Portable water meter verification equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses portable water meter verification equipment, which relates to the technical field of metering and comprises a portable suitcase, a case cover is arranged at the upper end of the portable suitcase, a water tank, a water pump, a pressure meter, a flow meter and a controller are sequentially arranged in the portable suitcase, a water filling nozzle is arranged in the upper end of the portable suitcase, and a water outlet is formed in the lower end of the portable suitcase. A flexible support is further fixed to the upper end of the portable suitcase, a laser displacement sensor is fixed to the end, away from the portable suitcase, of the flexible support, a meter clamping bench clamp is arranged at the upper end of the portable suitcase, and a water pipe and a flexible pipe are fixed to the positions, located at the two ends of the meter clamping bench clamp, in the portable suitcase respectively. According to the portable water meter verification equipment, the laser triangular return difference principle is utilized, the single high-resolution laser displacement sensor is adopted to measure the rotating speed of the plum-blossom needle of the water meter for verification, the resolution of verification signals can be improved, and the portability and applicability of the equipment are improved; therefore, the flow of the water meter is converted for verification.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of measurement, in particular to a portable water meter calibration device. Background Art

[0002] A water meter is an instrument that measures water flow, most often cumulative flow. It is generally categorized as either volumetric or velocity-based. Velocity-based meters are the most commonly used. Water enters the meter case through the inlet, passes through a filter, and enters the impeller box through the inlet. This impacts the impeller, causing it to rotate. Water then flows through the upper outlet of the impeller box and into the pipe, supported by a pin at the bottom. This rotation of the impeller rotates the central gear above it, through the impeller's central axis. This drives the transmission gears within the impeller box, which rotate according to the specified speed ratio, driving the pointer on the dial. The triangular pointer then rotates, using a decimal transmission method, driving the other gears and the upper pointer. The pointer rotates clockwise, starting from 0, according to the scale scale, to begin metering.

[0003] Water meters are an important basis for trade settlements between water supply companies and their customers. Any inaccurate measurement will inevitably harm the interests of both customers and water supply companies. Currently, water meter calibration requires disassembling the meter and sending it to a local water meter calibration center for verification. The verification results often take about a week to determine, causing inconvenience for both water supply companies and customers. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a portable device that can quickly perform on-site calibration. Currently, the calibration devices commonly used by water meter calibration centers rely on image recognition to read water meters. This equipment is expensive, bulky, and has high requirements for environmental factors such as on-site lighting conditions, making it unsuitable for on-site calibration.

[0004] There are currently two ways to calibrate water meters. The first is to install a camera above each water meter being inspected, connected to an image collector and a high-speed computer. The computer automatically identifies the flow indication of each pointer on the water meter (no more manual meter readings), and automatically controls the water flow and measures the water level of the working meter to obtain the standard flow value, thereby automating the entire water meter calibration process; the second is to form a multi-light source with multiple laser sensors and emit it to the dial where the last pointer of the mechanical water meter is located, so that the laser irradiation points are evenly distributed along the circumference, which can greatly reduce the calibration time; it can play a role in mutual calibration based on multiple laser sensors; using the ranging principle of the laser sensor, when the pointer passes through the laser irradiation point, the corresponding laser sensor measures the distance change to obtain a pulse signal, and identifies the number of rotations of the pointer based on the obtained pulse signal and converts it into the cumulative volume indication of the inspected water meter. Compared with the actual volume flowing through the water meter, the indication error of the inspected water meter at the calibration point is calculated, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of water meter calibration.

[0005] The first calibration method uses image recognition. High-frame-rate industrial cameras are expensive, and the cameras have high requirements for lighting conditions. Different models of water meters have different dials, and the image recognition program needs to be rewritten. Therefore, this technology has the disadvantages of high cost and poor applicability. The second calibration method uses multiple laser sensors. Although the use of multiple lasers improves the response rate of detection, it can greatly reduce the calibration time and improve the quality and efficiency of water meter calibration. However, due to the large number of laser sensors used, they need to be aligned one by one before each calibration, which makes the arrangement difficult and the cost high. Multiple laser sensors are also not suitable for portable devices. For this reason, this application proposes a portable water meter calibration device. Utility Model Content

[0006] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a portable water meter calibration device to address the above technical problems. By utilizing the laser triangulation principle and using a single high-resolution laser displacement sensor to measure the rotation speed of the water meter's plum blossom needle for calibration, the resolution of the calibration signal can be improved, the calibration time can be shortened, and the portability and applicability of the equipment can be improved, thereby converting the water meter flow rate for calibration.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] A portable water meter calibration device, which is used for water meter calibration;

