An ultrasonic gas meter flow guiding structure

Abstract

The utility model relates to an ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure of guiding airflow path. Including meter body cover shell, air inlet valve door subassembly, metering flow channel subassembly and air outlet elbow, its characterized in that is equipped with the chamber partition of chamber in meter body cover shell, and the chamber partition includes riser and cross board, the riser is flush installed with metering flow channel subassembly air inlet, and the cross board is located in air inlet valve door subassembly one end and extends to meter body cover shell lateral wall, and the cross board is located in air outlet elbow one end and keeps the interval with meter body cover shell lateral wall and forms airflow passage, the chamber partition is fixed between air inlet valve door subassembly and air outlet elbow, is used for guiding airflow to enter metering flow channel subassembly according to preset path. After gas enters gas meter base table cavity from air inlet valve, will not directly enter metering flow channel subassembly, but is guided through the chamber partition, and after flowing according to preset direction under the drive of air pressure, enters metering flow channel subassembly again, airflow can be fully dispersed after the flow path of upper and lower chambers, thereby plays rectifying effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an ultrasonic gas meter rectification structure for guiding airflow path. Background Technology

[0002] Natural gas, as a widely available energy source, is seeing increasing demand due to policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Ultrasonic gas meters, leveraging their technological advantages and policy support, are gradually replacing traditional gas meters. Compared to traditional diaphragm gas meters, ultrasonic gas meters offer a wider measuring range, greater accuracy, and stronger environmental adaptability. Furthermore, the addition of a control board makes ultrasonic gas meters more intelligent, providing convenience while ensuring safety through features such as remote valve shut-off and remote meter reading.

[0003] As an electronic gas meter using the time-of-flight measurement method, ultrasonic gas meters are sensitive to the stability of the flow field. Therefore, how to better coordinate the internal cavity of the gas meter with the module flow channel to form a fully developed and stable flow field for measurement has become a key point in the industry's product design. To achieve better rectification without increasing pressure loss, gas meters with higher flow specifications require a larger cavity volume due to their larger range, to avoid pressure loss that does not meet national standards. However, a larger cavity volume means increased cost and is also inconvenient for production, transportation, and installation. Therefore, how to achieve both miniaturization of the gas meter cavity and excellent measurement performance has become the key to solving the problem. In this development process, the volume and installation position of existing structural components such as valves, bends, and metering modules are affected. Among them, the valve seal is limited by the pipe diameter, and the valve seal diameter needs to be larger than the pipe diameter to minimize the impact on pressure loss. The valves must be compatible with high-flow-rate models and have the required diameter, resulting in a larger space requirement. The overall height of the valve depends on the valve seal stroke, which is constrained by national standards. This leads to a problem in the design of small-cavity, high-flow ultrasonic gas meters: the distance between the valve and the metering module inlet is too short. During turbulent flow testing, with a large flow rate of gas entering, the airflow enters the metering module before it has stabilized, making it difficult to meet national standards. Furthermore, horizontally mounted valves cause the airflow to make a sharp turn upon entry, resulting in a dramatic increase in pressure loss, potentially exceeding standard values. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a technical solution for an ultrasonic gas meter rectification structure that guides the airflow path.

[0005] An ultrasonic gas meter rectification structure for guiding airflow path includes a meter body cover, an inlet valve assembly, a metering flow channel assembly, and an outlet bend. The meter body cover is characterized by a partition plate within its cavity, comprising a vertical plate and a horizontal plate. The vertical plate is flush with the inlet of the metering flow channel assembly. The horizontal plate extends from one end of the inlet valve assembly to the side wall of the meter body cover. The horizontal plate at one end of the outlet bend maintains a gap with the side wall of the meter body cover to form an airflow channel. The partition plate is fixed between the inlet valve assembly and the outlet bend, guiding the airflow into the metering flow channel assembly along a preset path.

