A smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture

Abstract

This invention discloses a smart energy meter based on a thermally isolated architecture of an HPLC module, relating to the field of smart meter technology. The device includes a housing and a mainboard. The housing consists of a front shell and a rear shell. The front shell has a mounting slot, and an expansion box is fixedly installed inside the rear shell via a fixing component. The expansion box fits tightly against the inner wall of the front shell, and its shape and size are compatible with the mounting slot. A physical isolation wall separates the expansion box into adjacent mounting compartments and a heat dissipation compartment. The HPLC module body is detachably installed inside the mounting compartment. The expansion box features a double-layer thermal insulation structure. This invention achieves thermal insulation in both spatial and pin dimensions through the cooperation of the double-layer expansion box and the cross-compartment adapter. The physical isolation wall and the double-layer box effectively cut off the air heat radiation path from the module to the mainboard; while the cross-compartment adapter changes the original path where heat could only be conducted downwards, directly transferring most of the heat from the plug to the heat dissipation compartment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of smart meter technology, and more specifically to a smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture. Background Technology

[0002] As a core terminal device in the smart grid, smart meters play a crucial role in electricity metering and data transmission. With the continuous upgrading of electricity information collection systems, HPLC (High-Speed ​​Power Line Carrier Communication) modules are widely installed inside smart meters to meet the requirements of high-frequency, high-throughput bidirectional data communication.

[0003] In the existing smart energy meter structure, the HPLC module is usually directly installed in the internal space enclosed by the front and rear shells of the energy meter, and is directly plugged into the corresponding slot on the metering main board through the metal plug at its bottom to realize the connection of electrical signals. In the actual operation of the energy meter, when the HPLC module is transmitting and receiving high-frequency carrier signals, its internal power amplification devices and chips will generate continuous and dense Joule heat.

[0004] The existing structure and processing method have the following shortcomings that need improvement: On the one hand, the heat dissipated by the HPLC module directly causes the internal air temperature of the meter to rise, and spreads to the metering main board area without obstruction through air convection and thermal radiation; on the other hand, the metal plug at the bottom of the module is not only a conductor but also an excellent heat conductor. A large amount of heat can easily form a solid thermal bridge along the pins directly to the metering main board. This superposition and coupling of spatial thermal radiation and pin thermal conduction causes the reference temperature of the environment where the metering main board is located to rise, which in turn causes temperature drift errors in the high-precision electronic components on the metering board, reducing the metering accuracy and long-term operational reliability of the smart energy meter under high-load communication conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture includes a housing and a main board. The housing consists of a front shell and a rear shell. The front shell has a mounting slot, and an expansion box is fixedly installed inside the rear shell via a fixing component. The expansion box fits tightly against the inner wall of the front shell, and the shape and size of the expansion box are compatible with the mounting slot. The expansion box has a physical isolation wall that divides it into an adjacent installation compartment and a heat dissipation compartment. The HPLC module body is detachably installed inside the installation compartment. The expansion box has a double-layer thermal insulation structure. The plug of the HPLC module body is electrically connected to the slot on the main board via an adapter. The adapter is used to isolate the heat conduction of the plug, and the heat-conducting structure of the adapter penetrates the physical isolation wall and extends into the heat dissipation compartment to conduct the trapped heat to the heat dissipation compartment. A cover is hinged to the side of the expansion box with an opening. A through hole is opened at the end of the cover away from the hinge axis. The cover is locked to the expansion box by engaging with a screw through the through hole. The cover fits tightly against the HPLC module body in the closed state. A clearance groove is opened on the side of the front shell near the hinge axis of the cover.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, the combination of a double-layer expansion box and a cross-compartment adapter achieves thermal insulation in both spatial and pin dimensions. The physical isolation wall and the double-layer box effectively cut off the air heat radiation path from the module to the motherboard; while the adapter spanning the two compartments changes the original path of heat conduction downwards, directly conducting most of the heat from the plug to the heat dissipation chamber. This significantly reduces the heat level of the metering motherboard area, effectively avoids the temperature drift phenomenon of the motherboard, and significantly improves the metering accuracy and long-term operational reliability of the smart energy meter under high-load communication.

[0008] Furthermore, the internal isolation box of existing energy meters is usually made of a single material such as ordinary PC plastic. If a heat-conducting material is used, the heat from the module will directly penetrate the isolation box and heat up the surrounding motherboard. If a pure heat-insulating material is used, the heat emitted by the module will be trapped inside the installation chamber, causing the temperature inside the chamber to rise sharply, which in turn will cause the PA chip of the module to overheat, reduce frequency, or burn out. This single material cannot simultaneously meet the contradictory requirements of heat absorption and dissipation and blocking conduction.

[0009] A further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention is that: the expansion box includes an outer box and an inner box; the outer box and the inner box are fixedly connected, and a heat-insulating interlayer is formed between them; the outer box is made of heat-insulating and insulating material, and the inner box is made of heat-conducting material; the heat-insulating interlayer is in communication with the external environment.

[0010] By employing the above technical solution, a composite double-layer structure consisting of an outer box, an inner box, and a thermal insulation interlayer decouples the physical conflict between heat absorption and insulation. The thermally conductive inner box can quickly absorb and evenly disperse heat from the surface of the HPLC module, preventing the formation of localized high-temperature hotspots. The interconnected thermal insulation interlayer utilizes natural air convection to carry the hot air within the interlayer into the external environment. The thermally insulated outer box acts as the final physical barrier, completely blocking the conduction and radiation of residual heat to the metering motherboard. This structure significantly improves overall heat dissipation efficiency while ensuring an absolute low temperature in the motherboard area.

