Radar pressure complemented smart water level meter for urban networks

Abstract

The utility model discloses a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level meter for city pipe network, and the water level meter includes casing, upper cover, lower cover, level meter, pressure sensor protective cover, cable, mainboard, radar board and pressure sensor, wherein, radar board includes radar sensor circuit, and pressure sensor includes pressure sensor circuit, and mainboard includes power supply conditioning circuit, MCU core circuit, data storage circuit, RS485 circuit, pressure sensor circuit, angle of inclination sensor circuit, radar sensor circuit and water submergence detection circuit, and pressure type sensor and radar sensor need to guarantee that pressure water level meter is in front in product structure, and radar sensor is behind, and it is ensured that pressure measurement and radar measurement exist common work area. This one radar pressure complementary intelligent water level meter for city pipe network can switch measurement water level freely among radar sensor and pressure type sensor to ensure water level meter measurement accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this utility model belong to the field of detection device technology, and more specifically, relate to a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks. Background Technology

[0002] In urban pipe network water level measurement and culvert water level measurement, the corrosiveness or high turbidity of the water may prevent submersible level gauges from operating for extended periods. Therefore, non-contact radar level gauges or ultrasonic level gauges are often used. However, these applications face the problem of sensor submersion during heavy rains. Furthermore, due to poor water quality, submersible level gauges are susceptible to corrosion or silt buildup when submerged for extended periods, leading to sensor malfunction.

[0003] Under current technological conditions, ultrasonic level gauges calculate liquid level by emitting ultrasonic waves and receiving reflected waves. However, their measurement accuracy is significantly affected by air temperature and humidity, as well as surface vapor. In high-temperature and high-humidity environments (temperature > 80℃, humidity > 90% RH), sound wave attenuation intensifies, and the measurement error can increase to ±20mm. Radar level gauges use the principle of electromagnetic wave reflection. Although their anti-interference capability is better than ultrasonic gauges, they are sensitive to dynamic interference such as surface foam and waves. In scenarios such as sewage treatment plants and metallurgical molten pools, parameter adjustment by professionals is required. Pressure level gauges sense liquid level by changing capacitance between electrodes. The electrode surface is prone to scale buildup due to electrolytic reactions or impurities, leading to measurement drift. After three months of use in high-salinity liquids, the error can increase by 15% to 20%. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned deficiencies or improvement needs of existing technologies, this utility model provides a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks. Through the radar sensor circuit built into the radar board, the operation and shutdown of the J6 radar module in the radar sensor circuit can be controlled, and the air height and other data measured by the current J6 radar module can be queried. Through the water flooding detection circuit built into the motherboard, using the principle of resistive detection of the liquid's equivalent resistance, it is determined whether the water level gauge is flooded.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks, comprising: The outermost housing of the water level gauge, the upper cover plate installed on the top of the housing by bolt connection, and the lower cover plate installed in the mounting hole at the bottom of the housing; A motherboard with a mounting post located below the upper cover plate is provided in the housing motherboard mounting post, and the motherboard has a built-in water flooding detection circuit. A radar plate is installed on the top of the radar plate mounting column of the lower cover plate, located above the upper cover plate. The radar plate has a built-in radar sensor circuit.

[0006] Furthermore, it also includes a level located in the circular mounting hole of the central boss of the upper cover plate.

[0007] Furthermore, it also includes a pressure sensor protective cover located at the bottom of the lower cover plate boss.

[0008] Furthermore, it also includes a cable located in the groove on the front of the housing.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes a pressure sensor located inside the lower cover plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the surface of the pressure sensor protective cover is provided with a filter structure.

[0011] Furthermore, the radar sensor circuit adopts the UART communication protocol, which uses NIL_RX and NIL_TX as communication signal lines.

[0012] Furthermore, the flooding detection circuit uses an operational amplifier LMV358, and the operational amplifier LMV358 uses U4A and U4B as voltage follower circuits.

[0013] Furthermore, the U4A voltage follower circuit uses a Vref output voltage, which is 2.0V-3.0V.

[0014] In summary, compared with the prior art, the above-described technical solution conceived by this utility model can achieve the following beneficial effects: 1. The water level gauge of this utility model can control the operation and stop of the J6 radar module in the radar sensor circuit through the radar sensor circuit built into the radar board, and can also query the air height and other data measured by the J6 radar module. Through the water flooding detection circuit built into the motherboard, the water level gauge is determined to be flooded by the principle of resistive detection of liquid equivalent resistance.

