Anti-turbulence high-precision ultrasonic water meter

Abstract

The application discloses an anti-turbulence high-precision ultrasonic water meter, valve holes are arranged at both ends of the upper portion of a valve body, two ultrasonic sensors are respectively arranged in the valve holes, a flow guide valve core comprises a valve core shell and a flow guide pipe, the flow guide pipe is arranged in the valve core shell, a plurality of flow guide grooves are uniformly arranged on the inner side wall of the flow guide pipe, the valve core shell comprises a convex bracket and a concave support, flow guide blades are fixedly arranged at both ends of the convex bracket and the concave support, a threaded interface is arranged on one side of the valve body, and a pressure sensor is arranged in the threaded interface. The flow guide blades effectively constrain and shape the turbulence of the water inlet end, the flow guide pipe is combined with secondary rectification, the water flow entering a measuring area is smooth and the flow velocity distribution is uniform, and the influence of a front-end turbulence element on the measurement precision is remarkably reduced; the flow guide valve core can replace the rectification effect of a straight pipe section, so that the water meter does not need to reserve front and rear straight pipe sections when being installed and is not limited by the installation space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ultrasonic water meter technology, specifically a high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence properties. Background Technology

[0002] Ultrasonic water meters are instruments that measure fluid flow by utilizing the time difference of ultrasonic waves propagating in concurrent and countercurrent media. They have advantages such as no mechanical rotating parts, low pressure loss, wide range, and high accuracy, and are widely used in water supply metering, industrial water monitoring, and other fields.

[0003] However, existing ultrasonic water meters have the following problems in practical applications: First, it has poor resistance to turbulence. In actual installation environments, water meters often have turbulent components such as elbows, valves, and reducers at the front end, causing severe turbulence and asymmetrical velocity distribution in the water flow entering the meter's measuring section. This turbulence distorts the ultrasonic wave propagation path, resulting in large fluctuations in the measured value of the time difference between downstream and upstream propagation, directly affecting metering accuracy. Especially under low flow velocity conditions (such as below 0.1 m / s), the error can even reach ±5% or more.

[0004] Second, the measurement accuracy is insufficient at low flow rates. Traditional ultrasonic water meters perform well at high flow rates, but at night or during periods of low water usage, the flow rate is extremely low, and the time difference of ultrasonic wave propagation is extremely small (nanosecond level). This makes them easily submerged by flow field disturbances, resulting in inaccurate measurement at low flow rates and causing water leakage for water supply companies.

[0005] Third, there is a lack of flow field rectification structures. Although some existing ultrasonic water meters are equipped with reflectors or guide plates, they are mostly simple structures that cannot effectively constrain and shape the turbulence at the water inlet. The measurement accuracy is greatly affected by the installation conditions and cannot meet the requirements of accurate measurement under all operating conditions.

[0006] Fourth, it has limited functionality and cannot monitor pressure. Traditional water meters can only measure flow rate and cannot monitor pipeline pressure in real time, while pressure data is of great value for analyzing water supply network leaks and providing early warnings of pipe bursts.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention provides a high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0008] (a) Technical problems to be solved This invention provides an ultrasonic water meter that effectively suppresses inlet turbulence, maintains high-precision measurement at low flow rates, and has pressure monitoring capabilities, aiming to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0009] (II) Technical Solution To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence capability includes a valve body, a flow guide valve core, a pressure sensor, a valve ball, and two ultrasonic sensors. The valve body has valve holes at both ends of the upper part, and a connector is detachably installed at the water inlet end of the valve body. The valve ball is located inside the water inlet end of the valve body, and the two ultrasonic sensors are respectively installed in the two valve holes. The flow guide valve core includes a valve core shell and a flow guide tube. The flow guide tube is located inside the valve core shell. Multiple flow guide grooves are evenly opened on the inner side wall of the flow guide tube. The valve core shell includes a convex bracket and a concave support. The convex bracket and the concave support are interlocked to form a tubular structure. Flow guide vanes are fixed at both ends of the convex bracket and the concave support. A monitoring port is provided in the middle of the flow guide vane. The monitoring ports at both ends of the valve core shell are located below two ultrasonic sensors, respectively. The valve body has a threaded interface on one side, and the pressure sensor is installed in the threaded interface.

