Rain gauge and snow gauge, and observation device for precipitation

Abstract

This application provides a rotary bucket precipitation observation device, including a rotary bucket rain and snow gauge, a control circuit, and a rain and snow identification instrument. The rotary bucket rain and snow gauge includes: a housing with a rain-collecting inlet at the top; a rotary bucket shell with a rotating bucket inside, the top of the shell communicating with the rain-collecting inlet and the bottom communicating with the outside of a base, and a water-holding hopper on the bucket; a motor installed on one side of the rotary bucket shell inside the housing, its output shaft connected to the bucket; and a level gauge positioned above the bucket. When the level gauge is triggered, the motor drives the bucket to rotate. The control circuit records the number of rotations. After the precipitation in the water-holding hopper is discharged, it resets, and this cycle repeats. Finally, the precipitation amount is obtained by multiplying the number of rotations by the volume of the water-holding hopper. The rotary bucket precipitation observation device provided in this application can not only observe rain, snow, and hail, but also identify the type of precipitation. It can achieve all-weather automated precipitation observation with high accuracy and is suitable for precipitation observation in hydrological and meteorological fields.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of precipitation observation in hydrology and meteorology, specifically to rotary bucket rain and snow gauges and rotary bucket precipitation observation devices. Background Technology

[0002] Precipitation refers to water vapor condensation that falls from the sky to the earth's surface, such as rain, snow, hail, and sleet. Precipitation volume refers to the depth of precipitation on a horizontal surface, measured in millimeters. If the precipitation is solid, such as snow or hail, it needs to be liquefied and measured in liquid form.

[0003] Currently, there are two main types of precipitation monitoring equipment: tipping bucket rain gauges and weighing rain gauges. Among them, the tipping bucket rain gauge, after years of continuous improvement, has achieved a comprehensive balance in terms of cost, reliability, automation, maintainability, power consumption, and functionality, and thus occupies a dominant position in precipitation monitoring equipment. The core measuring unit of a tipping bucket rain gauge is a tipping bucket with a known, precise volume (e.g., the volume corresponding to 0.1mm, 0.2mm, or 0.5mm of precipitation). Its working principle is to measure the number of times the bucket flips; each flip represents the collection of a fixed volume of precipitation. However, the accuracy of tipping bucket rain gauges is easily affected by external factors: wind entering the rain gauge can cause the bucket to tip; even after calibration, sand, dust, insect eggs, cobwebs, poplar catkins, and willow fluff can adhere to the bucket wall during use, altering the bucket's weight. This can cause the bucket to tip prematurely before it has collected the preset amount of water, leading to observational errors. Even with a filter installed at the rain collection inlet, these debris particles are unavoidable. Furthermore, the instrument's application is limited; it can only be used to observe rainfall, not solid precipitation such as snow, because snow cannot be drawn into the tipping bucket on its own and cannot melt and be measured independently. Attempts have been made to add a snow-melting device to the rain collection inlet of the tipping bucket rain gauge to enable snowfall observation, but because the melted snow is already very cold, it easily freezes inside the tipping bucket in low air temperatures, causing measurement errors. Even with insulation and heating equipment, the icing problem remains unavoidable.

[0004] A gravimetric rain gauge, simply put, involves installing an electronic scale at the bottom of the rain gauge. A water storage container is placed on the scale, and the rainfall value is calculated by measuring the weight change of the liquid in the storage container in real time. Gravimetric rain gauges do not have a drain outlet. During summer, the collected rainwater is continuously stored in the storage container. Before winter, this is manually drained, and a certain amount of antifreeze is added. The snow is melted by the antifreeze, thus measuring the snowfall. Before the following summer, the antifreeze is manually drained again to free up space in the storage container for rainfall observation. The advantages of gravimetric rain gauges are that they can measure all forms of precipitation and are less affected by sand, dust, insect pollen, and other contaminants. The disadvantages are: firstly, due to the performance limitations of the electronic scale, false alarms are prone to occur, meaning that it may report rainfall when there is no rain, or report no rain when there is light rain. Additionally, wind force also significantly affects the observation values ​​of gravimetric rain gauges. This technical drawback cannot be overcome in the short term; secondly, it cannot identify the type of precipitation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address one of the aforementioned technical deficiencies, this application provides a rotary bucket rain and snow gauge and a rotary bucket precipitation observation device in its embodiments.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a rotary bucket rain and snow gauge is provided, comprising a cylindrical outer shell open at both ends, a rain-collecting inlet disposed at the top of the outer shell, and a base disposed at the bottom of the outer shell. The rotary bucket rain and snow gauge includes:

[0007] The top of the vortex casing is connected to the rain inlet via a guide pipe, and the bottom of the vortex casing is connected to a drain pipe.

