of the sound insulation blade (11) is fixed to the inner surface of the inner mounting ring.

4. The noise-resistant ultrasonic flowmeter gas flow adjustment device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide fluid (3) also includes a fixed inner ring, and the rectifier blade (31) is mounted on the outer surface of the fixed inner ring.

5. The noise-resistant ultrasonic flowmeter gas flow adjustment device according to claim 4, characterized in that: Both the mounting inner ring and the fixing inner ring are provided with dividing blades, which are arranged in a star-shaped pattern.

6. The noise-resistant ultrasonic flowmeter gas flow adjustment device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inner side of the mounting outer ring (12) is provided with a slope surface, and the sound insulation blade (11) is fixedly connected to the mounting outer ring (12) along the slope surface. The mounting outer ring (12) is provided with multiple fixing holes (14).

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