Liquidometer for LNG (liquefied natural gas) ship

Abstract

When the liquid level meter for the LNG ship is used, the liquid level meter for the LNG ship is placed in a liquid natural gas tank of the LNG ship, the liquid level meter for the LNG ship can float on the liquid level of liquefied natural gas through the floating shell, and then the distance between the liquid level meter for the LNG ship and the bottom in the tank is measured through the ultrasonic sensor; therefore, the actual liquid level condition of the liquefied natural gas is calculated. And meanwhile, when the liquefied natural gas in the tank inclines along with the LNG ship, the real liquid level condition of the liquefied natural gas can be accurately calculated through inclination data of the gyroscope and measurement data of the ultrasonic sensor, so that the height of the liquefied natural gas in the tank can be accurately judged. And secondly, redundant connecting wires can be wound through the winding assembly, so that the problem of winding of the redundant connecting wires is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of LNG ships, and more particularly to an LNG ship level gauge. Background Technology

[0002] LNG carriers, or liquefied natural gas carriers, are ships specifically designed to transport liquefied natural gas. Level gauges are used inside the natural gas tanks to measure the liquid level.

[0003] Chinese patent disclosure CN205909900U discloses a capacitive level gauge for marine LNG storage tanks. The sensor is vertically mounted on the diameter of the tank. When the liquid level rises, the sensor outputs a capacitance value proportional to the liquid level height. The subsequent transmitter converts this into a 4-20mA electrical output signal to calculate the actual volume inside the tank. The display shows the actual liquid level inside the tank.

[0004] However, during the voyage of LNG ships, they will encounter waves of varying heights. When LNG ships encounter waves, the ships will rise and fall slightly. Due to inertia, the liquefied natural gas will move with the rise and fall of the LNG ships. As a result, when capacitive level gauges measure the height of LNG in the tank, the fluctuation of the LNG in the tank will lead to inaccurate measurement results. Consequently, the gauges cannot accurately reflect the true volume of natural gas in the tank, and the true liquid level of natural gas in the tank cannot be calculated.

[0005] Secondly, capacitive level gauges use data cables for connection, which require relatively long cables. As the liquid level fluctuates, the cable may become tangled, which can damage the cable and lead to accidents. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of this, it is necessary to provide an LNG marine level gauge to solve the above problems.

[0007] An embodiment of this application provides an LNG marine level gauge, comprising:

[0008] A floating hull with an internal cavity, the floating hull having a floating side and an installation side opposite to the floating side;

[0009] An ultrasonic sensor is installed inside the accommodating cavity and aligned with the floating side;

[0010] The gyroscope is installed inside the cavity.

[0011] A winding assembly is installed inside the accommodating cavity and is electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor and the gyroscope. One end of the winding assembly extends through the mounting side to the outside.

[0012] In at least one embodiment of this application, a through slot is provided on the floating side;

[0013] The ultrasonic sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver, both of which extend into the through groove.

[0014] In at least one embodiment of this application, the through slot is located at the geometric center of the floating side, and the transmitter and the receiver are arranged symmetrically about the geometric center of the floating side.

[0015] In at least one embodiment of this application, the LNG marine level gauge further includes a fixed cylinder that extends through the mounting side and has a movable cavity formed inside the fixed cylinder;

[0016] The winding assembly includes:

[0017] Rotate the winding drum, which is rotatably positioned within the movable cavity;

[0018] A rotating motor is located inside the accommodating cavity. The output end of the rotating motor passes through the accommodating cavity and extends into the movable cavity, where it is fixedly connected to the rotating winding drum.

[0019] In at least one embodiment of this application, the output shaft of the rotary motor has a hollow channel, one end of which is connected to the movable cavity and the other end of which is connected to the receiving cavity;

[0020] The LNG marine level gauge also includes:

[0021] The connecting wire has one end located inside the accommodating cavity and the other end extending through the hollow channel into the movable cavity.

[0022] In at least one embodiment of this application, the LNG marine level gauge further includes:

[0023] A defogging component is disposed within the through-slot, with one end connected to the through-slot and the other end extending through the floating shell to the outside; the defogging component is used to draw out the fog in front of the ultrasonic sensor.

[0024] In at least one embodiment of this application, the rotating winding drum has a first wire outlet hole and a second wire outlet hole at both ends, one end of the connecting wire is electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor, the rotating motor and the gyroscope, and the other end passes through the hollow channel and the first wire outlet hole to the movable cavity, and then wraps around the rotating winding drum along the second wire outlet hole to the outside.

