Ultrasonic liquid level measuring device and ultrasonic liquid level measuring method

Abstract

The invention relates to an ultrasonic liquid level measuring device and method. The device comprises an ultrasonic probe, an adjusting assembly and a data processor. The adjusting assembly comprises an adjusting block and an adjusting fixing part, the adjusting block is provided with a mounting hole for mounting the ultrasonic probe, the mounting height of the ultrasonic probe on the side wall of the container can be adjusted through the adjusting block, and the adjusting fixing part is used for fixing the adjusting block on the side wall of the container. The detection end of the ultrasonic probe faces the side wall of the container, is in contact with the side wall of the container and is used for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal into the container; the data processor is connected with the ultrasonic probe and used for receiving the echo signals and conducting data analysis so as to judge the liquid level state in the container. According to the invention, the ultrasonic probe is arranged on the side wall of the container for detection, a measurement blind area generated by the large thickness of the bottom of the container can be reduced, and the detection height is adjusted through the adjusting assembly, so that the accuracy and applicability of liquid level detection are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ultrasonic technology, and in particular to an ultrasonic liquid level measuring device and ultrasonic liquid level measuring method. Background Technology

[0002] In industrial research and development and production activities, stainless steel containers or cylinders are often used to store and transfer flammable and explosive liquids. Since stainless steel containers are usually opaque, it is difficult to directly observe the remaining amount of liquid inside the container during use. Therefore, liquid level detection methods are needed to determine the remaining liquid level in the container.

[0003] In existing technologies, common liquid level detection methods include weighing and insertion level gauges. For example, the remaining liquid level inside a container can be indirectly estimated by weighing it. However, in practical applications, weighing methods typically require disassembling the container multiple times for weighing, which not only increases the number of steps and reduces production efficiency but also increases the risk of liquid exposure during disassembly, posing certain safety hazards.

[0004] In addition, existing technologies often employ insertion-type level gauges for liquid level detection, such as installing rod level gauges or other invasive detection devices on containers. However, this method usually requires structural modifications to the container or the creation of installation interfaces on it. This not only increases the risk of external impurities entering the container but also increases the safety hazard of liquid leakage, especially when flammable or explosive liquids are involved.

[0005] In contrast, ultrasonic liquid level detection is characterized by non-contact measurement. By placing the ultrasonic probe outside the container, the liquid level inside the container can be detected without modifying the container itself, thus showing good application prospects.

[0006] However, in practical applications, traditional ultrasonic liquid level detection methods still have certain limitations. For example, echo hysteresis occurs during ultrasonic measurement, which can easily create a certain measurement blind zone. At the same time, the bottom structure of most steel cylinders or stainless steel containers is thicker than the side walls. This reduces the transmission efficiency of ultrasonic waves in the container wall, and the greater thickness at the bottom further expands the blind zone of ultrasonic measurement, thus affecting the accuracy of liquid level measurement. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the fact that in the prior art, ultrasonic liquid level detection devices are usually installed at the bottom of the container, and are prone to forming measurement blind spots due to the thickness of the bottom of the container.

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, in a first aspect, the present invention provides an ultrasonic liquid level measuring device, comprising: An ultrasonic probe is used to emit and receive ultrasonic signals into and into a container for liquid level detection. An adjustment assembly includes an adjustment block and an adjustment fixing member. The adjustment block is provided with a mounting hole for installing the ultrasonic probe. The adjustment block is used to adjust the installation height of the ultrasonic probe on the side wall of the container to change the liquid level detection position. The adjustment fixing member is used to fix the adjustment block on the side wall of the container. A data processor, connected to the ultrasonic probe, is used to receive the echo signals collected by the ultrasonic probe and perform data analysis. The ultrasonic probe's detection end faces and is in contact with the container's sidewall.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the adjusting block is provided with a plurality of mounting holes along its height direction, and the distance between two adjacent mounting holes is a set value.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, a clamp is provided on the outside of the adjusting block and the container, and the adjusting block is tightly fitted to the side wall of the container through the clamp.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the outer side of the adjusting block is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the clamp.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the side of the adjustment block is provided with a through hole for leading out the cable of the ultrasonic probe.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, an elastic element is provided between the bottom of the mounting hole and the ultrasonic probe.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic element is a spring.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention, the ultrasonic probe generates ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 1 MHz to 2 MHz.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an ultrasonic liquid level measurement method, implemented based on the ultrasonic liquid level measuring device described in the first aspect, comprising the following steps: S1. Fix the adjustment assembly to the side wall of the container, and install the ultrasonic probe in the mounting hole on the adjustment block of the adjustment assembly. Adjust the installation height of the ultrasonic probe on the side wall of the container by adjusting the adjustment block so that the detection end of the ultrasonic probe is in contact with the side wall of the container. S2. Activate the ultrasonic probe to emit ultrasonic signals into the container and receive echo signals reflected back by the medium inside the container. S3. The echo signal is transmitted to the data processor, which performs data analysis on the echo signal to determine the liquid level at the corresponding position of the ultrasonic probe, thereby obtaining information on the remaining liquid in the container.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the data processor determines whether liquid exists at the corresponding location of the ultrasonic probe by analyzing the difference in reflection characteristics of the echo signal at the metal-liquid interface and the metal-gas interface.