[0009] The portable suitcase comprises a portable suitcase, wherein a box cover is provided at the upper end of the portable suitcase, and a water tank, a water pump, a pressure gauge, a flow meter and a controller are sequentially provided inside the portable suitcase, a water inlet is provided inside the upper end of the portable suitcase, and the water inlet is communicated with the inside of the water tank, a flexible bracket is further fixed to the upper end of the portable suitcase, a laser displacement sensor is fixed to the end of the flexible bracket away from the portable suitcase, a meter clamp is provided at the upper end of the portable suitcase, a water pipe and a flexible pipe are respectively fixed inside the portable suitcase and at both ends of the meter clamp, the upper ends of the water pipe and the flexible pipe are extended to the upper end of the portable suitcase, and the upper ends of the water pipe and the flexible pipe are fixed to water meter connectors.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the portable water meter calibration equipment provided by the present invention, the water pump, pressure gauge and flow meter are all electrically connected to the controller, and the water tank, water pump, pressure gauge and flow meter are connected to each other.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the portable water meter calibration equipment provided by the present invention, a liquid level gauge is provided on the outside of the water tank, and a host computer is also provided inside the portable suitcase. The controller, liquid level gauge and laser displacement sensor are all electrically connected to the host computer.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the portable water meter calibration device provided by the present invention, a touch screen is provided at the upper end of the portable suitcase, and the host computer is electrically connected to the touch screen.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the portable water meter calibration device provided by the present invention, one end of the water pipe away from the water meter connector is connected to the water tank, and one end of the flexible tube away from the water meter connector is connected to the flow meter.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the portable water meter calibration equipment provided by the present invention, a handle is fixed to the upper end of the box cover, and a lock is provided between the box cover and the portable suitcase.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] The portable water meter calibration device provided by the utility model has lower overall cost, higher sensitivity and better applicability compared to traditional calibration equipment because it uses a laser displacement sensor for flow calibration. The highly integrated design makes the device more compact and easy to carry, and can perform water meter calibration on site, thus solving the long calibration cycle of water meters in the water industry and providing users with better water supply services.

[0017] The method of measuring the rotation speed of the plum blossom needle of the water meter for calibration by using the principle of laser triangulation and a single high-resolution laser displacement sensor can improve the resolution of the calibration signal, shorten the calibration time, and improve the portability and applicability of the equipment, thereby converting the flow rate of the water meter for calibration, and using a flexible bracket to facilitate flow measurement adapted to different water meter dials. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the solutions in the present invention, a brief introduction will be given below to the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the portable water meter calibration equipment provided by the utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is the overall principle system diagram of the portable water meter calibration equipment provided by the utility model.

[0021] The markings in the figure are as follows:

[0022] 1. Portable suitcase; 2. Handle; 3. Lock; 4. Water inlet; 5. Flexible bracket; 6. Laser displacement sensor; 7. Touch screen; 8. Meter clamp; 9. Water pipe; 10. Water meter connector; 11. Flexible pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] As described in the background technology, the first calibration method uses image recognition. High-frame-rate industrial cameras are expensive, and the cameras have high requirements for lighting conditions. Different models of water meters have different dials, and the image recognition program needs to be rewritten. Therefore, this technology has the disadvantages of high cost and poor applicability. The second calibration method uses multiple laser sensors. Although the use of multiple lasers improves the response rate of detection, it can greatly reduce the calibration time and improve the quality and efficiency of water meter calibration. However, due to the large number of laser sensors used, they need to be aligned one by one before each calibration, which makes the layout difficult and the cost high. Multiple laser sensors are also not suitable for portable devices.

[0024] In order to solve this technical problem, the utility model provides a portable water meter calibration device, which is used for water meter calibration;

[0025] The portable suitcase 1 includes a portable suitcase 1, a box cover is provided at the upper end of the portable suitcase 1, and a water tank, a water pump, a pressure gauge, a flow meter and a controller are sequentially provided inside the portable suitcase 1. A water inlet 4 is opened inside the upper end of the portable suitcase 1, and the water inlet 4 is communicated with the inside of the water tank. A flexible bracket 5 is also fixed to the upper end of the portable suitcase 1, and a laser displacement sensor 6 is fixed to the end of the flexible bracket 5 away from the portable suitcase 1. A meter clamp 8 is provided at the upper end of the portable suitcase 1, and a water pipe 9 and a flexible pipe 11 are respectively fixed inside the portable suitcase 1 and at both ends of the meter clamp 8. The upper ends of the water pipe 9 and the flexible pipe 11 extend to the upper end of the portable suitcase 1, and the upper ends of the water pipe 9 and the flexible pipe 11 are fixed to water meter connectors 10.

