A metering generator for irrigation

Abstract

The application discloses an irrigation metering generator and relates to the technical field of metering detection. The irrigation metering generator comprises a impeller coil support, an outer side wall of the impeller coil support is wound with a power generation coil winding, a part of an impeller assembly is arranged in the impeller coil support, and the remaining part is arranged outside one end of the impeller coil support. A plurality of magnets are arranged on the impeller assembly. The impeller assembly can drive the magnets to rotate around a rotating shaft under the impact of water flow. The rotating shaft is located at one end of the impeller coil support, and the rotating shaft is perpendicular to the axis of the impeller coil support. A sensing module is arranged at one end of the impeller coil support away from the impeller assembly. The sensing module can collect the frequency of the rotation of the impeller assembly, and the flow data of the water flow can be obtained accordingly. The irrigation metering generator can realize flow metering and solve the problem of power supply of an intelligent valve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of metrology and testing technology, and in particular to a metering generator for irrigation. Background Technology

[0002] In agricultural irrigation fields such as field planting and water-saving drip irrigation, smart valves, as core devices for water network management, are widely used in special irrigation scenarios such as high-altitude and remote areas. A stable power supply is a crucial prerequisite for ensuring that smart valves can achieve precise water control and remote regulation. Currently, the industry mainly uses two methods for powering smart valves in such special environments: external power supply or built-in batteries. However, both of these power supply modes have significant technical shortcomings and are difficult to adapt to the actual needs of agricultural irrigation.

[0003] External power supply mode is greatly limited by geographical conditions. High-altitude and remote field irrigation areas often lack complete power infrastructure. Setting up power supply lines is not only difficult and time-consuming, but also greatly increases the construction and maintenance costs of irrigation systems. At the same time, the lines are easily damaged by natural factors in the complex environment of the wild, resulting in poor power supply stability and complicated operation and maintenance.

[0004] While the built-in battery power mode avoids the geographical limitations of external power sources, it faces the pain points of rapid battery depletion and frequent replacement. Smart valves need to be continuously operational during irrigation, and the built-in battery's power is easily depleted. Irrigation areas are widely distributed and scattered, requiring significant manpower and time for staff to travel back and forth to replace batteries. Furthermore, if the battery loses power during irrigation, the smart valve will stop working, causing irrigation network control to fail, affecting normal irrigation operations, and even leading to crop water shortages and uneven irrigation.

[0005] To meet the power supply requirements of smart valves, turbine pulse flow meters are commonly used in existing technologies to measure the water flow in irrigation networks and achieve accurate monitoring of irrigation water volume. However, such flow meters only have a single flow measurement function and fail to effectively utilize the continuously flowing water energy in the irrigation network, resulting in energy waste.

[0006] In summary, there is an urgent need for a technical solution that can achieve flow measurement and solve the problem of power supply for smart valves. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a metering generator for irrigation to solve the problems existing in the prior art, which can realize flow metering and solve the problem of power supply difficulties for smart valves.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: This invention provides a metering generator for irrigation, comprising: The impeller coil support has a generator coil winding wound on its outer wall; An impeller assembly, partly housed within the impeller coil support and the remainder located outside one end of the impeller coil support, comprises multiple magnets. Under the impact of water flow, the impeller assembly drives the magnets to rotate around an axis located at one end of the impeller coil support, and the axis is perpendicular to the axis of the impeller coil support. A sensing module, located at the end of the impeller coil support furthest from the impeller assembly, collects the rotation frequency of the impeller assembly to derive water flow data. During operation, the rapid flow of water drives the impeller assembly, causing its magnet to rotate and its magnetic polarity to change. The sensing module senses and collects the frequency of this magnetic polarity change, converting the collected signal into flow data. Simultaneously, the magnet rotating with the impeller assembly cuts the magnetic field of the generator coil winding, generating current. This current powers the sensing module and the smart valve. Therefore, this invention can both measure water flow and generate electricity from the water flow, powering the smart valve without requiring remote power supply, thus solving the problem of power supply difficulties for smart valves and avoiding the waste of water energy.

[0009] In one embodiment, a plurality of grooves are provided on the outer side wall of the impeller coil support, and the generator coil winding is wound in the grooves.

