An embedded gas ultrasonic flow meter

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of ultrasonic flow meter technology, specifically to an embedded gas ultrasonic flow meter. It includes a gas delivery pipe, an ultrasonic flow meter dial, an embedded probe, and a movable support movably mounted on the gas delivery pipe. A locking mechanism connected to the movable support is provided outside the gas delivery pipe. This locking mechanism, when moving laterally towards the flange end of the gas delivery pipe, moves along a preset path according to the pipe diameter and gradually reduces the distance between the movable support and the outer wall of the gas delivery pipe. An expansion mechanism is pre-embedded within the movable support, located inside the locking mechanism. When the movable support approaches the flange end, the locking gear retracts the locking band, and together with the expansion of the air bladder, pushes the locking band out, reducing the distance between it and the outer wall of the gas delivery pipe. Simultaneously, the pushed-out locking band adheres to the wall of the movable support, thereby improving the firmness of the locking band's restraint on the movable support and the accuracy of the detection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ultrasonic flow meter technology, and more specifically, to an embedded gas ultrasonic flow meter. Background Technology

[0002] A gas ultrasonic flow meter is a flow meter developed based on the principle that the propagation speed of ultrasonic waves in a gaseous medium is equal to the vector sum of the average flow velocity of the measured medium and the velocity of the sound wave in a stationary medium. It mainly consists of a transducer and a converter, and can be classified into different types according to its working principle, such as the Doppler method, velocity difference method, beam deflection method, noise method, and correlation method.

[0003] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN117168557A discloses an embedded ultrasonic gas flow meter, including an ultrasonic flow meter dial and at least one pair of embedded probes. The embedded probes are electrically connected to the ultrasonic flow meter dial via data cables. The device also includes an installation apparatus for mounting the at least one pair of embedded probes onto a gas pipeline. The installation apparatus includes at least one pair of support mechanisms, each comprising a first mounting base and a support assembly. The embedded probes are mounted on the first mounting base via the support assembly. This embedded ultrasonic gas flow meter combines the installation methods of external clamp-on and embedded ultrasonic flow meters. First, the external clamp-on mounting base automatically adjusts the distance and installation angle of the two probes when binding with straps according to the pipe diameter. Then, the embedded probes are installed by drilling holes in the pipeline according to their positioning.

[0004] When fixing the mounting base, the relative movement of the two mounting bases pulls the strapping to tighten it, thus securing the mounting base to the pipeline. However, when the pipeline is short, i.e., the distance between the flanges at both ends of the pipeline is short, the distance that the mounting base can move is limited. This can result in the strapping not being tight enough when the mounting base moves to contact the flange, thus affecting the stability of the test. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides an embedded ultrasonic gas flow meter. When the movable support is close to the flange end, the locking gear winds up the locking band, and the expanding air bladder pushes the locking band out, reducing the distance between it and the outer wall of the gas pipeline. Simultaneously, the pushed-out locking band adheres to the wall of the movable support, thereby improving the firmness of the locking band's restraint on the movable support and the accuracy of the detection, thus solving the problems mentioned in the background art, namely:

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embedded ultrasonic gas flow meter includes a gas delivery pipe, an ultrasonic flow meter dial, an embedded probe, and a movable support movably mounted on the gas delivery pipe. A locking mechanism connected to the movable support is provided outside the gas delivery pipe. When the locking mechanism moves laterally toward the flange end of the gas delivery pipe, it moves laterally along a preset path according to the pipe diameter and gradually reduces the distance between the locking mechanism and the outer wall of the gas delivery pipe. An expansion mechanism is pre-embedded in the movable support. The expansion mechanism is located inside the locking mechanism. When it is close to the flange end of the gas delivery pipe, the expansion mechanism can use its expansion to force the locking mechanism to push against the inner wall of the movable support, thereby tightening the locking mechanism and applying pressure to the inner wall of the movable support to increase the friction between the locking mechanism and the inner wall of the movable support.

[0007] Secondly, the locking mechanism includes a locking band with one end fixed to the outer wall of the movable support and the other end surrounding the outer wall of the gas pipeline and passing through the movable support. During the process of moving the movable support laterally, the locking band is used to bind the movable support to the outer wall of the gas pipeline, and a locking gear is engaged on the locking band. The two ends of the locking gear are rotatably connected to the bracket.