[0026] The portable water meter calibration device provided by the present utility model utilizes the laser triangulation principle and adopts a single high-resolution laser displacement sensor 6 to measure the rotation speed of the plum blossom needle of the water meter for calibration. This method can improve the resolution of the calibration signal, shorten the calibration time, and improve the portability and applicability of the device, thereby converting the flow rate of the water meter for calibration.

[0027] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features and technical solutions therein can be combined with each other.

[0028] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 1-2 A portable water meter calibration device includes a portable suitcase 1, a cover is provided on the upper end of the portable suitcase 1, a lock 3 is provided between the cover and the portable suitcase 1 to limit and fix them when the cover is closed, and a handle 2 is fixed on the upper end of the cover for easy carrying;

[0030] The interior of the portable suitcase 1 is sequentially provided with a water tank, a water pump, a pressure gauge, a flow meter and a controller. The water tank is used to store water for the test flow rate and has a capacity of 6L. The water pump adopts a variable frequency pump and can operate at different flow rates constantly. The pressure gauge is used to detect the water outlet pressure of the water pump to ensure that the pressure of the test pipeline is within the specified calibration range. The flow meter adopts a high-precision turbine flow meter, and the flow meter is measured and calibrated every year. A water filling port 4 is opened inside the upper end of the portable suitcase 1, and the water filling port 4 is connected to the interior of the water tank.

[0031] A meter clamping vise 8 is provided at the upper end of the portable suitcase 1. A water pipe 9 and a flexible tube 11 are fixed inside the portable suitcase 1 and at both ends of the meter clamping vise 8. The upper ends of the water pipe 9 and the flexible tube 11 extend to the upper end of the portable suitcase 1. Water meter connectors 10 are fixed to the upper ends of the water pipe 9 and the flexible tube 11. The water pump is installed and connected between the two water meter connectors 10, and the water pump is conveniently clamped by the meter clamp 8. The end of the water pipe 9 away from the water meter connector 10 is connected to the water tank, and the end of the flexible tube 11 away from the water meter connector 10 is connected to the flow meter.

[0032] In order to measure the rotational speed of the plum blossom needle of a water meter installed between two water meter connectors 10, a flexible bracket 5 is also fixed to the upper end of the portable suitcase 1. A laser displacement sensor 6 is fixed to the end of the flexible bracket 5 away from the portable suitcase 1. The flexible bracket 5 facilitates flow measurement adapted to different water meter dials. The method of using a single high-resolution laser displacement sensor 6 for calibration can improve the resolution of the calibration signal, shorten the calibration time, and improve the portability and applicability of the equipment, thereby converting the water meter flow rate for calibration.

[0033] Furthermore, the high-resolution laser displacement sensor 6 used in this device has significantly improved beam diameter and sensitivity, enabling the sensor to more accurately measure minute displacements or maintain high-precision measurements over a wider distance range. The laser displacement sensor 6 used in this device features high precision, high resolution, low interference, and low noise, effectively reducing interference from the water meter glass cover, dial bubbles, and other factors on the plum blossom needle's speed detection.

[0034] Among them, the water tank, water pump, pressure gauge and flow meter are connected, and the water pump, pressure gauge and flow meter are all electrically connected to the controller. A liquid level gauge is provided on the outside of the water tank. A host computer is also provided inside the portable suitcase 1. The controller, liquid level gauge and laser displacement sensor 6 are all electrically connected to the host computer. The controller is a programmable logic controller PLC, which receives signals from the host computer to control the water pump to operate at a set flow rate;

[0035] The liquid level gauge is used to determine the liquid level in the water tank and protect the water pump from running dry. The flexible tube 11 utilizes its flexibility to facilitate the removal of the water meter from the clamping table. The two water meter connectors 10 are made of stepped rubber to accommodate water meters of different diameters. The clamping vise 8 can stably clamp water meters of different models. The water pipe 9 is a DN25 diameter stainless steel pipe.

