Measuring device for tank wall

Abstract

A measuring device for a tank wall comprises a reflector arranged at a to-be-measured position on the side wall of a tank and a scanner arranged on the bottom wall of the tank, and the scanner comprises a base and a distance measuring mechanism arranged on the base. The driving unit is arranged between the distance measuring mechanism and the base and used for driving the distance measuring mechanism to rotate relative to the base, and the distance measuring mechanism comprises a distance measuring assembly used for emitting a laser beam towards the reflector. A laser beam emitted by the distance measuring assembly is reflected through the reflector, so that the linear distance between the distance measuring mechanism and the reflecting mechanism is measured. And the distance measuring mechanism is driven by the driving unit to move for rotary distance measurement, so that the internal angle of the tank body is obtained. In this way, the technical problem that in the prior art, a laser scanner is tedious in operation is solved, and the technical effect of convenient operation is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of information acquisition for tank chambers, and particularly to a measuring device for a tank wall. Background Art

[0002] A storage tank is composed of a bottom wall and a side wall, and is a common container in industry and daily life for storing liquid or solid media. In industrial production, since storage tanks are often used to store flammable and explosive substances, the integrity of the bottom wall and side wall of the storage tank is very important. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically use non-destructive testing methods to evaluate the integrity of the bottom wall and side wall of the storage tank. In this evaluation, an accurate digital map of the tank wall surface is required. At the same time, such a digital map is also needed in subsequent intelligent inspections of storage tanks. Therefore, accurate mapping of the tank wall surface is an important link in checking the integrity of the storage tank.

[0003] In the prior art, the measuring devices for the tank wall surface and the internal space mainly use laser scanners. After determining the level surface and starting the automatic mode, the laser scanner can collect a large number of point clouds in the internal space of the storage tank. However, the point clouds collected by the laser scanner are discrete, and there is no correlation between each point. After collecting several point clouds, it is necessary for the staff to determine the specific semantics of some point clouds, judge their specific properties, and establish a digital map according to the records or photos. This measurement method is cumbersome to operate, and the staff is prone to missing the information of key points, resulting in large measurement errors and affecting the evaluation results.

[0004] In addition, the laser scanner scans the points on the tank wall surface uniformly and cannot accurately indicate special points without shape differences, so it is easy to miss points, thus affecting the evaluation results.

[0005] Therefore, providing a measuring device that is convenient and fast to operate and can reduce measurement errors is an urgent technical problem to be solved in the current field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To overcome at least one or more of the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the present invention provides a measuring device for a tank wall, which can facilitate operation and reduce measurement errors.

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a measuring device for a tank wall, comprising: a reflector provided at a position to be measured on the side wall of the tank, and a scanner provided at the bottom of the tank.

[0008] Wherein, the scanner includes a base, a ranging mechanism provided on the base, and a driving unit provided between the ranging mechanism and the base for driving the ranging mechanism to rotate relative to the base. The ranging mechanism includes a ranging component for emitting a laser beam towards the reflector.

[0009] In one embodiment, the driving unit includes a first driving component disposed on the lower surface of the distance measuring mechanism and a second driving component disposed on the upper surface of the base. The first driving component is configured to cooperate with the second driving component to drive the distance measuring mechanism to rotate.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first driving component includes a protrusion fixedly connected below the distance measuring mechanism, a central shaft rotatably connected to the protrusion, and a driving gear fixed on the central shaft. The second driving component includes a plurality of tooth grooves disposed around the upper surface of the base and capable of cooperating with the driving gear.

[0011] In one embodiment, the tooth grooves are arranged in a circle, and the intervals between the respective tooth grooves are all 1°.

[0012] In one embodiment, the base includes a disk provided with tooth grooves and a plurality of first support rods for supporting the disk.

[0013] In one embodiment, a first magnet is provided at the end of each of the first support rods.

[0014] In one embodiment, a handle is provided at the free end of the central shaft.

[0015] In one embodiment, an angle encoder is further provided on the lower surface of the distance measuring mechanism for continuously recording the number of tooth grooves passed by the driving gear during rotation.

[0016] In one embodiment, the reflector includes a reflecting plane for receiving the laser beam emitted by the distance measuring component and reflecting the laser beam back to the distance measuring component.

[0017] In one embodiment, the reflecting plane is disposed on a second support rod, and a second magnet is provided at the end of the second support rod.