[0008] Furthermore, an auxiliary plate is provided between the two movable supports. One end of a winding rope is fixed on the auxiliary plate, and the other end of the winding rope extends into the interior of the movable support and is wound around the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the movable support, and a driving bevel gear is coaxially connected to the bottom of the rotating shaft. The driving bevel gear meshes with a driven bevel gear that is coaxially connected to the locking gear.

[0009] The expansion mechanism includes an airbag located in a groove inside the support plate, the airbag being close to the inner wall of the movable support and the outer wall being in contact with the locking strap.

[0010] In the above technical solution, when the end of the contact rod contacts the flange end, as the displacement of the movable support increases, the contact rod collapses into the air supply cylinder and forces air into the airbag through the air supply pipe, forcing the airbag to inflate and push out its outer locking band. As the inflation of the airbag increases, the extent to which the locking band is pushed out increases. (Refer to...) Figure 5 As shown in the dashed line, when the locking band is pushed out to the point where it is in close contact with the inner wall of the movable support, the locking band tightens, the movable support is fixed to the gas pipeline, and the pin fixes the pivot. At the same time, the pressure applied by the airbag to the locking band increases the friction between the movable support and the locking band, thereby improving the stability of the movable support.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0012] As the movable support approaches the flange end, the locking gear retracts the locking band, and the airbag expands to push the locking band out, reducing the distance between it and the outer wall of the gas pipeline. At the same time, the pushed-out locking band adheres to the wall of the movable support, thereby improving the firmness of the locking band's restraint on the movable support and the accuracy of the detection. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the gas transmission pipeline and movable support of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the internal structure of the movable support of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 3 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the diagram;

[0017] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the airbag inflation structure of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the airbag and the air supply cylinder of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the airbag inflation principle of the present invention.

[0020] The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows:

[0021] 100. Gas pipeline; 101. Ultrasonic flow meter dial; 102. Embedded probe; 103. Auxiliary plate; 104. Winding rope;

[0022] 110. Movable support; 111. Box cover; 112. Torsion spring plate; 113. Air supply cylinder; 114. Contact rod; 115. Support plate;

[0023] 120. Locking mechanism; 121. Locking band; 122. Locking gear; 123. Driven bevel gear; 124. Driving bevel gear; 125. Rotating shaft;

[0024] 130. Airbag; 131. Wall-mounted area; 132. Air supply pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0025] 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, and 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.

[0026] When fixing the mounting base, the relative movement of the two mounting bases pulls the strapping to tighten it, thus securing the mounting base to the pipeline. However, when the pipeline is short, i.e., the distance between the flanges at both ends of the pipeline is short, the distance that the mounting base can move is limited. This can result in the strapping not being fully tightened when the mounting base moves to contact the flange, thus affecting the stability of the detection. This invention provides an embedded ultrasonic gas flow meter, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figures 1-3 As shown, the device includes a gas pipeline 100, an ultrasonic flow meter dial 101, an embedded probe 102, and a movable support 110 movably mounted on the gas pipeline 100. The movable supports 110 are symmetrically arranged. A locking mechanism 120 connected to the movable support 110 is provided outside the gas pipeline 100. When the locking mechanism 120 moves laterally toward the flange end of the gas pipeline 100, it moves laterally along a preset path according to the diameter of the gas pipeline 100 and gradually reduces the distance between the movable support 110 and the outer wall of the gas pipeline 100, thereby fixing and binding the movable support 110 to the outer wall of the gas pipeline 100.

[0027] When the movable support 110 is fixed, an expansion mechanism is pre-embedded in the movable support 110. The expansion mechanism is located inside the locking mechanism 120. When it is close to the flange end of the gas pipeline 100, the expansion mechanism can use expansion to force the locking mechanism 120 to push against the inner wall of the movable support 110, thereby tightening the locking mechanism 120 and applying pressure to the inner wall of the movable support 110 to increase the friction between the locking mechanism 120 and the inner wall of the movable support 110.

