A non-contact shear pin signaler and wireless monitoring system and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of hydroturbine monitoring, and more specifically, to a non-contact shear pin annunciator and wireless monitoring system and method. The system comprises a signal generating mechanism, comprising a mounting base plate mounted on a crank arm, a light emitting module and a photoelectric receiving module mounted on the mounting base plate. The light emitting module comprises a light source assembly, the photoelectric receiving module comprises a light sensor, the photoelectric receiving module comprises a light receiving hole, and the photoelectric receiving module is electrically connected to a controller. The photoelectric receiving module has a light receiving hole on a side adjacent to the light emitting module. The system also comprises a block mechanism comprising a block bracket mounted on a connecting plate at the top of the crank arm, a block mounted on the block bracket, and a block positioned between the light emitting module and the photoelectric receiving module. The system and method can reduce the cost of disassembling and assembling the shear pin annunciator during unit overhaul, and effectively improve the accuracy of shear pin status indication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of water turbine monitoring, and in particular relates to a non-contact shear pin signaler and a wireless monitoring system and method. Background Art

[0002] The guide vane shear pin, also known as the guide vane limit pin or guide vane protection pin, is a critical component in the turbine's water guide mechanism, primarily used to protect the guide vanes from damage. If the guide vanes move beyond their designed limit during turbine operation due to any reason, such as foreign matter, mechanical failure, or control system error, the guide vane shear pin comes into play. Its mechanism of action is that when the guide vanes are subjected to abnormal forces, the shear pin breaks, releasing the excess force and preventing further damage to the guide vanes. A shear pin annunciator is a monitoring device used to indicate whether the shear pin has sheared.

[0003] Currently, hydropower stations install contact limit switches on the connecting plate above each crank arm, sending signals to the monitoring system via wired connections for alarm and monitoring. The limit switch's cam is stuck in the crank arm's groove. When the guide vane operates normally, the shear pin remains intact, and the crank arm and the upper connecting plate move together. When the guide vane becomes stuck, the shear pin breaks, causing relative displacement between the crank arm and the upper connecting plate. The cam at the bottom of the limit switch moves out of the crank arm's groove onto the upper surface of the crank arm, squeezing the cam's connecting rod and pushing the contact to activate an alarm. This technical solution has the following disadvantages:

[0004] Each movable guide vane requires a shear pin annunciator. When there are many movable guide vanes, sending individual alarms to the monitoring system requires more cabling and the addition of more acquisition modules. Therefore, a single set of signals is typically sent to the monitoring system via parallel wired connections. However, when an alarm or fault occurs, determining which shear pin annunciator has activated makes this parallel connection difficult for on-site location and troubleshooting.

[0005] 2) The existing shear pin signaler and its signal cable need to be removed during unit overhaul, and the wiring during restoration is cumbersome and complex, time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0006] 3) After the overhaul of the unit, the relative position of the connecting plate and the crank arm often changes, resulting in false alarms and malfunctions after the shear pin signal is restored, and the installation hole needs to be repositioned. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a non-contact shear pin annunciator and a wireless monitoring system and method, which can reduce the disassembly and assembly cost of the shear pin annunciator during unit overhaul and effectively improve the accuracy of the shear pin status indication.

[0008] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a non-contact shear pin signaler, including a signal generating mechanism, the signal generating mechanism includes a mounting base plate, the mounting base plate is arranged on the crank arm, and a light emitting module and a photoelectric receiving module are provided on the mounting base plate. The light emitting module is provided with a light source assembly, and the photoelectric receiving module is provided with a photosensitive receiver, which is electrically connected to the controller, and a light receiving hole is provided on the side of the photoelectric receiving module close to the light emitting module; including a block mechanism, the block mechanism includes a block bracket, the block bracket is arranged on the connecting plate on the upper part of the crank arm, the block is installed on the block bracket, and the block is arranged between the light emitting module and the photoelectric receiving module.

[0009] In a preferred solution, a status indicator light is provided outside the photoelectric receiving module, and a controller controls the on and off of the status indicator light.

[0010] In a preferred solution, the optical transmitting module and the photoelectric receiving module are arranged along the radial direction of the movable guide vane shaft and distributed in a straight line.

[0011] In a preferred solution, a guide hole is provided at the end of the stopper bracket, and the guide hole cooperates with the stopper.