[0006] The ultrasonic gas meter rectification structure for guiding airflow path is characterized in that an auxiliary flow channel component is provided above the metering flow channel component, and the upper end of the vertical plate extends to the top of the metering flow channel component and connects with the horn mouth of the auxiliary flow channel component; the vertical plate is provided with a cavity partition and a horizontal bar to block the gap between the motor cover and the air inlet of the metering flow channel component, so as to prevent the airflow from directly entering the metering flow channel component.

[0007] The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path is characterized in that the horizontal plate of the partition plate has a bending structure with a bending angle of 10°~20°, and the bending part of the horizontal plate has a groove-shaped or circular rectifying hole.

[0008] The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path is characterized in that the cavity partition is provided with a lower vertical plate, which is located on the opposite side of the vertical plate.

[0009] The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path is characterized in that the lower vertical plate is composed of at least three staggered plates forming an S-shaped flow channel.

[0010] The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path is characterized in that the lower vertical plate is composed of at least three plates arranged in sequence, the plates extending to the side walls of the meter housing, and honeycomb-shaped rectifying holes are provided on the plates.

[0011] The ultrasonic gas meter rectification structure for guiding airflow path is characterized in that the partition plate is fixed by the partition plate and the mounting hole of the bend pipe and the partition plate mounting hole of the outlet bend pipe, and the partition plate is fixed by the partition plate and the mounting hole of the connecting stud and the mounting hole of the inlet valve assembly.

[0012] The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path is characterized in that rectifying holes are provided on the horizontal plate of the partition plate, and the shape of the rectifying holes is groove-shaped, circular, or honeycomb-shaped.

[0013] This invention adds a partition structure to the inner cavity of an industrial ultrasonic gas meter. This allows the gas, after entering the gas meter base cavity from the inlet valve, to not directly enter the metering flow channel assembly. Instead, it is guided by the partition, and combined with the positional constraints of the gas meter base cavity, inlet valve assembly, metering flow channel assembly, and outlet bend, it flows in a preset direction under air pressure before entering the metering flow channel assembly. During this process, the airflow is fully dispersed after passing through the guide paths of the upper and lower chambers, thus achieving a rectification effect.

[0014] The advantages of this utility model compared with the prior art are as follows:

[0015] 1. By adjusting the gas flow path while meeting pressure loss requirements, a small-volume ultrasonic gas meter base can be used for applications with higher flow rates. For example, the base cavity of the original G25 ultrasonic gas meter can be used to measure the flow rate of a G40 ultrasonic gas meter.

[0016] 2. The horizontal and vertical plates of the partition plate are connected to the surface wall and the air inlet of the metering flow channel module, respectively, to block the airflow from flowing directly into the metering flow channel assembly. Only the space between the horizontal plate of the partition plate and the side wall at the outlet bend is reserved as the outlet, so as to guide the gas entering the cavity to flow in a specific direction, maximize the use of the cavity, and increase the gas flow path.

[0017] 3. The horizontal plate of the partition plate has a bending structure. When a large flow of air enters the cavity and reaches the bending part, the ventilation area gradually increases. This can effectively reduce the flow velocity of the gas under high flow conditions. When the velocity is low, the inertia of the airflow will decrease, making it easier to form laminar flow and facilitating subsequent rectification, resulting in better consistency of the airflow entering the metering module.

[0018] 4. The partition plate is equipped with upper and lower vertical plates. At least three lower vertical plates can be arranged in an alternating manner to block the airflow entering the cavity, reduce the gas flow velocity, and at the same time make the airflow entering the cavity flow in an S-shape. Through the multiple turns of the gas in the flow path, the flow field is sorted out.

[0019] 5. The lower vertical plate of the partition plate consists of at least three plates arranged in sequence. The plates extend to the side walls of the cover. The plates are provided with honeycomb-shaped flow straightening holes, which can increase the air passage area and reduce pressure loss. At the same time, it can redistribute the gas flow velocity entering the cavity, so that the gas is evenly distributed at the air inlet of the metering flow channel component, which can improve the test of turbulent flow.