[0028] The working principle is as follows: By synchronously moving the locking mechanism 120 to both sides, the tightening degree of the locking mechanism 120 is controlled according to the lateral movement distance. When the movable support 110 is close to the flange end of the gas pipeline 100, the locking mechanism 120 has not yet bound the movable support 110 to the outer wall of the gas pipeline 100. The expansion mechanism expands and pushes the locking mechanism 120 out to tighten it, forcing the locking mechanism 120 to fix the movable support 110 to the gas pipeline 100. At the same time, the gas pipeline 100, under the pressure of the expansion mechanism, increases the friction between the pushed-out gas pipeline 100 and the inner wall of the movable support 110, thereby improving the stability of the movable support 110 being fixed. The detailed process is shown in the following figure:

[0029] First, in this embodiment: select Figure 1 The pair of embedded probes 102 shown is an example; in actual production, multiple sets of embedded probes 102 can be set to improve the accuracy of gas flow measurement. By selecting... Figure 1 The reflective installation method shown means that the sound waves emitted by the two embedded probes 102 are reflected by the pipe wall and received by each other in a V-shape.

[0030] During installation, first place the two movable supports 110 on the same horizontal line of the gas pipeline 100. Then, simultaneously move the two movable supports 110 relative to each other. During this process, by sliding along the gas pipeline 100, the locking mechanism 120 gradually reduces the distance between itself and the outer wall of the gas pipeline 100 until the locking mechanism 120 binds the movable supports 110 to the surface of the gas pipeline 100. The locking mechanism 120 includes a locking band 121, one end of which is fixed to the outer wall of the movable support 110, and the other end of which surrounds the outer wall of the gas pipeline 100 and passes through the movable support 110. During the movement, the locking band 121 is used to bind the movable support 110 to the outer wall of the gas pipeline 100, and a locking gear 122 is engaged on the locking band 121. The two ends of the locking gear 122 are rotatably connected to the bracket. Then, a support plate 115 is fixed at the bottom of the bracket. The support plate 115 is fixed to the movable support 110, and the movable support 110 is arc-shaped with its inner wall in contact with the outer wall of the gas pipeline 100. In this way, when the two movable supports 110 are moved relative to each other, the movable support 110 slides against the outer wall of the gas pipeline 100 and gradually moves closer to the flange end of the gas pipeline 100.

[0031] During the process of approaching the flange end, an auxiliary plate 103 is provided between the two movable supports 110. In the initial state, the auxiliary plate 103 is fixed in the middle of the gas pipeline 100 by a strapping strap (existing technology, not shown in the figure) to ensure that the distance between the two movable supports 110 and the corresponding flange end is equal.

[0032] Then, based on Figure 3 Based on and combined Figure 4 As shown, one end of a winding rope 104 is fixed on the auxiliary plate 103. The winding rope 104 is detachably connected to the auxiliary plate 103. The other end of the winding rope 104 extends into the interior of the movable support 110 and is wound around the rotating shaft 125. The rotating shaft 125 is rotatably connected to the movable support 110. A driving bevel gear 124 is coaxially connected to the bottom of the rotating shaft 125. The driving bevel gear 124 meshes with a driven bevel gear 123 that is coaxially connected to the locking gear 122.

[0033] Therefore, when the movable support 110 is moved closer to the flange end, the multiple turns of the winding rope 104 on the rotating shaft 125 are gradually released during the movement because the winding rope 104 at the auxiliary plate 103 is restricted. At the same time, the released winding rope 104 drives the rotating shaft 125 to rotate, which drives the active bevel gear 124 to indirectly drive the locking gear 122 to rotate through the driven bevel gear 123. That is, the locking gear 122 tightens the locking band 121, forcing the locking band 121 to reduce the distance between it and the outer wall of the gas pipeline 100, thus realizing the function of automatic tightening.

[0034] In addition, the rotation of the active bevel gear 124 can also provide power for the rotation of the embedded probe 102 through the cooperation of gears and belts (which belongs to the prior art, see publication number CN117168557A). That is, according to the diameter of the gas pipeline 100, when the two locking straps 121 are tightened, the distance and angle of the two embedded probes 102 are automatically adjusted to a suitable position to complete the adjustment of the spacing between the two embedded probes 102.

