Ultrasonic flow sensor and flow detection system

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of sensors, in particular to an ultrasonic flow sensor and a flow detection system.The ultrasonic flow sensor comprises a pipe section, and a first installation part and a second installation part are sequentially arranged on the outer wall of the pipe section and used for installing a first ultrasonic element and a second ultrasonic element; a first reflector and a second reflector are installed in the pipe section, first ultrasonic waves emitted by one ultrasonic element can be reflected to form second ultrasonic waves parallel to the first direction, the second ultrasonic waves can be reflected to form third ultrasonic waves facing the other ultrasonic element, and the first ultrasonic waves and the third ultrasonic waves are detected. And the first ultrasonic element and the receiving element are both arranged on the outer side of the pipe wall of the pipe section, an additional sealing structure is not needed, and use is more convenient.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of sensor, concretely relates to an ultrasonic flow sensor and flow detection system. BACKGROUND

[0002] The ultrasonic flow sensor calculates the flow rate through the time difference of ultrasonic signal propagation in the fluid in the pipeline, and then calculates the flow rate, wherein ultrasonic excitation and receiving elements are needed, the ultrasonic excitation or receiving elements in the existing ultrasonic flow sensor are directly installed in the pipeline, therefore, a waterproof structure needs to be arranged for the same, so as to avoid water leakage at the element installation position, and in some poor water quality pipe sections, scale and the like are easy to be deposited on the surface of the element during long time use, thereby affecting use. SUMMARY

[0003] In order to solve the above technical problems, on the one hand, the utility model provides an ultrasonic flow sensor, which comprises:

[0004] A pipe section can be connected to a to-be-measured pipeline, a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion are sequentially and spacedly arranged on the outer side of the pipe wall of the pipe section along a first direction, and the first direction is parallel to the direction of medium flow in the pipe section;

[0005] A first ultrasonic element and a second ultrasonic element, the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element can both emit and receive ultrasonic waves, and the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element are respectively installed in the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion;

[0006] A first reflector and a second reflector are located in the pipe section, the first reflector and the second reflector can reflect the first ultrasonic wave emitted by one of the ultrasonic elements to form a second ultrasonic wave parallel to the first direction, and reflect the second ultrasonic wave to form a third ultrasonic wave towards the other ultrasonic element;

[0007] Wherein, the first ultrasonic wave and the third ultrasonic wave are measured to calculate the medium flow rate in the pipe section.

[0008] Preferably, a first concave surface and a second concave surface are respectively arranged in the inner wall of the pipe section corresponding to the positions of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion, and the first concave surface and the second concave surface are both formed by the inner wall of the pipe section being recessed towards the outer wall of the pipe section.

[0009] Preferably, the first concave surface and the second concave surface are integrally formed with the pipe section.

[0010] Preferably, the emitting direction and the receiving direction of the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element are both directed to the axis of the pipe section in the radial direction of the pipe section, the focal points of the first concave surface and the second concave surface are both located on the axis of the pipe section, and the focal points of the first concave surface and the second concave surface respectively fall on the reflecting surfaces of the first reflector and the second reflector.

[0011] Preferably, the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element are both transducers capable of converting electrical signals into ultrasonic signals or converting ultrasonic signals into electrical signals, and the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element are both connected with substrates for exciting and receiving electrical signals.

[0012] Preferably, an inner compartment is further arranged outside the pipe section, and the inner compartment is used for mounting a power supply and a signal processing module.

[0013] Preferably, the inner compartment comprises a compartment body and a compartment cover, the compartment body is integrally formed with the pipe section, and the compartment cover is detachably connected with the compartment body.

[0014] Preferably, the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are both blind holes formed in the pipe wall of the pipe section, and the internal profiles of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion respectively match the external profiles of the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element.

[0015] Preferably, the first reflector and the second reflector are both mirror pieces.