[0015] 2. The water level gauge of this utility model, through the radar sensor circuit built into the radar board, can control the operation and stop of the J6 radar module in the radar sensor circuit, and can also query the air height and other data measured by the J6 radar module. The R99 resistor and R100 are used as matching resistors for the UART communication interface to optimize signal integrity, protect circuit components and suppress electromagnetic interference, and also have a certain ESD protection enhancement function.

[0016] 3. The water level gauge of this utility model, through a water flooding detection circuit built into the motherboard, uses the principle of resistive detection of the equivalent resistance of the liquid to determine whether the water level gauge is submerged. Through a series of calculations, the subsequent RC filter circuit composed of resistor R23 and capacitor C16 can obtain... The voltage is then used to obtain the current equivalent resistance RL of the water contact sensor probe, which can be used to determine whether the water level gauge is submerged. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge used in urban pipe networks according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a half-sectional view of a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge used in urban pipe networks according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a top view of a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge used in an urban pipe network according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a bottom view of a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge used in urban pipe networks according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a radar sensor circuit diagram of a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge used in urban pipe networks according to an embodiment of this utility model. Figure 6 This invention relates to a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for use in urban pipe networks, which is a water flooding detection circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 This is a circuit functional diagram of a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge used in urban pipe networks according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the normal operation of a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge used in urban pipe networks, according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0018] In all the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same technical features, specifically: 1-housing, 2-upper cover, 3-lower cover, 4-level, 5-pressure sensor protective cover, 6-cable, 7-main board, 8-radar board, 9-pressure sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for explaining the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present utility model described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0020] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, it should be noted that if terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," or "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the utility model product is in use, they are only for the convenience of describing this utility model 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 utility model. Furthermore, terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0021] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "sag" does not imply that the component must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that it can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0022] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, "a plurality of" means at least two.

[0023] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] This utility model embodiment provides a radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks. For example... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4The system includes a housing 1, an upper cover plate 2, a lower cover plate 3, a level 4, a pressure sensor protective cover 5, a cable 6, a main board 7, a radar board 8, and a pressure sensor 9. The housing 1 is the outer shell of the water level gauge. A groove is cut into the front of the housing 1, and a square slot is opened inside the groove. There are also multiple screw holes on the top of the housing 1 (six in this embodiment). The upper cover plate 2 is installed on top of the housing 1 and is connected to the housing 1 by bolts. A boss is located in the center of the upper cover plate 2, and the outer surface of the boss is threaded. A circular mounting hole is opened in the center of the boss, and the level 4 is installed in the circular mounting hole of the upper cover plate 2. The level 4 is used to check whether the water level gauge is installed level. The lower cover plate 3 is installed in the mounting hole at the bottom of the housing 1. A boss is located on the outer side of the lower cover plate 3. It is necessary to ensure that the boss side and the groove on the front of the housing 1 are on the same side. A pressure sensor protective cover 5 is installed at the bottom of the boss of the lower cover plate 3. The surface of the pressure sensor protective cover 5 is provided with a filter structure. A pressure sensor 9 is installed inside the boss of the lower cover plate 3. Multiple cables 6 (two in this embodiment) are installed in the groove on the front of the housing 1. A motherboard mounting post is provided inside the housing 1. A radar board mounting post is provided on the lower cover plate 3. The motherboard 7 is installed on the motherboard mounting post and is located below the upper cover plate 2. The radar board 8 is installed on the radar board mounting post and is located above the lower cover plate 3. The motherboard 7 has a built-in power supply conditioning circuit, MCU core circuit, data storage circuit, RS485 circuit, pressure sensor circuit, tilt sensor circuit, radar sensor circuit, and water flooding detection circuit.