[0020] 6. The horizontal plate of the partition can be used to add rectifier holes. The rectifier holes are mainly of the groove shape, circle and honeycomb shape. The rectifier holes can increase the gas flow area. Through prior experiments, the shape and number of rectifier holes are designed according to the national standard pressure loss requirements. At the same time, the rectifier holes will also disperse and reorganize the airflow, making the airflow entering the metering module more stable. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the cavity partition of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the intake valve assembly of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the bent pipe of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a gas path diagram of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the installation of the cross plate of the cavity partition of this utility model with a bending structure;

[0027] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the bending structure of the horizontal plate of the cavity partition of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cavity partition installation structure of the lower vertical plate of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cavity partition structure of the lower vertical plate of this utility model;

[0030] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the lower vertical plate with honeycomb holes according to this utility model;

[0031] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the lower vertical plate structure with honeycomb holes according to this utility model;

[0032] In the diagram: 1-Diameter cover, 2-Cavity partition, 201-Vertical plate, 202-Horizontal plate, 203-Cavity partition and connecting stud mounting hole, 204-Cavity partition and motor cover assembly hole, 205-Cavity partition and elbow mounting hole, 206-Cavity partition vertical plate horizontal bar, 3-Auxiliary flow channel assembly, 301-Auxiliary flow channel assembly flare, 4-Metering flow channel assembly, 401-Metering flow channel assembly air inlet, 5-Inlet valve assembly, 501-Motor cover, 502-Mounting hole, 6-Outlet elbow, 601-Cavity partition mounting hole, 7-Connecting stud, 801-Rectifying hole, 902-Lower vertical plate, 903-Honeycomb rectifying hole. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0034] An ultrasonic gas meter rectification structure for guiding airflow path includes a meter housing 1, an inlet valve assembly 5, a metering flow channel assembly 4, and an outlet bend 6. The meter housing 1 is characterized by a partition plate 2 within its interior. The partition plate 2 includes a vertical plate 201 and a horizontal plate 202. The vertical plate 201 is flush with the inlet 401 of the metering flow channel assembly. The horizontal plate 202 extends from one end of the inlet valve assembly to the side wall of the meter housing 1, and the horizontal plate 202 at one end of the outlet bend maintains a gap with the side wall of the meter housing 1 to form an airflow channel. The partition plate 2 is fixed between the inlet valve assembly 5 and the outlet bend 6 to guide airflow into the metering flow channel assembly 4 along a preset path. The partition plate 2 is fixed to the outlet bend 6 via a partition plate mounting hole 205 and a partition plate mounting hole 601. The partition plate 2 is also fixed to the inlet valve assembly 5 via a connecting stud mounting hole 203 and a mounting hole 502. A flow-rectifying hole can be provided on the horizontal plate 202 of the partition plate 2. The shape of the flow-rectifying hole can be groove-shaped, circular, or honeycomb-shaped.

[0035] Preferably, an auxiliary flow channel component 3 is provided above the metering flow channel component 4, and the upper end of the vertical plate 201 extends to the top of the metering flow channel component 4 and connects with the horn mouth 301 of the auxiliary flow channel component; the vertical plate 206 of the partition plate 201 blocks the gap between the motor cover 501 and the air inlet 401 of the metering flow channel component to prevent the airflow from directly entering the metering flow channel component 4.

[0036] Preferably, the horizontal plate 202 of the partition plate 2 has a bending structure with a bending angle of 10°~20°, and the bending part of the horizontal plate 202 has a groove-shaped or circular rectifier hole 801.