[0016] In another aspect, the utility model also provides an ultrasonic flow detection system, comprising the ultrasonic flow sensor, still comprising display panel and alarm, the display panel is used for displaying the medium flow rate and / or flow in the pipe section, the alarm has threshold value, when the medium flow rate and / or flow in the pipe section is higher than the threshold value, the alarm can send the alarm.

[0017] The technical scheme provided by the utility model discloses, first mounting portion and second mounting portion are arranged in the outer wall of the pipe section along the first direction in turn, and are respectively used for installing first ultrasonic element and second ultrasonic element, first ultrasonic element and second ultrasonic element can all emit or receive ultrasonic waves, the first direction is parallel to the direction of the medium flow in the pipe section, first reflector and second reflector are installed on the pipe section, through the setting and cooperation of first reflector and second reflector, the first ultrasonic wave emitted by one of the ultrasonic elements can be reflected to form the second ultrasonic wave parallel to the first direction, and the second ultrasonic wave can be reflected to form the third ultrasonic wave towards the other ultrasonic element, based on the corresponding parameters of the first ultrasonic wave and the third ultrasonic wave, the flow velocity and flow of the medium in the pipe section are calculated, first ultrasonic element and receiving element are all arranged on the outside of the pipe wall of the pipe section, do not need additional sealing structure, and electrical elements such as first ultrasonic element and receiving element will not directly contact with the fluid, the overall structure is more stable and durable, and the second ultrasonic wave reflected by the first reflector and the second ultrasonic wave emitted by the second reflector are all parallel to the first direction, so the same direction and reverse propagation of the medium flow in the pipe section are realized, thereby the flow velocity of the medium in the pipe section is detected in the forward direction and the reverse direction, and the detection precision is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is partial structure schematic view of ultrasonic flow sensor provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 It is whole structure schematic view of ultrasonic flow sensor provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0020] Wherein, 1, pipe section;11, first mounting portion;12, second mounting portion;13, first concave surface;14, second concave surface;21, first ultrasonic element;22, second ultrasonic element;23, substrate;24, battery;31, first reflector;32, second reflector;4, inner bin;41, bin body;42, bin cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantage of the embodiments of the utility model more clear, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the utility model will be described clearly and completely in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model, obviously, the described embodiments are a part of the embodiments of the utility model, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by the person skilled in the art without making creative labor are within the protection scope of the utility model.

[0022] Figure 1 It is partial structure schematic view of ultrasonic flow sensor provided by an embodiment of the utility model.

[0023] As Figure 1 shown, the utility model provides a kind of ultrasonic flow sensor, including pipe section 1, pipe section 1 can be connected in the pipe to be measured, first mounting portion 11 and second mounting portion 12 are sequentially spaced apart in the first direction on the outside of the pipe wall of pipe section 1, the first direction is parallel to the direction of medium flow in pipe section, in Figure 1 It is transverse, i.e. first mounting portion 11 and second mounting portion 12 are transversely spaced apart, first ultrasonic element 21 is installed in first mounting portion 11, second ultrasonic element 22 is installed in second mounting portion 12, first reflector 31 and second reflector 32 are also provided in pipe section 1;

[0024] When the flow in pipe section 1 needs to be detected, first ultrasonic element 21 excites first ultrasonic wave, first ultrasonic wave passes through the pipe wall of pipe section 1 and is transmitted to first reflector 31, first reflector 31 can reflect first ultrasonic wave and form second ultrasonic wave along the first direction, second reflector 32 can reflect second ultrasonic wave and form third ultrasonic wave towards second ultrasonic element 22, since second ultrasonic wave propagates in parallel with the direction of fluid flow in pipe section 1, i.e. same direction or opposite direction, therefore second ultrasonic wave is affected by fluid in pipe section 1 when propagating, therefore third ultrasonic wave received by second ultrasonic element 22 and first ultrasonic wave emitted by first ultrasonic element 21 have changes in parameters, by detecting this change, the flow rate and flow of medium in pipe section 1 can be calculated;

[0025] First ultrasonic wave can also be excited by second ultrasonic element 22, form second ultrasonic wave after reflection by second reflector 32, form third ultrasonic wave towards first ultrasonic element 21 after reflection by first reflector 31, second ultrasonic wave propagates along the same direction and opposite direction of medium flow in pipe section 1 in two detection processes, thereby positively and reversely detecting the flow rate of medium in pipe section 1, improve detection accuracy.