[0018] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: This invention utilizes an ultrasonic probe positioned with its detection end in contact with the sidewall of a container, allowing ultrasonic waves to propagate through the sidewall into the container. Since the container sidewall is typically thinner and more uniform in structure than the bottom, this reduces the attenuation of ultrasonic waves propagating within the container wall and minimizes the measurement blind zone caused by the thickness of the bottom, thereby improving the accuracy of liquid level detection.

[0019] Secondly, this invention incorporates an adjustment component, including an adjustment block and an adjustment fixing member, with mounting holes on the adjustment block for installing an ultrasonic probe. By changing the mounting position of the adjustment block on the container sidewall, the detection height of the ultrasonic probe on the container sidewall can be adjusted, thereby changing the liquid level detection position. Based on this structure, in practical use, the detection point position can be flexibly adjusted according to different container specifications or different liquid level alarm requirements, thus improving the applicability and flexibility of the liquid level detection device. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To make the content of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the ultrasonic liquid level measuring device provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adjustment component and ultrasonic probe provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adjustment component provided by the present invention.

[0022] Explanation of reference numerals in the accompanying drawings: 1. Ultrasonic probe; 11. Cable; 2. Adjustment assembly; 21. Adjustment block; 22. Adjustment fixing piece; 211. Mounting hole; 212. Receiving groove; 213. Through hole; 3. Container; 4. Clamp. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0024] See Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this embodiment provides an ultrasonic liquid level measuring device, including an ultrasonic probe 1, an adjustment component 2, and a data processor.

[0025] Ultrasonic probe 1 is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals into and into container 3 to detect liquid level. The detection end of ultrasonic probe 1 faces and is in contact with the side wall of container 3, allowing the ultrasonic signal to propagate into container 3 through the side wall. When the ultrasonic signal propagates to the interface of the media inside container 3, due to the difference in acoustic impedance between the different media, a reflected echo signal is generated at the interface. Ultrasonic probe 1 can receive the echo signal and output it to the data processor.

[0026] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic probe 1 is a device capable of emitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, internally generating ultrasonic signals in the frequency range of 1MHz to 2MHz. Ultrasonic signals within this frequency range can effectively penetrate the sidewall of the metal container 3 and enter the internal medium of the container 3, thereby enabling the detection of different liquid levels. Since different liquid media have different acoustic characteristics, by analyzing the echo signals, the identification of different liquid level states can be achieved.

[0027] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a piezoelectric transducer structure can be provided inside the ultrasonic probe 1. When an electrical signal is input, the piezoelectric element vibrates mechanically, thereby generating an ultrasonic signal. When the echo signal returns, the piezoelectric element can convert the mechanical vibration back into an electrical signal and output it to the data processor, thereby realizing the function of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals.

[0028] The adjustment assembly 2 includes an adjustment block 21 and an adjustment fixing member 22. The adjustment block 21 has a mounting hole 211 for mounting the ultrasonic probe 1, which is installed within the mounting hole 211. By setting the adjustment block 21, the installation position of the ultrasonic probe 1 on the side wall of the container 3 can be changed, thereby adjusting the detection height of the ultrasonic probe 1 to change the liquid level detection position. The adjustment fixing member 22 is used to fix the adjustment block 21 to the side wall of the container 3, ensuring that the adjustment block 21 can be stably installed on the outside of the container 3.

[0029] In one embodiment, the adjusting block 21 can be made of metal or engineering plastic materials, such as aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or high-strength engineering plastic materials. By using a material with a certain structural strength, it can be ensured that the adjusting block 21 is not easily deformed during long-term use, thereby ensuring the stability of the fit between the ultrasonic probe 1 and the side wall of the container 3.