[0010] In one embodiment, the impeller coil support has a receiving cavity at one end, and the rotating shaft is movably disposed at the opening end of the receiving cavity; the impeller assembly passes through the rotating shaft, and during the rotation of the impeller assembly, a portion of it is always located inside the receiving cavity, while the remaining portion is located outside the receiving cavity.

[0011] In one embodiment, the impeller assembly includes an impeller body, which is fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft; two first fan blades are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the impeller body, and the magnets are embedded on the first fan blades, with the magnetic poles of the two magnets arranged in opposite directions.

[0012] In one embodiment, the impeller body is provided with two symmetrically arranged second blades, the second blades and the first blades are arranged at intervals, and the magnets are embedded in the second blades; the four magnets are arranged around the impeller body in a circumferential manner, and the magnetic poles of adjacent two magnets are arranged in opposite ways.

[0013] In one embodiment, the sensing module includes a Hall sensor and an integrated circuit board. The Hall sensor is located within the impeller coil support near the impeller assembly. The Hall sensor is communicatively connected to the integrated circuit board, which is located at the end of the impeller coil support away from the impeller assembly.

[0014] In one embodiment, the system further includes a housing, in which the impeller coil support and the sensing module are both disposed. The housing has an opening at one end near the impeller assembly, with a portion of the impeller assembly located inside the housing and the remaining portion located outside the opening end of the housing.

[0015] In one embodiment, the outer casing includes a main shell and a rear cover shell. The main shell is a cylindrical structure, and the rear cover shell is fixedly sealed at one end of the main shell. The sensing module is located inside the main shell and close to the rear cover shell.

[0016] In one embodiment, a flange is fixedly provided on the outer wall of the main body shell, and a plurality of connecting through holes are provided on the flange.

[0017] In one embodiment, the receiving cavity is a smooth hemispherical cavity structure; the impeller coil support has a mounting cavity at one end away from the receiving cavity, and the sensing module is located in the mounting cavity.

[0018] The present invention achieves the following technical effects compared to the prior art: This invention relates to a metering generator for irrigation, located within a water network near a smart valve. During rapid water flow, the impeller assembly is driven, causing its magnet to rotate and change its magnetic polarity. The sensing module detects and collects the frequency of this magnetic polarity change, converting the collected signal into output flow data. Simultaneously, the magnet rotating with the impeller assembly cuts the magnetic field of the generator coil winding, generating current. This current powers the sensing module and the smart valve. Therefore, this invention can both measure water flow and generate electricity from the water flow, supplying the smart valve with the generated power. This eliminates the need for remote power supply, solving the problem of power supply difficulties for smart valves and preventing the waste of water energy. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the irrigation metering generator structure in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of an irrigation metering generator in one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an irrigation metering generator with its main casing removed, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the impeller assembly of an irrigation metering generator in one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] In the diagram: 1-Main body shell, 2-Rear cover shell, 3-Flange; 4-Impeller assembly, 401-Shaft, 402-First blade, 403-Second blade, 404-Magnet, 5-Impeller coil support, 501-Receiving cavity, 502-Installation cavity, 503-Coil groove, 6-Generation coil winding, 7-Hall sensor, 8-Integrated circuit board, 9-Power signal line. Detailed Implementation

[0022] 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.

[0023] The purpose of this invention is to provide a metering generator for irrigation to solve the problems existing in the prior art, which can realize flow metering and solve the problem of power supply difficulties for smart valves.