[0026] By arranging first ultrasonic element 21 and second ultrasonic element 22 on the outside of the pipe wall of pipe section 1, no additional sealing structure is needed, and electrical elements such as first ultrasonic element and receiving element are not directly in contact with fluid, the overall structure is more stable and durable.

[0027] As Figure 1As shown, in one preferred embodiment, a first concave surface 13 and a second concave surface 14 are provided on the inner wall of the pipe segment 1 at the locations corresponding to the first mounting portion 11 and the second mounting portion 12. When the first ultrasonic wave emitted by the first ultrasonic element 21 passes through the inner wall of the pipe segment 1, the first concave surface 13 can refract the first ultrasonic wave and focus it onto the first reflector 31. When the third ultrasonic wave reflected by the second reflector 32 passes through the inner wall of the pipe segment 1 and propagates toward the second ultrasonic element 22, the second concave surface 14 can refract the third ultrasonic wave and disperse it into the second ultrasonic element 22. By setting the first concave surface 13 and the second concave surface 14, the ultrasonic wave is focused using the concave surface refraction focusing principle, which can improve the efficiency and quality of the signal and reduce energy loss.

[0028] Preferably, the first concave surface 13 and the second concave surface 14 are integrally formed with the pipe segment 1, so that the ultrasonic waves propagate more evenly between the pipe segment 1 and the concave surface, and their propagation will not be affected by the cross-medium. Of course, in some other embodiments, the first concave surface 13 and the second concave surface 14 can also be arranged on the pipe segment 1 in other ways, which will not be elaborated here.

[0029] In one preferred embodiment, the emission direction of the first ultrasonic element 21 is radially directed towards the axis of the pipe segment 1, and the focal point of the first concave surface 13 is located on the axis of the pipe segment 1. That is, the first ultrasonic wave is refracted by the first concave surface 13 and focused on the axis of the pipe segment 1, and simultaneously falls on the reflective surface of the first reflector, so that the second ultrasonic wave transmission path formed after reflection by the first reflector 31 is the axis of the pipe segment 1. By setting the second ultrasonic wave to propagate along the axis of the pipe segment 1, the ultrasonic flow sensor measures the medium velocity or flow rate near the axis of the pipe segment 1, reducing the friction between the pipe wall of the pipe segment 1 and the medium, which affects the medium velocity and further affects the detection results.

[0030] The second concave surface 14 and the second reflector 32 are arranged in a similar manner to the first concave surface 13 and the first reflector, so that the second reflector 32 can reflect the second ultrasonic wave propagating along the axis of the pipe segment 1 to the second concave surface 14 and smoothly input it into the second ultrasonic element 22.

[0031] The first mounting part 11 and the second mounting part 12 can be as follows: Figure 1 As shown, both are located on the same side of pipe segment 1, that is, the first mounting part 11 and the second mounting part 12 are located in the same circumferential position of pipe segment 1, and their projections in the axial direction of pipe segment 1 coincide. Alternatively, the first mounting part 11 and the second mounting part 12 can be set in different axial positions of pipe segment 1. In this case, the setting direction of the first reflector 31 and the second reflector 32 should be adjusted accordingly to ensure that the third ultrasonic wave can be successfully received by the second ultrasonic element 22.

[0032] Figure 2 is a whole structure schematic view of the ultrasonic flow sensor provided by the embodiment of the utility model.