[0010] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the guide vane is a semi-circular ring, and an extension rod is fixedly provided at its outer end. The outer end of the extension rod is provided with an integral bullet-shaped guide fluid. The two bullet-shaped guide fluids at the splicing point of the convex bracket and the concave support form a conical structure.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the outer surface of the guide tube is uniformly provided with multiple annular grooves, and the outer surface of the guide tube is axially symmetrically provided with transverse grooves that connect the multiple annular grooves. The inner walls of the convex bracket and the concave support are fixed with convex ribs that match the annular grooves and transverse grooves.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution of this application, a reflector is fixedly installed at the bottom of the monitoring port.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the connector is threadedly connected to the water inlet end of the valve body, and a second rubber ring is provided at the contact part between the connector and the valve ball.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the valve ball is rotatably disposed inside the water inlet end of the valve body, and a through hole is provided at one end of the upper part of the valve body. A positioning pin is inserted into the through hole, and the lower end of the positioning pin is fixedly connected to the valve ball. A first rubber ring is provided between the surface of the positioning pin and the inner wall of the through hole.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution of this application, a bushing and a fourth rubber ring are provided between the valve ball and the inner wall of the valve body inlet end.

[0016] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the valve body is provided with an insertion hole in the middle, a positioning pin is fixedly inserted in the insertion hole, a gasket is placed at the lower end of the positioning pin, a pressure plate is fixedly installed at the upper end of the positioning pin, and the two ends of the bottom of the pressure plate are in contact with two ultrasonic sensors respectively.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution of this application, the outer walls of the convex bracket and the concave support are fitted to the inner wall of the valve body, and a fourth rubber ring is fitted at both ends of the outer surface of the convex bracket and the concave support.

[0018] (III) Beneficial Effects This invention incorporates a flow guide valve core inside the valve body. The flow guide valve core consists of a valve core shell and a flow guide tube. Flow guide vanes are provided at both ends of the valve core shell, and the flow guide tube is placed inside the valve core shell. The flow guide vanes effectively constrain and shape the turbulent flow at the inlet end. Combined with the secondary rectification of the flow guide tube, the water flow entering the measurement area is stable and the flow velocity distribution is uniform, which significantly reduces the impact of the front-end turbulence element on the measurement accuracy. The design of the guide vanes at both ends of the valve core housing, in conjunction with the smooth inner wall of the guide tube, effectively reduces the resistance when water flows through and reduces the pressure loss after the water flows through the pipe section and support. Because the flow guide valve core can replace the rectification function of the straight pipe section, the water meter does not need to reserve straight pipe sections before and after during installation. It is not limited by installation space and can be directly installed in complex pipeline scenarios such as pipe bends and valves, which greatly reduces the difficulty and cost of on-site installation. At the same time, it avoids the metering error caused by insufficient straight pipe sections and expands the application range of the water meter. Compared with traditional water meters, this water meter does not require additional straight pipe sections, which can save a lot of installation space and material costs. It is especially suitable for civil and industrial scenarios with limited installation space. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the valve body of a high-precision ultrasonic water meter that is resistant to turbulence. Figure 2 An exploded view of a high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence properties; Figure 3 A structural diagram of a convex bracket in a high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence properties; Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a guide vane in a high-precision ultrasonic water meter that is resistant to turbulence. Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of a flow guide tube in a high-precision ultrasonic water meter that is resistant to turbulence.