[0025] like Figure 7 As shown, the following functions are embedded in the main board 7 of this radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge: (1) a power supply conditioning circuit to condition the input power supply voltage into a stable power supply voltage used by the entire circuit system; (2) the MCU core circuit is the main processing circuit of the entire detector product, used to coordinate and manage the operation of all other component circuits; (3) the data storage circuit is used to store and maintain water level, tilt angle, power supply and other operating status information, and also to store product operating parameters; (4) the RS485 circuit is used by other host devices to read the working data of the intelligent water level gauge, including water level, historical data, etc. According to the data, it can also be used to query and set the working parameters of the water level gauge; (5) The pressure sensor circuit is used to replace the radar sensor circuit as the current water level measurement sensor circuit after the water level of the measured water body submerges the pressure sensor; (6) The tilt sensor circuit is used to assist in the installation, debugging and maintenance of equipment; (7) The radar sensor circuit is used for the water level measurement circuit when the water level gauge does not contact the measured water body; (8) The water submersion detection circuit is used to assist in detecting whether the water level is submerged by water. Among them, the radar sensor circuit is built into the radar board 8, and the pressure sensor circuit is built into the pressure sensor 9.

[0026] According to the embodiments of this utility model, the pressure sensor circuit and the radar sensor circuit work together to complete the water level measurement. The radar board 8 and the pressure sensor 9 are directly installed in the radar-pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge. On the one hand, this simplifies the structural design of the water level gauge and avoids the water level gauge structure being too large, which is not conducive to installation and use. On the other hand, integrating multiple functional circuits into the water level gauge improves the convenience of using the water level gauge.

[0027] like Figure 5 As shown, the radar sensor circuit of the radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge includes a V33 power supply, resistors R99 and R100, capacitor C85, NIL_RX communication signal line, NIL_TX communication signal line, and a J6 radar module. The V33 power supply provides operating power to the radar module. Resistors R99 and R100 are both 22Ω UART communication interface matching resistors, used to optimize signal integrity, protect circuit components, and suppress electromagnetic interference. They also provide some ESD protection enhancement. The C85 capacitor stores energy for the power output to reduce the impact of operating current fluctuations on the V33 power supply of the main board 7 during radar sensor operation. NIL_RX and NIL_TX are UART communication signal lines. The NIL_RX communication signal line is the transmitting end of the UART communication, sending serial data outwards. The NIL_TX communication signal line is the receiving end of the UART communication, receiving external serial data.

[0028] like Figure 6As shown, the flood detection circuit of the radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge includes a V33 power supply, resistors R19, R20, R21, R22, R23, R28, and R29, capacitors C12, C13, C15, and C16, a U4A voltage follower circuit, a U4B voltage follower circuit, a Vref output voltage, a P_OUT terminal, a J1 input terminal, and a DNIL_ADC_In signal. The V33 power supply is used for flood detection. The circuit provides the operating power. Resistors R19, R21, R22, R23, R28, and R29 are all 10K resistors. Resistor R20 is a 100K voltage divider resistor. Capacitor C12 is a decoupling capacitor, and capacitor C13 is the initial filter capacitor. Resistor R22 and capacitor C15 form an RC filter circuit, and resistor R23 and capacitor C16 form a subsequent RC filter circuit. Voltage follower circuits U4A and U4B use operational amplifiers LMV358. The 358 is a low-power, dual-channel rail-to-rail operational amplifier, directly powered by a V33 power supply. C12 is the decoupling capacitor for this circuit. The Vref output voltage is the reference voltage source output voltage, which is typically between 2.0V and 3.0V (in this embodiment, the Vref output voltage is 2.5V). The U4A voltage follower circuit is used to enhance the Vref output voltage and provide a stable reference output voltage for the measurement circuit. This follower circuit can reduce the impact of the load of the subsequent measurement circuit on the Vref output voltage, thereby avoiding the measurement affecting the stability of the ADC operation of the core MCU circuit. Capacitor C13, resistor R19, and resistor R21 form a simple bias balance. The J1 input terminal is the input terminal of the external water contact sensing probe of the measurement circuit after passing through the gating circuit. When the water contact sensing probe and the common GND probe are simultaneously immersed in the water body being measured, it will be equivalent to a measured resistance RL. The equivalent resistance value varies depending on the water quality of the water body being measured. Generally speaking, the higher the conductivity of the water body, the smaller the equivalent resistance. The equivalent resistance RL and R20 form a voltage divider circuit, resulting in the voltage on the P_OUT terminal as follows: (1) Right now: (2) In the RC filter circuit composed of resistor R22 and capacitor C15, the filtered signal is input to the U4B voltage follower circuit. Resistor R29 is reserved in the circuit design and does not require soldering any components during production. R28 is the polarization balancing resistor for the U4B voltage follower circuit, which is used to balance the polarization of the signal. The signal is enhanced by following the input impedance of the measurement circuit to reduce its influence on subsequent measurement circuits. In the subsequent RC filter circuit composed of resistor R23 and capacitor C16, the filtered signal DNIL_ADC_In is finally connected to the ADC interface of the MCU core circuit for conversion. The result can be calculated using the measured ADC code and Vref output voltage. The voltage is then calculated according to formula (2) to obtain the current equivalent resistance RL of the water contact sensor probe. The parameters set inside the MCU are then used to determine whether the probe is currently submerged in the water body being measured.