[0033] As Figure 2 shown, in one preferred embodiment, the first ultrasonic element 21 and the second ultrasonic element 22 both adopt piezoelectric ceramic sheets, which can convert electrical signals into ultrasonic waves and excite emission, or convert received ultrasonic waves into electrical signals, realizing the functions of emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and the first ultrasonic element 21 and the second ultrasonic element 22 are both connected with a substrate 23, when measuring the flow of the medium in the pipe section 1, the substrate 23 excites electrical signals, the electrical signals are transmitted to the ultrasonic wave generating element 21 and converted into ultrasonic wave signals (first ultrasonic waves), after the ultrasonic wave signals propagate in the pipe section 1, the third ultrasonic waves are formed, and the second ultrasonic element 22 converts the ultrasonic wave signals into electrical signals and inputs the substrate 23 after receiving the third ultrasonic waves, based on the excited and received electrical signals of the substrate 23, the variation of the ultrasonic wave signals when propagating in the pipe section 1 can be obtained, and the flow of the medium in the pipe section 1 can be calculated.

[0034] In addition, the first ultrasonic element 21 and the second ultrasonic element 22 can also adopt other types of elements, for example, transducers, or other ultrasonic elements such as surface acoustic wave elements, as long as they can realize the functions of exciting and receiving ultrasonic waves.

[0035] As Figure 2 shown, in one preferred embodiment, an inner compartment 4 is arranged on the outer side of the pipe section 1, the inner compartment 4 is used for installing a power supply 24 and a signal processing module; the power supply 24 can supply power to each of the above-mentioned electrical elements, and the signal processing module can plan and calculate the above-mentioned ultrasonic signals or electrical signals, and then calculate the medium flow, the signal processing module can adopt an existing mainboard and set corresponding programs, which will not be described here.

[0036] In one preferred embodiment, the inner compartment 4 includes a compartment body 41 and a compartment cover 42, the compartment body 41 can be formed integrally with the pipe section 1, so that it is not necessary to arrange additional mounting structures and the like on the pipe section 1, which can simplify the overall structure of the sensor, and the compartment cover 42 is detachably connected with the compartment body 41, which facilitates assembling each element in the compartment body 41, and subsequent maintenance or replacement of the internal elements.

[0037] In one preferred embodiment, the first mounting portion 11 and the second mounting portion 12 are blind holes formed in the pipe wall of the pipe section 1, and the first ultrasonic element 21 and the second ultrasonic element 22 are mounted in the blind holes, and the inner profiles of the first mounting portion 11 and the second mounting portion 12 respectively match the outer profiles of the first ultrasonic element 21 and the second ultrasonic element 22, so that the first mounting portion 11 and the second mounting portion 12 can stably mount and limit the first ultrasonic element 21 and the second ultrasonic element 22.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the hole bottoms of the first mounting portion 11 and the second mounting portion 12 are flat, and the ultrasonic signal does not have excessive fluctuations when passing through the flat hole bottoms, and in combination with the first concave surface 13 and the second concave surface 14, the propagation effect of the ultrasonic wave can be further improved.

[0039] In addition, the first mounting portion 11 and the second mounting portion 12 can also be arranged in other ways, for example, the first ultrasonic element 21 and the second ultrasonic element 22 are mounted on the outer wall of the pipe section 1 by clamping or threaded connection, and the like, which will not be described here.

[0040] In one preferred embodiment, the first reflector 31 and the second reflector 32 are both mirror lenses, which can be metal lenses, glass lenses, or polymer lenses, and the like. Such lenses can be directly inserted into the pipe section 1, and do not need to rely on additional structures to achieve the effect of reflecting ultrasonic waves, and are stable and durable in structure. In some other cases, the first reflector 31 and the second reflector 32 can also be waveguide reflectors and the like electrical elements, which can also achieve certain filtering and noise reduction effects to improve the accuracy of detection.

[0041] In addition, the first reflector 31 and the second reflector 32 can be concave or conical, which can further focus the ultrasonic wave and improve the propagation effect of the ultrasonic wave. The first reflector 31 and the second reflector 32 can be arranged on a mounting piece, and the inner wall of the pipe section 1 is provided with a clamping groove matched with the mounting piece. The mounting piece is transversely inserted into the pipe section 1, so as to fix the first reflector 31 and the second reflector 32 in the pipe section 1. Since the first concave surface and the second concave surface are used to focus the ultrasonic wave, the reflecting area of the first reflector 31 and the second reflector 32 can be appropriately reduced, that is, the first reflector 31 and the second reflector 32 can be arranged to be more miniaturized, so as to reduce the disturbance of the mounting piece and the reflector to the water flow in the pipe section 1.