[0012] In a preferred solution, two groups of guide grooves are provided at the end of the stopper bracket corresponding to the guide holes. The guide grooves are provided on both sides of the stopper and are in sliding engagement with the stopper.

[0013] In a preferred solution, the stopper bracket is connected to the connecting plate on the upper part of the crank arm through bolts.

[0014] In a preferred solution, the mounting base is connected to the crank arm via bolts, and mounting holes that cooperate with the bolts are provided on the mounting base.

[0015] In a preferred solution, the mounting hole is a waist hole, and the length direction of the mounting hole is perpendicular to the radial direction of the movable guide vane shaft.

[0016] The present invention also provides a wireless monitoring system for a contactless shear pin signaler. The controller of the photoelectric receiving module is connected to a router via wireless communication using the Zigbee protocol. The router is connected to a coordinator, which sends data to a monitoring system and / or a mobile terminal.

[0017] The present invention also provides a monitoring method for a non-contact shear pin signaler. When the guide vane is operating normally, the shear pin is not sheared, the crank arm moves together with the upper connecting plate, the signal generating mechanism and the block mechanism move synchronously, the block always blocks the light emitted by the light emitting module, and the photoelectric receiving module cannot receive the light source; when the guide vane is stuck, the shear pin is sheared, the crank arm and the upper connecting plate undergo relative displacement, the signal generating mechanism and the block mechanism also undergo relative displacement, the block moves away from the middle of the light emitting module and the photoelectric receiving module, the photoelectric receiving module receives the light source, and an alarm message is sent via a wireless network.

[0018] The present invention provides a non-contact shear pin signaler and wireless monitoring system and method, which have the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. In the present invention, when the guide vane is normally moving, the shear pin is not cut off, the crank arm moves together with the upper connecting plate, the signal generating mechanism and the block mechanism move synchronously, the block always blocks the light emitted by the light emitting module, the photoelectric receiving module cannot receive the light source, and cannot alarm; when the guide vane is stuck, the shear pin is cut off, the crank arm and the upper connecting plate will undergo relative displacement, the signal generating mechanism and the block mechanism will also undergo relative displacement, the block is moved away from the middle of the light emitting module and the photoelectric receiving module, the photoelectric receiving module receives the light source, and issues a warning or alarm, thereby realizing the detection of whether the shear pin is cut off, which can effectively improve the accuracy of the shear pin status indication.

[0020] 2. The sliding connection between the block bracket and the block facilitates adjustment of the block height. During normal installation, the block falls to the mounting base due to its own weight and is located between the optical transmitter module and the photoelectric receiver module, blocking the light emitted by the optical transmitter module. When on-site testing is required, the block is moved upward and out of the area between the optical transmitter module and the photoelectric receiver module for testing or experimentation, facilitating on-site testing and experimentation before commissioning.

[0021] 3. The present invention can not only reduce the disassembly and assembly cost of the shear pin signal device during unit overhaul, but also quickly locate the fault and improve work efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples:

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the signal generating mechanism;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4This is a network structure diagram of the wireless detection system of the present invention.

[0027] In the figure: mounting base 1, mounting hole 101, optical transmitting module 2, photoelectric receiving module 3, light receiving hole 301, status indicator light 302, block bracket 4, guide hole 401, guide groove 402, block 5, crank arm 6, connecting plate 7, movable guide vane shaft 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Example 1:

[0029] like Figures 1-3 As shown, a non-contact shear pin signaler includes a signal generating mechanism and a block mechanism. The signal generating mechanism includes a mounting base plate 1, which is arranged on a crank arm 6. The mounting base plate 1 is connected to the crank arm 6 by bolts, and a mounting hole 101 that cooperates with the bolt is provided on the mounting base plate 1.

[0030] In this embodiment, the mounting hole 101 is a waist hole, and the length direction of the mounting hole 101 is perpendicular to the radial direction of the movable guide vane shaft 8. After the unit is overhauled, even if the mechanical position changes, the position of the signal generating mechanism can be easily adjusted so that it can cooperate with the block mechanism.

[0031] A light emitting module 2 and a photoelectric receiving module 3 are provided on the mounting base 1. The light emitting module 2 and the photoelectric receiving module 3 are arranged opposite to each other, and a space is reserved in the middle for placing a block 5. A light source assembly is provided in the light emitting module 2. The light source assembly includes a light source and a control circuit. The light source is powered by a battery, and the battery is arranged in a battery compartment on the side of the light emitting module 2. In this embodiment, the light source can be an infrared emitting tube module or other light source.