[0011] A further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: Several sets of fixing components are provided and distributed on both sides of the expansion box; each set of fixing components includes a hollow rod and a fixing nut. The hollow rod is sequentially provided with an end, a thick rod section, and a thin rod section of different diameters along the axial direction, with the thick rod section located between the thin rod section and the end. The thin rod section has external threads on its exterior. Several second through holes are provided on the outer box, and several first through holes corresponding to the second through holes are provided on the rear shell. The hollow rod passes through the corresponding second through holes and first through holes in sequence and is fixed with the fixing nut on the exterior of the rear shell. A first sealing ring and a second sealing ring are sleeved on the exterior of the hollow rod. The first sealing ring is located between the end and the outer box. The second sealing ring is sleeved on the exterior of the thin rod section and located between the end of the thick rod section and the rear shell. One end of the internal channel of the hollow rod is connected to the heat insulation layer, and the other end is connected to the external environment. The main body of the end is cylindrical, and its edge is cut along the chord direction to form an anti-rotation plane, which abuts against the inner wall of the outer box.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, a hollow rod structure with stepped thick and thin rod sections and double sealing rings is used to simultaneously solve mechanical fixing, interlayer ventilation, and overall sealing. The internal channels of the hollow rod directly open the convection path between the heat insulation interlayer and the external environment, improving the heat dissipation rate. At the same time, the double sealing ring design completely seals off the gaps where moisture seeps into the main cavity of the meter along the mounting hole wall, ensuring the protection level of the entire meter. In addition, the stepped steps formed by the thick and thin rod sections act as mechanical limits, preventing the outer plastic parts from cracking due to over-tightening of the fixing nuts, thus improving the assembly yield and structural reliability.

[0013] Furthermore, in the prior art, in order to connect the pins of the HPLC module to the motherboard, ordinary copper wires or straight pins are usually used for the transition. However, since metal is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, the high temperature generated by the module will be directly conducted to the motherboard through these wires or pins.

[0014] A further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: the adapter includes an adapter plug fixedly connected to the outer box, and a through groove for the adapter plug to pass through is provided on the inner box; a mounting base is fixedly connected inside the mounting compartment, and an adapter slot is fixedly connected to one side of the mounting base; several insulating conduits are fixedly connected to the inner side of the mounting base, one end of the insulating conduit penetrates the physical isolation wall and extends into the interior of the heat dissipation compartment; a groove is provided on the outside of the insulating conduit, the cross-section of the groove is C-shaped, and an adapter conductor is embedded inside; the number of adapter conductors, the number of pins of the adapter plug, and the number of sockets of the adapter slot are all equal to and correspond one-to-one with the number of sockets of the motherboard slot; one end of the adapter conductor is connected to the corresponding pin on the adapter plug, and the other end is connected to the socket of the adapter slot, so that electrical conduction and heat conduction are realized between the adapter plug and the adapter slot.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, an insulating conduit with an external groove is set, and the adapter conductor is completely inserted into the groove. The adapter conductor is firmly locked by mechanical interference to prevent it from breaking during vibration. It also increases the contact area between the conductor and the insulating conduit. The high temperature transmitted from the module pin is absorbed by the adapter conductor and immediately transmitted laterally to the insulating conduit. The heat is then directly guided into the heat dissipation chamber by the insulating conduit and dissipated. This greatly reduces the heat flowing down the conductor to the motherboard and improves the heat dissipation safety and electrical connectivity reliability in high-voltage connection environments.

[0016] If the adapter conductor adopts a short straight line shape, its contact area with the external insulating material is severely limited, and the axial solid thermal resistance along the pin direction is small. As a result, the high temperature generated by the module can easily be conducted to the metering motherboard along the short straight path, resulting in low efficiency of lateral heat dissipation.

[0017] A further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention is that: each insulating conduit has two grooves on its outside, and the two grooves are arranged in a double spiral around the outer wall of the insulating conduit.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, by setting two grooves in a double helix shape around the outer wall of each insulating conduit, the winding path of the transfer conductor is extended, directly increasing the physical contact and heat exchange area between the transfer conductor and the insulating conduit. At the same time, the axial thermal resistance along the conductor downwards is increased several times, making it difficult for heat to be transferred downwards. This forces more heat to be transferred laterally to the insulating conduit, reducing the heat leakage to the main board and improving the overall heat dissipation efficiency of the system.

[0019] Furthermore, the main function of the insulating conduit is to provide electrical isolation and assist in heat conduction in the area of ​​high-voltage pins. However, after entering the independent heat dissipation chamber, if the insulating conduit continues to wrap the heat transfer medium, since the convective and radiative heat transfer coefficients of insulating materials such as thermally conductive plastics are much smaller than those of pure metals, its own wall thickness will form an additional thermal resistance layer, which will prevent the heat conducted into the heat dissipation chamber from being released into the surrounding air quickly, thus hindering the system's heat dissipation capacity.

[0020] A further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention is that: each insulating conduit has a heat pipe embedded inside, and one end of the heat pipe extends outward from the end of the insulating conduit and abuts against the inner wall of the heat dissipation chamber.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the extension length of the insulating conduit in the heat dissipation chamber is limited, and the internal heat pipe extends outward and is exposed across the entire heat dissipation chamber. The insulating conduit is only physically wrapped in the installation chamber where short circuit prevention is required and at the wall penetration location. After entering the heat dissipation chamber, the heat pipe removes its insulating outer layer and directly exchanges heat with the air in the chamber in a pure metal exposed form. This maximizes the metal convection heat transfer area in the heat dissipation chamber, eliminates the thermal resistance caused by the plastic medium, greatly improves the rate of heat dissipation to the outside, and reduces the thermal saturation reference temperature in the installation chamber.