[0018] Generally speaking, compared with the prior art by the above technical solution conceived by the present invention, the following beneficial effects can be achieved at least:

[0019] 1. The measuring device for the tank wall of the present invention reflects the laser beam emitted by the distance measuring component through the reflector, thereby measuring the straight-line distance between the distance measuring mechanism and the reflector. At the same time, the driving unit drives the distance measuring mechanism to rotate for rotational measurement, so as to obtain the angle of the tank wall. In this way, the technical problem of cumbersome operation of the laser scanner in the prior art is solved, and the technical effect of convenient operation is achieved.

[0020] 2. The measuring device for the tank wall of the present invention allows the staff to preset the points to be measured in advance, then place the reflectors correspondingly, and measure the straight-line distance between the scanner and the reflectors through the scanner. At the same time, the reflectors are moved at the preset points and the scanner is rotated for measurement, so as to obtain the angular relationship between the preset points. In this way, the technical problems in the prior art that manual screening of points is required and the laser scanner cannot indicate special points without shape differences, resulting in omission of points and measurement errors, are solved, and the technical effects of directional measurement of points, avoiding manual screening, and reducing measurement errors are achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 Schematically shows the overall structure of the scanner in the measuring device for the tank wall according to the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 Schematically shows Figure 1 the side view structure of the scanner shown;

[0024] Figure 3 Schematically shows Figure 1 the reflector structure in the measuring device for the tank wall shown.

[0025] It should be noted that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to actual scale.

[0026] In all the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same technical features. Specifically: 1 - scanner; 11 - distance measuring mechanism; 111 - distance measuring component; 112 - protrusion; 113 - central axis; 114 - driving gear; 115 - handle; 116 - angle encoder; 117 - first level; 118 - display screen; 119 - indicator light; 12 - base; 121 - tooth groove; 13 - rotating shaft; 14 - tooth disc; 15 - first support rod; 16 - first magnet; 2 - reflector; 21 - reflecting plane; 22 - second support rod; 23 - second magnet; 24 - handle; 25 - second level. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0027] In order to better understand the purpose, structure and function of the present invention, the following further describes in detail a measuring device for the tank wall of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[0028] As Figure 1 、 3As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a measuring device for a tank wall, including a reflector 2 disposed at a position to be measured on the side wall of the tank, and a scanner 1 disposed at the bottom of the tank corresponding to the reflector.

[0029] Among them, as Figure 1 shown, the scanner 1 includes a ranging mechanism 11, and the ranging mechanism 11 can be in any shape convenient for setting. In the illustrated embodiment, the ranging mechanism 11 is arranged in a circular table-like structure. The ranging mechanism 11 includes a ranging component 111 for emitting a laser beam towards the reflector 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the ranging component 111 is disposed on the side wall of the ranging mechanism 11 to facilitate the emission and propagation of the laser beam.

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 1 shown, a first level instrument 117 is provided on the upper surface of the ranging mechanism 11. In this embodiment, the first level 117 is arranged in a horizontal bubble structure. In this way, the staff can adjust the horizontal position of the ranging mechanism 11 according to the state of the first level instrument 117 until the ranging mechanism 11 is parallel to the bottom wall of the tank.

[0031] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a display screen 118 is provided on the upper surface of the ranging mechanism 11, and the display screen 118 is used to display the operating state of the scanner 1.

[0032] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an indicator light 119 is provided on the upper surface of the ranging mechanism 11, and the indicator light 119 is used to indicate the state where the scanner 1 is located.

[0033] In one embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, a reflecting plane 21 is provided on the reflector 2, and the reflecting plane 21 is used to receive the laser beam emitted by the ranging component 111 and reflect the laser beam along the emitted path to the ranging component 111. After the ranging component 111 receives the reflected laser beam, the straight-line distance between the ranging component 111 and the reflecting plane 21 is recorded.

[0034] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ranging component 111 can also emit a visible light beam while emitting the laser beam, and the visible light beam is used to identify the position of the laser beam, facilitating the quick movement of the reflecting plane 21 to correspond to the laser beam, so as to obtain the straight-line distance between the ranging component 111 and the reflecting plane.

[0035] In one embodiment, during use, the ranging mechanism 11 is arranged corresponding to the reflection plane 21. Then, the ranging component 111 is turned on, so that the laser beam emitted by the ranging component 111 contacts the reflection plane 21 and is reflected back to the ranging component 111 from the reflection plane 21. At this time, the ranging component 111 records the straight-line length of the laser beam from the ranging component 111 to the reflection plane 21, thereby obtaining the distance from the ranging component 111 to the reflection plane 21. In an alternative embodiment, the ranging component 111 can also be turned on first, and the reflection plane 21 is placed at the position indicated by the visible light beam emitted by the ranging component 111.

