Ultrasonic flowmeter

Abstract

An ultrasonic flowmeter relates to the field of fluid flow metering and comprises a shell, the shell is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and a fluid channel is formed between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet; the ultrasonic detection system comprises a processing unit, an ultrasonic transmitting unit and an ultrasonic receiving unit, the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit are electrically connected with the processing unit, the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit are oppositely arranged, and a gap is formed between the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit; the impeller is contained in the shell, the impeller is used for being driven by fluid to rotate, and blades of the impeller are used for passing between the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit when the impeller rotates, so that the ultrasonic receiving quantity of the ultrasonic receiving unit is changed. The impeller is combined with the ultrasonic sensing technology, so that the measurement precision can be kept in different fluid media and application scenes, and the universality is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of fluid flow measurement, and in particular to an ultrasonic flow meter. Background Art

[0002] At present, liquid flow measurement technology plays a vital role in many fields such as industry, environmental protection, and household water management. The commonly used flow meters are Hall flow meters and photoelectric flow meters.

[0003] The Hall flowmeter is designed and manufactured based on the principle of Hall induction detection. A magnet is usually installed on the internal impeller of the Hall flowmeter. When the magnet contacts the flowing fluid, it may easily cause contamination of the fluid. Therefore, the Hall flowmeter is considered unsuitable for long-term detection of flow data of fluids with high requirements for cleanliness, such as drinking water.

[0004] Photoelectric flowmeter is a device that uses photoelectric principle to detect flow. Since it does not contain magnets inside, it is purely optical induction, which is more conducive to the protection of water quality. And because of its small size, it is suitable for the compact design of household appliances. However, the propagation of light in liquid is sensitive to the color of the fluid and the impurities therein, and is easily disturbed by these factors, which affects the measurement accuracy and limits the use effect under specific working conditions.

[0005] It can be seen that the application scenarios of the above-mentioned types of flow meters are greatly limited and their versatility is poor. Utility Model Content

[0006] In order to improve the problem that Hall flowmeter and photoelectric flowmeter have limited application scenarios and poor versatility, the present application provides an ultrasonic flowmeter.

[0007] In one embodiment, an ultrasonic flow meter is provided, comprising:

[0008] A housing, wherein the housing has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and a fluid channel is formed between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet;

[0009] An ultrasonic detection system, the ultrasonic detection system comprising a processing unit and an ultrasonic transmitting unit and an ultrasonic receiving unit electrically connected to the processing unit, the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit being arranged opposite to each other, and having a gap between the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit;

[0010] An impeller is accommodated in the housing, the impeller is used to be driven to rotate by the fluid, the impeller includes blades, and the blades are used to pass between the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit when the impeller rotates, so as to change the ultrasonic receiving amount of the ultrasonic receiving unit.

[0011] In one embodiment, the blade has a completely shielded state, and the blade in the completely shielded state completely blocks the ultrasonic wave receiving unit from receiving the ultrasonic wave.

[0012] In one embodiment, the impeller is installed in the fluid channel.

[0013] In one embodiment, the axis of the impeller is perpendicular or parallel to the flow direction of the fluid in the fluid channel; the blades of the impeller whose axis is parallel to the flow direction of the fluid in the fluid channel are curved blades.

[0014] In one embodiment, a accommodating cavity is provided on the channel wall of the fluid channel, and the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit are respectively embedded in one of the accommodating cavities.

[0015] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitting unit and / or the ultrasonic receiving unit is a piezoelectric micromechanical ultrasonic transducer or a PZT-based piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer.

[0016] In one embodiment, an installation chamber is provided on the shell, and the processing unit is arranged in the installation chamber.

[0017] In one embodiment, a lead wire is further included, wherein the lead wire is electrically connected to the processing unit and is led out from the installation chamber.

[0018] In one embodiment, the frequency of the ultrasonic transmitting unit and / or the ultrasonic receiving unit is not less than 500 kHz.

[0019] In one embodiment, the ultrasonic detection system further includes an adjusting resistor, wherein the adjusting resistor is electrically connected between the ultrasonic receiving unit and the processing unit, and the adjusting resistor is used to adjust the signal strength of the ultrasonic receiving unit input into the processing unit.

[0020] According to the ultrasonic flowmeter of the above embodiment, it includes a housing, an impeller and an ultrasonic detection system, and the ultrasonic detection system includes a processing unit, an ultrasonic transmitting unit and an ultrasonic receiving unit; by combining the impeller with the ultrasonic sensing technology, when the impeller is driven by the fluid to rotate, the blades will pulse the ultrasonic waves sent by the ultrasonic transmitting unit to the ultrasonic receiving unit, causing such effects as shielding and reflection, so that the ultrasonic receiving amount of the ultrasonic receiving unit changes, and the fluid flow rate can be calculated according to the changes. At the same time, the use of ultrasonic detection as a pollution-free non-contact detection method and the characteristics of ultrasonic waves having good penetration ability and insensitivity to fluid properties can help adapt to different fluid media and application scenarios, and help improve versatility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of an ultrasonic flow meter in an embodiment;

[0022] Figure 2 is a top view of an ultrasonic flow meter according to an embodiment;

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the ultrasonic flowmeter along the AA direction;

[0024] Figure 4 1 is a circuit diagram corresponding to an ultrasonic detection system in an embodiment.