[0008] The vortex bucket is rotatably installed inside the vortex bucket shell. The vortex bucket has a groove, which is a water-collecting bucket. The water-collecting bucket can collect rainwater from the diversion pipe and transfer the rainwater to the drainage pipe through the rotation of the vortex bucket.

[0009] The motor is installed on one side of the rotating bucket inside the outer casing, and the output shaft of the motor is connected to the rotating bucket;

[0010] The level gauge is installed above the vortex bucket inside the vortex bucket shell;

[0011] The signal output terminal of the level gauge is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the control circuit. The signal output terminal of the control circuit is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the motor. After receiving the signal from the control circuit, the motor rotates by a set angle. The control circuit can count the number of times the motor rotates by the set angle.

[0012] Furthermore, the vortex shell is installed below the rain-collecting inlet inside the outer shell. The vortex shell has a vortex cavity that runs horizontally through the shell, and a shell cavity that runs vertically through the vortex cavity. The top shell cavity is connected to the rain-collecting inlet through a guide pipe, and the bottom shell cavity is connected to the drain pipe.

[0013] The vortex bucket is rotatably installed inside the vortex bucket cavity. A water-holding bucket is provided on the outer wall of the vortex bucket. When the vortex bucket rotates, the water-holding bucket can communicate with the inner cavity of the shell.

[0014] Furthermore, there are several water-holding hoppers, which are evenly spaced along the circumference of the rotating hopper;

[0015] During the rotation of the vortex bucket, the water-holding bucket and the inner wall of the vortex bucket cavity form a sealed cavity, the volume of which is an integer multiple of 3.14 ml.

[0016] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the water-holding hopper gradually increases outward along the radial direction of the vortex;

[0017] The diameter of the inner cavity of the shell is not less than the diameter of the opening of the water container.

[0018] Furthermore, the level gauge is an electrode-type level gauge, with an installation hole on the vortex casing. The installation hole is connected to the inner cavity of the casing, and the detection end of the electrode-type level gauge passes through the installation hole and is positioned inside the casing, above the vortex chamber.

[0019] Furthermore, a bucket handle is connected to one end of the bucket extending out of the bucket cavity, and the output shaft of the motor is connected to the bucket handle via a coupling;

[0020] The other end of the swivel bucket extending out of the swivel bucket cavity is connected to a threaded rod, a washer is fitted on the threaded rod, a nut is installed on the threaded rod, and a spring is fitted on the threaded rod, with the two ends of the spring abutting against the nut and the washer respectively.

[0021] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the vortex chamber gradually decreases in the direction away from the motor, and the shape of the vortex is adapted to the shape of the vortex chamber.

[0022] Furthermore, a water storage container is installed below the base, and a drain pipe is connected to the water storage container.

[0023] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a rotary bucket precipitation observation device is provided, characterized in that it includes:

[0024] As provided in any of the rotary bucket rain and snow gauges in the first aspect of the embodiments of this application;

[0025] The grating-type rain and snow detector is located on one side of the casing and can identify the type of precipitation.

[0026] An electric heating device is installed at the bottom of the rainwater collection opening;

[0027] Temperature sensor is located at the bottom of the rain inlet;

[0028] The control cabinet integrates the control circuit. The signal output terminal of the grating-type rain and snow detector is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the control circuit. The signal input terminal of the electric heating device is electrically connected to the signal output terminal of the control circuit. The signal output terminal of the temperature sensor is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the control circuit.

[0029] The rotary bucket rain and snow gauge and rotary bucket precipitation observation device provided in this application embodiment creatively adopt a closed bucket structure to transfer and measure precipitation, which is not affected by external factors on accuracy and the instrument itself; precipitation is transferred in a closed space without splashing out, which can effectively reduce water loss; the rotation of the bucket is triggered by a level gauge to ensure that the rotation of the bucket is strictly carried out according to the standard of one bucket at a time, which greatly improves the accuracy of observation; the type of precipitation is identified by a grating rain and snow identifier, and with the help of an electric heating device and a temperature sensor, snow, hail and sleet can be melted and measured, realizing automated observation of all precipitation.