[0037] Preferably, the partition plate 2 is provided with a lower vertical plate, which is located on the opposite side of the vertical plate; the lower vertical plate can be configured to be composed of at least three staggered plates to form an S-shaped flow channel; or the lower vertical plate can be configured to be composed of at least three plates arranged in sequence, with the plates extending to the side wall of the cover 1 on the left and right, and honeycomb rectifier holes 1003 provided on the plates. Example 1

[0038] The partition plate 2 is manufactured by sheet metal processing. The horizontal plate 202 and the vertical plate 201 of the partition plate are connected by welding. The horizontal plate 202 first pre-positions the partition plate and the motor cover assembly hole 204 through the motor cover 501 of the intake valve assembly 5. The mounting hole 502 of the intake valve assembly 5 is equipped with a connecting stud 7. The connecting stud 7 passes through the partition plate and the connecting stud mounting hole 203 respectively to fix the partition plate 2 to the intake valve assembly 5. Two screws at the other end pass through the partition plate and the bend mounting hole 205 to fix the partition plate 2 to the partition plate mounting hole 601 of the exhaust bend 6 to ensure the flatness of the partition plate and improve the stability of the flow field. The horizontal plate 202 extends directly to the side wall of the meter housing 1 near the intake valve assembly 5, and is seamlessly connected to the meter wall of the meter housing 1. The horizontal plate 202 near the exhaust bend 6 maintains a distance of more than 50mm from the side wall of the meter housing 1. While meeting the pressure loss requirements, it allows the airflow to pass between the horizontal plate 202 near the exhaust bend 6 and the side wall of the meter housing 1. After installation, the vertical plate 201 is flush with the metering flow channel assembly inlet 401 of the metering flow channel assembly 4. The height of the vertical plate 201 does not exceed the connection between the metering flow channel assembly 4 and the auxiliary flow channel assembly horn 301. At the same time, the vertical plate of the partition plate 206 blocks the gap between the motor cover 501 and the metering flow channel assembly inlet 401 to prevent the airflow from flowing directly into the metering flow channel assembly 4. Together with the horizontal plate of the partition plate 2, it guides the airflow entering the cavity through a set path before entering the auxiliary flow channel assembly 3 and the metering flow channel assembly 4.

[0039] Working Principle: In industrial and commercial gas meter installation environments, double or single bends are often found upstream. This creates a turbulent flow environment upon entering the gas chamber. To ensure metering accuracy, the airflow needs to be rectified and gradually reduced to a laminar flow state. Metering... Figure 5 As shown, after the intervention of the partition plate 2, the gas will flow into the metering channel component 4 along the set route. At this time, the gas entering the metering channel component 4 will have its direction and speed basically consistent due to the interaction between the gas with different speed directions on the path. The test results of the ultrasonic gas meter disturbance flow will be significantly improved. Example 2

[0040] Furthermore, preferably, the horizontal plate of the partition plate of this utility model can also be processed into a bent structure by sheet metal bending, with the bending position in the middle of the horizontal plate, such as... Figure 6-7As shown. Since the horizontal plate is manufactured from a single sheet metal piece, its angle cannot be adjusted once selected. One end of the partition plate is installed with the inlet valve assembly, and the other end is installed with the outlet bend; the bending angle can be selected between 10° and 20°. Its advantage is that when a large flow of air enters the cavity, the ventilation area gradually increases as it reaches the bend, effectively reducing the gas velocity under high flow conditions. At lower speeds, the airflow inertia decreases, making it easier to form laminar flow, facilitating subsequent rectification, and resulting in better consistency of the airflow entering the metering module.

[0041] The horizontal plate of the partition can also be processed with rectifier holes through a punching process, such as... Figure 7 The purpose of the rectifier orifice 801 is to increase the airflow area, reduce pressure loss, and redistribute the gas velocity entering the cavity so that the gas is evenly distributed in the metering flow channel assembly inlet 401, thereby improving the test of turbulent flow. Example 3

[0042] In a further preferred embodiment, the cavity partition of this invention is provided with a lower vertical plate, which is welded to the opposite side of the vertical plate by a welding process, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the lower vertical plate 902 consists of at least three plates, which are staggered to guide the airflow along an S-shaped path. The width of the vertical plate is less than the width of the horizontal plate 202, but greater than half the width of the horizontal plate 202. The function of the lower vertical plate 902 is to guide and rectify the gas flow after it exits the inlet valve assembly 5. Its purpose is to increase the gas flow path and, under high flow conditions, buffer the airflow entering the cavity, reducing its velocity. The decelerated airflow then has more time to interact and align its direction and velocity in the subsequent path. This embodiment can be extended to use 2-5 lower vertical plates 902, and the installation position can be parallel or inclined. Example 4