[0022] A further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention is that: the heat dissipation chamber is provided with a number of heat dissipation fins, which are distributed at intervals and are fixedly connected to the section of the heat pipe exposed inside the heat dissipation chamber.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, and fixing several heat sinks on the exposed section of the heat pipe, the geometric bottleneck of the limited surface area of ​​a single cylindrical tube is directly broken, and the convective heat transfer area is expanded. This structure greatly improves the heat exchange efficiency between the heat pipe and the air inside the heat dissipation chamber, accelerates the heat dissipation speed, effectively prevents the accumulation and saturation of heat in the heat dissipation chamber, and further improves the thermal stability and operational reliability of the electricity meter under extreme high-heat conditions.

[0024] A further improvement of the technical solution of the present invention is that: a flexible thermal conductive pad is provided inside the installation chamber, and the flexible thermal conductive pad is located on the side of the physical isolation wall away from the heat dissipation chamber.

[0025] By adopting the above technical solution, a flexible heat-conducting pad is set inside the installation chamber, and the axial locking pressure when the cover is closed is used to mechanically eliminate the internal air gap thermal resistance. This allows most of the surface heat dissipated by the module body to bypass the air medium inside the installation chamber and be directly guided to the inner box. This reduces the temperature rise caused by the heated air inside the installation chamber, effectively alleviates the temperature uniformity pressure of the bottom adapter, and further ensures that the metering main board is always in a constant room temperature working state.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, the technical effects achieved by this invention compared to the prior art are as follows: 1. This invention provides a smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture. Through the cooperation of a double-layer expansion box and a cross-compartment adapter, thermal insulation is achieved in both spatial and pin dimensions. The physical isolation wall and the double-layer box effectively cut off the air heat radiation path from the module to the motherboard. The adapter spanning the two compartments changes the original path of heat conduction downwards, directly conducting most of the heat from the plug to the heat dissipation chamber. This significantly reduces the heat level of the metering motherboard area, effectively avoids the temperature drift phenomenon of the motherboard, and significantly improves the metering accuracy and long-term operational reliability of the smart energy meter under high-load communication.

[0027] 2. This invention provides a smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture. Through a composite double-layer structure consisting of an outer box, an inner box, and a thermal insulation interlayer, the physical conflict between heat absorption and insulation is decoupled. The thermally conductive inner box can quickly absorb and evenly distribute heat from the surface of the HPLC module, preventing the formation of localized high-temperature hotspots. The interconnected thermal insulation interlayer utilizes natural air convection to carry the hot air within the interlayer into the external environment. The thermally insulated outer box acts as the final physical barrier, completely blocking the conduction and radiation of residual heat to the metering motherboard. This structure significantly improves overall heat dissipation efficiency while ensuring an absolute low temperature in the motherboard area.

[0028] 3. This invention provides a smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture. By setting a hollow rod structure with stepped thick and thin rod sections and double sealing rings, it simultaneously solves the problems of mechanical fixing, interlayer ventilation, and overall sealing. The internal channels of the hollow rod directly open the convection path between the thermal insulation interlayer and the external environment, improving the heat dissipation rate. At the same time, the double sealing ring design completely seals the gaps where moisture seeps into the main cavity of the meter along the mounting hole wall, ensuring the protection level of the entire meter. In addition, the stepped sections formed by the thick and thin rod sections act as mechanical limits, preventing the outer plastic parts from cracking due to over-tightening of the fixing nuts, thus improving the assembly yield and structural reliability.

[0029] 4. This invention provides a smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture. By setting an externally slotted insulating conduit and fully inserting the adapter conductor into the slot, the adapter conductor is firmly locked in place by mechanical interference, preventing it from breaking during vibration. This also increases the contact area between the conductor and the insulating conduit. The high temperature transmitted from the module pins is absorbed by the adapter conductor and immediately transmitted laterally through the insulating conduit, and then directly guided into the heat dissipation chamber by the insulating conduit. This significantly reduces the heat flowing down the conductor to the motherboard, improving the heat dissipation safety and electrical connectivity reliability in high-voltage connection environments.

[0030] 5. This invention provides a smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture. By limiting the extension length of the insulating conduit within the heat dissipation chamber and allowing the internal heat pipe to extend outwards and be exposed across the entire heat dissipation chamber, the insulating conduit is physically wrapped only in the installation chamber and wall penetration locations where short circuit prevention is required. After entering the heat dissipation chamber, the heat pipe sheds its insulating outer layer and directly exchanges heat with the air inside the chamber in a pure metal exposed form. This maximizes the metal convection heat transfer area within the heat dissipation chamber, eliminates the thermal resistance caused by the plastic medium, greatly improves the rate of heat dissipation to the outside, and reduces the thermal saturation reference temperature within the installation chamber. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the entire invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross section of AA; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall disassembled structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adapter of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the expansion box of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fixing component of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the insulating conduit of the present invention.

[0033] In the diagram: 101, Rear shell; 102, Front shell; 103, Mounting slot; 104, Cover; 105, Clearance groove; 106, First through hole; 2, HPLC module body; 3, Expansion box; 31, Inner box; 311, Mounting compartment; 312, Physical isolation wall; 313, Heat dissipation compartment; 32, Outer box; 321, Second through hole; 330, Thermal insulation layer; 4, Adapter; 401, Mounting base; 402 403. Adapter slot; 404. Adapter conductor; 405. Insulating conduit; 406. Insert groove; 407. Adapter plug; 501. Heat pipe; 502. Heat sink; 6. Fixing assembly; 60. Hollow rod; 601. Thick rod section; 602. Thin rod section; 603. End; 611. Fixing nut; 612. First sealing ring; 613. Second sealing ring; 7. Flexible thermal pad; 8. Screw; 9. Mainboard. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments.

