Passive nucleon level gage with modular design

Abstract

The utility model discloses a modular design passive nucleon charge level indicator, which comprises a shell, a control assembly and an optical coupling assembly, the control assembly and the optical coupling assembly are arranged in the shell, the shell comprises an upper shell, a lower shell and an upper cover, and the lower shell is arranged at the lower part of the upper shell; the control assembly comprises a circuit component and a first insulating material shell used for packaging the circuit component, the circuit component is provided with a first electronic connector interface, the first insulating material shell is provided with an opening structure, and the first electronic connector interface is detachably connected with the optical coupling assembly through the opening structure; the control assembly is fixed in the upper shell through a fastener, and the optical coupling assembly is accommodated in the lower shell; the upper cover is arranged on the upper shell and provided with a window opposite to the control assembly. According to the material level measuring device, the shell structure, the connecting mode and the assembly layout are optimized, and the material level measuring device which is reliable, convenient to maintain and flexible to upgrade is provided to meet the material level detection requirement in a severe environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of nuclear physics measurement devices, and in particular to a passive nuclear level gauge with a modular design. Background Technology

[0002] Passive nuclear level gauges are based on nuclear physics principles, utilizing the absorption and scattering characteristics of gamma rays to measure material or liquid levels in a non-contact manner. When the rays pass through the material inside the container, they interact with atoms through the photoelectric effect and Compton effect. The scintillation crystal of the detector converts the received rays into light pulses, which are then converted into electrical pulses by a photomultiplier tube. These electrical pulses undergo filtering, shaping, and discrimination circuitry to remove noise and are converted into standard pulse signals. A microcontroller counts the number of pulses per unit time, and a mathematical model correlates the pulse count with the material level to calculate the real-time material level.

[0003] Passive nuclear level gauges are installed on the outside of containers without the need for openings or contact with materials, avoiding wear and material buildup. They are suitable for scenarios such as ash hoppers, coal bunkers, and chemical storage tanks in thermal power plants, and are especially suitable for level monitoring environments with high temperature, high dust, and highly corrosive media.

[0004] Typically, passive nuclear level gauges have a monolithic housing with a sealed internal space. The internal electronic circuitry is arranged and interconnected within the housing, rather than being integrated as a whole. This current technology means that when a component fails, the housing must be opened and each component disassembled individually for repair or replacement. This involves numerous disassembly steps, a complex process, and significant maintenance difficulties, making it impossible for even the most experienced user to perform. Furthermore, ordinary users often struggle to identify the location of damage, identify broken components, or replace damaged parts, hindering timely resolution of on-site problems. Damaged electrical connections, gaps, or improper installation in traditional passive nuclear level gauges can easily allow large amounts of water, vapor, or dust to enter the gauge, directly causing malfunctions and damage. This is a significant source of failure for passive nuclear level gauges.

[0005] The above background information is provided only to aid in understanding the concept and technical solution of this application. It does not necessarily belong to the prior art of this application, nor does it necessarily provide technical guidance. In the absence of clear evidence that the above information was disclosed before the filing date of this application, the above background information should not be used to evaluate the novelty and inventiveness of this application. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a modularly designed passive nuclear level gauge that is easy to disassemble and install, reduces maintenance difficulty, and improves maintenance efficiency.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0008] A modular passive nuclear level gauge includes a housing and a control component and an optical coupling component disposed within the housing. The housing includes an upper housing, a lower housing, and an upper cover, with the lower housing disposed at the lower part of the upper housing.

[0009] The control component includes a circuit component and a first insulating material housing for encapsulating the circuit component. The circuit component has a first electronic connector interface, and the first insulating material housing has an opening structure. The first electronic connector interface is detachably connected to the optical coupling component through the opening structure.

[0010] The optical coupling component includes a scintillation crystal and a photomultiplier tube;

[0011] The control component is fixed inside the upper housing by fasteners, and the optical coupling component is housed in the lower housing.

[0012] The upper cover is disposed on the upper housing and has a viewing window opposite to the control component.

[0013] Furthermore, in accordance with any or a combination of the aforementioned technical solutions, the circuit component also has a second electronic connector interface, and the passive nuclear level gauge further includes a display screen assembly, which is detachably connected to the control component through the second electronic connector interface, and the display screen assembly is disposed opposite to the inner side of the window of the upper cover.