[0042] The utility model also provides a kind of ultrasonic flow detection system, including above-mentioned ultrasonic flow sensor, display panel and alarm are also provided in detection system, display panel can show the medium flow rate and / or flow in the measured pipe section 1, alarm can issue alarm when the detected medium flow and / or flow exceeds certain threshold;Wherein, display panel and alarm can be arranged inside inner bin 4, and be directly connected to signal processing module and the like element, it can also be arranged in the signal processing module of inner bin 4 is connected with display panel and alarm signal using wireless propagation and the like mode.

[0043] Finally, it should be noted that the above examples are intended to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, but not to limit. Although the present application is described in detail with reference to the examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present application can be modified or replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, and all should be covered in the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic flow sensor, characterized by, The utility model relates to a kind of ultrasonic flowmeter, including: Pipe section, can be connected to the pipeline to be measured, the outer side of the pipe wall of the pipe section is sequentially spaced with first mounting portion and second mounting portion along first direction, the first direction is parallel to the direction of medium flow in the pipe section; First ultrasonic element and second ultrasonic element, the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element can emit and receive ultrasonic waves, the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element are installed in the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion respectively; First reflector and second reflector, located inside the pipe section, the first reflector and the second reflector can reflect the first ultrasonic wave emitted by one of the ultrasonic elements to form the second ultrasonic wave parallel to the first direction, and reflect the second ultrasonic wave to form the third ultrasonic wave towards the other ultrasonic element; Wherein, the first ultrasonic wave and the third ultrasonic wave are measured to calculate the medium flow in the pipe section.

2. The ultrasonic flow sensor of claim 1, wherein, First concave surface and second concave surface are respectively arranged in the position corresponding to the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion in the inner wall of the pipe section, and the first concave surface and the second concave surface are both formed by the inner wall of the pipe section being recessed towards the outer wall of the pipe section.

3. The ultrasonic flow sensor of claim 2, wherein, The first concave surface and the second concave surface are integrally formed with the pipe section.

4. The ultrasonic flow sensor of claim 2, wherein, The emission direction and the receiving direction of the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element are both directed to the axis of the pipe section along the radial direction of the pipe section, the focal points of the first concave surface and the second concave surface are both located on the axis of the pipe section, and the focal points of the first concave surface and the second concave surface respectively fall on the reflecting surface of the first reflector and the second reflector.

5. The ultrasonic flow sensor of claim 1, wherein, The first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element both adopt transducers, which can convert electrical signals into ultrasonic signals or convert ultrasonic signals into electrical signals, and the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element are both connected with a substrate for exciting and receiving electrical signals.

6. The ultrasonic flow sensor of claim 5, wherein, An inner compartment is further arranged outside the pipe section, and the inner compartment is used for mounting a power supply and a signal processing module.

7. The ultrasonic flow sensor of claim 6, wherein, The inner compartment includes a compartment body and a compartment cover, the compartment body is integrally formed with the pipe section, and the compartment cover is detachably connected with the compartment body.

8. The ultrasonic flow sensor of claim 1, wherein, The first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are both blind holes opened on the pipe wall of the pipe section, and the internal contours of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion respectively match the external contours of the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element.

9. The ultrasonic flow sensor of claim 1, wherein, The first reflector and the second reflector adopt reflecting lenses.

10. An ultrasonic flow detection system comprising an ultrasonic flow sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that Further comprising a display panel and an alarm, the display panel is used for displaying the medium flow rate and / or flow in the pipe section, and the alarm has a threshold value, when the medium flow rate and / or flow in the pipe section is higher than the threshold value, the alarm can issue an alarm.

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