[0030] In some embodiments, the inner surface of the adjusting block 21 can be designed according to the structure of the sidewall of the container 3. For example, when the container 3 is a cylindrical steel cylinder, the inner side of the adjusting block 21 can be set as an arc-shaped structure that matches the curvature of the outer wall of the container 3, thereby increasing the contact area between the adjusting block 21 and the sidewall of the container 3, and further improving the coupling effect between the ultrasonic probe 1 and the sidewall of the container 3.

[0031] In addition, in some embodiments, the inner surface of the adjusting block 21 may be provided with an anti-slip structure or a micro-protrusion structure to further improve the friction between the adjusting block 21 and the side wall of the container 3, thereby improving the stability of the device after installation.

[0032] The data processor is connected to the ultrasonic probe 1 to receive and analyze the echo signals collected by the ultrasonic probe 1. During actual testing, the ultrasonic probe 1 emits ultrasonic signals into the container 3. When the corresponding location inside the container 3 is liquid, the ultrasonic waves can penetrate the container wall and propagate into the liquid medium. When the corresponding location inside the container 3 is gas, the ultrasonic signals will be significantly reflected due to the large difference in acoustic impedance between the gas and the metal. By analyzing the differences in the reflection characteristics of the echo signals, the data processor can determine whether there is liquid inside the container 3 at the corresponding detection location, thereby determining the liquid level inside the container 3, and output the detection results to the display device.

[0033] In one embodiment, the data processor can use a microcontroller as the core control unit. The microcontroller can receive the echo signal output by the ultrasonic probe 1 in real time and perform data analysis. Typically, an ultrasonic time measurement and analysis method is used, which calculates the signal propagation time by recording the transmission time of the ultrasonic signal and the reception time of the echo signal.

[0034] Based on the principle of ultrasonic measurement, the data processor analyzes the acquired echo signals and uses the ultrasonic propagation distance formula: d=v×Δt Where v is the speed of sound in the medium, and Δt is the time difference of sound wave propagation. , This refers to the ultrasonic wave emission time. This refers to the echo reception time.

[0035] By calculating the propagation time, it can be determined whether there is liquid at the corresponding detection location, thereby obtaining the change in liquid level inside container 3.

[0036] In some implementations, the data processor can also filter or average the continuously acquired echo signals to reduce the impact of environmental vibration, electromagnetic interference or other noise factors on the detection results, thereby further improving the stability and accuracy of liquid level detection.

[0037] In one embodiment, the data processor can be connected to a display device to output the detected liquid level status or remaining liquid information to the display device for display. Simultaneously, the data processor can also be connected to a power supply device to provide operating power for the entire liquid level detection device.

[0038] See Figure 2 As shown, the adjusting block 21 has multiple mounting holes 211 along its height direction, and the distance between two adjacent mounting holes 211 is a set value. By providing multiple mounting holes 211 on the adjusting block 21, ultrasonic probes 1 can be installed at different heights, thus forming multiple selectable detection heights. In actual use, users can select the corresponding height of the mounting hole 211 to install the ultrasonic probe 1 according to the specifications of the container 3 or the liquid level alarm requirements, so as to realize liquid level detection at different height positions, thereby improving the applicability of the device.

[0039] In some embodiments, the spacing between two adjacent mounting holes 211 can be set between 10mm and 50mm, thereby forming multiple different detection heights. This structure allows for flexible adjustment of the detection height according to different container sizes, thus meeting the liquid level detection needs of various industrial applications.

[0040] The adjusting block 21 is fixed to the side wall of the container 3 by a clamp 4. The clamp 4 is arranged around the outside of the container 3 and works in conjunction with the adjusting block 21 to ensure that the adjusting block 21 can be stably attached to the side wall of the container 3. By using a clamp structure for fixing, the device can be quickly installed and disassembled without modifying the container 3 itself, thereby improving the ease of installation.

[0041] See Figure 2 As shown, the outer side of the adjusting block 21 is provided with a receiving groove 212 for accommodating the clamp 4. By providing the receiving groove 212, the clamp 4 can be partially embedded in the adjusting block 21, thereby making the connection between the clamp 4 and the adjusting block 21 more stable and reducing the slippage of the clamp 4 during installation, thus improving the fit stability between the adjusting block 21 and the side wall of the container 3.