[0032] The photoelectric receiving module 3 is provided with a light-sensing receiver, which is electrically connected to the controller. The controller includes a radio transmitting module for sending control signals to the monitoring system or the monitoring terminal.

[0033] The photoelectric receiving module 3 has a light receiving hole 301 on one side close to the light transmitting module. The light receiving hole 301 allows the light emitted by the light transmitting module 2 to enter the photoelectric receiving module 3 so that the light sensor receiver receives the light signal. The light sensor receiver can be an infrared receiving head or a photosensitive tube.

[0034] Preferably, a status indicator light 302 is provided outside the photoelectric receiving module 3, and the controller controls the on and off of the status indicator light 302. When the light sensor receiver receives the light signal, the controller controls the status indicator light 302 to turn on and issue a status warning.

[0035] The block mechanism includes a block bracket 4, which is a transverse rod or an "L"-shaped rod. The block bracket 4 is arranged on the connecting plate 7 on the upper part of the crank arm 6. Specifically, the block bracket 4 is connected to the connecting plate 7 on the upper part of the crank arm 6 by bolts, which facilitates the disassembly of the block mechanism.

[0036] The block 5 is mounted on the block bracket 4 . The block 5 is disposed between the optical emitting module 2 and the photoelectric receiving module 3 and does not contact the optical emitting module 2 and the photoelectric receiving module 3 . The block 5 blocks the light emitted by the optical emitting module 2 .

[0037] When the guide vane is moving normally, the shear pin is not cut off, the crank arm 6 moves with the upper connecting plate 7, the signal generating mechanism and the block mechanism move synchronously, the block 5 always blocks the light emitted by the light emitting module 2, and the photoelectric receiving module 3 cannot receive the light source; when the guide vane is stuck, the shear pin is cut off, the crank arm 6 and the upper connecting plate 7 will have relative displacement, the signal generating mechanism and the block mechanism will also have relative displacement, the block 5 is moved away from the middle of the light emitting module 2 and the photoelectric receiving module 3, the photoelectric receiving module 3 receives the light source, and sends the alarm information through the wired or wireless network, and the status indicator light 302 lights up for indication.

[0038] Preferably, in this embodiment, the optical transmitter module 2 and the photoelectric receiver module 3 are arranged along the radial direction of the movable guide vane shaft 8 and are distributed in a straight line. When the crank arm 6 and the connecting plate 7 move relative to each other, the stopper 5 prevents the signal generating mechanism from moving relative to each other and interfering with the optical transmitter module 2 or the photoelectric receiver module 3.

[0039] Example 2:

[0040] Different from Example 1, Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, a guide hole 401 is provided at the end of the stopper bracket 4. The guide hole 401 is vertically arranged. The guide hole 401 cooperates with the stopper 5 so that the stopper 5 can move up and down.

[0041] Under normal conditions, the stopper 5 stops moving after falling onto the mounting base plate 1 due to its own weight, and the guide hole 401 defines the position of the stopper 5 so that it is located exactly between the optical transmitting module 2 and the optoelectronic receiving module 3 .

[0042] When relative displacement occurs between the signal generating mechanism and the stopper mechanism, the stopper 5 moves synchronously with the stopper bracket 4. After leaving between the optical transmitting module 2 and the photoelectric receiving module 3, the photoelectric receiving module 3 can receive the optical signal.

[0043] The guide hole 401 can be replaced by a vertically arranged guide cylinder.

[0044] Preferably, two sets of guide grooves 402 are provided at the end of the stopper bracket 4 corresponding to the guide hole 401. The guide grooves 402 are provided on both sides of the stopper 5 and slide with the stopper 5. The stopper 5 is further guided and limited by providing the guide grooves 402.

[0045] The block 5 can move up and down to facilitate on-site testing and experiments. During normal installation, the block 5 falls onto the mounting base 1 due to its own weight and is located between the optical emitting module 2 and the photoelectric receiving module 3, blocking the light emitted by the optical emitting module 2. When on-site testing is required, the block 5 is moved upward and out of between the optical emitting module 2 and the photoelectric receiving module 3 for testing or experimentation.

