Test box for simulating water meter buried environment

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of simulation test equipment, in particular to a test box for simulating a water meter buried environment, which comprises a box body and a separation layer, the top of the box body is provided with a box cover, the bottom of the box body is provided with a water outlet, and the inner bottom wall of the box body is used for placing a test sample; the separation layer is arranged in the box body, is of a flexible net-shaped structure, is used for spreading soil, and can move downwards in the height direction of the box body to simulate the use environment in which the soil covers the test sample, or move upwards in the height direction of the box body to be separated from the test sample. The test box can synchronously simulate soil coverage, pressure, temperature and humidity, soil characteristics (moisture content and compactness) and other buried key factors, a real buried scene can be reproduced, and test data has higher reference value; different types of soil can be replaced, various parameters can be adjusted, and the device is suitable for buried tests of water meters of different specifications in different regions.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of simulation test equipment, in particular to a test box for simulating the buried environment of a water meter. BACKGROUND

[0002] An intelligent water meter is a new type of water meter that uses modern microelectronic technology, modern sensing technology and intelligent IC card technology to measure water consumption and transfer and settle water consumption data. With the market expansion of electronic signaling water meters, the installation environment of electronic water meters has developed from a corridor water meter box to a rural underground well, and the installation environment has gradually become harsh, being easily soaked by rainwater and buried in soil.

[0003] Among them, the electronic device of the water meter is a key electronic component of the intelligent water meter. If the external waterproofing is not in place, the internal components of the electronic device will be damaged, the circuit will be short-circuited or malfunction, which will seriously affect the normal operation of the electronic water meter. Therefore, when designing the water meter, the electronic device of the water meter needs to be tested for protection in the environment of being buried in soil. However, the conventional test method can only use a high-low temperature oven to perform simulation tests, and the test environment is greatly different, resulting in inaccurate test data. Therefore, a new water meter buried test box is urgently needed to simulate the actual use environment and help improve the protection capability of the entire meter. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a test box for simulating the buried environment of a water meter, to solve the problems of the prior art that the existing equipment cannot accurately reproduce multi-dimensional buried environments, the test efficiency is low, and it is difficult to regulate the characteristics of the soil, and to achieve comprehensive simulation and efficient testing of the water meter buried use scenario.

[0005] The present application provides a test box for simulating the buried environment of a water meter, comprising:

[0006] A box body, the top of the box body has a box cover, the bottom of the box body has a water outlet, and the inner bottom wall of the box body is used to place a test sample;

[0007] A separation layer is arranged in the box body, the separation layer has a flexible mesh structure, is used to lay soil, and can move downward along the height direction of the box body to simulate the use environment of the soil covering the test sample, or move upward along the height direction of the box body to separate from the test sample.

[0008] In one possible design, a pressurizing device is further included, which is in communication with the inside of the box body and is used to pressurize the inside of the box body to simulate different soil depth environments.

[0009] In one possible design, a spraying device is further included, which is in communication with the inside of the box body and is used to spray water on the separation layer.

[0010] In one possible design, further comprising:

[0011] a heating device for heating the ambient environment of the test sample;

[0012] a condensing device for cooling the ambient environment of the test sample.

[0013] In a possible design, the device further comprises:

[0014] a first pressure sensor for collecting the pressure in the box;

[0015] a temperature and humidity sensor for collecting the temperature and humidity in the box.

[0016] In a possible design, the side wall of the box is provided with a soil loading hole, and a sealable door is installed at the soil loading hole.

[0017] In a possible design, the device further comprises a pressing plate above the partition layer, which can press the soil on the partition layer to simulate different soil properties by approaching the partition layer.

[0018] In a possible design, the lower end of the pressing plate is provided with a probe, and the device further comprises:

[0019] a soil water content sensor arranged on the probe for collecting the water content of the pressed soil;

[0020] a second pressure sensor arranged on the pressing plate and the probe for collecting the compaction degree of the pressed soil.