[0042] See Figures 2 to 3As shown, the side of the adjusting block 21 is provided with a through hole 213, which is used to lead out the cable of the ultrasonic probe 1. By providing the through hole 213, the cable of the ultrasonic probe 1 can be led out from inside the adjusting block 21 and connected to external equipment, thereby facilitating cable arrangement and preventing the cable from being squeezed or worn.

[0043] An elastic element (not shown in the figure) is provided between the bottom of the mounting hole 211 and the ultrasonic probe 1. By providing the elastic element, elastic pressure can be applied to the ultrasonic probe 1 towards the side wall of the container 3, so that the ultrasonic probe 1 can always be pressed tightly against the side wall of the container 3, thereby improving the coupling effect of the ultrasonic signal in the container 3 wall, reducing signal attenuation due to poor contact, and thus improving the stability of liquid level detection.

[0044] In one embodiment, the elastic element is a spring. The spring has good elastic recovery capability, ensuring that even when the container 3 is subjected to slight vibration or installation errors, the ultrasonic probe 1 maintains stable contact with the side wall of the container 3, thereby further improving detection reliability.

[0045] In some embodiments, as the clamp 4 gradually tightens, the spring is compressed, thereby creating continuous contact pressure between the ultrasonic probe 1 and the side wall of the container 3. This structure can compensate for minor unevenness in the outer wall of the container 3, thus ensuring stable contact between the ultrasonic probe 1 and the side wall of the container 3.

[0046] In the actual installation process, the adjusting component 2 is first attached to the predetermined detection position on the side wall of the container 3, and then the adjusting block 21 is fixed to the outer wall of the container 3 by adjusting the fixing component 22. During the fixing process, the clamp 4 is arranged around the outside of the container 3 and gradually tightened, so that the adjusting block 21 can be stably pressed against the side wall of the container 3. Then, the ultrasonic probe 1 is installed in the mounting hole 211 of the adjusting block 21, so that the detection end of the ultrasonic probe 1 is in close contact with the side wall of the container 3.

[0047] In practical use, the ultrasonic probe 1 can be installed in mounting holes 211 at different heights as needed. When the liquid level inside the container 3 drops to the detection position, the ultrasonic probe 1 can detect that the medium inside the container 3 has changed from liquid to gas, and thus the liquid level status can be determined by the data processor.

[0048] In some embodiments, multiple ultrasonic probes 1 can be installed at different heights on the sidewall of container 3 to form multiple liquid level detection points. As the liquid level inside container 3 gradually decreases, the ultrasonic probes 1 at different heights will sequentially detect the metal-gas interface, thereby achieving graded detection of changes in the liquid level inside container 3.

[0049] In one embodiment, this device is applicable to various types of metal containers 3, such as stainless steel cylinders, liquid storage tanks, reaction vessels 3, etc. When the container 3 is used to store flammable, explosive, or high-purity liquids, this device can achieve liquid level detection without modifying the structure of the container 3, thereby improving safety in use.

[0050] Furthermore, the data processor can record continuously collected detection data and generate liquid level change data curves. By analyzing the liquid level change trends, the usage of the liquid inside container 3 can be further determined, thus providing reference information for operators.

[0051] The display device can be used to display the liquid level status or remaining liquid information at the current detection location. For example, when there is liquid at the detection location, the display device can show the corresponding liquid level status; when there is no liquid at the detection location, it can display that the liquid level is lower than that detection location.

[0052] Based on the above embodiments, the present invention also provides an ultrasonic liquid level measurement method, which is implemented based on the above-mentioned ultrasonic liquid level measurement device, and its specific steps are as follows: First, the adjustment assembly 2 is installed on the side wall of the container 3, and the adjustment block 21 is fixed to the outside of the container 3 by the adjustment fastener 22. During the installation process, the ultrasonic probe 1 is installed in the mounting hole 211 on the adjustment block 21, and different height positions of the mounting hole 211 are selected as needed to adjust the installation height of the ultrasonic probe 1 on the side wall of the container 3, so that the detection end of the ultrasonic probe 1 is in contact with the side wall of the container 3.

[0053] Then, ultrasonic probe 1 is activated, causing it to emit ultrasonic signals into the interior of container 3. The ultrasonic signal first enters the internal medium of container 3 through the side wall of container 3. During the propagation of the ultrasonic wave, when the ultrasonic wave travels from one medium to another, a reflected echo signal will be generated at the interface between the two media due to the difference in acoustic impedance.

[0054] In this embodiment, the sidewall of container 3 is usually made of metal, while the interior of container 3 may be a liquid or gas medium. Therefore, there are two different types of medium interfaces during the detection process: metal-liquid interface and metal-gas interface.