[0014] Furthermore, based on any or a combination of the aforementioned technical solutions, the display assembly includes a circuit board and a second insulating material housing. The front of the circuit board is provided with a display screen, and the back is provided with a connector that mates with the second electronic connector interface.

[0015] The circuit board is mounted on the second insulating material housing, the second insulating material housing has an opening, and the display screen is exposed through the opening of the second insulating material housing.

[0016] Furthermore, following any one or a combination of the aforementioned technical solutions, the interior of the first insulating material housing is filled with insulating resin or thermally conductive adhesive.

[0017] Furthermore, based on any or a combination of the aforementioned technical solutions, the bottom of the control component is provided with a plurality of first mounting holes, the bottom of the upper housing is provided with a flat portion, and the flat portion is provided with a plurality of second mounting holes that cooperate with the fasteners and the first mounting holes.

[0018] Furthermore, in accordance with any or a combination of the aforementioned technical solutions, the first mounting hole of the control component is located near the bottom outer edge of the control component, and an avoidance structure is provided on the side wall of the control component corresponding to the first mounting hole.

[0019] Furthermore, based on any or a combination of the aforementioned technical solutions, the bottom of the upper housing is further provided with an extension portion extending from the planar portion to the lower housing;

[0020] The lower housing is detachably connected to the upper housing, and the upper part of the lower housing is mounted at the extension.

[0021] Furthermore, based on any or a combination of the aforementioned technical solutions, the upper end of the lower housing has a larger outer diameter relative to the rest of the housing.

[0022] A limiting member is installed on the extension, which prevents the lower housing from exiting the upper housing.

[0023] Furthermore, in accordance with any or a combination of the aforementioned technical solutions, a waterproof joint is provided on the side wall of the upper housing.

[0024] Furthermore, following any one or a combination of the aforementioned technical solutions, the upper cover is threaded or screwed to the upper housing.

[0025] Alternatively, the end face of the top cover may be provided with a glass sheet or a resin sheet.

[0026] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided by this utility model are as follows:

[0027] a. The key electronic circuit components adopt an integrated modular packaging design, which facilitates quick disassembly of the integrated package module when maintenance is required, greatly reducing the difficulty of maintenance and allowing for the replacement and installation of new electronic circuit package modules to quickly resolve on-site faults.

[0028] b. Supports plug-and-play and flexible configuration of key internal components;

[0029] c. The fully encapsulated insulating housing has extremely high reliability, can seal and protect the electronic circuit components, prevent external environment from corroding and damaging the internal electronic components, and greatly reduce the failure rate of the passive nuclear level gauge. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 A perspective view of a passive nuclear level gauge provided as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a first perspective.

[0032] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the corresponding passive nuclear level gauge;

[0033] Figure 3 A perspective view of a passive nuclear level gauge provided as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a second perspective.

[0034] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Exploded view of the corresponding passive nuclear level gauge;

[0035] Figure 5 An exploded view of a partial structure of a passive nuclear level gauge provided as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] The reference numerals in the attached drawings include: 1-top cover, 2-display assembly, 3-control assembly, 301-first mounting hole, 302-avoidance structure, 303-first electronic connector interface, 4-optical coupling assembly, 5-upper housing, 501-flat portion, 502-second mounting hole, 503-extension portion, 6-lower housing, 7-set screw, 8-waterproof connector, 9-fastener. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0038] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this utility model are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the utility model described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, apparatus, product, or device that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0039] In one embodiment of this utility model, a modularly designed passive nuclear level gauge is provided, such as... Figure 2 , Figure 4 As shown, it includes a housing and a control component 3 and an optical coupling component 4 disposed within the housing. The housing includes an upper housing 5, a lower housing 6 and an upper cover 1. The lower housing 6 is disposed at the lower part of the upper housing 5. Here, the upper end of the upper housing 5 is defined as the end near the upper cover 1, and its lower end is the end near the lower housing 6.

[0040] The control component 3 includes a circuit component and a first insulating material housing for encapsulating the circuit component. The circuit component has a first electronic connector interface 303. The first insulating material housing has an opening structure. The first electronic connector interface 303 is detachably connected to the optical coupling component 4 through the opening structure. The circuit component adopts an integrated modular packaging design. The first insulating material housing is filled with insulating resin or thermally conductive adhesive.