[0020] In the picture: 1. Valve body; 2. Valve orifice; 3. Guide pipe; 31. Guide groove; 32. Annular groove; 33. Horizontal groove; 4. Convex bracket; 41. Guide vane; 42. Extension rod; 43. Bullet-shaped guide; 44. Monitoring port; 5. Ultrasonic sensor; 6. Concave bracket; 7. Pressure plate; 8. Valve stem; 9. First rubber ring; 10. Positioning pin; 11. Pressure sensor; 12. Connector; 13. Second rubber ring; 14. Valve ball; 15. Sealing gasket; 16. Third rubber ring; 17. Bushing; 18. Fourth rubber ring; 19. Reflector; 20. Washer. Detailed Implementation

[0021] 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.

[0022] See Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the present invention provides a high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence, including a valve body 1, a flow guide valve core, a pressure sensor 11, a valve ball 14 and two ultrasonic sensors 5; Valve body 1 is made of cast brass; The valve body 1 has valve holes 2 at both ends of its upper part. A connector 12 is detachably installed at the water inlet end of the valve body 1. The connector 12 is a brass part, with an external thread at one end to connect to the water inlet end of the valve body 1 and an internal thread at the other end to connect to the upstream pipe. The valve ball 14 is located inside the water inlet end of the valve body 1. The two ultrasonic sensors 5 are respectively installed in the two valve holes 2. The ultrasonic sensors 5 are piezoelectric ceramic sensors with a working frequency of 1MHz. The flow guide valve core includes a valve core shell and a flow guide tube 3. The flow guide tube 3 is located inside the valve core shell. Multiple flow guide grooves 31 are evenly opened on the inner side wall of the flow guide tube 3. The flow guide grooves 31 have a semi-circular cross section, a depth of 2mm, and a width of 3mm. The flow guide grooves 31 run through the entire length of the flow guide tube 3. The function of the flow guide grooves 31 is to perform secondary rectification of the water flow and eliminate residual small-scale vortices. The valve core shell includes a convex bracket 4 and a concave support 6. The convex bracket 4 and the concave support 6 are interlocked to form a tubular structure. The convex bracket 4 and the concave support 6 are injection molded from engineering plastic (ABS). Flow guide vanes 41 are fixed at both ends of the convex bracket 4 and the concave support 6. A monitoring port 44 is provided in the middle of the flow guide vane 41. The monitoring ports 44 at both ends of the valve core shell are located below two ultrasonic sensors 5. The lower ends of the ultrasonic sensors 5 extend into the valve body 1 and are opposite to the monitoring ports 44. Because the flow guide valve core can replace the rectification function of the straight pipe section, the water meter does not need to reserve straight pipe sections before and after during installation. It is not limited by the installation space and can be directly installed in complex pipeline scenarios such as pipe bends and valves. This greatly reduces the difficulty and cost of on-site installation, while avoiding metering errors caused by insufficient straight pipe sections and expanding the applicable scope of the water meter.

[0023] The valve body 1 has a threaded interface on one side, and the pressure sensor 11 is installed in the threaded interface. The pressure sensor 11 is a diffused silicon pressure sensor with a range of 0-1.6MPa and an output of 4-20mA signal. The pressure sensor 11 is installed on the side of the valve body 1 through a G1 / 4 threaded interface, and its front end is in contact with the water flow.

[0024] In this embodiment, the guide vane 41 is a semi-circular ring, and an extension rod 42 is fixedly provided at its outer end. The outer end of the extension rod 42 is provided with an integral bullet-shaped guide fluid 43. The two bullet-shaped guide fluids 43 at the splice of the convex bracket 4 and the concave bracket 6 form a conical structure. This structure can effectively constrain the water flow at the inlet, suppress turbulence and flow field distortion, and ensure that the water flow in the ultrasonic transmission path is stable. This makes the forward and reverse ultrasonic propagation time difference measured by the ultrasonic sensor 5 stable, providing a structural basis for accurate measurement at low flow rates. Specifically, the two bullet-shaped guides 43 form a conical structure with a cone angle of 45°, achieving a balance between the guiding effect and pressure loss. If the cone angle is too small (<30°), the guiding path will be too long, and the pressure loss will increase; if the cone angle is too large (>60°), the rectification effect will decrease.