[0036] In this embodiment, the host computer is used to receive signals from the liquid level meter, water pump, pressure gauge, and flow meter, and can frequency-control the water pump flow rate, process the flow meter detection data and the laser displacement sensor 6 detection data, and calculate the water meter error. A touch screen 7 is provided on the upper end of the portable suitcase 1. The host computer is electrically connected to the touch screen 7. The touch screen 7 is used to control the device for calibration, display the device status and calibration results, etc., and the above-mentioned electrical components are all electrically connected to the power supply, and the existing public power connection technology is not repeated here.

[0037] The use process of the portable water meter calibration equipment provided by the utility model is as follows: when using this equipment, ① first align the water inlet and outlet ports of the water meter and place them on the meter clamp 8, and operate the meter clamp 8 to clamp the water meter tightly; ② Pour tap water into the water tank until the liquid level meter display reaches the calibration requirement position; ③ Adjust the flexible bracket 5 so that the laser displacement sensor 6 is about 10 cm away from the dial, and the light beam is vertically shot at the gap between the plum blossom teeth; ④ Select the water meter diameter DN15, DN20 and DN25 on the touch display screen 7, and then click on the device to empty. The device will automatically drain the water and the air in the water meter and the water pipe 9 and the flexible pipe 11 to prepare for the calibration; ⑤ According to the requirements of the national water meter calibration regulations, the water meter indication error calibration work is completed according to the three flow points Q1, Q2, and Q3. Q1, Q2, and Q3 represent the minimum flow point, the boundary flow point, and the commonly used flow point, respectively. The system has built-in ⑥ The three flow point data of three caliber water meters of DN15, DN20 and DN25 are recorded. After clicking the touch screen 7 to start the calibration, click Q1 or Q2 or Q3 to start the calibration of the corresponding flow point. The processor will judge the flow and pressure data until the flow and pressure meet the calibration requirements, and then start recording the calibration data; ⑥ During the calibration process, the plum blossom teeth of the water meter will rotate, and the laser displacement sensor 6 will capture the speed information, and the flow information of the water meter will be calculated by the processor; ⑦ After the flow point calibration is completed, the touch screen 7 will display the water volume passing through the water meter and the water volume recorded by the flow meter of the calibration device, and display the calculated error and judgment result. The indication error is qualified: Q3 indication error ≤2% and Q2, Q1 indication error ≤5%; ⑧ After the three flow points are calibrated, it can be regarded as the end of the calibration, and each flow point can be repeatedly calibrated to improve accuracy.

Claims

1. A portable water meter calibration device, characterized in that: The portable suitcase (1) comprises a portable suitcase (1), wherein the upper end of the portable suitcase (1) is provided with a box cover, and the interior of the portable suitcase (1) is provided with a water tank, a water pump, a pressure gauge, a flow meter and a controller in sequence, and the interior of the portable suitcase (1) is provided with a water inlet (4), and the water inlet (4) is communicated with the interior of the water tank, and the upper end of the portable suitcase (1) is also fixed with a flexible bracket (5), and the end of the flexible bracket (5) away from the portable suitcase (1) is fixed with a laser displacement sensor (6), and the upper end of the portable suitcase (1) is provided with a meter clamp (8), and a water pipe (9) and a flexible pipe (11) are respectively fixed inside the portable suitcase (1) and at both ends of the meter clamp (8), and the upper ends of the water pipe (9) and the flexible pipe (11) are both extended to the upper end of the portable suitcase (1), and the upper ends of the water pipe (9) and the flexible pipe (11) are both fixed with a water meter connector (10).

2. The portable water meter calibration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water pump, pressure gauge and flow meter are all electrically connected to the controller, and the water tank, water pump, pressure gauge and flow meter are connected to each other.

3. The portable water meter calibration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A liquid level meter is provided on the outside of the water tank, and a host computer is also provided inside the portable suitcase (1). The controller, the liquid level meter and the laser displacement sensor (6) are all electrically connected to the host computer.

4. The portable water meter calibration equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: A touch screen (7) is provided at the upper end of the portable suitcase (1), and the host computer is electrically connected to the touch screen (7).

5. The portable water meter calibration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the water pipe (9) away from the water meter connector (10) is connected to the water tank, and one end of the flexible pipe (11) away from the water meter connector (10) is connected to the flow meter.

6. The portable water meter calibration equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A handle (2) is fixed to the upper end of the box cover, and a lock (3) is provided between the box cover and the portable suitcase (1).

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