Ultrasonic gas meter

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ultrasonic gas meter, including casing, flow channel body and dust removal unit, be equipped with gas import and gas export on the casing, the casing inner chamber is divided into the air inlet buffer chamber and the air outlet buffer chamber of independent each other, the dust removal unit is located at the gas import, the dust removal unit forms the serpentine extension's airflow passageway, be equipped with filter material in the airflow passageway to filter out the particulate matter in airflow, the flow channel body is located in the casing, and the first inlet and the first outlet are communicated for the airflow, the first inlet is communicated with the gas import through the air inlet buffer chamber, the first outlet is communicated with the gas export through the air outlet buffer chamber, the utility model discloses reasonable in structure can effectively dust removal and be favorable to improve the service life and the measurement accuracy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of ultrasonic gas measurement technology, specifically to an ultrasonic gas meter. Background Technology

[0002] Ultrasonic gas flow meters have outstanding advantages such as wide measurement range, low pressure loss, no moving parts, and high measurement accuracy, and are increasingly recognized and used in the market, especially in gas meter products.

[0003] Taking standard-processed pipeline-transported commercial natural gas as an example, the dust content control standard is <1mg / m3. The annual consumption of household gas is estimated at 1000m3 based on the average upper limit. The service life of gas meters is usually 10 years. Dust in gas is generally metal corrosion products, pipeline coating peeling off, etc. As we all know, gas usually needs to be buffered after entering the gas meter to slow down the flow rate. This will cause dust in the gas to settle and accumulate in the gas meter. Over time, this will not only contaminate the transducer and hinder the ultrasonic pulse transmission and reception efficiency, but also diffuse into the measuring pipe section and affect the propagation of ultrasonic pulse signals, reducing the speed of ultrasonic pulse propagation path change, and thus introducing measurement errors. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model discloses an ultrasonic gas meter, which solves the technical problems of dust contamination damaging the transducer and affecting the propagation of ultrasonic pulse signals in existing ultrasonic gas meters. It features a reasonable structure, effective dust removal, and benefits in improving service life and metering accuracy. The technical solution adopted is as follows: An ultrasonic gas meter includes a housing, a flow channel body, and a dust removal unit; The housing is provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, and the vertical plate fixedly installed inside the housing divides the inner cavity of the housing into an independent air inlet buffer chamber and an air outlet buffer chamber. The dust removal unit is located at the gas inlet and forms a meandering airflow passage. A filter material is installed within the airflow passage to remove particulate matter from the airflow. This particulate matter includes pipe metal corrosion and pipe coating peeling. The filter material is designed to have high filtration efficiency, low pressure drop, good pressure resistance, good resistance to airflow impact, and long service life. Materials such as glass fiber, polyester fiber, and membrane filter media are used. The pore size of the filter material can be adapted to the particle size of the particulate matter to be filtered.

[0005] The flow channel body is located inside the housing, allowing airflow to pass through and is connected to a first inlet and a first outlet. The first inlet is connected to the gas inlet through an air intake buffer chamber, and the first outlet is connected to the gas outlet through an air outlet buffer chamber. The flow channel body includes an intermediate measurement section, and a first mounting position and a second mounting position for installing a transducer assembly are respectively provided at a first inlet near the inlet end of the measurement section and at a first outlet near the outlet end of the measurement section.

[0006] Based on the above technical solution, the airflow passage includes multiple airflow branches arranged in parallel, and the multiple airflow branches are connected end to end.

[0007] Based on the above technical solution, a number of first baffles and a number of second baffles are arranged at intervals and crosses within the airflow branch to form a continuous S-shaped extending path, wherein the first baffles and / or the second baffles include filter material.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, the first baffle is a baffle that runs across the airflow branch, the second baffle is grid-shaped and includes several U-shaped grooves with openings facing upwards, and the second baffle is designed to have an angle that is inclined from top to bottom in the direction of airflow along the airflow direction in order to guide the airflow forward, and the rear end face of the second baffle is vertical to buffer the airflow.

[0009] Based on the above technical solution, the top of the housing between the gas inlet and the gas outlet is recessed inward to form a cavity, which is used to accommodate and fix functional components.

[0010] Based on the above technical solution, it also includes a gas valve, a first transducer and a second transducer. The gas valve is located at the gas outlet, and the vertical plate is arranged close to the gas outlet. The first transducer is installed at a first mounting position, and the second transducer is installed at a second mounting position.

[0011] Based on the above technical solution, the first guide section between the inlet end of the measuring section and the first inlet is funnel-shaped to guide the airflow smoothly into the measuring section through the first inlet; the second guide section between the outlet end of the measuring section and the first outlet is funnel-shaped to guide the airflow smoothly out of the first outlet through the measuring section.

[0012] Based on the above technical solution, the measuring section is provided with a flow rectification structure, which includes a central flow channel and a number of peripheral flow channels evenly arranged around the central flow channel. A flow guide grid is also provided at the straight pipe section at the first inlet. The peripheral flow channels extend and form a number of flow guide channels evenly arranged around the flow guide grid. The flow guide channels include multiple flow guide branches. A first installation position is formed at the center of the flow guide grid.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, the inner diameter of the central flow channel is at least 1.5 times the wavelength of the ultrasonic pulse passing through the measurement section; the number of the peripheral flow channels is 3 to 10, and each of the flow channels is provided with 2, 3 or 4 flow branches.

[0014] Based on the above technical solution, the first guide section includes an arc surface extending in a loop, the arc opening of the arc surface faces outward and the radius of the arc surface is 0.9 to 1.5 times the inner diameter of the measuring section; the first outlet extends into the air outlet buffer cavity and is set facing the side wall of the shell, and the distance between the first outlet and the side wall of the shell is not less than the inner diameter of the measuring section.