[0030] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by way of what is pointed out in the written description, claims, and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of this application and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vortex-type rain and snow gauge provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the outer shell of the vortex-type rain and snow gauge provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0034] Figure 3 A perspective view of the vortex bucket provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the vortex bucket provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 5 A perspective view of the vortex bucket provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0037] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the vortex shell provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the vortex bucket provided in an embodiment of this application when rotated 90°;

[0039] Among them, 10 is the outer shell, 101 is the rain inlet, 102 is the guide pipe, 103 is the drain pipe, 104 is the vortex bucket support, 105 is the base, 201 is the vortex bucket shell, 202 is the vortex bucket, 203 is the water holding bucket, 204 is the vortex bucket cavity, 205 is the inner cavity of the shell, 206 is the vortex bucket handle, 207 is the threaded rod, 208 is the washer, 209 is the nut, 210 is the spring, 30 is the motor, 301 is the coupling, 302 is the motor support, 40 is the level gauge, 401 is the mounting hole, 50 is the water storage container, 60 is the grating-type rain and snow detector, 70 is the electric heating device, and 80 is the temperature sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To make the technical solutions and advantages in the embodiments of this application clearer, the following description is provided in conjunction with the appendix. Figure 1-7 The exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not an exhaustive list of all embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0041] In the process of developing this application, the inventors discovered that the tipping bucket rain gauge, after years of continuous improvement, has achieved a comprehensive balance in multiple dimensions such as cost, reliability, automation, maintainability, power consumption, and functionality, and occupies a dominant position in precipitation observation. The core measuring unit of the tipping bucket rain gauge is a tipping bucket with a known and precise volume (such as the volume corresponding to 0.1mm, 0.2mm, or 0.5mm of precipitation). Its working principle is to measure the number of times the bucket flips; each flip represents the collection of a fixed volume of precipitation. However, the accuracy of the tipping bucket rain gauge is easily affected by external factors: wind entering the rain gauge can cause the bucket to tip; even after calibration, sand, dust, insect eggs, cobwebs, poplar catkins, and willow fluff can adhere to the bucket wall during use, altering the bucket's weight. This can cause the bucket to tip prematurely before it has collected the preset amount of water, leading to observational errors. Even with a filter screen installed at the rain collection inlet, these impurities are unavoidable. Furthermore, this instrument has a narrow range of applications; it can only be used to observe rainfall and not to observe solid precipitation such as snow, because snow cannot be drawn into the tipping bucket on its own and cannot melt on its own. Some have attempted to install snow-melting devices at the rain collection inlet of the tipping bucket rain gauge to enable snowfall observation, but because the melted snow itself is very cold, it easily freezes inside the tipping bucket in low air temperatures, causing observational errors. Even with the addition of insulation materials and heating equipment, the icing problem remains unavoidable.

[0042] A gravimetric rain gauge, simply put, involves installing an electronic scale at the bottom of the rain gauge. A water storage container is placed on the scale, and the rainfall value is calculated by measuring the weight change of the liquid in the storage container in real time. Gravimetric rain gauges do not have a drain outlet. During summer, the collected rainwater is continuously stored in the storage container. Before winter, this is manually drained, and a certain amount of antifreeze is added. The snow is melted by the antifreeze, thus measuring the snowfall. Before the following summer, the antifreeze is manually drained again to free up space in the storage container for rainfall observation. The advantages of gravimetric rain gauges are that they can measure all forms of precipitation and are less affected by sand, dust, insect pollen, and other contaminants. The disadvantages are: firstly, due to the performance limitations of the electronic scale, false alarms are prone to occur, meaning that it may report rainfall when there is no rain, or report no rain when there is light rain. Additionally, wind force also significantly affects the observation values ​​of gravimetric rain gauges. This technical drawback cannot be overcome in the short term; secondly, it cannot identify the type of precipitation.

[0043] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a rotary bucket precipitation observation device, including a rotary bucket rain and snow gauge, a control circuit, and a grating rain and snow identifier 60. The grating rain and snow identifier 60 is located on one side of the rotary bucket rain and snow gauge and is capable of identifying the type of precipitation.

[0044] Among them, the rotary bucket rain and snow gauge includes:

[0045] The outer casing 10, the rain-collecting port 101 provided at the top opening of the outer casing 10, and the base 105 provided at the bottom of the outer casing 10, wherein the diameter of the rain-collecting port is 200mm (the diameter of a standard rain gauge), the opening of the gauge is kept horizontal, and the resolution is 0.1mm;

[0046] The top of the vortex casing 201 is connected to the rain inlet 101 via the guide pipe 102, and the bottom of the vortex casing 201 is connected to the drain pipe 103, which passes through the base 105 and leads to the outside of the equipment.

[0047] The vortex bucket 202 is rotatably installed inside the vortex bucket shell 201. The vortex bucket 202 has a groove, namely the water-holding bucket 203. The water-holding bucket 203 can collect rainwater from the guide pipe 102 and transfer the rainwater to the drain pipe 103 and discharge it outside the equipment through the rotation of the vortex bucket 202.