[0025] In the figure, 100, housing; 101, main body; 1011, accommodating cavity; 102, liquid inlet; 103, liquid outlet;

[0026] 200, impeller; 201, rotating collar; 202, blades; 203, mounting rod;

[0027] 300, ultrasonic detection system; 301, processing unit; 302, ultrasonic transmitting unit; 303, ultrasonic receiving unit; 304, adjusting resistor; 305, circuit board; 306, installation room; 307, lead wire. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The present application is further described in detail below by specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Wherein similar elements in different embodiments adopt associated similar element numbers. In the following embodiments, many detailed descriptions are intended to enable the present application to be better understood. However, those skilled in the art can easily recognize that some of the features can be omitted in different situations, or can be replaced by other elements, materials, and methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification, in order to avoid the core part of the present application being overwhelmed by too much description, and for those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail, and they can fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the art.

[0029] In addition, the features, operations or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any appropriate manner to form various implementations. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be interchanged or adjusted in a manner that is obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and the drawings are only for the purpose of clearly describing a certain embodiment and are not meant to be a required sequence, unless otherwise specified that a certain sequence must be followed.

[0030] The serial numbers of the components in this document, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the objects described and do not have any order or technical meaning. The "connection" and "coupling" mentioned in this application, unless otherwise specified, include direct and indirect connections (couplings).

[0031] The ultrasonic flowmeter provided in the present application combines an impeller mechanism and ultrasonic detection technology, and utilizes the characteristics of ultrasonic waves having good penetration ability in a variety of fluids and being highly insensitive to fluid properties. It not only does not contaminate the fluid, but is also not easily affected by fluid impurities and color. It helps to maintain measurement accuracy in different fluid media and application scenarios, has strong versatility, and facilitates the popularization and application of ultrasonic flowmeters.

[0032] Reference Figure 1-Figure 4 The present application provides an ultrasonic flow meter, including a housing 100 , an ultrasonic detection system 300 and an impeller 200 .

[0033] Reference Figure 1 The shell 100 can be understood as a collection of related components that constitute the basic structural framework and outer contour of the ultrasonic flowmeter. The ultrasonic flowmeter can be installed in the fluid pipeline system to be detected through the shell 100.

[0034] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The housing 100 includes a main body 101, a liquid inlet 102 disposed at one end of the main body 101, and a liquid outlet 103 disposed at the other end of the main body 101, and a fluid channel is formed between the liquid inlet 102 and the liquid outlet 103.

[0035] Exemplarily, the main body 101 is configured as a cylinder with a hollow inner cavity, and the liquid inlet 102 and the liquid outlet 103 are both tubes coaxially connected to the end surface of the cylinder, and a fluid channel penetrating the main body 101 is formed between the liquid inlet 102 and the liquid outlet 103, so that the fluid can flow into the main body 101 from the liquid inlet 102 and then flow out through the liquid outlet 103. Since the liquid inlet 102 and the liquid outlet 103 are to be connected to the pipeline system where the fluid to be detected is located, further, a connection structure that is convenient for connection with the pipeline system can be set at the end of the liquid inlet 102 and the liquid outlet 103 away from the main body 101, such as a threaded structure or a connecting flange, and of course other connection structures that meet design and practical requirements can also be used. In addition, it should be understood that the liquid inlet 102 and the liquid outlet 103 can also be set on the side wall of the main body 101, and any setting position that can communicate with the inner cavity of the main body 101 and form a fluid channel can be used.

[0036] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 3The impeller 200 is rotatably mounted in the main body 101 so as to be able to rotate driven by the fluid flowing through the main body 101 .

[0037] Exemplarily, the impeller 200 includes a rotating ring 201 and blades 202 arranged in a circular array on the side wall of the rotating ring 201. A mounting rod 203 is fixedly installed in the main body 101 along the radial direction of the main body 101. The rotating ring 201 is rotatably mounted on the mounting rod 203. When the fluid passes through the main body 101, the impeller 200 can be driven to rotate by pushing the blades 202.