[0035] Furthermore, considering that during reset, the two movable supports 110 move towards each other, and the winding rope 104 becomes loose, a cover 111 is fixedly installed on the movable support 110 located at the top of the rotating shaft 125. The cover 111 has a torsion spring plate 112 fixed to the rotating shaft 125 inside. During the reset phase, the torsion spring plate 112 is used to provide torsional force to the rotating shaft 125 to automatically retract the loose winding rope 104. At the same time, it drives the locking strap 121 to be released from the gas pipeline 100 in the opposite direction, thereby completing the disassembly of the movable support 110.

[0036] It should be noted that the above describes the process before the movable support 110 contacts the flange end of the gas pipeline 100. That is, the movable support 110 is already secured by the locking strap 121 before contacting the flange end. Furthermore, after the rotating shaft 125 stops rotating, it is fixed to the cover 111 by a pin, restricting the rotation of the shaft 125. The following section will further explain... Figure 5 Another way to fix the movable support 110 is shown, that is, the movable support 110 is not yet secured by the locking strap 121 when it is about to contact the flange end:

[0037] The expansion mechanism includes an airbag 130 located in a groove inside the support plate 115. The airbag 130 is close to the inner wall of the movable support 110 and its outer wall is in contact with the locking band 121. When the locking band 121 is tightened, the airbag 130 pushes the locking band 121 against the inner wall of the movable support 110, so that the locking band 121 located inside the movable support 110 is tightened and in contact with the wall of the movable support 110, thereby increasing the contact between the locking band 121 and the inner wall of the movable support 110. Friction improves the firmness of the fixed connection between the movable support 110 and the gas pipeline 100; secondly, during the inflation of the airbag 130, a wall-adhering area 131 is formed between the airbag 130 and the inner wall of the movable support 110. The wall-adhering area 131 is used to receive the overflowing airbag 130. During the inflation of the airbag 130, it gradually moves closer to the wall-adhering area 131 until a part of the airbag 130 is adhered to the inner wall of the movable support 110, thus completing the tightening of the locking strap 121.

[0038] based on Figure 5 Based on and combined Figure 6 , Figure 7As shown, an air supply cylinder 113, open at one end and closed at the other, is fixed on the inner wall of the movable support 110 near the flange end. An air supply pipe 132 connects the air supply cylinder 113 to the airbag 130. A contact rod 114 is fitted inside the air supply cylinder 113. When the end of the contact rod 114 contacts the flange end, the contact rod 114 compresses the internal gas into the airbag 130, forcing the airbag 130 to inflate. The specific working principle is as follows:

[0039] When the end of the contact rod 114 contacts the flange end, as the displacement of the movable support 110 increases, the contact rod 114 collapses into the air supply cylinder 113 and forces air through the air supply pipe 132 into the airbag 130, forcing the airbag 130 to inflate and push out its outer locking band 121. As the inflation of the airbag 130 increases, the extent to which the locking band 121 is pushed out increases. (Refer to...) Figure 5 As shown in the dashed line, when the locking band 121 is pushed out to the point where it is in close contact with the inner wall of the movable support 110, the locking band 121 is tightened, the movable support 110 is fixed on the gas pipeline 100, and the pin fixes the rotating shaft 125. At the same time, the pressure applied by the airbag 130 to the locking band 121 increases the friction between the movable support 110 and the locking band 121, thereby improving the stability of the movable support 110.

[0040] In other words, when the movable support 110 is close to the flange end, the locking gear 122 winds up the locking band 121, and the airbag 130 expands to push the locking band 121 out, reducing the distance between it and the outer wall of the gas pipeline 100. At the same time, the pushed-out locking band 121 and the movable support 110 are attached to the wall, thereby improving the firmness of the locking band 121 in binding the movable support 110 and the accuracy of the detection.

[0041] Furthermore, due to the restriction of the inflatable airbag 130, one end of the contact rod 114 is pressed against the flange end, which results in a reaction force from the flange end on the contact rod 114. This force is transmitted to the movable support 110 and the locking band 121, forcing an increase in the lateral friction between the locking band 121 and the gas pipeline 100, thereby improving the connection strength between the locking band 121 and the gas pipeline 100.