[0048] Motor 30, preferably a servo motor, is installed on one side of the rotating bucket shell 201 inside the outer casing 10, and the output shaft of motor 30 is connected to the rotating bucket 202;

[0049] A level gauge 40 is installed above the vortex 202 inside the vortex shell 201;

[0050] The signal output terminal of the level gauge 40 is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the control circuit, and the signal output terminal of the control circuit is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the motor 30. After receiving the signal from the control circuit, the signal input terminal of the motor 30 rotates by a set angle, and the control circuit can count the number of times the motor 30 rotates by the set angle.

[0051] In practice, the rotary bucket precipitation observation device is placed at the detection location, and the rotary bucket 202 is adjusted to its initial state. The control circuit controls the motor 30 to drive the rotary bucket 202 to rotate, rotating the water-holding bucket 203 so that its opening faces upward and connects to the guide pipe 102. When precipitation is observed, the precipitation passes through the rain-collecting inlet 101 and the guide pipe 102 in sequence, enters the rotary bucket shell 201, and is poured into the water-holding bucket 203. As time goes on, the precipitation fills the water-holding bucket 203, and the liquid level continues to rise until it triggers the level gauge 40. After receiving the signal from the level gauge, the control circuit controls the motor 30 to drive the rotary bucket 202 to rotate by a set angle (when there is only one water-holding bucket 203, the set rotation angle is 360°). During the rotation of the rotary bucket 202, when the water-holding bucket 203 rotates to its opening facing downward... When connected to the drain pipe 103, the rainwater in the water-holding hopper 203 flows downward from the water-holding hopper 203 under the action of gravity and is discharged from the equipment through the drain pipe 103. The rotating bucket 202 continues to rotate, and the empty water-holding hopper 203 returns to the initial state. Each time the motor 30 rotates by a set angle, the control circuit counts once, representing the discharge of the rainwater collected in the water-holding hopper 203. This cycle repeats. By determining the number of rotations and the volume of the water-holding hopper 203, the rainwater can be measured by multiplying the number of rotations by the volume of the water-holding hopper.

[0052] Although the rotary bucket precipitation observation device provided in this application is similar to the tipping bucket rain gauge in that it measures rainfall bucket by bucket during operation, the tipping bucket rain gauge's tipping measurement is triggered by gravity. Since sand, dust, insect eggs, spider webs, poplar flowers, and willow catkins adhere to the tipping bucket wall during use, they can change the weight of the tipping bucket, making the accuracy of the tipping bucket rain gauge easily affected by external factors. The rotary bucket precipitation observation device provided in this application, through the setting of the rotary bucket shell 201 and the rotary bucket 202, ensures that the water-holding bucket 203 is always in a closed space during rotation, and will not be affected by external factors. Moreover, in an open water bucket, when water is being poured into the bucket from above when it is almost full, water will splash out of the bucket, causing water loss and affecting the measurement accuracy. However, the sealed water bucket setting used in this application transfers precipitation in a closed space without splashing out, which can effectively reduce water loss. The turning of the water-holding bucket 203 is triggered by the level gauge 40 and executed by the motor 30 controlled by the control circuit, ensuring that the turning of the water-holding bucket 203 is strictly carried out according to the standard of precipitation received by the water-holding bucket 203 in one cycle, which greatly improves the observation accuracy.

[0053] As a preferred embodiment, the vortex shell 201 is installed below the rain inlet 101. The vortex shell 201 is provided with a vortex cavity 204 that runs horizontally through the valve body. The vortex shell 201 is provided with a shell cavity 205 that runs vertically through the vortex cavity 204. The top shell cavity 205 is connected to the rain inlet 101 through the guide pipe 102, and the bottom shell cavity 205 is connected to the drain pipe 103 that passes through the base 105 and leads to the outside of the equipment.

[0054] The vortex 202 is rotatably disposed inside the vortex cavity 204. A water-holding hopper 203 is provided on the outer wall of the vortex 202. When the vortex 202 rotates, the water-holding hopper 203 can communicate with the inner cavity 205 of the shell.

[0055] As a preferred option, there are several water-holding hoppers 203, which are evenly spaced along the circumference of the rotating hopper 202.

[0056] In this embodiment, it is preferred that there are two water hoppers 203. The two water hoppers 203 are arranged 180° apart around the circumference of the rotating bucket 202. After receiving the signal from the control circuit, the signal input terminal of the motor 30 rotates by a set angle of 180°.