[0035] Example 1 like Figures 1-9 As shown, this invention provides a smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture, including a housing and a main board 9. The housing consists of a front shell 102 and a rear shell 101. The front shell 102 has a mounting slot 103. An expansion box 3 is fixedly installed inside the rear shell 101 by a fixing component 6. The expansion box 3 fits tightly against the inner wall of the front shell 102, and the shape and size of the expansion box 3 are adapted to the mounting slot 103. A physical isolation wall 312 is provided inside the expansion box 3, which divides the expansion box 3 into an adjacent mounting compartment 311 and a heat dissipation compartment 313. The HPLC module body 2 is detachably installed inside the mounting compartment 311. The expansion box 3 is configured as a double-layer structure. Thermal insulation structure; the plug of the HPLC module body 2 is electrically connected to the slot on the motherboard 9 via an adapter 4. The adapter 4 is used to isolate the heat conduction of the plug part, and the heat conduction structure of the adapter 4 penetrates the physical isolation wall 312 and extends into the heat dissipation chamber 313 to conduct the trapped heat to the heat dissipation chamber 313; the expansion box 3 has a cover 104 hinged to the side with the opening. The end of the cover 104 away from the hinge axis has a through hole. The cover 104 is closed and locked with the expansion box 3 through the through hole and the screw 8; the cover 104 fits tightly with the HPLC module body 2 in the closed state; the front shell 102 has a relief groove 105 on the side near the hinge axis of the cover 104.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cooperation between the double-layer expansion box 3 and the cross-compartment adapter 4 achieves thermal insulation in both spatial and pin dimensions. The physical isolation wall 312 and the double-layer box effectively cut off the air heat radiation path from the module to the motherboard 9. The adapter 4, which spans the two compartments, changes the original path where heat can only be conducted downwards, and directly conducts most of the heat from the plug to the heat dissipation chamber 313. This significantly reduces the degree of heating in the metering motherboard 9 area, effectively avoids the temperature drift phenomenon of the motherboard 9, and significantly improves the metering accuracy and long-term operational reliability of the smart energy meter under high-load communication.

[0037] Regarding the overall thermal insulation of the first dimension: the expansion box 3 is fixedly installed inside the rear shell 101, its size and shape matching the mounting slot 103 of the front shell 102. The expansion box 3 employs a double-layer thermal insulation structure, with an internal physical isolation wall 312. This isolation wall divides the internal space of the expansion box 3 into adjacent mounting chambers 311 and heat dissipation chambers 313. When the HPLC module body 2 operates and generates heat within the mounting chamber 311, the double-layer thermal insulation structure and the physical isolation wall 312 effectively prevent hot air and heat radiation from being transferred to the motherboard 9 area below, greatly improving the thermal insulation capability of the bottom of the mounting chamber 311.

[0038] In terms of the second dimension of pin solid-state thermal insulation: the plug of the HPLC module body 2 is no longer directly plugged into the slot of the motherboard 9, but is connected through the adapter 4. The adapter 4 is not only responsible for transmitting electrical signals, but its heat conduction structure also passes through the physical isolation wall 312 laterally and extends into the heat dissipation chamber 313. The high temperature heat generated at the plug of the module will be preferentially absorbed by the adapter 4 and directly guided and discharged into the heat dissipation chamber 313 through the through structure. The above-mentioned cross-chamber heat conduction design successfully cuts off the path of heat down to the motherboard 9 along the metal pin.

[0039] Regarding the assembly and locking of the external structure: the cover 104 on the open side of the operating expansion box 3 is screwed around the hinge axis, and then screws 8 are passed through the through holes on the cover 104 to lock it to the expansion box 3. In the closed and locked state, the inner surface of the cover 104 is tightly pressed against the top surface of the HPLC module body 2. This firmly fixes the module and prevents it from loosening or shifting when the meter vibrates, thereby avoiding additional heat generation due to poor contact.

[0040] like Figure 1-5 As shown, in this embodiment, preferably, the expansion box 3 includes an outer box 32 and an inner box 31; the outer box 32 and the inner box 31 are fixedly connected, and a heat insulation layer 330 is formed between them; the outer box 32 is made of heat-insulating material, and the inner box 31 is made of heat-conducting material; the heat insulation layer 330 is in communication with the external environment.

[0041] In this embodiment, the composite double-layer structure consisting of the outer box 32, the inner box 31, and the heat-insulating interlayer 330 decouples the physical conflict between heat absorption and heat insulation. The thermally conductive inner box 31 can quickly absorb and evenly disperse the heat on the surface of the HPLC module, avoiding the formation of localized high-temperature hotspots. The interconnected heat-insulating interlayer 330 utilizes natural air convection to carry the hot air within the interlayer into the external environment. The heat-insulating outer box 32 serves as the final physical barrier, completely blocking the conduction and radiation of residual heat to the metering motherboard 9. This structure significantly improves the overall heat dissipation efficiency while ensuring an absolute low temperature in the motherboard 9 area.

