Probe self-correcting ultrasonic reflection type open channel flowmeter and self-correcting method

Abstract

This invention relates to an ultrasonic through-beam flow meter with a self-calibrating probe, comprising a signal transmitting sensor and a signal receiving sensor. Both the transmitting and receiving sensors include an outer casing, a rear housing, a ball head with a probe mounted on it, and a drive device for driving the ball head to swing. The rear housing is fixedly connected to the outer casing, and the drive device is installed inside the rear housing. The drive device includes a vertical drive mechanism for driving the ball head to swing vertically and a horizontal drive mechanism for driving the ball head to swing laterally. By integrating the drive mechanism into the signal transmitting and receiving sensors, the probe possesses automatic vertical and horizontal swing adjustment capabilities. The calibration process can be automatically executed by the control system, completely replacing inefficient and cumbersome manual adjustments, greatly improving the efficiency of installation and calibration, and reducing reliance on operator experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water flow measurement technology, and in particular to an ultrasonic through-beam flowmeter with self-calibration probe and a self-calibration method. Background Technology

[0002] Open channel flow measurement is a key technology for water resource metering and management in fields such as water conservancy, environmental protection, and industrial production. Ultrasonic through-beam open channel flow meters, as a non-contact, high-precision measuring instrument, have been widely used. These flow meters are typically installed on both sides of the open channel and mainly consist of a transmitting probe and a receiving probe. During installation, the two probes must be installed at a certain angle. Their core working principle is: the transmitting probe emits an ultrasonic signal, which passes through the fluid and is received by the receiving probe on the opposite side. The flow velocity and flow rate are calculated by measuring parameters such as the propagation time of the ultrasonic signal.

[0003] To ensure the strength and stability of the measurement signal and thus obtain accurate and reliable measurement results, the transmitting and receiving probes must be precisely aligned during installation, meaning their acoustic axes ideally intersect in space. Currently, the common practice is that after the probes are initially installed and fixed, the operator manually, repeatedly, and meticulously adjusts the horizontal and pitch angles of each probe while observing changes in the received signal amplitude until the angle position that maximizes the received signal amplitude is found. At this point, the probes can be considered to have achieved optimal focus and alignment.

[0004] However, this method of correction, which relies entirely on manual intervention, has significant drawbacks:

[0005] (1) Inefficient and dependent on experience: The adjustment process is cumbersome and time-consuming, requiring operators to have high patience and experience. The calibration work is particularly difficult, especially in narrow environments or when the initial installation deviation of the probe is large.

[0006] (2) Limited calibration accuracy: The accuracy of manual adjustment is limited by the operator's judgment and the fineness of manual operation, making it difficult to achieve the theoretically optimal alignment state, which may affect the final measurement accuracy of the flow meter.

[0007] Therefore, the lack of automatic calibration capability of existing ultrasonic through-beam open channel flow meter probes has become a technical bottleneck restricting their installation efficiency, long-term operational stability, and improvement of intelligence level. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an ultrasonic through-beam flow meter with self-calibration probe and a self-calibration method.

[0009] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an ultrasonic through-beam flow meter for open channels with self-calibrated probe, comprising a signal transmitting sensor and a signal receiving sensor, wherein the signal transmitting sensor and the signal receiving sensor are respectively installed on the two side walls of the open channel and are arranged obliquely opposite to each other. Each signal transmitting sensor and the signal receiving sensor includes an outer cover, a rear shell, a ball head on which a probe is mounted, and a driving device for driving the ball head to swing. The outer cover has a forward-protruding mounting cavity, the ball head is accommodated in the mounting cavity, and the front end of the mounting cavity has a through hole for the probe to be exposed. The rear shell is fixedly connected to the outer cover, and the driving device is installed inside the rear shell. The driving device includes a vertical driving mechanism for driving the ball head to swing vertically and a lateral driving mechanism for driving the ball head to swing laterally.

[0010] Preferably, the vertical drive mechanism includes a vertical guide rail, a vertical rack, a vertical climbing frame, and a vertical drive motor. The two ends of the vertical guide rail are fixed to the connecting seat located on the back of the outer cover via connecting rods.

[0011] Preferably, the vertical rack is mounted on the vertical guide rail, the vertical drive motor is mounted on the vertical climbing frame, and its output shaft is equipped with a vertical gear that meshes with the vertical rack. A first roller is rotatably mounted on the vertical climbing frame, rollingly engaging with the vertical guide rail. The first roller is positioned on both the front and rear sides of the vertical guide rail, and its placement clamps the guide rail, thereby guiding the movement trajectory of the vertical climbing frame. A connecting arm is fixed to each of the left and right sides of the vertical climbing frame.