[0036] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, the scanner 1 further includes a base 12 arranged below the ranging mechanism 11. The base 12 can be of any shape convenient for arrangement. In the illustrated embodiment, the base 12 is arranged as a cylinder adapted to the shape of the ranging mechanism 11. A rotating shaft 13 relatively fixed to the base 12 is arranged on the base 12. The upper part of the rotating shaft 13 is rotationally connected to the ranging mechanism 11. In this way, the ranging mechanism 11 can rotate relative to the base 12.

[0037] In one embodiment, as Figure 1 shown, a driving unit for driving the ranging mechanism 11 to rotate relative to the base 12 is arranged between the ranging mechanism 11 and the base 12. The driving unit includes a first driving component arranged on the lower surface of the ranging mechanism 11 and a second driving component arranged on the upper surface of the base 12. The first driving component is configured to cooperate with the second driving component to drive the ranging mechanism 11 to rotate.

[0038] Among them, as Figure 2 shown, the first driving component includes a protrusion 112 fixedly connected to the lower part of the ranging mechanism 11, a central shaft 113 rotationally connected to the protrusion 112, and a driving gear fixed on the central shaft 113. The second driving component includes a plurality of tooth grooves 121 arranged around the upper surface of the base 12.

[0039] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of tooth grooves 121 are arranged in a circle along the circular surface of the base 12. Preferably, the intervals between the tooth grooves are equal, for example, all spaced 1°. Since the base 12 is circular, these tooth grooves 121 form a complete tooth disc 14 of 360° on the surface of the base 12.

[0040] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a handle 115 is arranged at the free end of the central shaft 113. The handle 115 is used to provide a force fulcrum for the staff.

[0041] In one embodiment, during use: First, record the position of the drive gear 114 on the toothed disc 14 as the first position. Second, rotate the handle 115 so that the drive gear 114 moves along the surface of the toothed disc 14. Since the drive gear 114 is fixedly connected to the central shaft 113, and the central shaft 113 is passed through the protrusion 112 fixedly connected to the distance measuring mechanism 11, the acting force generated by the rotation of the drive gear 114 can drive the distance measuring mechanism 11 to rotate relative to the base 12.

[0042] After the distance measuring mechanism 11 moves to a suitable position, record the position of the drive gear 114 on the surface of the toothed disc 14 as the second position. Since the angle between each tooth groove is 1°, the angle through which the distance measuring mechanism 11 moves from the first position to the second position can be obtained by the two positions of the drive gear 114 on the surface of the toothed disc 14, and then the angle between the two positions to be measured on the side wall of the tank body can be obtained.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 2 shown, an angle encoder 116 is correspondingly arranged on the lower surface of the distance measuring mechanism 11 opposite to the toothed disc 14, and the angle encoder 116 is used to continuously record the number of tooth grooves 121 passed by the drive gear 114 when rotating along the toothed disc 14.

[0044] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 1 shown, a plurality of first support rods 15 are arranged below the base 12, and the first support rods 15 are used to support the base 12. In this way, the base 12 is separated from the bottom plate. The first support rods 15 can be any number that is convenient for stably providing a supporting force. In this embodiment, the first support rods 15 are arranged in three and are evenly distributed on the base 12.

[0045] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a first magnet 16 is arranged at the end of each first support rod 15, and the first magnet 16 is used to relatively fix the first support rod 15 to the bottom of the tank body to prevent the first support rod 15 from moving and affecting the measurement result.

[0046] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as Figure 3As shown, the reflection plane 21 penetrates the surface of the second support rod 22 and is at the same horizontal height as the distance measurement component 111. A second magnet 23 is provided at the end of the second support rod 22, and the second magnet 23 is used to stably connect to the tank body. A handle 24 is provided at the upper end of the second support rod 22, and the handle 24 can be of any shape convenient for holding. A second level 25 is provided on the surface of the handle 24. In this embodiment, the second level 25 is arranged in a horizontal bubble structure. In this way, the staff can adjust the horizontal position of the reflector 2 according to the state of the second level 25 until the reflector 2 is parallel to the bottom of the tank body.

[0047] The operation of the measuring device for the tank wall according to the present invention is as follows.

[0048] When measuring the side wall of the tank body, first, the scanner 1 and the reflector 2 are placed on the bottom plate in a corresponding manner, and stable connections are formed between the scanner 1, the reflector 2 and the bottom or side wall of the tank body respectively.

[0049] Secondly, the distance measurement component 111 is turned on, so that the distance measurement component 111 emits a laser beam and a visible beam. After the laser beam is transmitted to the reflection plane 21, it is reflected back to the distance measurement component 111 by the reflection plane along the path where the laser beam is emitted. At this time, the distance measurement component records the straight-line length of the laser beam, so as to obtain the straight-line distance between the scanner 1 and the reflector 2. And it is observed through the display screen 118. In addition, the distance measurement component 111 can also be turned on first and the reflector 2 can be placed according to the position indicated by the visible beam emitted by the distance measurement component 111.