[0057] During the rotation of the rotating bucket 202, the water-holding bucket 203 and the inner wall of the rotating bucket cavity 204 form a sealed cavity, the volume of which is an integer multiple of 3.14 ml. The size of the sealed cavity is determined according to the minimum resolution of precipitation observation, that is, the minimum observed value. According to the "Precipitation Observation Specification" and "Snow Melting Type Rain and Snow Gauge" and other specifications, the minimum resolution of the rain and snow gauge is 0.1 mm, and the diameter of the rain-collecting opening is 200 mm. According to the formula for calculating the volume of a cylinder, the volume of the cylinder formed by 0.1 mm deep rainwater on a circle with a diameter of 200 mm is 3.14 ml. Therefore, when the minimum observed value (resolution) requirement is 0.1 mm, the volume of the water-holding bucket is set to 3.14 ml. When the minimum observed value is 0.2 mm, 0.5 mm, or other values, the volume of the bucket is set to 6.28 ml, 15.70 ml, or other multiples of 3.14 ml to obtain the rainfall value. If the rain inlet uses a different diameter, simply multiply the minimum resolution (typically 0.1 mm) by the surface area of ​​that diameter to obtain the minimum rainfall volume. Then adjust the water container volume accordingly. For example, when the rain inlet diameter is 300 mm, its surface area is: 3.14 × 150 mm. 2 =70650mm 2 =706.5cm 2 The volume of the cylinder formed by 0.1 mm (0.01 cm) of rainfall over this area is: 0.01 cm × 706.5 cm. 2 =7.065cm 3That is, 7.065ml. Therefore, the volume of the water container should be set to an integer multiple of 7.065ml.

[0058] In practice, the vortex bucket shell 201 is installed inside the outer shell 10 via the vortex bucket support 104, and the guide pipe 102 and the drain pipe 103 are respectively connected to the inner cavity 205 of the shell. The outer wall of the vortex bucket 202 is tightly fitted to the vortex bucket cavity 204 to prevent rainwater from flowing out from the gap between the two, thereby further reducing water loss. The level gauge 40 is installed in the inner cavity 205 of the top shell. During precipitation observation, the precipitation flows sequentially through the rain-collecting inlet 101 and the guide pipe 102, then flows into the vortex bucket shell 101 from the inner cavity 205 of the top shell, and continues to pour into the water-holding bucket 203. After the water-holding bucket 203 is filled, the liquid level in the inner cavity 205 of the top shell continues to rise until the level gauge 40 is triggered. During the rotation of the vortex bucket 202, the inner cavity 205 of the shell above the vortex bucket 202 is still blocked by precipitation, forming a liquid seal. This ensures that when the water-holding bucket 203 rotates, the volume of precipitation it holds (one bucket) is always equal to the volume of the sealed cavity formed by the inner wall of the water-holding bucket 203 and the inner wall of the vortex bucket cavity 204. This ensures that the volume of precipitation transported each time it is rotated is a standard value, and that the higher liquid level ensures that the vortex bucket can rotate smoothly. When the bucket rotates, the entire device operates below the liquid surface, preventing air bubbles from affecting measurement accuracy and further minimizing interference from external factors. Two water-holding buckets 203 spaced 180° apart allow them to simultaneously connect to the top or bottom cavity 205 of the casing while the rotating bucket 202 is rotating. This ensures that while one water-holding bucket 203 is draining water, the next empty bucket 203 can simultaneously receive water. Each rotation (180 degrees) of the bucket handle represents the discharge of 0.1mm of rainfall. The two water-holding buckets 203 significantly accelerate the transfer speed / efficiency of rainfall, enabling this rainfall metering device to effectively handle situations with large rainfall amounts.

[0059] As a supplement to the above preferred embodiment, it should be noted that the number and spacing angle of the water-holding hoppers 203 in this embodiment are only illustrative examples. When the number of water-holding hoppers 203 is one, the corresponding set rotation angle is 360°. When the number of water-holding hoppers 203 is two, it is preferable that the two water-holding hoppers 203 are spaced 180° apart, and the corresponding set rotation angle is 180°. By controlling the number and spacing angle of the water-holding hoppers 203, the efficiency of the water-holding hoppers 203 in transporting precipitation can be changed, but the set rotation angle needs to be changed simultaneously. The number of water-holding hoppers 203 can be set as needed according to the average precipitation of the observed area, so that this precipitation metering device can cope with areas with various precipitation amounts.

[0060] As a preferred embodiment, the inner diameter of the water-holding hopper 203 gradually increases in the radial direction outward from the rotating hopper 202;

[0061] The diameter of the inner cavity 205 of the shell is not less than the diameter of the opening of the water container 203, and preferably the diameter of the inner cavity 205 of the shell is equal to the diameter of the opening of the water container 203.