[0012] Preferably, the lateral drive mechanism includes a lateral guide rail, a lateral rack, a lateral drive motor, and a lateral moving frame. The ends of the two connecting arms are fixedly connected to both ends of the lateral guide rail. The lateral rack is fixedly mounted on the lateral guide rail. The lateral drive motor is mounted on the lateral moving frame, and its output shaft is equipped with a lateral gear that meshes with the lateral rack. A second roller that rolls with the lateral guide rail is rotatably mounted on the lateral moving frame. The second rollers are located on the front and rear sides of the lateral guide rail, and the front and rear second rollers clamp the lateral guide rail, thereby guiding the movement trajectory of the lateral moving frame. The front end of the lateral moving frame is fixedly connected to the rear end of the ball joint.

[0013] Preferably, the vertical drive mechanism further includes two first proximity switches for limiting the movement range of the vertical climbing frame, and the two first proximity switches are respectively disposed at both ends of the vertical guide rail.

[0014] Preferably, the lateral drive mechanism further includes two second proximity switches for limiting the movement range of the lateral moving frame, the two second proximity switches being respectively disposed at both ends of the lateral guide rail.

[0015] Preferably, both the vertical guide rail and the horizontal guide rail are arc-shaped guide rails.

[0016] Preferably, it also includes a sealing structure for sealing the ball head and the mounting cavity.

[0017] Preferably, the sealing structure includes a pressure cap, an annular fixing plate, and two polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) annular sealing rings. The ball head is placed in the mounting cavity and held from behind by the pressure cap. The annular fixing plate is sleeved on the pressure cap and fixed to the outer cover. The two PTFE annular sealing rings are respectively sleeved on the upper and lower ends of the ball head, wherein the lower PTFE annular sealing ring is located in the mounting groove in the mounting cavity, and the other upper PTFE annular sealing ring is pressed tightly by the pressure cap.

[0018] Preferably, the ball head has an assembly cavity inside, the probe is placed in the assembly cavity and limited by the limiting step at its front end, and a clamping cap is screwed to the rear end of the assembly cavity to clamp the probe; the front end of the transverse moving frame passes through the through hole on the pressure cover and is fixedly connected to the clamping cap.

[0019] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a self-calibration method for the above-mentioned probe-self-calibrated ultrasonic through-beam open channel flow meter, comprising the following steps:

[0020] S1. System initialization: The signal transmitting sensor and the signal receiving sensor enter the calibration state.

[0021] S2. Start calibration, and control the probe in the signal transmitting sensor to continuously emit ultrasonic signals;

[0022] S3. Control the vertical drive mechanism and the horizontal drive mechanism of the signal receiving sensor to drive the ball head and probe to the predetermined mechanical zero point position;

[0023] S4. Lateral Scan: Control the lateral drive mechanism of the signal receiving sensor to drive its ball head and probe to swing and scan laterally, and monitor the received signal amplitude in real time. Record the position of the lateral moving frame when the signal amplitude reaches the first peak value as the best candidate position in the lateral direction.

[0024] S5. Vertical fine-tuning: Control the vertical drive mechanism of the signal receiving sensor to drive its ball head and probe to make vertical swing fine-tuning near the horizontal optimal candidate position, continue to monitor the signal amplitude, and lock the position of the vertical drive mechanism as the vertical optimal position when the signal amplitude reaches the peak value.

[0025] S6. Lateral fine adjustment: Under the optimal longitudinal position, control the lateral drive mechanism again to perform a small range of lateral swing fine adjustment to find the precise position that makes the signal amplitude reach the global maximum value, and lock the state of the lateral drive mechanism.

[0026] S7. Calibration complete, the system enters normal flow measurement mode.

[0027] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0028] 1. By integrating drive mechanisms into the signal transmitting and receiving sensors, the probe possesses automatic up-and-down and left-and-right swing adjustment capabilities. The calibration process can be automatically executed by the control system, completely replacing inefficient and cumbersome manual adjustments, greatly improving the efficiency of installation and calibration, and reducing reliance on operator experience.