[0042] This embodiment further optimizes the shell structure and material of the expansion box 3, utilizing a composite double-layer structure to achieve heat conduction followed by heat blocking. Specifically, the expansion box 3 is formed by nesting and fixing an outer box 32 and an inner box 31, with a gap of a few millimeters between them, forming a heat-insulating interlayer 330 that is in communication with the external air environment of the meter. When the HPLC module generates heat in the inner box 31 (installation chamber 311): First, the inner box 31 is responsible for heat absorption and temperature equalization. The inner box 31 is made of thermally conductive material, which can quickly absorb the concentrated heat radiation emitted by the HPLC module and rapidly conduct and disperse it to the entire wall surface of the inner box 31, thereby eliminating local hot spots. Subsequently, the heat enters the convection dissipation stage. Since a heat insulation interlayer 330 that communicates with the outside is formed between the outer wall of the inner box 31 and the inner wall of the outer box 32, the heat on the wall of the inner box 31 will heat the air in the interlayer. The heated air will naturally flow upward due to the decrease in density and flow to the external environment under the effect of the chimney effect. At the same time, the cold air at the bottom will replenish the interlayer and carry the heat directly out of the meter. Finally, the outer box 32 is responsible for isolation and interception. The outer box 32 is made of heat-insulating material. For the small amount of heat that tries to penetrate the interlayer and continue to radiate outward, the outer box 32 can block it completely, effectively preventing the heat from being conducted to the metering motherboard 9 and other precision components.

[0043] Preferably, to achieve the above functions, this embodiment provides the following two preferred material combination schemes: Material Option 1: The inner box 31 is made of die-cast aluminum alloy, and the outer box 32 is made of conventional flame-retardant PC (polycarbonate) or ABS engineering plastic.

[0044] Aluminum alloy has extremely high thermal conductivity, which can instantly absorb the heat wave of the HPLC module and spread it out over a large area. This solution has the best heat conduction and temperature uniformity effect, and can quickly reduce the peak temperature on the surface of the module. The outer PC plastic layer ensures that the meter casing must meet the insulation and flame retardant safety requirements.

[0045] Material Option Two: The inner box 31 is made of highly thermally conductive modified insulating engineering plastic (such as PA-based or LCP-based thermally conductive plastic doped with alumina micropowder), and the outer box 32 is made of microporous thermally insulating and flame-retardant plastic doped with aerogel components.

[0046] Although the thermal conductivity of thermally conductive plastic is slightly lower than that of aluminum alloy, it is non-conductive, completely eliminating the risk of creepage or short circuits that may arise from the metal inner box 31 under high-voltage conditions. Meanwhile, the addition of aerogel to the outer box 32 makes its thermal insulation coefficient far exceed that of ordinary plastic, minimizing infrared heat radiation to the motherboard 9. This solution, while achieving efficient heat dissipation, further improves the overall electrical reliability and lightweight design of the instrument.

[0047] Example 2 like Figure 1 , Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, based on Embodiment 1, the present invention provides a technical solution: Preferably, the fixing components 6 are provided in several groups and distributed on both sides of the expansion box 3; each group of fixing components 6 includes a hollow rod 60 and a fixing nut 611. The hollow rod 60 is provided with an end 603 of different diameters, a thick rod section 601 and a thin rod section 602 in sequence along the axial direction. The thick rod section 601 is located between the thin rod section 602 and the end 603; the thin rod section 602 is provided with an external thread; the outer box 32 is provided with several second through holes 321, and the rear shell 101 is provided with several first through holes 106 corresponding to the second through holes 321 one by one. The hollow rod 60 passes through the corresponding first through holes 106 in sequence. The second through hole 321 and the first through hole 106 are fixed with the fixing nut 611 on the outside of the rear shell 101; the hollow rod 60 is fitted with a first sealing ring 612 and a second sealing ring 613. The first sealing ring 612 is located between the end 603 and the outer box 32; the second sealing ring 613 is fitted on the outside of the thin rod section 602 and is located between the end of the thick rod section 601 and the rear shell 101; one end of the internal channel of the hollow rod 60 is connected to the heat insulation interlayer 330, and the other end is connected to the external environment; the main body of the end 603 is cylindrical, and its edge is cut along the chord direction to form an anti-rotation plane, which abuts against the inner wall of the outer box 32.

[0048] In this embodiment, by setting a hollow rod 60 structure with stepped shafts (thick rod segment 601 and thin rod segment 602) and double sealing rings, mechanical fixing, interlayer ventilation and overall sealing are solved simultaneously. The internal channel of the hollow rod 60 directly opens the convection path between the heat insulation interlayer 330 and the external environment, improving the heat dissipation rate. At the same time, the double sealing ring design completely seals the gaps where moisture seeps into the main cavity of the meter along the mounting hole wall, ensuring the protection level of the entire meter. In addition, the stepped steps formed by the thick and thin rod segments 602 play a mechanical limiting role, preventing the fixing nut 611 from being over-tightened and causing the plastic parts of the outer box 32 to crack, thus improving the assembly yield and structural reliability.

[0049] Although the main body of the end 603 of the hollow rod 60 is cylindrical, a straight anti-rotation plane is cut out along its side along the chord direction. During assembly, the hollow rod 60 is inserted from the inside of the expansion box 3 outwards, so that the anti-rotation plane directly adheres to and abuts against the inner side wall of the outer box 32. When the fixing nut 611 is tightened on the outside of the energy meter, the thread friction will attempt to drive the hollow rod 60 to rotate synchronously as a whole. At this time, the anti-rotation plane will convert this rotational torque into vertical compression against the side wall of the outer box 32, thereby completely blocking the circumferential rotation of the hollow rod 60. The hollow rod 60 adopts a stepped shaft structure with distinct thicknesses. The first sealing ring 612 is pressed between the end 603 and the inner wall of the outer casing 32, completing the internal seal. The second sealing ring 613 is fitted onto the thinner rod section 602, located precisely between the end of the thicker rod section 601 (i.e., the stepped shoulder) and the inner wall of the rear casing 101. When the external fixing nut 611 is continuously tightened and the hollow rod 60 is pulled outward, the end of the thicker rod section 601 acts like a piston, pressing the second sealing ring 613 firmly against the rear casing 101. By utilizing the surface sealing structure where the internal shoulder directly presses against the casing, the waterproof stress is more uniform and is not affected by the long-term exposure and aging of the external nut, completely isolating external moisture intrusion. Several sets of hollow rods 60 distributed on both sides of the expansion box 3 form miniature chimneys with interconnected channels inside. One end of each channel is directly open in the heat-insulating interlayer 330 between the outer box 32 and the inner box 31, while the other end is exposed to the external environment. When the inner box 31 absorbs heat and heats the air in the interlayer, the heated and expanded air is directly discharged outward along the hollow rods 60 due to the thermal pressure difference; cold air is replenished by entering from the channels of the hollow rods 60 in other parts.