[0029] like Figure 8 As shown, in another embodiment of this utility model, a radar pressure complementary smart water level gauge for urban pipe networks is provided, comprising the following steps: Based on the water level of the city's pipe network, select a suitable location to install the smart water level gauge. The selected location should ensure that the radar module is unobstructed and can operate normally, and be far away from areas with rapid water flow and siltation to ensure that the pressure sensor can be submerged in water. It is mainly used for non-contact water level measurement in situations where the water is easily submerged.

[0030] Installation requires ensuring the radar antenna is at least 50cm above the highest water level, and the pressure sensor must be located at the normal water level. When the water level rises, the pressure sensor is submerged in the water, and the smart water level gauge automatically switches from radar sensor to pressure sensor for measurement.

[0031] After confirming that the equipment is securely installed using a level, measure and record the distance between the ground and the bottom of the equipment, accurate to the millimeter.

[0032] Connect the battery to the smart water level gauge, and the water level gauge will start to power on and complete the initialization of the entire MCU operating environment, including the clock, peripherals, etc.

[0033] If the smart water level gauge has not been set up before its first power-on, it will automatically run using the default parameters. The working parameters and variables during operation are stored in the memory chip in the storage circuit. Each time it runs, it first obtains the working parameters and working status information from the memory chip.

[0034] After the intelligent water level gauge is officially put into operation, it obtains operating parameters from the storage circuit and collects water level data at set collection times. When the water level gauge is collecting data, it first determines whether the current water level gauge is submerged. If it is not submerged, it activates the radar sensor to collect the air height and calculate the water level. If it is submerged, it uses the pressure sensor to measure the pressure and calculate the water level.

[0035] When the smart water level gauge has no tasks to process, it automatically enters sleep mode to reduce power consumption and waits for the next event to wake it up.

[0036] Regularly perform equipment maintenance, pay attention to any abnormalities in equipment data, conduct regular inspections to ensure that the equipment is not damaged and is securely installed, and regularly calibrate the equipment to ensure accuracy.

[0037] In summary, this radar-pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks can freely switch between radar sensors and pressure sensors to measure water levels, thereby ensuring the accuracy of water level measurement.

[0038] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks, characterized in that, include: The outermost housing (1) of the water level gauge, the upper cover plate (2) installed on the top of the housing (1) by bolt connection, and the lower cover plate (3) installed in the mounting hole at the bottom of the housing (1). A motherboard (7) with a motherboard mounting post located below the upper cover plate (2) in the housing (1) has a built-in water flooding detection circuit. A radar plate (8) is located on the top of the radar plate mounting column of the lower cover plate (3) above the lower cover plate (3), and the radar plate (8) has a built-in radar sensor circuit.

2. The radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radar sensor circuit adopts the UART communication protocol, which uses NIL_RX and NIL_TX as communication signal lines.

3. A radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flooding detection circuit uses an operational amplifier LMV358, and the operational amplifier LMV358 uses U4A and U4B as voltage follower circuits.

4. A radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks according to claim 3, characterized in that, The U4A voltage follower circuit uses a Vref output voltage, which is 2.0V-3.0V.

5. A radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, It also includes a level (4) installed in the circular mounting hole of the central boss of the upper cover plate (2).

6. A radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, It also includes a pressure sensor protective cover (5) located at the bottom of the boss of the lower cover plate (3).

7. A radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks according to claim 6, characterized in that, The pressure sensor protective cover (5) has a filter structure on its surface.

8. A radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, It also includes a cable (6) located in the groove on the front of the housing (1).

9. A radar pressure complementary intelligent water level gauge for urban pipe networks according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, It also includes a pressure sensor (9) located inside the lower cover plate (3).

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