[0062] In practice, rotating the water hopper 203 with its opening facing upwards allows for better collection of precipitation, while rotating it with its opening facing downwards allows for better drainage. Regarding the selection of the diameter of the inner cavity 205, if the diameter of the inner cavity 205 is smaller than the diameter of the opening of the water hopper 203, a dead angle may easily form at the top of the water hopper 203. Precipitation may form air bubbles in this dead angle during injection, affecting accuracy. If the diameter of the inner cavity 205 is too large, more precipitation / a higher water level is required to trigger the level gauge 40, leading to delayed triggering and affecting observation accuracy. Therefore, it is preferable that the diameter of the inner cavity 205 is equal to the diameter of the opening of the water hopper 203.

[0063] As a preferred embodiment, the level gauge 40 is an electrode-type level gauge. The vortex housing 201 has a mounting hole 401 that is connected to the inner cavity 205 of the housing. The detection end of the electrode-type level gauge passes through the mounting hole 401 and is positioned inside the inner cavity 205 of the housing, above the vortex chamber 204.

[0064] In practice, the detection end of the electrode-type level gauge is set above the vortex chamber 204. At this point, the water volume in the inner cavity 205 of the top housing is greater than the volume of one bucket. With this water volume, the vortex 202 always operates at a higher liquid level, preventing the generation of air bubbles or empty spaces that could affect the measurement accuracy, ensuring that the water volume of a full bucket is 3.14 ml. However, this means that after the vortex 202 is flipped, a certain amount of water will remain in the inner cavity 205 of the upper housing (see Appendix). Figure 4 and attached Figure 7 Based on calculations on the map and actual measurements, this water storage volume is approximately 0.04 mm, which remains constant regardless of the rainfall amount. The observation error caused by this portion of water that cannot be measured can be shared by wetting loss and allowable observation error. The "Precipitation Observation Specification" stipulates a wetting loss of less than 0.3 mm and an allowable observation error of ±4%.

[0065] As a preferred embodiment, the end of the rotating bucket 202 extending out of the rotating bucket cavity 204 is connected to the rotating bucket handle 206, and the output shaft of the motor 30 is connected to the rotating bucket handle 206 through the coupling 301;

[0066] The other end of the rotating bucket 202 extending out of the rotating bucket cavity 204 is connected to a threaded rod 207. A washer 208 is sleeved on the threaded rod 207. A nut 209 is installed on the threaded rod 207. A spring 210 is sleeved on the threaded rod 207. The two ends of the spring 210 abut against the nut 209 and the washer, respectively. Rotating the nut 209 compresses the spring 210, causing the washer 208 to press against the rotating bucket shell 201.

[0067] In specific implementation, during installation, first insert the rotary bucket 202 into the rotary bucket cavity 204 from the rotary bucket shell 201, then pass the gasket 208 through the threaded rod 207 and press it against the rotary bucket 202.套接弹簧210在螺纹杆207上套接弹簧210,通过拧紧螺母209将将弹簧210压缩,垫片208的直径大于旋斗202的直径,确保旋斗202不会从旋斗壳201中掉出,安装时确保盛水斗203的开口朝上时能够正对壳体内腔205设置。A spring 210 is sleeved on the threaded rod 207, and the spring 210 is compressed by tightening the nut 209. The diameter of the gasket 208 is larger than that of the rotary bucket 202 to ensure that the rotary bucket 202 will not fall out of the rotary bucket shell 201. During installation, ensure that when the opening of the water receiving bucket 203 faces upward, it can be directly opposite to the inner cavity 205 of the shell.

[0068] As a supplement to the above preferred solution, the inner diameter of the rotary bucket cavity 204 gradually decreases in the direction away from the motor 30, and the shape of the rotary bucket 202 is adapted to the shape of the rotary bucket cavity 204. During installation, the rotary bucket cavity 204 with a gradually decreasing inner diameter, in cooperation with the gasket 208, jointly defines the lateral displacement of the rotary bucket 202 in the rotary bucket cavity 204, further improving the installation accuracy and reliability of the rotary bucket 202.

[0069] As a preferred solution, a water storage container 50 is provided below the base 105 of the outer shell 10, and the drain pipe 103 is connected to the water storage container 50.

[0070] In specific implementation, accuracy is the core index of the performance of the rain gauge. The national standard stipulates that the allowable error range of accuracy is ±4%. In practice, the inspection of the accuracy of the rain gauge is to place it in a practical environment and determine it by analyzing and calculating the error between the reported rainfall value and the true value. If the error value is within the allowable range of ±4%, it is qualified; otherwise, it is unqualified. In this device, the precipitation discharged from the drain pipe 103 enters the water storage container 50 for storage. After the precipitation observation of this time is completed, the amount of water discharged from the device (the amount of precipitation in the water storage container 50) can be used as the true value, and the measured value of this device is compared with the discharged water volume to determine the accuracy.