[0029] 2. During the long-term operation of the flowmeter, the control system can periodically or in real-time monitor the received signal strength. Once signal attenuation is detected, indicating that the probe may have shifted due to external forces, calibration can be initiated, driving the probe to fine-tune and realign, thereby dynamically compensating for deviations caused by environmental factors. This effectively ensures the consistency of the flowmeter's measurement accuracy throughout its entire lifespan, avoids measurement errors caused by probe misalignment, and significantly reduces the frequency and cost of on-site manual maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the ultrasonic through-beam open channel flow meter of the present invention installed in an open channel;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a top view of the ultrasonic through-beam open channel flow meter of the present invention installed in an open channel;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional view of the overall structure of the sensor (taking a signal receiving sensor as an example) in this invention;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a front view of the overall structure of the sensor (taking a signal receiving sensor as an example) in this invention;

[0034] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Sectional view along line AA;

[0035] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A magnified schematic diagram of the structure at point B in the middle;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the connection between the driving device and the ball head of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 8This is another perspective view of the connection between the driving device and the ball head of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the connection relationship between the lateral drive mechanism and the ball head of the present invention;

[0039] As shown in the figure:

[0040] 1. Open channel; 2. Signal transmitting sensor; 3. Signal receiving sensor; 4. Outer cover; 5. Rear shell; 6. Ball head; 7. Probe; 8. Compression cap; 9. Cover; 10. Annular fixing plate; 11. PTFE annular sealing ring; 12. Mounting cavity; 13. Mounting groove; 14. Limiting step; 15. Vertical guide rail; 16. Connecting rod; 17. Connecting seat; 18. Horizontal rack; 19. First proximity switch; 20. Vertical rack; 21. Horizontal guide rail; 22. Vertical drive motor; 23. Vertical gear; 24. Vertical climbing frame; 25. First roller; 26. Connecting arm; 27. Horizontal moving frame; 28. Second roller; 29. ​​Horizontal drive motor; 30. Horizontal gear; 31. Second proximity switch. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To clearly illustrate the technical features of this solution, the following detailed implementation method will be used to explain the solution.

[0042] like Figure 1-9 As shown, the present invention includes a signal transmitting sensor 2 and a signal receiving sensor 3, which are respectively installed on the two side walls of an open channel 1 and are arranged obliquely opposite to each other. Each of the signal transmitting sensor 2 and the signal receiving sensor 3 includes an outer cover 4, a rear shell 5, a ball head 6 on which a probe 7 is mounted, and a driving device for driving the ball head 6 to swing. The outer cover 4 has a forward-protruding mounting cavity 12, and the ball head 6 is accommodated within the mounting cavity 12. The front end of the mounting cavity 12 has a through hole for the probe 7 to protrude. The rear shell 5 is fixedly connected to the outer cover 4, and the driving device is installed inside the rear shell 5. The driving device includes a vertical driving mechanism for driving the ball head 6 to swing vertically and a horizontal driving mechanism for driving the ball head 6 to swing laterally.

[0043] In this embodiment, the vertical drive mechanism includes a vertical guide rail 15, a vertical rack 20, a vertical climbing frame 24, and a vertical drive motor 22. Both ends of the vertical guide rail 15 are fixed to a connecting seat 17 located on the back of the outer cover 4 via connecting rods 16. The vertical rack 20 is mounted on the vertical guide rail 15, and the vertical drive motor 22 is mounted on the vertical climbing frame 24. Its output shaft is equipped with a vertical gear 23 that meshes with the vertical rack 20. A first roller 25 is rotatably mounted on the vertical climbing frame 24, rollingly engaging with the vertical guide rail 15. The first rollers 25 are located on the front and rear sides of the vertical guide rail 15, clamping the vertical guide rail 15 and guiding the movement trajectory of the vertical climbing frame 24. A connecting arm 26 is fixed to each of the left and right sides of the vertical climbing frame 24.

[0044] In this embodiment, the lateral drive mechanism includes a lateral guide rail 21, a lateral rack 18, a lateral drive motor 29, and a lateral moving frame 27. The ends of the two connecting arms 26 are fixedly connected to both ends of the lateral guide rail 21, respectively. The lateral rack 18 is fixedly mounted on the lateral guide rail 21. The lateral drive motor 29 is mounted on the lateral moving frame 27, and its output shaft is equipped with a lateral gear 30 that meshes with the lateral rack 18. A second roller 28 that rolls with the lateral guide rail 21 is rotatably mounted on the lateral moving frame 27. The second rollers 28 are arranged on the front and rear sides of the lateral guide rail 21, and the front and rear second rollers 28 clamp the lateral guide rail 21, thereby guiding the movement trajectory of the lateral moving frame 27. The front end of the lateral moving frame 27 is fixedly connected to the rear end of the ball head 6.

[0045] In this embodiment, both the vertical guide rail 15 and the horizontal guide rail 21 are arc-shaped guide rails.