[0024] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0025] Intelligent valves, also known as intelligent control valves, are advanced actuators based on microprocessors. They receive control signals and use built-in algorithms for precise valve positioning and performance diagnosis. This is a mature, existing technology and will not be elaborated upon further. As core devices for water network management, intelligent valves are widely used in special irrigation scenarios such as high-altitude and remote areas. A stable power supply is a crucial prerequisite for ensuring the intelligent valve can achieve precise water control and remote regulation. Currently, the industry mainly uses external power supplies or built-in batteries to power intelligent valves in such special environments. However, external power supply is severely limited by geographical conditions. High-altitude and remote field irrigation areas often lack adequate power infrastructure, making the construction of power lines difficult and time-consuming. While built-in battery power supply avoids the geographical limitations of external power supplies, it faces the drawbacks of rapid battery consumption and frequent replacement. To meet the power supply requirements of intelligent valves, existing technologies commonly use turbine pulse flow meters to measure water flow in irrigation networks, achieving accurate monitoring of irrigation water volume. However, these flow meters only have a single flow measurement function and fail to effectively utilize the continuously flowing water energy in the irrigation network, resulting in energy waste. To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a metering generator for irrigation, used in irrigation equipment or pipelines, as shown in the reference. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the device includes a housing, an impeller coil support 5, an impeller assembly 4, and a sensing module. Both the impeller coil support 5 and the sensing module are housed within the housing. The housing has an opening at one end near the impeller assembly 4. Part of the impeller assembly 4 is located inside the housing, with the remaining portion outside the opening. A generator coil winding 6 is wound around the outer wall of the impeller coil support 5. Part of the impeller assembly 4 is located inside the impeller coil support 5, with the remaining portion outside one end of the impeller coil support 5. The impeller assembly 4 has multiple magnets 404, and under the impact of water flow, the impeller assembly 4 can drive the magnets 404 to rotate around a shaft 401. The shaft 401 is located at one end of the impeller coil support 5 and is perpendicular to the axis of the impeller coil support 5. The sensing module is located at the end of the impeller coil support 5 furthest from the impeller assembly 4 and can collect the frequency of the impeller assembly 4's rotation to derive the water flow rate data. The irrigation metering generator of this invention is located within the water network near the intelligent valve. A cover is sealed at the open end of the outer casing, enclosing the portion of the impeller assembly 4 located outside the outer casing. The gap between the portion of the impeller assembly 4 outside the outer casing and the inner wall of the cover is very small, reducing water flow between the inner wall of the cover and the impeller assembly 4, thus improving detection efficiency. A funnel-shaped water inlet is located on one side of the cover, and a water outlet is located on the other side. The line connecting the water inlet and the water outlet is parallel to the... Figure 2 The arrows in the image are parallel in direction. Figure 2The direction of the middle arrow indicates the flow direction of the water. The water flows into the cavity formed by the outer shell and the cover through the inlet and flows out through the outlet. During the rapid flow, it drives the impeller assembly 4. The impeller assembly 4 drives its magnet 404 to rotate, and the magnetic polarity changes. The sensing module senses and collects the frequency of the magnetic polarity change and converts the collected signal into output flow data. During this process, the magnet 404, which rotates with the impeller assembly 4, cuts the magnetic field of the generator coil winding 6, causing the generator coil winding 6 to generate current. The generated current is used to meet the power needs of the sensing module and the smart valve. Thus, this invention can both measure the water flow and generate electricity using the water flow, and use the generated electricity for the smart valve. It eliminates the need for remote power supply, solves the problem of power supply difficulties for smart valves, and avoids the waste of water energy.

[0026] In one embodiment, multiple grooves 503 are formed on the outer wall of the impeller coil support 5, and a generator coil winding 6 is wound within each groove 503. Adjacent grooves 503 are separated by an annular plate fixed to the outer wall of the impeller coil support 5 to prevent interference between the generator coil windings 6 during winding. To further simplify the structure, in another embodiment, only one groove 503 may be formed on the outer wall of the impeller coil support 5, and the generator coil winding 6 may be entirely wound and fixed within this groove 503.