[0038] It is understandable that the impeller 200 has a variety of settings. In different embodiments, the impeller 200 can be installed in the main body 101 opposite to the liquid inlet 102 and the liquid outlet 103, so that the impeller 200 is completely located in the fluid channel; it can also be installed in the main body 101 with an offset, so that the rotation trajectory of a part of the blade 202 (such as the end of the blade 202) passes through the fluid channel. Of course, a protrusion can also be provided on the main body 101, and a mounting cavity connected to the fluid channel is formed in the protrusion. The main body of the impeller 200 is installed in the mounting cavity, so that the rotation trajectory of the end of the blade 202 passes through the main body 101 or the fluid channel. In addition, the impeller 200 can also adopt other suitable settings, which will not be repeated here.

[0039] Further, in different embodiments, the impeller 200 can be installed in the main body 101 with the axis parallel to the flow direction of the fluid in the fluid channel as needed, or can be installed in the main body 101 with the axis perpendicular to the flow direction of the fluid in the fluid channel, or can be installed in the main body 101 in a manner that the axis of the impeller 200 and the flow direction of the fluid in the fluid channel have any angle such as 30°, 45°, 60°, etc. It should be noted that when the impeller 200 is installed in the main body 101 with the axis parallel to the flow direction of the fluid in the fluid channel, the blades 202 of the impeller 200 should be curved blades 202 so as to be better driven to rotate by the fluid flowing through. Of course, if necessary, straight blades 202 installed at an angle can also be used. Any arrangement of blades 202 that allows the impeller 200 to be driven to rotate by the fluid is acceptable.

[0040] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 3The ultrasonic detection system 300 includes a processing unit 301 and an ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 and an ultrasonic receiving unit 303 electrically connected to the processing unit 301. The processing unit 301 can excite the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 to emit ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 can receive the ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302, and convert the received ultrasonic waves into electrical signals and transmit them back to the processing unit 301. Specifically, the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 are arranged opposite to each other, and there is a gap between the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 303, and the connecting line between the two intersects with the rotation trajectory of the blade 202, so that when the impeller 200 is driven to rotate by the fluid, the blade 202 will pulse the ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 to the ultrasonic receiving unit 303, such as blocking, reflection, etc., so that the ultrasonic receiving amount of the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 changes, and the fluid flow rate can be calculated according to the change. In one embodiment, by configuring the impeller 200, the blades 202 can be in a completely shielded state. The blades 202 in the completely shielded state can completely block the ultrasonic reception of the ultrasonic receiving unit 303, so that the ultrasonic reception amount changes significantly, thereby improving the sensitivity of the ultrasonic flow meter.

[0041] Exemplarily, two accommodating cavities 1011 are relatively opened on the channel wall of the fluid channel, that is, the side wall of the main body 101, and the two accommodating cavities 1011 are connected to the inner cavity of the main body 101. The ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 are respectively embedded in a accommodating cavity 1011, and the transmitting end of the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 and the receiving end of the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 are directly opposite to each other.

[0042] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 may also be arranged outside the shell 100 or hidden in the inner wall of the shell 100, and the ultrasonic wave can be transmitted through the side wall of the shell 100 to avoid direct contact between the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 and the fluid.

[0043] In some embodiments, both the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 can be selected as a piezoelectric micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) or a PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) based piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer. The piezoelectric micro-machined ultrasonic transducer, based on the micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) technology and the characteristics of piezoelectric materials, realizes the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves through the positive and negative piezoelectric effects. The PZT-based piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer is made of PZT (Pb (Zr, Ti) O3) piezoelectric ceramic material, and realizes the transmission and reception of ultrasonic waves through the negative piezoelectric effect under the action of an external electric field. In other embodiments, other transducers that meet the design and use requirements can also be selected. In addition, the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 can also use high-frequency band frequencies such as 500kHZ or above, such as 1000kHZ, 2000kHZ, 4000kHZ or even higher frequencies.

[0044] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic detection system 300 also includes an adjusting resistor 304, which is electrically connected between the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 and the processing unit 301. The adjusting resistor 304 can adjust the signal strength of the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 input into the processing unit 301 to achieve the adjustment of the sensitivity of the ultrasonic flow meter and adapt to the sensitivity requirements under different liquid media and different application scenarios.

[0045] Exemplarily, the processing unit 301 is specifically an ultrasonic detection chip, and the ultrasonic detection system 300 further includes a circuit board 305, on which the ultrasonic detection chip is mounted, and on which the circuit board 305 is also provided an external circuit (such as a Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the adjusting resistor 304 is included in the external circuit, and an installation chamber 306 is provided outside the housing 100. The circuit board 305 and the ultrasonic detection chip are installed in the installation chamber 306. The circuit board 305 is electrically connected to the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 through a wire passing through the side wall of the housing 100.