[0050] Example 3 like Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, based on Embodiment 2, the present invention provides a technical solution: Preferably, the adapter 4 includes an adapter plug 406 fixedly connected to the outer box 32, and the inner box 31 has a through groove for the adapter plug 406 to pass through; a mounting base 401 is fixedly connected inside the mounting compartment 311, and an adapter slot 402 is fixedly connected to one side of the mounting base 401; a plurality of insulating conduits 404 are fixedly connected to the inner side of the mounting base 401, and one end of the insulating conduit 404 penetrates the physical isolation wall 312 and extends into the heat dissipation compartment 313. The insulating conduit 404 has an external groove 405 with a C-shaped cross-section and an internal adapter conductor 403. The number of adapter conductors 403, the number of pins on the adapter plug 406, and the number of sockets on the adapter slot 402 are all equal to and correspond one-to-one with the number of sockets on the motherboard 9 slot. One end of the adapter conductor 403 is connected to the corresponding pin on the adapter plug 406, and the other end is connected to the socket on the adapter slot 402, so that electrical and thermal conduction can be achieved between the adapter plug 406 and the adapter slot 402.

[0051] In this embodiment, by setting an insulating conduit 404 with an external groove 405 and fully inserting the adapter conductor 403 into the groove, the adapter conductor 403 is firmly locked by mechanical interference to prevent it from breaking during vibration. This also increases the contact area between the conductor and the insulating conduit 404. The high temperature transmitted from the module pins is absorbed by the adapter conductor 403 and immediately transmitted laterally to the insulating conduit 404, and then directly guided by the insulating conduit 404 to the heat dissipation chamber 313 for dissipation. This significantly reduces the heat flowing down the conductor to the motherboard 9, improving the heat dissipation safety and electrical connectivity reliability in high-voltage connection environments.

[0052] The adapter wire is precisely pressed and snapped into the groove 405 outside the insulating conduit 404. Since the cross-section of the groove 405 is C-shaped and its opening width is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the adapter conductor 403, during assembly, the adapter conductor 403 is squeezed and forced into the C-shaped groove. Utilizing the elastic deformation of the material, the C-shaped opening locks the adapter conductor 403 in place, preventing the wiring from coming loose due to minor vibrations during long-term operation of the energy meter. The number of adapter conductors 403 and their interfaces correspond one-to-one, ensuring lossless transmission of communication and power signals. When the HPLC module is in high-power operation, the metal plug at its bottom generates a large amount of high-temperature heat. After this heat enters the adapter conductor 403, the heat is rapidly transferred from the conductor laterally to the insulating conduit 404 because the adapter conductor 403 is in close contact with the C-shaped groove of the insulating conduit 404. Since one end of the insulating conduit 404 penetrates the physical isolation wall 312 and extends into the heat dissipation chamber 313 of the partition wall, the heat flow is guided along the insulating conduit 404 to the heat dissipation chamber 313 for release.

[0053] To achieve optimal thermoelectric diversion, this embodiment provides the following two preferred options for the materials of the insulating conduit 404 and the transition conductor 403: Preferably, the insulating conduit 404 is injection molded from polycarbonate (PC) thermally conductive plastic doped with alumina (Al2O3) micropowder; the adapter conductor 403 is made of bare copper wire without insulation. Alumina micropowder gives conventional PC plastic excellent thermal conductivity while retaining extremely high volume resistivity, achieving both thermal conductivity and insulation. The bare copper wire is directly pressed into the C-groove, eliminating the huge air thermal resistance caused by the insulation sheath of traditional wires, allowing the copper wire to achieve zero-distance physical contact with the thermally conductive plastic, greatly improving the lateral heat conduction efficiency, and the material cost is low, making it suitable for large-scale mass production. Preferably, the insulating conduit 404 is made of boron nitride (BN) modified liquid crystal polymer (LCP); the adapter conductor 403 is made of silver-plated copper alloy wire. LCP material possesses extremely strong resistance to creep deformation at high temperatures. Combined with special boron nitride powder, its thermal conductivity far exceeds that of ordinary plastics, and its dielectric constant is extremely low. The silver plating layer on the surface of the adapter conductor 403 utilizes the "skin effect" to significantly reduce the transmission loss and insertion attenuation of the HPLC high-frequency carrier communication signal. While ensuring maximum heat dissipation, this further improves the signal integrity and anti-interference capability of the high-frequency communication link of the energy meter.

[0054] Example 4 like Figure 6 and Figure 9 As shown, based on Embodiment 3, the present invention provides a technical solution: preferably, each insulating conduit 404 has two grooves 405 on its exterior, and the two grooves 405 are arranged in a double spiral around the outer wall of the insulating conduit 404.

[0055] In this embodiment, by providing two grooves 405 arranged in a double helix around the outer wall of each insulating conduit 404, the winding path of the transition conductor 403 is extended, directly increasing the physical contact and heat exchange area between the transition conductor 403 and the insulating conduit 404. At the same time, the axial thermal resistance along the conductor downwards is increased several times, making it difficult for heat to be transferred downwards, forcing more heat to be transferred laterally to the insulating conduit 404, reducing the heat leakage to the main board 9, and improving the overall heat dissipation efficiency of the system.