[0021] In a possible design, the device further comprises:

[0022] a first lifting assembly arranged outside the box and connected with the box cover for driving the box cover to move up and down;

[0023] a second lifting assembly arranged on the box cover and connected with the partition layer for driving the partition layer to move up and down;

[0024] a third lifting assembly arranged on the box cover and connected with the pressing plate for driving the pressing plate to move up and down.

[0025] In a possible design, an electronic on-off valve is installed at the water outlet.

[0026] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows:

[0027] The test box for simulating the buried environment of a water meter provided by the application can synchronously simulate key buried factors such as soil covering, pressure, temperature and humidity, and soil properties (moisture content and compaction degree), reproduce a real buried scene, and test data has more reference value; different types of soil can be replaced, and various parameters can be adjusted, and the test box is suitable for buried tests of water meters of different regions and different specifications. The controller is used to realize automatic parameter adjustment and process automation, reduce manual intervention, and shorten test preparation time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments or prior art of the application, the drawings needed to be used in the specific embodiments or prior art description will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor on the basis of these drawings.

[0029] Figure 1 The structural schematic diagram of the test box for simulating the buried environment of a water meter provided by the embodiment of the application is shown in the figure.

[0030] Figure 2 The structural schematic diagram of the pressure plate of the test box for simulating the buried environment of a water meter provided by the embodiment of the application is shown in the figure. Figure 1

[0031] Figure 3 The structural schematic diagram of the pressure plate of the test box for simulating the buried environment of a water meter provided by the embodiment of the application is shown in the figure. Figure 2 .

[0032] Reference signs:

[0033] 1, box; 101, box cover; 102, water outlet; 2, partition layer; 3, pressure device; 4, spraying device; 5, heating device; 6, condensing device; 7, first pressure sensor; 8, temperature and humidity sensor; 9, pressure plate; 901, probe; 10, soil moisture content sensor; 11, second pressure sensor; 12, first lifting assembly; 13, second lifting assembly; 14, third lifting assembly; 15, electronic on-off valve; 16, controller; 17, computer end; 18, test sample. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The technical solutions of the application will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are some embodiments of the application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the application.

[0035] The technical solutions of the application will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are some embodiments of the application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the application. Figure 1 ,​​Figure 2 and Figure 3 The application discloses a test box for simulating a buried environment of a water meter.

[0036] The test box comprises a box body 1 and a separation layer 2. The box body 1 serves as a bearing main body of a test environment, is provided with an openable and closable box cover 101 at the top, is provided with a water outlet 102 at the bottom, the water outlet 102 is used for discharging excess water in the box, maintaining stable humidity, the inner bottom wall is flat, and is used for placing a test sample 18 and a test water meter. The separation layer 2 is horizontally arranged in the box body 1 and comprises a peripheral wall and a bottom wall. The peripheral wall is made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel, and the bottom wall is made of corrosion-resistant nylon net with a mesh diameter of 0.5-2 mm, which is convenient for water penetration and can bear soil. The core function of the separation layer 2 is to lay soil and can move along the height direction of the box body 1. When moving downward, the soil is covered on the surface of the test sample 18 on the inner bottom wall, thereby simulating a soil burying environment with different thicknesses. When moving upward, the test sample 18 is separated from the soil, thereby facilitating sample taking and placing and cleaning of the box body 1.

[0037] In some embodiments of the application, the test box further comprises a pressurizing device 3, for example, an air compressor, which is communicated with the inside of the box body 1 through an air pipe. The air pipe is connected to the box cover 101 or the upper part of the side wall of the box body 1, and an electronic control valve is arranged on the air pipe. In operation, the pressurizing device 3 introduces clean gas into the box body 1 according to a preset pressure value, changes the air pressure in the box, simulates a pressure environment corresponding to different soil depths, for example, 10 kPa corresponds to a soil depth of 1 m, and 30 kPa corresponds to a soil depth of 3 m, thereby meeting the test requirements of different buried depths in different regions.