[0046] For the external circuit, illustratively, the ultrasonic detection chip is provided with a first connection terminal (SENSE terminal), a second connection terminal (IN terminal), a third connection terminal (OUT terminal), a fourth connection terminal (VDD terminal), a fifth connection terminal (OSC terminal) and a sixth connection terminal (ground terminal), and the adjustment resistor 304 includes a resistor R5 and a resistor R6 with adjustable resistance. Among them, the first connection terminal is connected to one end of the resistor R6, and the other end of the resistor R6 is connected to the second connection terminal and the resistor R5; the second connection terminal is connected to one end of the resistor R5, and the other end of the resistor R5 is connected to the capacitor C5, and the other end of the capacitor C5 is connected to the two connection terminals T10 and T11 of the ultrasonic receiving unit 303, and a resistor R4 is also connected between the connection terminal T11 of the ultrasonic receiving unit 303. The third connection terminal is used to connect to the OUT terminal and VDD terminal of the external element, wherein the line connected to the VDD terminal is connected to a resistor R12; the fourth connection terminal is directly connected to the VDD terminal of the external element; the fifth connection terminal is connected to a capacitor C1, the other end of the capacitor C1 is connected to the two connection terminals T8 and T9 of the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302, and the line connected to the connection terminal T9 of the ultrasonic transmitting unit 302 is connected to a resistor R1, and one end of the resistor R1 connected to the ultrasonic transmitting unit connection terminal T9 is also used for grounding; the sixth connection terminal is used for grounding. In this way, by adjusting the resistance value of the resistor 304 (i.e., the resistors R5 and R6), the signal strength of the input processing unit 301 of the ultrasonic receiving unit 303 can be adjusted to achieve the effect of adjusting the sensitivity of the ultrasonic flowmeter. Of course, for some ultrasonic flowmeters used in stable working conditions, the ultrasonic flowmeter can also be adjusted to a specific sensitivity by replacing the resistors R5 and R6 with the required resistance value resistors before installation.

[0047] By converting the ultrasonic propagation changes caused by the impeller 200 into electrical signal changes, the processing unit 301 can accurately calculate the flow velocity and flow rate based on the frequency of the pulsed electrical signal changes. Calculating the flow velocity and flow rate based on the electrical signal changes can be achieved through existing technology and can adopt relatively simple algorithms and hardware designs.

[0048] In addition, in some embodiments, the ultrasonic detection system 300 further includes a lead 307 connected to the processing unit 301, and the lead 307 can be led out from the installation chamber 306 for further connecting to external components such as a flow display or a storage unit. Of course, in some embodiments, the ultrasonic flow meter can also include a flow display or a storage unit electrically connected to the processing unit 301.

[0049] The above specific examples are used to illustrate the present application, which is only used to help understand the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For technicians in the technical field to which the present application belongs, they can also make some simple deductions, deformations or substitutions based on the ideas of the present application.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic flow meter, characterized in that: include: A housing, wherein the housing has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and a fluid channel is formed between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet; An ultrasonic detection system, the ultrasonic detection system comprising a processing unit and an ultrasonic transmitting unit and an ultrasonic receiving unit electrically connected to the processing unit, the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit being arranged opposite to each other, and having a gap between the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit; An impeller is accommodated in the housing, the impeller is used to be driven to rotate by the fluid, the impeller includes blades, and the blades are used to pass between the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit when the impeller rotates, so as to change the ultrasonic receiving amount of the ultrasonic receiving unit.

2. The ultrasonic flow meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blade has a completely shielding state, and the blade in the completely shielding state completely blocks the ultrasonic wave receiving unit from receiving the ultrasonic wave.

3. The ultrasonic flow meter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The impeller is installed in the fluid channel.

4. The ultrasonic flow meter according to claim 3, characterized in that: The axis of the impeller is perpendicular or parallel to the flow direction of the fluid in the fluid channel; the blades of the impeller whose axis is parallel to the flow direction of the fluid in the fluid channel are curved blades.

5. The ultrasonic flow meter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: An accommodating cavity is provided on the channel wall of the fluid channel, and the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit are respectively embedded in one of the accommodating cavities.

6. The ultrasonic flow meter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The ultrasonic transmitting unit and / or the ultrasonic receiving unit is a piezoelectric micromechanical ultrasonic transducer or a PZT-based piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer.

7. The ultrasonic flow meter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The shell is provided with an installation chamber, and the processing unit is arranged in the installation chamber.

8. The ultrasonic flow meter according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also included are leads, which are electrically connected to the processing unit and led out from the installation chamber.

9. The ultrasonic flow meter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The frequency of the ultrasonic transmitting unit and / or the ultrasonic receiving unit is not less than 500 kHz.

10. The ultrasonic flow meter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The ultrasonic detection system further includes an adjusting resistor, wherein the adjusting resistor is electrically connected between the ultrasonic receiving unit and the processing unit, and the adjusting resistor is used to adjust the signal strength of the ultrasonic receiving unit input into the processing unit.

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