[0041] The optical coupling component 4 includes a scintillation crystal and a photomultiplier tube, that is, the optical coupling component 4 is detachably connected to the control component 3 through the first electronic connector interface 303; the scintillation crystal converts the received rays into light pulses, and the photomultiplier tube then converts the light pulses into electrical pulses.

[0042] The control component 3 is fixed inside the upper housing 5 by fasteners 9. In one specific embodiment, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the bottom of the control component 3 is provided with a plurality of first mounting holes 301, and the bottom of the upper housing 5 is provided with a flat portion 501. The flat portion 501 is provided with a plurality of second mounting holes 502 that cooperate with the fastener 9 and the first mounting holes 301. The end of the fastener 9 passes through the first mounting holes 301 and the second mounting holes 502 in sequence to fix the control component 3 on the flat portion 501 at the bottom of the upper housing 5.

[0043] The above is merely an example of how the fastener 9 achieves a fixed connection between the control component 3 and the upper housing 5 through the first mounting hole 301 and the second mounting hole 502 provided on the flat portion 501. It is not limited here whether the second mounting hole 502 is directly provided on the flat portion 501 or... Figure 5 As shown, it can be configured through other components, or even in different embodiments, the planar portion 501 can be omitted, for example... Figure 5 The second mounting hole 502 is provided on other components, which are fixedly mounted on the inner side wall of the upper housing 5, thus achieving the technical solution of this utility model.

[0044] After the control component 3 is installed inside the upper housing 5, the upper cover 1 is placed on the upper end of the upper housing 5. At this time, the viewing window on the upper cover 1 is positioned opposite to the control component 3. Specifically, the upper cover 1 and the upper housing 5 can be connected by threads or other means; the end face of the upper cover 1 is provided with a glass sheet or a resin sheet.

[0045] like Figure 4 As shown, the optical coupling component 4 and the control component 3 are respectively provided with matching pins and sockets on their opposite end faces. When the optical coupling component 4 and the control component 3 are connected by insertion, the lower housing 6 is installed at the lower end of the upper housing 5. At this time, the optical coupling component 4 is housed in the lower housing 6.

[0046] In one embodiment of this utility model, a passive nuclear level gauge with display function is provided, which further includes a display screen assembly 2, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the display assembly 2 includes a circuit board and a second insulating material housing, with the circuit board mounted on the second insulating material housing; the front of the circuit board has a display screen (such as...) Figure 2 As shown, the second insulating material housing has an opening, and the display screen is exposed through the opening of the second insulating material housing. For example, the front of the circuit components of the control component 3 also has a second electronic connector interface, and the back of the circuit board has a connector (not shown) that mates with the second electronic connector interface. After the back of the circuit board is connected to the front of the control component 3 through the connector and the second electronic connector interface (such as a pin header / socket structure), the display screen assembly 2 is positioned opposite to the inner side of the window of the top cover 1. The outer diameter of the second insulating material housing is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the front end face of the control component 3, so that in addition to the top cover 1, the display screen assembly 2 can also protect the control component 3. This embodiment supports plug-and-play between the display screen assembly 2 and the control component 3. The display screen assembly 2 can be disassembled independently to flexibly meet the upgrade needs of the display screen and the adaptation needs of different specifications of instruments.

[0047] In a convenient assembly / disassembly embodiment, the first mounting hole 301 of the control component 3 is located near the bottom outer edge of the control component 3, and a clearance structure 302 is provided on the side wall of the control component 3 corresponding to the first mounting hole 301, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the clearance structure 302 facilitates the operation of screw-tightening tools.

[0048] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the bottom of the upper housing 5 is also provided with an extension portion 503 extending from the flat portion 501 to the lower housing 6; the lower housing 6 is detachably connected to the upper housing 5, and the upper part of the lower housing 6 is mounted at the extension portion 503. In a specific embodiment, the upper end of the lower housing 6 has a larger outer diameter than the rest; the upper end with the larger outer diameter is inserted into the extension portion 503, which has a through hole for the limiting member 7 to pass through. The inner end of the limiting member 7 abuts against the area where the upper end of the lower housing 6 narrows, to prevent the lower housing 6 from exiting the upper housing 5. It should be noted that this embodiment is only one exemplary implementation. In different embodiments, the upper housing 5 may not have the extension portion 503 with a narrowed inner diameter, and the upper end of the lower housing 6 can still be fixedly connected to the lower end of the upper housing 5, which will not be described in detail here.