[0056] The grooves 405 on the outer wall of each insulating conduit 404 are machined into two double-helix grooves. When the adapter conductor 403 is inserted into the spiral grooves and coiled around the insulating conduit 404, the total physical length of its spiral unfolding is much greater than the straight vertical distance between the two ends of the conduit. The increase in conductor length directly leads to a multiple-fold increase in the effective heat exchange area between the conductor and the insulating conduit 404; at the same time, the elongated coiling path significantly increases the solid-state thermal resistance of the conductor in the Z-axis direction. When the heat from the plug encounters a large downward resistance, it is laterally transferred to the body of the insulating conduit 404 and then quickly introduced into the heat dissipation chamber 313.

[0057] Preferably, each pair of transition conductors 403 that constitute a signal or electrical pairing relationship is a group, sharing a single insulating conduit 404, and each is respectively embedded in one of the two slots 405 outside the same insulating conduit 404.

[0058] In smart meters, the pins of the HPLC module typically have cooperating wire pairs (e.g., high-frequency differential communication lines TX / RX, or specific power supply return lines). This preferred solution inserts these two paired conductors into two double-helix slots 405 on the outside of the same conduit, spatially forcibly solidifying them into a regular "twisted pair" configuration. When a signal carrying a high-frequency carrier passes through this pair of conductors, the helical winding causes the parasitic alternating magnetic fields generated around the two cables to be opposite in direction and cancel each other out. This working principle eliminates the coupling interference of environmental electromagnetic radiation to this signal line, eliminates crosstalk caused by parallel routing of strong and weak currents between modules, and further improves the reliability and stability of data transmission in the energy meter.

[0059] Example 5 like Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 9 As shown, based on Embodiment 4, the present invention provides a technical solution: preferably, each insulating conduit 404 has a heat pipe 501 embedded inside, and one end of the heat pipe 501 extends outward from the end of the insulating conduit 404 and abuts against the inner wall of the heat dissipation chamber 313.

[0060] In this embodiment, by limiting the extension length of the insulating conduit 404 within the heat dissipation chamber 313 and allowing the internal heat pipe 501 to extend outwards and be exposed across the entire heat dissipation chamber 313, the insulating conduit 404 provides physical wrapping only in the installation chamber 311 where short circuit prevention is required and at the wall penetration location; while the heat pipe 501 sheds its insulating outer layer after entering the heat dissipation chamber 313, directly exchanging heat with the air inside the chamber in a pure metal exposed form, thereby maximizing the metal convection heat transfer area within the heat dissipation chamber 313, eliminating the thermal resistance caused by the plastic medium, greatly improving the rate of heat dissipation to the outside, and reducing the thermal saturation reference temperature within the installation chamber 311.

[0061] Each insulating conduit 404 has a phase change heat pipe 501 tightly embedded inside. In terms of spatial layout, the insulating conduit 404 only serves as a sealing and insulating component for penetrating the wall. When it just penetrates the physical isolation wall 312 and enters the heat dissipation chamber 313 a short distance, it immediately terminates and forms an end. At this time, the main body of the heat pipe 501 inside extends directly from this end, detached from the enclosure of the insulating conduit 404, and continues to span the entire internal space of the heat dissipation chamber 313 with its pure metal outer wall exposed.

[0062] Under high-frequency, high-power operating conditions, the insulating conduit 404 located on one side of the mounting chamber 311 is responsible for absorbing the heat on the pins and transferring it inward to the heat pipe 501 (at this time, the insulating conduit 404 mainly absorbs heat). The phase change working fluid inside the heat pipe 501 is heated and vaporized, and the heat is transported to the heat dissipation chamber 313 at an extremely high speed. Since the heat pipe 501 is completely exposed in the heat dissipation chamber 313, its metal surface is in direct contact with the air (or the outer heat dissipation fins) in the heat dissipation chamber 313. Because the surface heat transfer coefficient of the exposed metal is much greater than that of any insulating conduit 404 material, the thermal resistance added by the outer insulation layer is directly stripped away, so that the heat pipe 501 mainly dissipates heat.

[0063] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, preferably, the heat dissipation chamber 313 is provided with a plurality of heat dissipation fins 502, which are spaced apart and fixedly connected to the section of the heat pipe 501 exposed inside the heat dissipation chamber 313.

[0064] In this embodiment, by fixing several heat sinks 502 on the exposed section of the heat pipe 501, the geometric bottleneck of the limited surface area of ​​a single cylindrical tube is directly broken, and the convective heat transfer area is expanded. This structure greatly improves the heat exchange efficiency between the heat pipe 501 and the air inside the heat dissipation chamber 313, accelerates the heat dissipation speed, effectively prevents the heat from accumulating and saturating in the heat dissipation chamber 313, and further improves the thermal stability and operational reliability of the power meter under extreme high-heat conditions.

[0065] Several heat sinks 502 (preferably high thermal conductivity aluminum or copper stamped fins) are tightly fitted or welded to the exposed outer wall of the heat pipe 501 spanning the heat dissipation chamber 313 in a parallel and equally spaced manner. When the phase change working fluid inside the heat pipe 501 instantly transports a large amount of heat to the heat dissipation chamber 313, the heat is first transferred to the metal outer wall of the heat pipe 501, and then rapidly conducted radially to each heat sink 502.

[0066] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, preferably, a flexible thermal pad 7 is provided inside the installation chamber 311, and the flexible thermal pad 7 is located on the side of the physical isolation wall 312 away from the heat dissipation chamber 313.

[0067] Furthermore, when the cover 104 is in the closed and locked state, the cover 104 presses against the HPLC module body 2, so that the back of the HPLC module body 2 is tightly pressed against the flexible thermal pad 7.