[0025] In at least one embodiment of this application, the LNG marine level gauge further includes:

[0026] The first sealing element is installed inside the hollow channel and seals the connecting line to the inner wall of the hollow channel.

[0027] In at least one embodiment of this application, the LNG marine level gauge further includes:

[0028] A fixed bracket is installed inside the accommodating cavity, and the fixed cylinder is installed on the fixed bracket;

[0029] The second sealing element is sandwiched between the fixed bracket and the floating shell to form a sealed connection between the fixed bracket and the floating shell.

[0030] In at least one embodiment of this application, the fixed bracket is provided with a mounting groove, and the ultrasonic sensor is installed in the mounting groove;

[0031] One end of the rotating motor is mounted on the fixed bracket, and the other end extends into the movable cavity. The gyroscope is mounted on the fixed bracket.

[0032] In at least one embodiment of this application, the LNG marine level gauge further includes:

[0033] The circuit board is electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor, the gyroscope and the winding assembly, and the circuit board is mounted on the fixed bracket.

[0034] Implementing the LNG marine level gauge of this embodiment will have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0035] The LNG ship level gauge described above is used by placing it inside the liquefied natural gas tank of an LNG ship. A floating hull allows the gauge to float on the surface of the liquefied natural gas. An ultrasonic sensor measures the distance between the gauge and the bottom of the tank, thus calculating the actual liquefied natural gas level. Furthermore, when the liquefied natural gas in the tank tilts with the LNG ship, the tilt data from a gyroscope and the ultrasonic sensor measurements accurately calculate the actual level, allowing for precise determination of the liquefied natural gas level within the tank. Additionally, a winding assembly allows excess wiring to be wound up, preventing tangling. Attached Figure Description

[0036] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the various drawings denote the same or similar parts or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings depict only some embodiments disclosed in this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the LNG marine level gauge of this utility model;

[0038] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the LNG marine level gauge;

[0039] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the liquid level gauge for LNG ships;

[0040] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Another structural view of the LNG marine level gauge;

[0041] Figure 5 for Figure 2 Structural diagram of a rotating winding drum.

[0042] Explanation of main component symbols

[0043] 100. LNG marine level gauge;

[0044] 110. Floating shell; 110a. Receiving cavity; 110b. Floating side; 110c. Mounting side; 110d. Through groove;

[0045] 120. Ultrasonic sensor; 121. Transmitter; 122. Receiver;

[0046] 130. Gyroscope;

[0047] 140. Winding assembly; 141. Rotating winding drum; 142. Rotating motor; 142a. Hollow channel; 141a. First wire outlet; 141b. Second wire outlet;

[0048] 150. Fixed bracket; 151. Fixed cylinder; 151a. Movable cavity; 150a. Mounting slot;

[0049] 160. Connecting cable;

[0050] 170. First sealing element;

[0051] 180. Second seal;

[0052] 190. Circuit board;

[0053] 200. Defogging component. Detailed Implementation

[0054] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0055] It should be noted that when a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or may also have an intervening component. When a component is considered to be "placed" on another component, it can be directly placed on the other component or may also have an intervening component. The terms "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "back," and similar expressions used in this article are for illustrative purposes only.

[0056] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0057] An embodiment of this application provides an LNG marine level gauge 100, comprising:

[0058] The floating shell 110 has an internal cavity 110a, and the floating shell 110 has a floating side 110b and a mounting side 110c opposite to the floating side 110b.

[0059] An ultrasonic sensor 120 is installed in the accommodating cavity 110a and aligned with the floating side 110b;

[0060] The gyroscope 130 is installed in the accommodating cavity 110a;

[0061] The winding assembly 140 is installed in the accommodating cavity 110a and is electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor 120 and the gyroscope 130. One end of the winding assembly 140 extends through the mounting side 110c to the outside.

[0062] Please refer to Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, when in use, the LNG ship level gauge 100 is placed inside the liquid natural gas tank of the LNG ship. The floating shell 110 enables the LNG ship level gauge 100 to float on the surface of the liquefied natural gas. Then, the ultrasonic sensor 120 measures the distance between the LNG ship level gauge 100 and the bottom of the tank, thereby calculating the actual liquid level of the liquefied natural gas.