[0025] In this embodiment, the outer surface of the guide tube 3 is uniformly provided with multiple annular grooves 32, and the outer surface of the guide tube 3 is symmetrically provided with transverse grooves 33 that connect the multiple annular grooves 32. The inner walls of the convex bracket 4 and the concave support 6 are fixed with convex ribs that match the annular grooves 32 and the transverse grooves 33.

[0026] In this embodiment, a reflective sheet 19, specifically a polished stainless steel sheet, is fixedly installed at the bottom of the monitoring port 44.

[0027] In this embodiment, the connector 12 is threadedly connected to the water inlet end of the valve body 1, and a second rubber ring 13 is provided at the contact part between the connector 12 and the valve ball 14.

[0028] In this embodiment, the valve ball 14 is rotatably disposed inside the water inlet end of the valve body 1. The valve ball 14 is a hollow stainless steel ball with a through hole in the center. The valve body 14 is rotatably disposed inside the water inlet end of the valve body 1. One end of the upper part of the valve body 14 is provided with a through hole, and a positioning pin 10 is inserted into the through hole. The lower end of the positioning pin 10 is fixedly connected to the valve ball 14. A first rubber ring 9 is provided between the surface of the positioning pin 10 and the inner wall of the through hole. Rotating the positioning pin 10 can drive the valve ball 14 to rotate, thereby controlling the water flow.

[0029] In this embodiment, a bushing 17 and a fourth rubber ring 18 are provided between the valve ball 14 and the inner wall of the water inlet end of the valve body 1 to seal the gap between the valve ball 14 and the inner wall of the water inlet end of the valve body 1.

[0030] In this embodiment, the valve body 1 has an insertion hole in the middle, and a positioning pin 10 is fixedly inserted into the insertion hole. The lower end of the positioning pin 10 is a gasket 20, and the upper end of the positioning pin 10 is fixedly installed with a pressure plate 7. The bottom ends of the pressure plate 7 are in contact with two ultrasonic sensors 5 respectively, which are used to press and fix the ultrasonic sensors 5.

[0031] In this embodiment, the outer walls of the convex bracket 4 and the concave support 6 are fitted to the inner wall of the valve body 1. A fourth rubber ring 18 is fitted at both ends of the outer surface of the convex bracket 4 and the concave support 6. Combined with the smooth inner wall design of the guide pipe 3, the water flow resistance is reduced, so that the pressure loss of the water flow after passing through the guide pipe 3 and the valve core shell is controlled below P40.

[0032] The specific working principle is as follows: Water flows from the upstream pipe through connector 12 into the inlet end of valve body 1. It first encounters a conical structure formed by two bullet-shaped guide vanes 43 at the junction of a convex bracket 4 and a concave support 6. This conical structure resembles a streamlined guide cone, with its tip pointing towards the inlet direction. When turbulent flow impacts the conical structure, large-scale vortices are forcibly stretched and broken, and the water flow is guided to diffuse evenly along the conical surface, making the originally turbulent velocity distribution more symmetrical. Simultaneously, the extension rod 42 and guide vanes 41 provide support and further guide the flow, preventing backflow at the valve core housing inlet.

[0033] After initial rectification, the water flows into the guide pipe 3. The guide groove 31 on the inner wall of the guide pipe 3 extends axially. Its semi-circular cross-section generates local vortices, which dissipate the residual small-scale vortex energy and guide the water flow to move in a straight line along the axial direction. The presence of the guide groove 31 makes the velocity distribution near the pipe wall more uniform, eliminating the typical turbulent velocity profile of "high speed near the wall and low speed in the center", and forming a uniform velocity field that is approximately laminar.

[0034] The rectified water flows smoothly through monitoring port 44, and the two ultrasonic sensors 5 work alternately. The upstream sensor emits ultrasonic waves, which are reflected by reflector 19 and propagate along an oblique path to the downstream sensor. The downstream propagation time T_down is recorded.