[0046] In this embodiment, the vertical drive mechanism further includes two first proximity switches 19 for limiting the movement range of the vertical climbing frame 24, and the two first proximity switches 19 are respectively disposed at both ends of the vertical guide rail 15.

[0047] In this embodiment, the lateral drive mechanism further includes two second proximity switches 31 for limiting the movement range of the lateral moving frame 27, and the two second proximity switches 31 are respectively disposed at both ends of the lateral guide rail 21.

[0048] In this embodiment, a sealing structure is also included for sealing the ball head 6 and the mounting cavity 12. The sealing structure includes a pressure cap 9, an annular fixing plate 10, and two polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) annular sealing rings 11. The ball head 6 is placed inside the mounting cavity 12 and held from behind by the pressure cap 9. The annular fixing plate 10 is fitted onto the pressure cap 9 and fixed to the outer cover 4. The fixing method here is screw fixing. The two PTFE annular sealing rings 11 are respectively fitted onto the upper and lower ends of the ball head 6, wherein the lower PTFE annular sealing ring 11 is located in the mounting groove 13 inside the mounting cavity 12, and the other upper PTFE annular sealing ring 11 is pressed tightly by the pressure cap 9.

[0049] In this embodiment, the ball head 6 has an assembly cavity inside, the probe 7 is placed in the assembly cavity and limited by the limiting step 14 at its front end, and a clamping cap 8 is screwed to the rear end of the assembly cavity to clamp the probe 7. The front end of the transverse moving frame 27 passes through the through hole on the pressure cover 9 and is fixedly connected to the clamping cap 8.

[0050] In this embodiment, the two first proximity switches 19 and the two second proximity switches 31 are all connected to the input circuit of the controller, and the vertical drive motor 22 and the horizontal drive motor 29 are all connected to the output circuit of the controller.

[0051] The self-calibration method for the probe-self-calibrated ultrasonic through-beam open channel flow meter described above includes the following steps:

[0052] S1. System initialization, signal transmitting sensor 2 and signal receiving sensor 3 enter the calibration state;

[0053] S2. Start calibration and control the probe 7 in the signal transmitting sensor 2 to continuously emit ultrasonic signals;

[0054] S3. Control the vertical drive mechanism and the horizontal drive mechanism of the signal receiving sensor 3 to drive the ball head 6 and the probe 7 to the predetermined mechanical zero point position;

[0055] S4. Lateral scanning: Control the lateral drive motor 29 of the signal receiving sensor 3 to drive its ball head 6 and probe 7 to swing and scan laterally, and monitor the received signal amplitude in real time. Record the position of the lateral moving frame 27 when the signal amplitude reaches the first peak value as the best candidate position in the lateral direction.

[0056] S5. Vertical fine-tuning: Control the vertical drive motor 22 of the signal receiving sensor 3 to drive its ball head 6 and probe 7 to perform vertical swing fine-tuning near the horizontal optimal candidate position, continue to monitor the signal amplitude, and lock the position of the vertical drive mechanism as the vertical optimal position when the signal amplitude reaches the peak value.

[0057] S6. Lateral fine adjustment: Under the optimal longitudinal position, control the lateral drive motor 29 again to perform a small range of lateral swing fine adjustment, find the precise position that makes the signal amplitude reach the global maximum value, and lock the state of the lateral drive mechanism.

[0058] S7. Calibration complete, the system enters normal flow measurement mode.

[0059] Of course, the above description is not limited to the examples above. Technical features not described in this invention can be implemented by or using existing technology, and will not be repeated here. The above embodiments and drawings are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this invention and are not intended to limit this invention. This invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that any changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by those skilled in the art within the scope of this invention do not depart from the spirit of this invention and should also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A self-correcting ultrasonic transit time open channel flow meter with a probe, characterized in that: The system includes a signal transmitting sensor and a signal receiving sensor, which are respectively installed on the two side walls of an open channel and are arranged obliquely opposite to each other. The system is characterized in that: each signal transmitting sensor and signal receiving sensor includes an outer cover, a rear shell, a ball head with a probe mounted on it, and a driving device for driving the ball head to swing; the outer cover has a forward-protruding mounting cavity, the ball head is accommodated in the mounting cavity, and the front end of the mounting cavity has a through hole for the probe to protrude; the rear shell is fixedly connected to the outer cover, and the driving device is installed inside the rear shell, the driving device including a vertical driving mechanism for driving the ball head to swing vertically and a lateral driving mechanism for driving the ball head to swing laterally.