[0043] like Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the lower vertical plate can also be processed with rectifier holes, such as honeycomb rectifier holes 903, through a punching process. The purpose is to increase the airflow area, reduce pressure loss, and redistribute the gas velocity entering the cavity, ensuring uniform gas distribution at the metering flow channel assembly inlet 401, thus improving the performance of turbulent flow testing. In this design, it is preferable that multiple plates of the lower vertical plate 902 are parallel, and a rectangular groove is provided in the middle of the plate closest to the outlet bend on the side near the outlet, which precisely engages with the mounting assembly connecting the outlet bend and the outlet.

[0044] The working principle of this utility model is as follows: A cavity partition structure is added to the original industrial ultrasonic gas meter. This will prevent the gas entering from the inlet valve assembly from directly entering the metering flow channel assembly. Instead, the gas entering the cavity is guided by the cavity partition to flow in a set direction before entering the metering flow channel assembly. This allows the gas to be fully dispersed after passing through the set path, thereby achieving a rectification effect.

[0045] The specific examples described in this utility model are merely illustrative of the spirit of this utility model. Those skilled in the art to which this utility model pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific examples or use similar methods to replace them, but without departing from the spirit of this utility model or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0046] Although this utility model uses terms such as ultrasonic gas meter, chamber partition, horizontal plate, vertical plate, rectification, and chamber division frequently, the possibility of using other terms is not excluded. These terms are used merely for the convenience of describing and explaining the essence of this utility model; interpreting them as any additional limitation would contradict the spirit of this utility model.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path, comprising a meter body cover, an inlet valve assembly, a metering flow channel assembly, and an outlet bend, characterized in that... The meter housing is equipped with a partition plate, which includes a vertical plate and a horizontal plate. The vertical plate is installed flush with the air inlet of the metering flow channel assembly. The horizontal plate extends to the side wall of the meter housing at one end of the air inlet valve assembly. The horizontal plate is located at one end of the air outlet bend and maintains a distance from the side wall of the meter housing to form an airflow channel. The partition plate is fixed between the air inlet valve assembly and the air outlet bend to guide the airflow into the metering flow channel assembly along a preset path.

2. The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path according to claim 1, characterized in that... An auxiliary flow channel assembly is provided above the metering flow channel assembly. The upper end of the vertical plate extends to the top of the metering flow channel assembly and connects with the flared mouth of the auxiliary flow channel assembly. The vertical plate is provided with a partition plate and a horizontal bar to block the gap between the motor cover and the air inlet of the metering flow channel assembly, preventing airflow from directly entering the metering flow channel assembly.

3. The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path according to claim 1, characterized in that... The horizontal plate of the partition is provided with a bending structure, with a bending angle of 10°~20°, and the bending part of the horizontal plate is provided with a groove-shaped or circular flow rectification hole.

4. The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path according to claim 1, characterized in that... The partition plate is provided with a lower vertical plate, which is located on the opposite side of the vertical plate.

5. The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path according to claim 4, characterized in that... The lower vertical plate consists of at least three staggered plates, forming an S-shaped flow channel.

6. The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path according to claim 4, characterized in that... The lower vertical plate consists of at least three plates arranged in sequence, extending to the side walls of the cover on the left and right, and honeycomb-shaped rectifier holes are provided on the plates.

7. The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path according to claim 1, characterized in that... The partition plate is fixed by the partition plate and the mounting hole of the elbow pipe and the partition plate of the outlet elbow pipe. The partition plate is also fixed by the partition plate and the mounting hole of the connecting stud and the mounting hole of the intake valve assembly.

8. The ultrasonic gas meter rectifying structure for guiding airflow path according to claim 1, characterized in that... The cross plate of the partition is provided with rectifier holes, which are groove-shaped, circular, or honeycomb-shaped.

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