[0055] When there is liquid at the corresponding detection position inside container 3, the ultrasonic signal propagates from the wall of the metal container 3 to the liquid medium. Since the acoustic impedance difference between the metal and the liquid is relatively small, the ultrasonic signal can penetrate the interface to a large extent and continue to propagate into the liquid. Therefore, the reflected signal generated at the interface is weak.

[0056] When the corresponding detection position inside container 3 is filled with air or gas, the ultrasonic signal propagates from the wall of the metal container 3 to the gas medium. Due to the large difference in acoustic impedance between the gas and the metal, the ultrasonic signal will generate a strong reflected echo signal at the metal-gas interface. Therefore, the intensity of the echo signal returning to the ultrasonic probe 1 is significantly enhanced.

[0057] Next, ultrasonic probe 1 receives the echo signal and transmits it to the data processor for data analysis. The data processor calculates the signal propagation time according to the ultrasonic propagation distance formula: d=v×Δt Where v is the speed of sound in the medium, and Δt is the time difference of sound wave propagation. , This refers to the ultrasonic wave emission time. This refers to the echo reception time.

[0058] By comprehensively analyzing the propagation time and intensity characteristics of the echo signal, the data processor can determine the type of medium at the current detection location. When the detection location is a liquid medium, the echo signal is characterized by strong transmission and weak reflection; when the detection location is a gaseous medium, the echo signal is characterized by significantly enhanced reflection.

[0059] Based on the differences in the characteristics of the echo signals, the data processor can determine whether there is liquid at the corresponding detection position on the side wall of container 3, thereby determining the liquid level inside container 3 and further obtaining information on the remaining liquid inside container 3.

[0060] Using the above method, the ultrasonic probe 1 installed on the side wall of container 3 can be used to detect the liquid level inside container 3. At the same time, the detection height can be flexibly adjusted by adjusting component 2, thereby improving the accuracy and applicability of liquid level detection.

[0061] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic liquid level measuring device, characterized in that: include: An ultrasonic probe is used to emit and receive ultrasonic signals into and into a container for liquid level detection. An adjustment assembly includes an adjustment block and an adjustment fixing member. The adjustment block is provided with a mounting hole for installing the ultrasonic probe. The adjustment block is used to adjust the installation height of the ultrasonic probe on the side wall of the container to change the liquid level detection position. The adjustment fixing member is used to fix the adjustment block on the side wall of the container. A data processor, connected to the ultrasonic probe, is used to receive the echo signals collected by the ultrasonic probe and perform data analysis. The ultrasonic probe's detection end faces and is in contact with the container's sidewall.

2. The ultrasonic liquid level measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjusting block has multiple mounting holes along its height direction, and the distance between two adjacent mounting holes is a set value.

3. The ultrasonic liquid level measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjusting block and the container are provided with clamps, and the adjusting block is tightly fitted to the side wall of the container through the clamps.

4. The ultrasonic liquid level measuring device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer side of the adjusting block is provided with a receiving groove for accommodating the clamp.

5. The ultrasonic liquid level measuring device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The side of the adjustment block is provided with a through hole, which is used to lead out the cable of the ultrasonic probe.

6. The ultrasonic liquid level measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An elastic element is provided between the bottom of the mounting hole and the ultrasonic probe.

7. The ultrasonic liquid level measuring device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The elastic element is a spring.

8. The ultrasonic liquid level measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ultrasonic probe generates ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 1MHz to 2MHz.

9. An ultrasonic liquid level measurement method, characterized in that, The ultrasonic liquid level measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented, comprising the following steps: S1. Fix the adjustment assembly to the side wall of the container, and install the ultrasonic probe in the mounting hole on the adjustment block of the adjustment assembly. Adjust the installation height of the ultrasonic probe on the side wall of the container by adjusting the adjustment block so that the detection end of the ultrasonic probe is in contact with the side wall of the container. S2. Activate the ultrasonic probe to emit ultrasonic signals into the container and receive echo signals reflected back by the medium inside the container. S3. The echo signal is transmitted to the data processor, which performs data analysis on the echo signal to determine the liquid level at the corresponding position of the ultrasonic probe, thereby obtaining information on the remaining liquid in the container.

10. The ultrasonic liquid level measurement method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The data processor determines whether liquid exists at the corresponding location of the ultrasonic probe by analyzing the difference in reflection characteristics of the echo signal at the metal-liquid interface and the metal-gas interface.

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