[0027] In one embodiment, the impeller coil support 5 has a receiving cavity 501 at one end. The opening end of the receiving cavity 501 has two symmetrical shaft holes, which are arranged perpendicular to the axis of the impeller coil support 5. The rotating shaft 401 is movably disposed at the opening end of the receiving cavity 501, and both ends of the rotating shaft 401 are movably inserted into the corresponding shaft holes so that the rotating shaft 401 can rotate within the shaft holes. The impeller assembly 4 is inserted on the rotating shaft 401, and the water flow impacts the impeller assembly 4, so that during the rotation of the impeller assembly 4, a part of it is always located inside the receiving cavity 501, and the remaining part is located outside the receiving cavity 501. This structure ensures that the impeller assembly 4 can rotate under the impact of the water flow, while the overall device is more compact, and the receiving cavity 501 can protect the impeller assembly 4. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the receiving cavity 501 is a smooth hemispherical cavity structure, and the outer edge of the impeller assembly 4 is a smooth arc structure, which can adapt to the hemispherical cavity during rotation; the impeller coil bracket 5 has a mounting cavity 502 at the end away from the receiving cavity 501, and the sensing module is located in the mounting cavity 502. This can not only protect the sensing module, but also shorten the distance between the sensing module and the impeller assembly 4 without interfering with the rotation of the impeller assembly 4, thereby increasing the accuracy of the sensing module signal acquisition.

[0028] In one embodiment, the impeller assembly 4 includes an impeller body, which is fixedly mounted on a rotating shaft 401. Two first fan blades 402 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the impeller body. The first fan blades 402 are fan-shaped or semi-circular structures. The two first fan blades 402 are located on the same virtual plane. Magnets 404 are embedded on the first fan blades 402, and the magnetic poles of the two magnets 404 are arranged in opposite directions. When water flows and impacts the surface of the first fan blades 402, the impeller assembly 4 will rotate around the rotating shaft 401 under the impact force. During this period, the magnets 404 on the first fan blades 402 cut the magnetic field lines to generate current in the generator coil winding 6. The generator coil winding 6 is connected to a power signal line 9, which can transmit the current generated by the generator coil winding 6 to the integrated circuit board 8. After current stabilization and voltage boosting, it is used for intelligent valve applications, ensuring that the voltage is within the safe operating voltage range of 3~9V to achieve stable power generation. The structure and process of current stabilization and voltage boosting are existing technologies of power generation devices and will not be described in detail.

[0029] To increase power generation efficiency and improve the rotation efficiency of the impeller assembly 4, in one embodiment, the impeller body is provided with two symmetrically arranged second blades 403. The second blades 403 are fan-shaped or semi-circular structures. The two second blades 403 are located on the same virtual plane, and the virtual plane where the two first blades 402 are located and the virtual plane where the two second blades 403 are located are arranged at an angle or perpendicularly. This allows the second blades 403 and the first blades 402 to be arranged alternately. Magnets 404 are embedded in the second blades 403. The four magnets 404 are arranged circumferentially around the impeller body, and the magnetic poles of adjacent magnets 404 are arranged in opposite ways. The water flow can impact the first blades 402 and the second blades 403 in sequence, so that the impeller assembly 4 can be rotated by the impact of the water flow to the maximum extent. During this process, the four magnets 404 cut the magnetic field lines, causing the power generation coil winding 6 to generate current. In one embodiment, iron grooves are provided on both the first fan blade 402 and the second fan blade 403. The magnet 404 on the first fan blade 402 is a cylindrical structure and is fixedly nested in the iron groove on the first fan blade 402. The magnet 404 on the second fan blade 403 is a semi-circular or fan-shaped structure and is nested in the iron groove on the second fan blade 403. It is located on the same virtual plane as the second fan blade 403, making the installation more secure and reliable, and preventing it from detaching from the second fan blade 403 during rotation.

[0030] In one embodiment, the sensing module includes a Hall sensor 7 and an integrated circuit board 8. The Hall sensor 7 has a sensitivity of 15mV and an operating voltage of 5V. The Hall sensor 7 is located inside the impeller coil support 5 near the impeller assembly 4. The Hall sensor 7 is communicatively connected to the integrated circuit board 8, which is located at the end of the impeller coil support 5 furthest from the impeller assembly 4. The water flow drives the impeller assembly 4 to rotate. After the impeller assembly 4 rotates, the magnetic polarity of the magnet 404 changes. The Hall sensor 7 senses the frequency of the magnetic polarity change and outputs this frequency signal to the integrated circuit board 8. The integrated circuit board 8 converts the collected signal into flow data. The signal conversion principle and method of the integrated circuit board 8 are prior art and will not be described in detail.