2. A self-correcting ultrasonic opposed jet open channel flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein: The vertical drive mechanism includes a vertical guide rail, a vertical rack, a vertical climbing frame, and a vertical drive motor. The two ends of the vertical guide rail are fixed to the connecting seat located on the back of the outer cover via connecting rods.

3. The ultrasonic through-beam flow meter with probe self-calibration according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vertical rack is mounted on the vertical guide rail, the vertical drive motor is mounted on the vertical climbing frame, and its output shaft is equipped with a vertical gear that meshes with the vertical rack. The vertical climbing frame is rotatably mounted with a first roller that rolls with the vertical guide rail. The first roller is located on the front and rear sides of the vertical guide rail, and a connecting arm is fixed on the left and right sides of the vertical climbing frame.

4. The ultrasonic through-beam flow meter with probe self-calibration according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lateral drive mechanism includes a lateral guide rail, a lateral rack, a lateral drive motor, and a lateral moving frame. The ends of the two connecting arms are fixedly connected to the two ends of the lateral guide rail, respectively. The lateral rack is fixedly mounted on the lateral guide rail. The lateral drive motor is mounted on the lateral moving frame, and its output shaft is equipped with a lateral gear that meshes with the lateral rack. A second roller that rolls with the lateral guide rail is rotatably mounted on the lateral moving frame. The second roller is located on the front and rear sides of the lateral guide rail. The front end of the lateral moving frame is fixedly connected to the rear end of the ball head.

5. The ultrasonic through-beam flow meter with probe self-calibration according to claim 3, characterized in that: The vertical drive mechanism also includes two first proximity switches for limiting the movement range of the vertical climbing frame, with the two first proximity switches respectively disposed at both ends of the vertical guide rail.

6. The ultrasonic through-beam flow meter with probe self-calibration according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lateral drive mechanism also includes two second proximity switches for limiting the movement range of the lateral moving frame, with the two second proximity switches respectively disposed at both ends of the lateral guide rail.

7. The ultrasonic through-beam flow meter with probe self-calibration according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a sealing structure for sealing the ball head and the mounting cavity.

8. The ultrasonic through-beam flow meter with probe self-calibration according to claim 7, characterized in that: The sealing structure includes a pressure cap, an annular fixing plate, and two polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) annular sealing rings. The ball head is placed in the mounting cavity and held from behind by the pressure cap. The annular fixing plate is fitted onto the pressure cap and fixed to the outer cover. The two PTFE annular sealing rings are respectively fitted onto the upper and lower ends of the ball head, wherein the lower PTFE annular sealing ring is located in the mounting groove in the mounting cavity, and the other upper PTFE annular sealing ring is pressed tightly by the pressure cap.

9. The ultrasonic through-beam flow meter with probe self-calibration according to claim 8, characterized in that: The ball head has an assembly cavity inside, the probe is placed in the assembly cavity and limited by the limiting step at its front end, and a clamping cap is screwed to the rear end of the assembly cavity to clamp the probe; the front end of the transverse moving frame passes through the through hole on the pressure cover and is fixedly connected to the clamping cap.

10. A self-calibration method for an ultrasonic through-beam open channel flowmeter with a probe self-calibration according to any one of claims 1-9, comprising the following steps: S1. System initialization: The signal transmitting sensor and the signal receiving sensor enter the calibration state. S2. Start calibration, and control the probe in the signal transmitting sensor to continuously emit ultrasonic signals; S3. Control the vertical drive mechanism and the horizontal drive mechanism of the signal receiving sensor to drive the ball head and probe to the predetermined mechanical zero point position; S4. Lateral Scan: Control the lateral drive mechanism of the signal receiving sensor to drive its ball head and probe to swing and scan laterally, and monitor the received signal amplitude in real time. Record the position of the lateral moving frame when the signal amplitude reaches the first peak value as the best candidate position in the lateral direction. S5. Vertical fine-tuning: Control the vertical drive mechanism of the signal receiving sensor to drive its ball head and probe to make vertical swing fine-tuning near the horizontal optimal candidate position, continue to monitor the signal amplitude, and lock the position of the vertical drive mechanism as the vertical optimal position when the signal amplitude reaches the peak value. S6. Lateral fine adjustment: Under the optimal longitudinal position, control the lateral drive mechanism again to perform a small range of lateral swing fine adjustment to find the precise position that makes the signal amplitude reach the global maximum value, and lock the state of the lateral drive mechanism. S7. Calibration complete, the system enters normal flow measurement mode.

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