[0063] Meanwhile, when the liquefied natural gas in the tank tilts with the LNG carrier, the actual liquid level of the liquefied natural gas can be accurately calculated by using the tilt data from the gyroscope 130 and the measurement data from the ultrasonic sensor 120, so as to accurately determine the height of the liquefied natural gas in the tank.

[0064] Secondly, the winding assembly 140 can wind up the excess connecting wires 160 to avoid the problem of the excess connecting wires 160 getting tangled.

[0065] It should be noted that the floating hull 110 is made of lightweight materials, such as plastic, rubber and other lightweight materials with strong sealing properties, and the shape of the floating hull 110 is roughly rectangular.

[0066] The floating side 110b and the mounting side 110c are parallel planes. The accommodating cavity 110a is a generally sealed cavity structure.

[0067] It should be further explained that during installation, the LNG marine level gauge 100 is placed in the liquefied natural gas tank. Under the action of buoyancy, the LNG marine level gauge 100 will float on the surface of the liquefied natural gas. Through the winding assembly 140, the excess connecting wire 160 is wound around the winding assembly 140, so that the connecting wire 160 can be wound around the winding assembly 140, thereby limiting the range of motion of the LNG marine level gauge 100 to the measurement area and avoiding deviation from the measurement area (such as the middle area of ​​the tank) due to the connecting wire 160 being too long.

[0068] In at least one embodiment of this application, the floating side 110b is provided with a through groove 110d;

[0069] The ultrasonic sensor 120 includes a transmitter 121 and a receiver 122, both of which extend into the through groove 110d.

[0070] Please refer to Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, during measurement, since the LNG marine level gauge 100 floats on the liquid natural gas and the floating side 110b is in contact with the liquefied natural gas, the transmitter 121 emits ultrasonic waves. After propagation, the ultrasonic waves bounce off the bottom and return to the receiver 122, thereby obtaining the measurement parameters.

[0071] By combining the deflection parameters of gyroscope 130 during the measurement process, the height of liquefied natural gas from the bottom of the tank is calculated. Based on the shape and volume of the tank, the actual liquid level of liquefied natural gas is calculated, avoiding errors in the measurement results caused by the influence of waves during the LNG ship's voyage, thus making the measurement results more accurate.

[0072] In at least one embodiment of this application, the through slot 110d is opened at the geometric center of the floating side 110b, and the transmitter 121 and the receiver 122 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the geometric center of the floating side 110b.

[0073] Please refer to Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, by setting the ultrasonic sensor 120 at the geometric center of the floating side 110b, the ultrasonic sensor 120 will not tilt due to uneven gravity inside the floating shell 110 caused by its setting position, thereby affecting the accuracy of the measurement results and ensuring more accurate measurement results.

[0074] In at least one embodiment of this application, the LNG marine level gauge 100 further includes a fixed cylinder 151, which penetrates the mounting side 110c and has a movable cavity 151a formed inside the fixed cylinder 151.

[0075] The winding assembly 140 includes:

[0076] Rotate the winding drum 141, which is rotatably located within the movable cavity 151a;

[0077] A rotating motor 142 is disposed in the accommodating cavity 110a. The output end of the rotating motor 142 passes through the accommodating cavity 110a and extends into the movable cavity 151a, where it is fixedly connected to the rotating winding drum 141.

[0078] Please refer to Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, when the LNG marine level gauge 100 rises as the liquid natural gas injected into the tank increases, the rotating motor 142 rotates, thereby driving the rotating winding drum 141 to rotate. This causes the rotating winding drum 141 to rotate within the movable cavity 151a, thereby causing the excess connecting wire 160 to be wound around the peripheral wall of the rotating winding drum 141, thus avoiding the problem of tangling due to the excess connecting wire 160 during use.

[0079] It should be noted that the fixed cylinder 151 is roughly cylindrical, and the movable cavity 151a is roughly circular through-cavity. The rotating winding drum 141 is roughly cylindrical, and the rotating motor 142 is roughly a motor.

[0080] In at least one embodiment of this application, the output shaft of the rotating motor 142 is provided with a hollow channel 142a, one end of the hollow channel 142a is connected to the movable cavity 151a, and the other end is connected to the receiving cavity 110a.

[0081] The LNG marine level gauge 100 also includes:

[0082] The connecting line 160 has one end located in the accommodating cavity 110a and the other end extending through the hollow channel 142a into the movable cavity 151a.