[0068] In this embodiment, by setting a flexible heat-conducting pad 7 inside the installation chamber 311, the internal air gap thermal resistance is forcibly eliminated by mechanical extrusion. This allows most of the surface heat dissipated by the module body to bypass the air medium inside the installation chamber 311 and be directly guided to the inner box 31. This reduces the temperature rise caused by the heated air inside the installation chamber 311, effectively alleviates the temperature uniformity pressure of the bottom adapter 4, and further ensures that the metering main board 9 is always in a constant room temperature working state.

[0069] The present invention has been described in detail above. However, modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, any modifications or improvements that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture, comprising a housing and a main board (9); characterized in that: The housing consists of a front shell (102) and a rear shell (101). The front shell (102) has an installation groove (103). An expansion box (3) is fixedly installed inside the rear shell (101) by a fixing component (6). The expansion box (3) fits tightly against the inner wall of the front shell (102), and the shape and size of the expansion box (3) are compatible with the installation groove (103). The expansion box (3) is provided with a physical isolation wall (312), which divides the expansion box (3) into an adjacent installation chamber (311) and a heat dissipation chamber (313). The HPLC module body (2) is detachably installed inside the installation chamber (311). The expansion box (3) is configured with a double-layer heat insulation structure; The plug of the HPLC module body (2) is electrically connected to the slot on the motherboard (9) via an adapter (4). The adapter (4) is used to isolate the heat conduction of the plug. The heat conduction structure of the adapter (4) penetrates the physical isolation wall (312) and extends into the heat dissipation chamber (313) to conduct the intercepted heat to the heat dissipation chamber (313). The expansion box (3) has a cover (104) hinged to one side with an opening. The cover (104) has a through hole at the end away from the hinge axis. The cover (104) is locked to the expansion box (3) by a screw (8) through the through hole. The cover (104) fits tightly against the HPLC module body (2) in the closed state. The front shell (102) has a relief groove (105) on the side near the hinge axis of the cover (104). The expansion box (3) includes an outer box (32) and an inner box (31); the outer box (32) and the inner box (31) are fixedly connected, and a heat-insulating interlayer (330) is formed between them; the outer box (32) is made of heat-insulating material, and the inner box (31) is made of heat-conducting material; the heat-insulating interlayer (330) is in communication with the external environment; The adapter (4) includes an adapter plug (406) fixedly connected to the outer box (32), and the inner box (31) has a through slot for the adapter plug (406) to pass through; the mounting compartment (311) is fixedly connected to a mounting base (401), and one side of the mounting base (401) is fixedly connected to an adapter slot (402); the inner side of the mounting base (401) is fixedly connected to a plurality of insulating conduits (404), one end of the insulating conduits (404) penetrating the physical isolation wall (312) and extending into the interior of the heat dissipation compartment (313); the insulating conduits (404) An external slot (405) is provided, the cross-section of which is C-shaped and an adapter conductor (403) is embedded inside. The number of adapter conductors (403), the number of pins of the adapter plug (406), and the number of sockets of the adapter slot (402) are all equal to and correspond one-to-one with the number of sockets of the motherboard (9) slot. One end of the adapter conductor (403) is connected to the corresponding pin on the adapter plug (406), and the other end is connected to the socket of the adapter slot (402), so that electrical and thermal conduction can be realized between the adapter plug (406) and the adapter slot (402).

2. The smart energy meter based on the thermal isolation architecture of an HPLC module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing components (6) are provided in several groups and distributed on both sides of the expansion box (3); each group of fixing components (6) includes a hollow rod (60) and a fixing nut (611). The hollow rod (60) is provided with an end (603) of different diameter, a thick rod section (601) and a thin rod section (602) in sequence along the axial direction. The thick rod section (601) is located between the thin rod section (602) and the end (603). The thin rod section (602) is provided with an external thread. The outer box (32) is provided with several second through holes (321), and the rear shell (101) is provided with several first through holes (106) corresponding to the second through holes (321) one by one. The hollow rod (60) passes through the corresponding second through hole (321) and the first through hole in sequence. (106), and is fixed to the outside of the rear shell (101) with the fixing nut (611); the hollow rod (60) is fitted with a first sealing ring (612) and a second sealing ring (613), the first sealing ring (612) is located between the end (603) and the outer box (32); the second sealing ring (613) is fitted to the outside of the thin rod section (602) and is located between the end of the thick rod section (601) and the rear shell (101); one end of the internal channel of the hollow rod (60) is connected to the heat insulation interlayer (330), and the other end is connected to the external environment; the main body of the end (603) is cylindrical, and its edge is cut along the chord direction to form an anti-rotation plane, the anti-rotation plane abuts against the inner wall of the outer box (32).

3. The smart energy meter based on the thermal isolation architecture of an HPLC module according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the insulating conduits (404) has two grooves (405) on its exterior, and the two grooves (405) are arranged in a double helix around the outer wall of the insulating conduit (404).

4. A smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the insulating conduits (404) has a heat pipe (501) embedded inside, one end of which extends outward from the end of the insulating conduit (404) and abuts against the inner wall of the heat dissipation chamber (313).

5. A smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture according to claim 4, characterized in that: The heat dissipation chamber (313) is provided with a number of heat dissipation fins (502), which are spaced apart and fixedly connected to the section of the heat pipe (501) exposed inside the heat dissipation chamber (313).

6. A smart energy meter based on an HPLC module thermal isolation architecture according to claim 5, characterized in that: The installation chamber (311) is provided with a flexible heat-conducting pad (7), which is located on the side of the physical isolation wall (312) away from the heat dissipation chamber (313).

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