[0050] When it is necessary to measure the next position to be measured, first, the position of the drive gear 114 on the surface of the toothed disc 14 is recorded by the angle encoder 116 as the first position. Secondly, the handle 115 is rotated, and the rotational force is transmitted to the distance measurement mechanism 11 through the central shaft 113 fixedly connected to the handle 115, so as to drive the distance measurement mechanism 11 to rotate relative to the base 12. During the rotation process, the angle encoder 116 continuously records the number of tooth grooves 121 that the drive gear 114 has passed through on the surface of the toothed disc 14. When the distance measurement mechanism 11 rotates to a suitable position, the angle encoder 116 records the position of the drive gear 114 on the surface of the toothed disc 14 as the second position. Since the angular interval of the tooth grooves on the surface of the toothed disc 14 is 1° each, the angle from the first position to the second position can be obtained by recording the number of tooth grooves that the drive gear 114 has rotated on the surface of the toothed disc. And it is observed through the display screen 118.

[0051] By repeating the above operations until all the preset points on the surface of the side wall of the tank body (not shown in the figure) are measured, a digital map of the side wall of the tank body can be obtained, and the measurement of the side wall of the tank body is completed.

[0052] When measuring the bottom wall of the tank body, the bottom wall of the tank body is parallel to the laser beam. Therefore, the angular relationship and distance relationship between the preset points on the bottom wall of the tank body also correspond to the rotation angle of the laser beam and the measured distance. Thus, the reflector 2 is placed at the position of the preset point on the bottom wall of the tank body. By measuring the distance between the reflector 2 and the scanner 1 and performing a well-known projection conversion on the data obtained by measurement perpendicular to the bottom wall, the distances and angles on the bottom wall of the tank body can be obtained.

[0053] It can be understood that the present invention is described by way of some embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, various changes or equivalent substitutions can be made to these features and embodiments. Additionally, under the teachings of the present invention, these features and embodiments can be modified to adapt to specific circumstances and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application belong to the scope protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. A measuring device for the wall of a tank, characterized in that, Comprising: A reflector (2) disposed at a position to be measured on the side wall of the tank body, and A scanner (1) disposed on the bottom wall of the tank body, Wherein, the scanner (1) includes a base (12), a ranging mechanism (11) disposed on the base (12), and a driving unit disposed between the ranging mechanism (11) and the base (12) for driving the ranging mechanism (11) to rotate relative to the base (12), and the ranging mechanism (11) includes a ranging component (111) for emitting a laser beam towards the reflector (2).

2. The measuring device for the wall of a tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving unit includes a first driving component disposed on the lower surface of the ranging mechanism (11), and a second driving component disposed on the upper surface of the base (12), and the first driving component is configured to cooperate with the second driving component to drive the ranging mechanism (11) to rotate.

3. The measuring device for the wall of a tank according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first driving component includes a protrusion (112) fixedly connected below the ranging mechanism (11), a central shaft (113) rotatably connected to the protrusion (112), and a driving gear (114) fixed on the central shaft (113), and the second driving component includes a plurality of tooth grooves (121) disposed around the upper surface of the base (12) and capable of cooperating with the driving gear.

4. The measuring device for the wall of a tank according to claim 3, characterized in that, The tooth grooves (121) are arranged in a circle, and the intervals between the respective tooth grooves (121) are all 1°.

5. The measuring device for the wall of a tank according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The base (12) includes a disc provided with tooth grooves (121), and a plurality of first support rods (15) for supporting the disc.

6. The measuring device for the wall of a tank according to claim 5, characterized in that, A first magnet (16) is provided at the end of each of the first support rods (15).

7. The measuring device for the wall of a tank according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, A handle (115) is provided at the free end of the central shaft (113).

8. The measuring device for the wall of a tank according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, An angle encoder (116) is further provided on the lower surface of the ranging mechanism (11) for continuously recording the number of tooth grooves (121) passed by the driving gear (114) during rotation.

9. The measuring device for the wall of a tank according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The reflector (2) includes a reflecting plane (21) for receiving the laser beam emitted by the ranging component (111) and reflecting the laser beam back to the ranging component (111).

10. The measuring device for the wall of a tank according to claim 9, characterized in that, The reflecting plane (21) is disposed on a second support rod (22), and a second magnet (23) is provided at the end of the second support rod (22).

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