[0071] As a preferred solution, the rotary bucket type precipitation observation device further includes:

[0072] An electric heating device 70, provided at the bottom of the rain receiving port 101;

[0073] A temperature sensor 80, provided on the side of the rain receiving port 101 away from the electric heating device 70;

[0074] A control cabinet, with the control circuit integrated in the control cabinet. The signal output end of the grating type rain and snow identification instrument 60 is electrically connected to the signal input end of the control circuit, the signal input end of the electric heating device 70 is electrically connected to the signal output end of the control circuit, and the signal output end of the temperature sensor 80 is electrically connected to the signal input end of the control circuit.

[0075] In practice, the type of precipitation is identified using a grating-type rain and snow detector 60. The grating-type rain and snow detector 60 used is the one described in application number 202222931299.5; its working principle will not be elaborated here. Depending on the type of precipitation, the specific observation steps are as follows:

[0076] When precipitation is rain, the rainwater first enters the rain collection inlet 101, then flows from the outlet at the bottom of the rain collection inlet 101 into the guide pipe 102, and then into the vortex bucket 20. Once the liquid surface contacts the level gauge 40, the level gauge 40 sends a signal to the control circuit. The control circuit then controls the servo motor 30 to rotate once (180 degrees), simultaneously recording the precipitation as 0.1 mm. At the same time, the rain / snow detector 60 identifies the precipitation type as rain and transmits the identification result to the control circuit, which then labels the precipitation type as rain. After the vortex bucket 202 rotates, the water in the previously upward-facing water container 203 is discharged from the drain pipe 103, and the previously downward-facing water container 203 is now facing upwards, ready to collect more rainwater. This cycle repeats continuously to measure the rainfall amount and precipitation type. To verify the accuracy, a water storage container 50 can be placed under the base. The water discharged from the drain pipe will be stored in the container 50. During the verification, water can be poured into the rain gauge to obtain the rainfall value, which can then be used to verify the value reported by the rain and snow meter.

[0077] When precipitation is snow, the snow cannot be drawn into the vortex and melt on its own, so it accumulates in the collection inlet. At this time, it is necessary to wait for a signal from the rain / snow detector 60. Once the detector reports that the precipitation type is snow, the control circuit immediately activates the electric heating device 70 below the collection inlet 101 to heat the inlet, thereby melting the accumulated snow. During heating, the control circuit uses the temperature sensor 80 below the collection inlet to maintain the temperature within a suitable range, preventing excessive temperature from evaporating the melted snow and causing observation errors. After the snow melts, it enters the vortex 20. The subsequent observation method is the same as for rainfall. Then, the control circuit records the corresponding precipitation amount and labels the precipitation type as snow.

[0078] When the precipitation is sleet, the instrument's working process is the same as that of snowfall, except that the control circuit will label the precipitation type as sleet.

[0079] When the precipitation is hail, the instrument's workflow is the same as that for snowfall, except that the control circuit will label the precipitation type as rain hail.

[0080] The rotary bucket rain gauge and rotary bucket precipitation observation device provided in this application creatively employ a closed bucket structure to transfer precipitation, ensuring that the bucket remains within a closed space during rotation, unaffected by external factors such as wind, sand, dust, insect eggs, spider webs, poplar catkins, and willow fluff. Precipitation is transferred within the closed space, preventing splashing and effectively reducing water loss. Unlike traditional tipping bucket rain gauges, the tipping of the bucket is triggered by a level gauge, and a motor controlled by a control circuit drives its rotation, ensuring that the tipping strictly adheres to the standard of one bucket at a time, greatly improving observation accuracy. The level gauge's position above the bucket cavity ensures that the bucket remains submerged during rotation, guaranteeing... The volume of precipitation transported in each rotation is a standard fixed value; two water-holding buckets spaced 180° apart operate alternately, significantly accelerating the transfer speed / efficiency of precipitation; the inner diameter of the water-holding bucket gradually increases outward along the radial direction of the rotating bucket, enabling better transfer of precipitation; the diameter of the inner cavity of the shell is not less than the diameter of the water-holding bucket opening, effectively reducing the generation of air bubbles and avoiding observation errors caused by air bubbles; the operation mode is to measure and discharge as needed, and can be calibrated by setting up a water storage container, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of point rainfall; the control circuit identifies the type of precipitation through a grating-type rain and snow detector, and, in conjunction with an electric heating device and a temperature sensor, can melt snow, hail, and sleet and observe precipitation, achieving automated precipitation observation. The rotating bucket rain and snow gauge provided in this application can achieve all-weather automated precipitation observation, with high accuracy, wide applicability, simple structure, robust and durable components, low failure rate, and easy maintenance, making it highly practical.