[0042] After the test is completed, the pin is pulled out to release the restriction on the rotating shaft 125, the end of the winding rope 104 is removed from the auxiliary plate 103, and the rotating shaft 125 is rotated in the opposite direction. The locking gear 122 reverses to release the tightened locking band 121, the pressure of the airbag 130 on the locking band 121 is reduced, the locking band 121 is pulled out from the air supply pipe 100, the distance between the locking band 121 and the air supply pipe 100 increases, the contact rod 114 gradually withdraws from the air supply cylinder 113, the gas in the airbag 130 flows back, and a baffle is provided extending inward from the open end of the air supply cylinder 113. The baffle is used to restrict the contact rod 114 from disengaging from the air supply cylinder 113, thereby resetting the device.

[0043] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An embedded ultrasonic gas flow meter, comprising a gas delivery pipe (100), an ultrasonic flow meter dial (101), an embedded probe (102), and a movable support (110) movably disposed on the gas delivery pipe (100), characterized in that: A locking mechanism (120) connected to a movable support (110) is provided outside the gas pipeline (100). The locking mechanism (120) is used to move laterally along a preset path and gradually reduce the distance between itself and the outer wall of the gas pipeline (100) when it moves laterally toward the flange end of the gas pipeline (100) according to the pipe diameter. An expansion mechanism is pre-embedded in the movable support (110). The expansion mechanism is located inside the locking mechanism (120). When it is close to the flange end of the gas pipeline (100), the expansion mechanism can use expansion to force the locking mechanism (120) to push against the inner wall of the movable support (110), thereby tightening the locking mechanism (120) and applying pressure to the inner wall of the movable support (110) to increase the friction between the locking mechanism (120) and the inner wall of the movable support (110). The locking mechanism (120) includes a locking band (121) with one end fixed to the outer wall of the movable support (110) and the other end surrounding the outer wall of the gas pipeline (100) and passing through the movable support (110). During the process of moving the movable support (110) laterally, the locking band (121) is used to bind the movable support (110) to the outer wall of the gas pipeline (100), and a locking gear (122) is engaged on the locking band (121). The locking gear (122) is rotatably connected to the two ends of the locking gear (122). The expansion mechanism includes an airbag (130) located in a recess inside the support plate (115), the airbag (130) being close to the inner wall of the movable support (110) and the outer wall being in contact with the locking strap (121); A wall-attaching area (131) is formed between the inner wall of the airbag (130) and the movable support (110), the wall-attaching area (131) being used to receive the overflow airbag (130). An air supply cylinder (113) with one end open and the other end closed is fixed on the inner wall of the movable support (110) near the flange end. An air supply pipe (132) is connected between the air supply cylinder (113) and the air bag (130). A contact rod (114) is sleeved inside the air supply cylinder (113). A baffle is provided extending inward from the open end of the air supply cylinder (113) to prevent the contact rod (114) from disengaging from the air supply cylinder (113), thereby resetting the device.

2. The embedded ultrasonic gas flow meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: A support plate (115) is fixed at the bottom of the bracket. The support plate (115) is fixed to the movable support (110), and the movable support (110) is arc-shaped with its inner wall in contact with the outer wall of the gas pipeline (100).

3. The embedded ultrasonic gas flow meter according to claim 2, characterized in that: An auxiliary plate (103) is provided between the two movable supports (110). One end of a winding rope (104) is fixed on the auxiliary plate (103). The other end of the winding rope (104) extends into the movable support (110) and is wound around the rotating shaft (125). The rotating shaft (125) is rotatably connected to the movable support (110). A driving bevel gear (124) is coaxially connected to the bottom of the rotating shaft (125). The driving bevel gear (124) meshes with a driven bevel gear (123) that is coaxially connected to the locking gear (122).

4. The embedded ultrasonic gas flow meter according to claim 3, characterized in that: A cover (111) is fixedly mounted on a movable support (110) at the top of the shaft (125). Inside the cover (111) is a torsion spring plate (112) fixed to the shaft (125). During the reset phase, the torsion spring plate (112) is used to provide torsional force to the shaft (125) to automatically retract the loosely wound rope (104).

Images