[0046] Example 3:

[0047] The present invention also provides a wireless monitoring system for a contactless shear pin annunciator. The controller of the photoelectric receiving module 3 is connected to a router via wireless communication using the Zigbee protocol. The router is connected to a coordinator, which sends data to a monitoring system and / or a mobile terminal.

[0048] like Figure 4 As shown, wireless communication utilizes the Zigbee protocol. Zigbee networks support large numbers of nodes, offer low power consumption, strong anti-interference capabilities, and are easy to deploy. Each shear pin annunciator is configured as an end node and connected to the network in groups via a router. The router forwards data from the end nodes and the coordinator, which then transmits the data to the monitoring system and mobile devices. When a unit undergoes maintenance, shuts down, or a certain end node needs to be deactivated, the monitoring system automatically issues commands through the coordinator to put the relevant end nodes into hibernation, reducing power consumption. Configuration and control of the relevant end nodes, routers, and coordinators can also be performed via mobile devices.

[0049] The above embodiments are merely preferred technical solutions of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. The embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application may be arbitrarily combined with each other unless they conflict. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be the technical solutions described in the claims, including equivalent alternatives to the technical features of the technical solutions described in the claims. Equivalent alternatives and improvements within this scope are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A non-contact shear pin signaler, characterized in that: The invention comprises a signal generating mechanism, the signal generating mechanism comprises a mounting base plate (1), the mounting base plate (1) is arranged on the crank arm (6), a light emitting module (2) and a photoelectric receiving module (3) are arranged on the mounting base plate (1), a light emitting light source component is arranged in the light emitting module (2), a photoelectric receiving module (3) is arranged in the photoelectric receiving module (3), the photoelectric receiving module (3) is electrically connected to the controller, and a light receiving hole (301) is arranged on a side of the photoelectric receiving module (3) close to the light emitting module; and a block mechanism comprises a block bracket (4), the block bracket (4) is arranged on a connecting plate (7) at the upper part of the crank arm (6), a block (5) is mounted on the block bracket (4), and the block (5) is arranged between the light emitting module (2) and the photoelectric receiving module (3).

2. A non-contact shear pin signaler according to claim 1, characterized in that: A status indicator light (302) is provided outside the photoelectric receiving module (3), and a controller controls the on and off of the status indicator light (302).

3. A non-contact shear pin signaler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical transmitting module (2) and the photoelectric receiving module (3) are arranged along the radial direction of the movable guide vane shaft (8) and are distributed in a straight line.

4. A non-contact shear pin signaler according to claim 1, characterized in that: A guide hole (401) is provided at the end of the stopper bracket (4), and the guide hole (401) cooperates with the stopper (5).

5. A non-contact shear pin signaler according to claim 4, characterized in that: Two groups of guide grooves (402) are provided at the end of the stopper bracket (4) corresponding to the guide hole (401). The guide grooves (402) are provided on both sides of the stopper (5) and are in sliding engagement with the stopper (5).

6. A non-contact shear pin signaler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stopper bracket (4) is connected to the connecting plate (7) on the upper part of the crank arm (6) via bolts.

7. The non-contact shear pin signaler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting base plate (1) is connected to the crank arm (6) via bolts, and a mounting hole (101) is provided on the mounting base plate (1) that cooperates with the bolts.

8. A non-contact shear pin signaler according to claim 7, characterized in that: The mounting hole (101) is a waist hole, and the length direction of the mounting hole (101) is perpendicular to the radial direction of the movable guide vane shaft (8).

9. A wireless monitoring system for a non-contact shear pin annunciator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The controller of the photoelectric receiving module (3) is connected to the router via wireless communication using the Zigbee protocol. The router is connected to the coordinator for communication, and the coordinator sends the data to the monitoring system and / or the mobile terminal.

10. A monitoring method for a non-contact shear pin signaler according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: When the guide vane is in normal operation, the shear pin is not cut off, the crank arm (6) moves together with the upper connecting plate (7), the signal generating mechanism and the block mechanism move synchronously, the block (5) always blocks the light emitted by the light emitting module (2), and the photoelectric receiving module (3) cannot receive the light source; when the guide vane is stuck, the shear pin is cut off, the crank arm (6) and the upper connecting plate (7) are relatively displaced, the signal generating mechanism and the block mechanism are also relatively displaced, the block (5) moves away from the middle of the light emitting module (2) and the photoelectric receiving module (3), the photoelectric receiving module (3) receives the light source, and sends the alarm information through the wireless network.

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