[0083] In at least one embodiment of this application, the rotating winding drum 141 has a first wire outlet hole 141a and a second wire outlet hole 141b at both ends. One end of the connecting wire 160 is electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor 120, the rotating motor 142 and the gyroscope 130, and the other end passes through the hollow channel 142a and the first wire outlet hole 141a to the movable cavity 151a, and then wraps around the rotating winding drum 141 along the second wire outlet hole 141b to the outside.

[0084] Please refer to Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, one end of the connecting wire 160 is located in the accommodating cavity 110a, and the other end passes through the hollow channel 142a and the first outlet hole 141a to the movable cavity 151a in sequence, and is wrapped around the rotating winding cylinder 141 along the second outlet hole 141b to the outside and electrically connected to the external circuit, thereby electrically connecting the internal electronic components of the LNG marine level gauge 100.

[0085] By opening a hollow channel 142a in the central shaft of the output shaft of the rotating motor 142 to provide an extension structure for the connecting wire 160, it is not necessary to open another hole in the floating hull 110, thus ensuring the sealing of the floating hull 110 and preventing external natural gas from entering the LNG ship level gauge 100 and causing a serious dangerous accident.

[0086] Meanwhile, by rotating the motor 142, the connecting wire 160 can be wound around the outer circumference of the rotating winding drum 141, thereby preventing the connecting wire 160 from becoming too long and getting tangled.

[0087] In at least one embodiment of this application, the LNG marine level gauge further includes:

[0088] The defogging component 200 is disposed in the through groove 110d, with one end connected to the through groove 110d and the other end extending through the floating shell 110 to the outside.

[0089] In this embodiment, the defogging component 200 is disposed in the through groove 110d, with one end connected to the through groove 110d and the other end extending through the floating shell 110 to the outside. The defogging component 200 can extract the fog in front of the transmitter 121 and receiver 122 of the ultrasonic sensor 120, avoiding errors in the detection results of the ultrasonic sensor 120 due to fog, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection results.

[0090] It should be noted that the demisting assembly 200 includes an impeller, a motor, and an extraction pipe. The motor rotates, which in turn drives the impeller to rotate, causing the impeller to extract the mist in front of the transmitter 121 and receiver 122 (towards the liquid natural gas), thus avoiding errors in the detection results caused by the presence of mist in front of the ultrasonic sensor 120.

[0091] In at least one embodiment of this application, the LNG marine level gauge 100 further includes:

[0092] The first sealing element 170 is installed inside the hollow channel 142a and seals the connecting line 160 to the inner wall of the hollow channel 142a.

[0093] Please refer to Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, the gap between the connecting line 160 and the hollow channel 142a is sealed by the first sealing member 170 to ensure the airtightness of the floating shell 110.

[0094] Secondly, the first sealing element 170 fixes one end of the connecting wire 160 in the hollow channel 142a to prevent the connecting wire 160 from shifting and to ensure the stability of the connecting wire 160.

[0095] It should be noted that the first sealing element 170 is approximately a circular sealing ring, which is fixed in the hollow channel 142a by adhesive bonding or integral molding.

[0096] It should be further noted that the 160 connector is a data cable, used for transmitting and providing power, signals, etc.

[0097] In at least one embodiment of this application, the LNG marine level gauge 100 further includes:

[0098] A fixed bracket 150 is installed in the receiving cavity 110a, and a fixed cylinder 151 is installed on the fixed bracket 150;

[0099] The second sealing element 180 is sandwiched between the fixed bracket 150 and the floating shell 110 to form a sealed connection between the fixed bracket 150 and the floating shell 110.

[0100] Please refer to Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, the fixed bracket 150 and the fixed cylinder 151 are integrally formed, and then the fixed bracket 150 and the floating shell 110 are sealed by the second sealing member 180, thereby improving the sealing performance of the LNG marine level gauge 100 and preventing liquid natural gas from entering the accommodating cavity 110a and damaging the LNG marine level gauge 100.

[0101] It should be noted that the fixed bracket 150 is roughly a "U" shaped frame, and the second seal 180 is a sealing ring. The second seal 180 is installed between the fixed bracket 150 and the floating shell 110 by adhesive bonding to avoid gaps at the connection between the fixed bracket 150 and the floating shell 110 that would affect the sealing performance.

[0102] In at least one embodiment of this application, the fixed bracket 150 is provided with a mounting groove 150a, and the ultrasonic sensor 120 is installed in the mounting groove 150a.