[0081] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0082] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0083] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0084] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0085] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A rotary bucket-type rain and snow gauge, comprising a cylindrical outer shell (10) open at both ends, a rain-collecting inlet (101) disposed at the top of the outer shell (10), and a base (105) disposed at the bottom of the outer shell (10), characterized in that, include: The top of the vortex shell (201) is connected to the rain inlet (101) through the guide pipe (102), and the bottom of the vortex shell (201) is connected to the drain pipe (103). A vortex bucket (202) is rotatably disposed inside the vortex bucket shell (201). The vortex bucket (202) has a groove, namely a water-holding bucket (203). The water-holding bucket (203) can collect rainwater from the diversion pipe (102) and transfer the rainwater to the drainage pipe (103) through the rotation of the vortex bucket (202). A motor (30) is installed on one side of the inner rotating bucket shell (201) of the outer casing (10), and the output shaft of the motor (30) is connected to the rotating bucket (202); A level gauge (40) is installed above the vortex bucket (202) inside the vortex bucket shell (201); The control circuit is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the control circuit, and the signal output terminal of the control circuit is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the motor (30). After receiving the signal from the control circuit, the signal input terminal of the motor (30) rotates by a set angle. The control circuit can count the number of times the motor (30) rotates by the set angle.

2. The rotary bucket rain and snow gauge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vortex shell (201) is installed below the rain-collecting port (101) inside the outer shell (10). The vortex shell (201) is provided with a vortex cavity (204) that runs horizontally through the shell. The vortex shell (201) is provided with a shell cavity (205) that runs vertically through the vortex cavity (204). The top shell cavity (205) is connected to the rain-collecting port (101) through the guide pipe (102), and the bottom shell cavity (205) is connected to the drain pipe (103). The vortex bucket (202) is rotatably disposed in the vortex bucket cavity (204). A water-holding bucket (203) is provided on the outer wall of the vortex bucket (202). When the vortex bucket (202) rotates, the water-holding bucket (203) can communicate with the inner cavity (205) of the shell.

3. The rotary bucket rain and snow gauge according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of water-holding hoppers (203) is several, and they are evenly spaced along the circumference of the rotating hopper (202); During the rotation of the vortex bucket (202), the water-holding bucket (203) and the inner wall of the vortex bucket cavity (204) form a closed cavity, the volume of which is an integer multiple of 3.14 ml.

4. The rotary bucket rain and snow gauge according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the water-holding hopper (203) gradually increases in the radial direction outward from the vortex hopper (202); The diameter of the inner cavity (205) of the shell is not less than the diameter of the opening of the water container (203).

5. The rotary bucket rain and snow gauge according to claim 2, characterized in that: The level gauge (40) is an electrode-type level gauge. The vortex shell (201) has an installation hole (401) which is connected to the inner cavity (205) of the shell. The detection end of the electrode-type level gauge passes through the installation hole (401) and is positioned inside the inner cavity (205) of the shell, above the vortex chamber (204).

6. The rotary bucket rain and snow gauge according to claim 2, characterized in that: The end of the rotating bucket (202) extending out of the rotating bucket cavity (204) is connected to the rotating bucket handle (206), and the output shaft of the motor (30) is connected to the rotating bucket handle (206) through a coupling (301); The other end of the vortex (202) extending out of the vortex cavity (204) is connected to a threaded rod (207). A washer (208) is fitted on the threaded rod (207). A nut (209) is installed on the threaded rod (207). A spring (210) is fitted on the threaded rod (207). The two ends of the spring (210) abut against the nut (209) and the washer (208) respectively.

7. The rotary bucket rain and snow gauge according to claim 6, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the vortex cavity (204) gradually decreases in the direction away from the motor (30), and the shape of the vortex (202) is adapted to the shape of the vortex cavity (204).

8. The rotary bucket rain and snow gauge according to claim 1, characterized in that: A water storage container (50) is provided below the base (105) of the outer shell (10), and the drain pipe (103) is connected to the water storage container (50).

9. A rotary bucket precipitation observation device, characterized in that, include: Any of the rotary bucket rain and snow gauges as described in claims 1-8; A grating-type rain and snow detector (60) is disposed on one side of the housing (10), and the grating-type rain and snow detector (60) is capable of identifying the type of precipitation. An electric heating device (70) is provided at the bottom of the rain-collecting opening (101); A temperature sensor (80) is located at the bottom of the rain inlet (101); The control cabinet contains the control circuit. The signal output terminal of the grating-type rain and snow detector (60) is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the control circuit. The signal input terminal of the electric heating device (70) is electrically connected to the signal output terminal of the control circuit. The signal output terminal of the temperature sensor (80) is electrically connected to the signal input terminal of the control circuit.

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