[0038] In some embodiments of the application, a spraying device 4 is arranged in the test box. The spraying device 4 comprises a water storage tank, a spraying pump, a spraying pipeline and atomizing nozzles. The spraying pipeline is arranged along the inner wall of the box body 1, the atomizing nozzles are arranged on the inner wall of the box body 1 and are located obliquely above the separation layer 2, are distributed circumferentially around the separation layer 2, and the angle of the nozzles can be adjusted. The water storage tank is connected to the spraying pump, and the spraying pump is communicated with the spraying pipeline in the box body 1 through the pipeline. In operation, the spraying device 4 sprays water on the soil on the separation layer 2 according to the test requirements, can maintain the soil moisture content stable through atomizing spraying, and can also simulate a rainwater infiltration scene and accurately control the humidity conditions in the buried environment.

[0039] To realize the coordinated regulation of temperature and humidity, the test box further comprises a heating device 5 and a condensing device 6. Specifically, the heating device 5 adopts an electric heating pipe, which is uniformly embedded in the inner bottom wall interlayer or below the inner bottom wall of the box body 1. The heating power is adjusted by the controller 16 to heat the air and soil in the box, simulating the high temperature condition of the buried environment in summer. The condensing device 6 comprises a condenser and a cooling pipe. The condenser is installed outside the side wall of the box body 1, and the cooling pipe is uniformly embedded in the inner bottom wall interlayer or below the inner bottom wall of the box body 1. By passing low-temperature water into the cooling pipe, the air and soil in the box are cooled, simulating the low-temperature buried environment in winter or underground. The condensing device 6 cooperates with the heating device 5 to realize dynamic cyclic regulation of the temperature in the box.

[0040] To monitor and feedback the environmental parameters in the box in real time, the test box further comprises a first pressure sensor 7 and a temperature and humidity sensor 8. The first pressure sensor 7 is installed in the middle of the inner side wall of the box body 1 and is electrically connected with the controller 16. It collects the air pressure data in the box in real time and transmits the data to the controller 16. If the air pressure deviates from the preset value, the controller 16 can automatically control the opening and closing of the electronic control valve of the pressurizing device 3 to maintain stable pressure. The temperature and humidity sensor 8 is installed on the inner wall of the box body 1 and is also electrically connected with the controller 16. It collects the temperature and relative humidity data in the box in real time, providing basis for the regulation of the heating device 5, the condensing device 6 and the spraying device 4, and ensuring that the temperature and humidity parameters meet the test standards.

[0041] In some embodiments, soil loading holes are provided in the middle of the side wall of the box body 1 to facilitate the pouring of soil. A sealing door is hingedly installed at the soil loading hole. A corrosion-resistant rubber sealing ring is provided on the inner side of the sealing door, which can tightly fit the side wall of the box body 1 when closed, ensuring the air tightness in the box. When opened, soil (such as different types of soil such as clay, loam and sandy soil) can be directly added to the partition layer 2 without opening the box cover 101, simplifying the operation process and avoiding fluctuations in the environmental parameters in the box.

[0042] Referring to Figure 2 In some embodiments, a pressure plate 9 is added to the test box to accurately simulate the compaction characteristics of different regional soils. The pressure plate 9 is a circular or square metal plate, which is horizontally located directly above the partition layer 2. During operation, the pressure plate 9 can be moved along the height direction of the box body 1 to approach the partition layer 2, and the soil on the partition layer 2 is extruded by applying pressure to adjust the compaction degree of the soil (such as 15 kPa for loose soil and 30 kPa for dense soil), thereby simulating different soil hardness buried environments.