[0049] After the lower housing 6, upper housing 5, and upper cover 1 are assembled, a closed protective space is formed inside, which has high reliability. In addition, sealing rings can be added at the connection points to improve the dustproof and waterproof level, and further provide an anti-corrosion protective environment for the internal electronic components.

[0050] In this embodiment, the key electronic circuitry of the level gauge is encapsulated in a modular design and sealed with an insulating material housing to form the control component 3. This not only improves the stability and reliability of the circuit but also allows for quick disassembly of the control component 3 when maintenance is required, greatly reducing maintenance difficulty and facilitating the replacement with a new control component 3 to quickly resolve on-site faults. Similarly, due to the modular design of this embodiment, the optocoupler component 4 or the display component 2 can be disassembled and replaced individually, improving maintenance efficiency and avoiding safety risks and greater economic losses in the industrial field caused by level gauge failures.

[0051] In one embodiment of a passive nuclear level gauge capable of communicating with the outside, a waterproof connector 8 is provided on the side wall of the upper housing 5, and the control component 3 is electrically connected to the waterproof connector 8 inside the upper housing 5.

[0052] This invention optimizes the shell structure, connection method, and component layout, providing a reliable, easy-to-maintain, and flexibly upgradeable material level measuring device to meet the material level detection requirements in harsh environments.

[0053] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0054] The above description is only a specific embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A modularly designed passive nuclear level gauge, characterized in that, It includes a housing and a control component (3) and an optical coupling component (4) disposed within the housing, wherein the housing includes an upper housing (5), a lower housing (6) and an upper cover (1), and the lower housing (6) is disposed at the lower part of the upper housing (5); The control component (3) includes a circuit component and a first insulating material housing for encapsulating the circuit component. The circuit component has a first electronic connector interface (303). The first insulating material housing has an opening structure. The first electronic connector interface (303) is detachably connected to the optical coupling component (4) through the opening structure. The optical coupling component (4) includes a scintillation crystal and a photomultiplier tube; The control component (3) is fixed inside the upper housing (5) by fasteners (9), and the optical coupling component (4) is housed in the lower housing (6); The upper cover (1) is disposed on the upper housing (5) and has a viewing window opposite to the control component (3).

2. The passive nuclear level gauge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circuit component also has a second electronic connector interface, and the passive nuclear level gauge also includes a display screen assembly (2), which is detachably connected to the control component (3) through the second electronic connector interface. The display screen assembly (2) is disposed opposite to the inner side of the window of the upper cover (1).

3. The passive nuclear level gauge according to claim 2, characterized in that, The display assembly (2) includes a circuit board and a second insulating material housing. The front of the circuit board is provided with a display screen, and the back is provided with a connector that mates with the second electronic connector interface. The circuit board is mounted on the second insulating material housing, the second insulating material housing has an opening, and the display screen is exposed through the opening of the second insulating material housing.

4. The passive nuclear level gauge according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first insulating material housing is filled with insulating resin or thermally conductive adhesive.

5. The passive nuclear level gauge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the control component (3) is provided with a plurality of first mounting holes (301), and the bottom of the upper housing (5) is provided with a flat part (501), and the flat part (501) is provided with a plurality of second mounting holes (502) that cooperate with the fastener (9) and the first mounting holes (301).

6. The passive nuclear level gauge according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first mounting hole (301) of the control component (3) is close to the bottom outer edge of the control component (3), and an avoidance structure (302) is provided on the side wall of the control component (3) corresponding to the first mounting hole (301).

7. The passive nuclear level gauge according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bottom of the upper housing (5) is also provided with an extension (503) extending from the flat portion (501) to the lower housing (6); The lower housing (6) is detachably connected to the upper housing (5), and the upper part of the lower housing (6) is mounted at the extension (503).

8. The passive nuclear level gauge according to claim 7, characterized in that, The upper end of the lower housing (6) has a larger outer diameter than the rest; A limiting member (7) is installed on the extension (503) to prevent the lower housing (6) from exiting the upper housing (5).

9. The passive nuclear level gauge according to claim 1, characterized in that, A waterproof connector (8) is provided on the side wall of the upper housing (5).

10. The passive nuclear level gauge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper cover (1) is threaded or screwed to the upper housing (5); Alternatively, the end face of the top cover (1) may be provided with a glass sheet or a resin sheet.

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