[0035] The downstream sensor emits ultrasonic waves, which are reflected by reflector 19 and propagate along the same oblique path to the upstream sensor. The reverse propagation time T_up is recorded.

[0036] Because the flow field is stable and the velocity distribution is symmetrical, the average velocity along the ultrasonic propagation path has a good linear relationship with the average velocity of the pipe cross section. The flow calculation module calculates the instantaneous flow rate according to the formula Q = K × (T_up - T_down) / (T_up ×T_down), where K is the instrument coefficient, which is determined through calibration.

[0037] Pressure sensor 11 collects water pressure in the pipeline in real time and converts the pressure signal into a 4-20mA current signal, which is then transmitted to a remote transmission module or data acquisition system for pipeline leakage analysis.

[0038] When it is necessary to shut off the water flow, use a special wrench to rotate the positioning pin 10, which will cause the valve ball 14 to rotate 90°, so that the through hole of the valve ball 14 is perpendicular to the water flow direction, thus cutting off the water flow. The first rubber ring 9, the second rubber ring 13, the fourth rubber ring 16 and the fourth rubber ring 18 together ensure the sealing of each connection and prevent water leakage.

[0039] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence capability, comprising a valve body, characterized in that: It also includes a flow guide valve core, a pressure sensor, a valve ball, and two ultrasonic sensors; The valve body has valve holes at both ends of the upper part, and a connector is detachably installed at the water inlet end of the valve body. The valve ball is located inside the water inlet end of the valve body, and the two ultrasonic sensors are respectively installed in the two valve holes. The flow guide valve core includes a valve core shell and a flow guide tube. The flow guide tube is located inside the valve core shell. Multiple flow guide grooves are evenly opened on the inner side wall of the flow guide tube. The valve core shell includes a convex bracket and a concave support. The convex bracket and the concave support are interlocked to form a tubular structure. Flow guide vanes are fixed at both ends of the convex bracket and the concave support. A monitoring port is provided in the middle of the flow guide vane. The monitoring ports at both ends of the valve core shell are located below two ultrasonic sensors, respectively. The valve body has a threaded interface on one side, and the pressure sensor is installed in the threaded interface.

2. The high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The guide vane is a semi-circular ring, with an extension rod fixed at its outer end. The outer end of the extension rod is provided with an integral bullet-shaped guide fluid. The two bullet-shaped guide fluids at the splicing point of the convex bracket and the concave support form a conical structure.

3. The high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the guide tube is uniformly provided with multiple annular grooves, and the outer surface of the guide tube is axially symmetrically provided with transverse grooves that connect the multiple annular grooves. The inner walls of the convex bracket and concave support are fixed with convex ribs that match the annular grooves and transverse grooves.

4. A high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A reflector is fixedly installed at the bottom of the monitoring port.

5. A high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The connector is threaded to the inlet end of the valve body, and a second rubber ring is provided at the contact point between the connector and the valve ball.

6. A high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The valve ball is rotatably mounted inside the water inlet end of the valve body. One end of the upper part of the valve body is provided with a through hole, and a positioning pin is inserted into the through hole. The lower end of the positioning pin is fixedly connected to the valve ball, and a first rubber ring is provided between the surface of the positioning pin and the inner wall of the through hole.

7. A high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence as described in claim 6, characterized in that: A bushing and a fourth rubber ring are provided between the valve ball and the inner wall of the valve body inlet.

8. A high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The valve body has a hole in the middle, a positioning pin is fixedly inserted in the hole, a gasket is placed at the lower end of the positioning pin, and a pressure plate is fixedly installed at the upper end of the positioning pin. The bottom ends of the pressure plate are in contact with two ultrasonic sensors respectively.

9. A high-precision ultrasonic water meter with anti-turbulence as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The outer walls of the convex bracket and concave support are fitted to the inner wall of the valve body, and a fourth rubber ring is fitted at both ends of the outer surface of the convex bracket and concave support.

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