[0043] Referring to Figure 3To monitor the soil state in real time, multiple probes 901, for example, 3-5, are evenly arranged on the lower end surface of the pressing plate 9, which are made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel, and are matched with a soil water content sensor 10 and a second pressure sensor 11. The soil water content sensor 10 is embedded in the end of the probe 901, and when the probe 901 is inserted into the soil, the volume water content of the soil can be directly collected, and the data is transmitted to the controller 16 for controlling the water spraying amount of the spraying device 4. The second pressure sensor 11 is installed at the connection position of the pressing plate 9 and the probe 901, and can collect the pressure value of the pressing plate 9 on the soil in real time, that is, the soil compaction degree data, which is fed back to the controller 16 to ensure that the soil compaction degree meets the preset test condition.

[0044] To realize the precise movement and automatic control of each component, the test box is provided with three lifting assemblies. The first lifting assembly 12 is installed on the top outer side of the box body 1, and the output end is connected with the box cover 101. The box cover 101 is driven to move up and down along the vertical direction by the controller 16, so as to realize the automatic opening and closing of the box cover 101, and facilitate the taking and placing of the test sample 18.

[0045] The second lifting assembly 13 also adopts a cylinder or an electric push rod, which is installed on the inner side of the middle part of the box cover 101, and the output end is connected with the edge of the separation layer 2 through a connecting rod, so as to drive the separation layer 2 to move up and down along the height direction of the box body 1, and precisely control the thickness of the soil covering sample.

[0046] The third lifting assembly 14 is installed on the inner side of the box cover 101 and located beside the second lifting assembly 13, and the output end is connected with the top of the pressing plate 9, so as to drive the pressing plate 9 to move up and down, adjust the pressure on the soil, and realize the automatic control of the soil compaction degree.

[0047] The three lifting assemblies are electrically connected with the controller 16, can realize synchronous or independent action through the preset program, and greatly improve the automation degree of the test process.

[0048] In some embodiments, an electronic switch valve 15 is installed at the water outlet 102 at the bottom of the box body 1, which is electrically connected with the controller 16, and can automatically control the opening and closing and opening degree of the water outlet 102 according to the test requirements: for example, if the soil water content is too high after spraying, the controller 16 can open the electronic switch valve 15 to discharge part of the water; after the test is completed, the valve can be fully opened to discharge the accumulated water in the box and the soil leachate, so as to facilitate the cleaning of the box body 1.

[0049] The test box of the present application will be further described in detail in combination with specific tests as follows:

[0050] Test 1: Rural underground well water meter buried test (simulating 1 meter soil depth and loam environment).

[0051] Sample preparation: Drive the tank cover 101 to rise through the first lifting component 12, fix the three sets of water meters to be tested on the positioning structure on the bottom wall of the tank 1, close the tank cover 101 and seal it;

[0052] Soil addition: Open the sealed door on the side wall of the box 1, pour the soil (10-15cm thick) onto the partition layer 2, and close the sealed door;

[0053] Parameter settings: Set the internal pressure of the chamber to 10 kPa (corresponding to 1 meter soil depth), temperature to 25℃, relative humidity to 60%, soil moisture content to 18%, and soil compaction degree to 20 kPa via computer terminal 17.

[0054] Environmental control:

[0055] The pressurizing device 3 is activated, and air is introduced into the chamber to 10 kPa. The first pressure sensor 7 monitors and maintains the pressure stability in real time.

[0056] The heating device 5 and condensing device 6 are activated, and together with the temperature and humidity sensor 8, the temperature inside the chamber is adjusted to 25°C.

[0057] Spraying device 4 is started to spray water onto the soil. Spraying stops when soil moisture sensor 10 detects that the moisture content reaches 18%.

[0058] The third lifting component 14 drives the pressure plate 9 to move downward, compressing the soil until the second pressure sensor 11 displays 20 kPa, maintaining the compaction degree;

[0059] Soil cover: The second lifting component 13 drives the separator layer 2 to move down, so that the soil completely covers the water surface (cover thickness 5-8cm), and the 72-hour continuous test begins;

[0060] Data recording: The controller 16 records parameters such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and soil moisture content inside the box in real time. After the test, the partition layer 2 and the pressure plate 9 are raised, and the water meter is taken out to check its circuit continuity and the integrity of the outer shell.