[0103] One end of the rotating motor 142 is mounted on the fixed bracket 150, and the other end extends into the movable cavity 151a. The gyroscope 130 is mounted on the fixed bracket 150.

[0104] Please refer to Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 120 is fixed in the accommodating cavity 110a by the fixing bracket 150, thereby preventing the ultrasonic sensor 120 from moving in the accommodating cavity 110a, so as to ensure the stability of the ultrasonic sensor 120 and the accuracy of the results.

[0105] Meanwhile, the gyroscope 130 is mounted on the fixed bracket 150 to ensure that the gyroscope 130 will not move within the accommodating cavity 110a due to shaking caused by the liquefied natural gas, thereby improving the tilt angle measurement results of the gyroscope 130.

[0106] In at least one embodiment of this application, the LNG marine level gauge 100 further includes:

[0107] The circuit board 190 is electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor 120, the gyroscope 130 and the winding assembly 140, and the circuit board 190 is mounted on the fixed bracket 150.

[0108] Please refer to Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 120, gyroscope 130 and winding assembly 140 are controlled by the circuit board 190 to process the detection results of the ultrasonic sensor 120 and gyroscope 130 to calculate the actual liquid level of liquefied natural gas.

[0109] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make improvements without departing from the inventive concept of this application, but these improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An LNG marine level gauge, characterized in that, include: A floating hull with an internal cavity, the floating hull having a floating side and an installation side opposite to the floating side; An ultrasonic sensor is installed inside the accommodating cavity and aligned with the floating side; The gyroscope is installed inside the cavity. A winding assembly is installed inside the accommodating cavity and is electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor and the gyroscope. One end of the winding assembly extends through the mounting side to the outside.

2. The LNG marine level gauge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The floating side is provided with a through slot; The ultrasonic sensor includes a transmitter and a receiver, both of which extend into the through groove.

3. The LNG marine level gauge according to claim 2, characterized in that, The through slot is located at the center of the geometry of the floating side, and the transmitter and the receiver are symmetrically arranged with the center of the geometry of the floating side as the center.

4. The LNG marine level gauge according to claim 2, characterized in that, The LNG marine level gauge also includes: A defogging component is disposed within the through-slot, with one end connected to the through-slot and the other end extending through the floating shell to the outside; the defogging component is used to draw out the fog in front of the ultrasonic sensor.

5. The LNG marine level gauge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The LNG marine level gauge also includes a fixed cylinder that extends through the mounting side and has a movable cavity formed inside it. The winding assembly includes: Rotate the winding drum, which is rotatably positioned within the movable cavity; A rotating motor is located inside the accommodating cavity. The output end of the rotating motor passes through the accommodating cavity and extends into the movable cavity, where it is fixedly connected to the rotating winding drum.

6. The LNG marine level gauge according to claim 5, characterized in that, The output shaft of the rotating motor has a hollow channel, one end of which is connected to the movable cavity and the other end of which is connected to the receiving cavity; The LNG marine level gauge also includes: The connecting wire has one end located inside the accommodating cavity and the other end extending through the hollow channel into the movable cavity.

7. The LNG marine level gauge according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rotating winding drum has a first wire outlet hole and a second wire outlet hole at both ends. One end of the connecting wire is electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor, the rotating motor and the gyroscope, and the other end passes through the hollow channel and the first wire outlet hole to the movable cavity, and then wraps around the rotating winding drum along the second wire outlet hole to the outside.

8. The LNG marine level gauge according to claim 6, characterized in that, The LNG marine level gauge also includes: The first sealing element is installed inside the hollow channel and seals the connecting line to the inner wall of the hollow channel.

9. The LNG marine level gauge according to claim 5, characterized in that, The LNG marine level gauge also includes: A fixed bracket is installed inside the accommodating cavity, and the fixed cylinder is installed on the fixed bracket; The second sealing element is sandwiched between the fixed bracket and the floating shell to form a sealed connection between the fixed bracket and the floating shell.

10. The LNG marine level gauge according to claim 9, characterized in that, The fixed bracket has a mounting slot, and the ultrasonic sensor is installed in the mounting slot; One end of the rotating motor is mounted on the fixed bracket, and the other end extends into the movable cavity; the gyroscope is mounted on the fixed bracket. The LNG marine level gauge also includes: The circuit board is electrically connected to the ultrasonic sensor, the gyroscope and the winding assembly, and the circuit board is mounted on the fixed bracket.

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