[0031] In one embodiment, the outer shell includes a main shell 1 and a rear cover shell 2. The main shell 1 is a cylindrical structure, and the rear cover shell 2 is fixedly and sealed at one end of the main shell 1. The sensing module is located inside the main shell 1 and close to the rear cover shell 2. The outer shell can protect the sensing module and prevent water flow from damaging it. In this embodiment, a flange 3 is fixedly provided on the outer wall of the main shell 1. Multiple connecting through holes are provided on the flange 3. Bolts or other connecting rod structures can be inserted into the connecting through holes. The flange 3 can cooperate with other structures of the water network to fix the outer shell, ensuring that the device of the present invention is sturdy and reliable during use and reducing data acquisition errors.

[0032] In one embodiment, the device of the present invention is made of plastic nylon reinforced with fiber (polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer). The present invention is applicable to water networks with a diameter of DN75~DN110 and a flow range of 5~60m³. 3 / h. The product has strong compatibility (e.g., various liquid electric valves) and is easy to install. After testing and comparison, under the premise of ensuring the water flow force on the impeller assembly 4, the magnet 404 can produce the maximum cutting force on the generator coil winding 6. The generator parameters are: voltage 5V~11V (at a speed of approximately 1500 rpm, the voltage can reach above 11V; at a speed of approximately 900 rpm, the voltage can reach above 9V); current 1~5 mA (at a speed of approximately 1000 rpm, the current can reach above 5 mA); maximum power is 0.05W.

[0033] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. A metering generator for irrigation, characterized in that: include: The impeller coil support has a generator coil winding wound on its outer wall; An impeller assembly is partially located inside the impeller coil support, with the remaining portion located outside one end of the impeller coil support. The impeller assembly is equipped with multiple magnets, and the impeller assembly can drive the magnets to rotate around a rotating shaft under the impact of water flow. The rotating shaft is located at one end of the impeller coil support and is perpendicular to the axis of the impeller coil support. as well as The sensing module is located at the end of the impeller coil support away from the impeller assembly, and can collect the frequency of the impeller assembly's rotation to obtain the flow rate data of the water flow.

2. The irrigation metering generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple grooves are provided on the outer wall of the impeller coil support, and the generator coil winding is wound in the grooves.

3. The metering generator for irrigation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The impeller coil support has a receiving cavity at one end, and the rotating shaft is movably disposed at the opening end of the receiving cavity; the impeller assembly passes through the rotating shaft, and during the rotation of the impeller assembly, a portion of it is always located inside the receiving cavity, while the remaining portion is located outside the receiving cavity.

4. The irrigation metering generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The impeller assembly includes an impeller body, which is fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft; two first fan blades are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the impeller body, and the magnets are embedded on the first fan blades, with the magnetic poles of the two magnets arranged in opposite directions.

5. The irrigation metering generator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The impeller body is provided with two symmetrically arranged second blades, which are arranged at intervals with the first blades. The second blades are embedded with the magnets. The four magnets are arranged around the impeller body in a circumferential manner, and the magnetic poles of two adjacent magnets are arranged in opposite ways.

6. The irrigation metering generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensing module includes a Hall sensor and an integrated circuit board. The Hall sensor is located inside the impeller coil support near the impeller assembly. The Hall sensor is communicatively connected to the integrated circuit board, which is located at the end of the impeller coil support away from the impeller assembly.

7. The irrigation metering generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a housing, in which the impeller coil support and the sensing module are both located. The housing has an opening at one end near the impeller assembly, with part of the impeller assembly located inside the housing and the remaining part located outside the opening end of the housing.

8. The metering generator for irrigation according to claim 7, characterized in that: The outer casing includes a main shell and a rear cover shell. The main shell is a cylindrical structure. The rear cover shell is fixedly sealed at one end of the main shell. The sensing module is located inside the main shell and close to the rear cover shell.

9. The metering generator for irrigation according to claim 8, characterized in that: A flange is fixedly provided on the outer wall of the main shell, and multiple connecting through holes are provided on the flange.

10. The irrigation metering generator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The receiving cavity is a smooth hemispherical cavity structure; the impeller coil support has a mounting cavity at one end away from the receiving cavity, and the sensing module is located in the mounting cavity.

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