[0061] Experiment 2: Buried water meter test in northern permafrost region (simulating -20℃ low temperature and permafrost pressure).

[0062] Sample preparation: Drive the tank cover 101 to rise through the first lifting component 12, fix the three sets of water meters to be tested on the positioning structure on the bottom wall of the tank 1, close the tank cover 101 and seal it;

[0063] Soil addition: Open the sealed door on the side wall of the box 1, pour the soil (10-15cm thick) onto the partition layer 2, and close the sealed door;

[0064] Parameter settings: Set the internal pressure of the chamber to 25 kPa (corresponding to a soil depth of 2.5 meters), temperature to -20℃, relative humidity to 50%, and soil moisture content to 12% (in frozen soil conditions) via computer terminal 17.

[0065] Environmental control:

[0066] After the spraying device 4 sprays water into the soil to a moisture content of 12%, the condensation device 6 is activated to lower the temperature inside the chamber to -20°C and maintain it for 2 hours to freeze the soil.

[0067] Pressurization device 3 is vented to 25 kPa to simulate frozen soil pressure;

[0068] Test process: The test lasted for 120 hours. During this period, the temperature stability of the frozen soil was monitored by temperature and humidity sensor 8, and the pressure was maintained by the first pressure sensor 7.

[0069] Results evaluation: After the test, the water meter was slowly heated to 5°C to thaw and the casing was checked for cracks or electronic component failures due to freezing expansion.

[0070] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0071] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0072] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between components; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0073] In this application, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0074] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A test chamber for simulating the underground environment of water meters, characterized in that, include: The box has a lid on the top and a water outlet at the bottom. The inner bottom wall of the box is used to place test samples. A separating layer is disposed inside the box. The separating layer has a flexible mesh structure and is used to spread the soil. The separating layer can move downward along the height direction of the box to simulate the use environment of the soil covering test sample, or move upward along the height direction of the box to separate from the test sample.

2. The test chamber for simulating the buried environment of water meters according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a pressurization device, which is connected to the inside of the chamber and is used to pressurize the chamber by introducing air to simulate different soil depth environments.

3. The test chamber for simulating the buried environment of water meters according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a spraying device, which is connected to the inside of the housing and is used to spray water onto the partition layer.

4. The test chamber for simulating the buried environment of water meters according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: A heating device used to heat the environment surrounding the test sample; A condenser is used to cool the environment surrounding the test sample.

5. The test chamber for simulating the buried environment of water meters according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: The first pressure sensor is used to collect the pressure inside the box; A temperature and humidity sensor is used to collect the temperature and humidity inside the enclosure.

6. The test chamber for simulating the buried environment of water meters according to claim 5, characterized in that, The side wall of the box is provided with a soil filling hole, and a sealing door that can be opened and closed is installed at the soil filling hole.

7. The test chamber for simulating the buried environment of water meters according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, It also includes a pressure plate located above the separator layer, which can compress the soil on the separator layer by being close to it to simulate different soil properties.

8. The test chamber for simulating the buried environment of water meters according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lower end of the pressure plate is equipped with a probe, and also includes: A soil moisture sensor, which is mounted on the probe, is used to collect the moisture content of the compressed soil. The second pressure sensor, which is mounted on the pressure plate and the probe, is used to collect the compaction degree of the compressed soil.

9. The test chamber for simulating the buried environment of water meters according to claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: The first lifting component is disposed outside the box and connected to the box cover, and is used to drive the box cover to move up and down; The second lifting component is disposed on the box cover and connected to the partition layer, and is used to drive the partition layer to move up and down; The third lifting component is mounted on the box cover and connected to the pressure plate, which drives the pressure plate to move up and down.

10. The test chamber for simulating the buried environment of water meters according to claim 1, characterized in that, An electronic switch valve is installed at the water outlet.

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