[0015] Beneficial effects This utility model has a reasonable structure. A dust removal unit is also provided at the gas inlet on the casing. Multiple airflow branches within the dust removal unit are connected end-to-end, forming a meandering airflow path. Filter material is installed within this airflow path to remove particulate matter from the airflow. Several first and second baffles are arranged at intervals and crosses within the airflow branches to further form a continuous S-shaped path. The first and / or second baffles include filter material, which further extends the airflow path, effectively buffers the airflow, increases the contact time between the airflow and the filter material, and significantly improves adsorption efficiency. Furthermore, the U-shaped groove allows the airflow to be continuously and repeatedly compressed and released within the airflow branches, generating several small turbulences that can be eliminated in the inlet buffer chamber, effectively reducing the gas velocity and ensuring sufficient contact between the airflow and the filter material for highly efficient dust removal. The design is ingenious. In addition, the front end of the second baffle has an angle inclined downwards towards the airflow direction to guide the airflow forward, while the rear end of the second baffle is vertical, further buffering the airflow.

[0016] In this invention, the top surface of the housing is recessed inward to form a cavity for accommodating and fixing functional components, making the gas meter compact and multifunctional, while ensuring a flat outer surface for easy installation.

[0017] The inclusion of an inlet buffer chamber and an outlet buffer chamber in this invention allows for effective buffering of the airflow. Furthermore, the gas valve is located at the gas outlet, which, compared to the prior art where the gas valve is located at the gas inlet, significantly reduces the turbulence impact of the gas valve on the inlet of the measuring section. This effectively increases the distance between the inlet of the measuring section and the gas inlet port while ensuring a sufficient length of the measuring section. Consequently, the airflow entering the inlet buffer chamber is fully buffered, rectified, and turbulence eliminated before entering the measuring section, which helps improve the stability of the airflow in the measuring section and enhances measurement accuracy.

[0018] The inner diameter of the central flow channel in this utility model's rectifying structure is at least 1.5 times the wavelength of the ultrasonic pulse passing through the measurement section. This ensures the quality of the ultrasonic pulse transmission signal and helps improve measurement accuracy. The outer flow channel effectively rectifys the airflow. In this utility model, the outer flow channel extends and forms a circumferentially evenly arranged guide channel grid. Each guide channel includes multiple guide branches. This ensures that the airflow is fully rectified before entering the measurement section, and also prevents the airflow passing through the guide branches from being split again by the grid between the outer flow channels, thus avoiding turbulence at the inlet of the measurement section and causing significant airflow disturbance, which helps improve the measurement accuracy of the measurement section. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only one embodiment of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other embodiments can be derived from the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 : A three-dimensional structural diagram of the gas meter in this utility model; Figure 2 : A cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the main view of the gas meter in this utility model; Figure 3 : A partial cross-sectional three-dimensional structural diagram of the gas meter in this utility model; Figure 4 : Schematic diagram of the cross-section of the gas flow channel measuring section in the gas meter of this utility model; Detailed Implementation The following description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate specific embodiments described herein to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Some embodiments may include or substitute parts and features of other embodiments. The scope of the embodiments herein encompasses the entire scope of the claims and all available equivalents thereof. Throughout this document, the terms “first,” “second,” etc., are used only to distinguish one element from another without requiring or implying any actual relationship or order between the elements. Indeed, a first element can also be referred to as a second element, and vice versa. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a structure, apparatus, or device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a structure, apparatus, or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase “comprising one…” does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the structure, apparatus, or device that includes said element. The various embodiments described herein are presented in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments; similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably.

[0021] The terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer" used in this document to indicate orientation or positional relationships are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used solely for the convenience of describing this document and for 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. In the description herein, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to mechanical or electrical connections, or internal connections between two elements; they can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] In this document, unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0023] In this article, the character " / " indicates that the objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B.

[0024] In this article, the term "and / or" describes an association between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0025] like Figures 1-4An ultrasonic gas meter is shown in this embodiment for gas metering, and includes a housing 20, a flow channel body 1, and a dust removal unit 22. The top of the housing 20 is provided with a gas inlet 201 and a gas outlet 202 for connecting to a gas pipeline.

[0026] The upright plate 8 fixedly installed inside the housing 20 divides the inner cavity of the housing 20 into an independent air inlet buffer chamber 2 and an air outlet buffer chamber 3. The upright plate 8 is located close to the gas outlet 202, so that the air inlet buffer chamber 2 is larger than the air outlet buffer chamber 3.

[0027] like Figure 3 As shown, the top of the housing 20 between the gas inlet 201 and the gas outlet 202 is recessed inward to form a cavity 203, which is used to accommodate and fix functional components. In this embodiment, the functional component is such as an alarm for detecting gas leaks. Alarms for detecting gas leaks are existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown, the recessed cavity 203 also creates a groove between the gas inlet and the adjacent side wall of the housing 20, which facilitates the arrangement of the dust removal unit 22.

[0029] In this embodiment, a meandering airflow passage 220 is formed within the dust removal unit 22. Filter material is installed within the airflow passage 220 to filter out particulate matter in the airflow. The particulate matter includes pipe metal corrosion products, pipe coating peeling products, etc. The filter material is designed to have characteristics such as high filtration efficiency, low pressure drop, good pressure resistance, good airflow impact resistance, and long service life. Examples of filter materials include glass fiber, polyester fiber, and membrane filter media. The pore size of the filter material can be adapted to the particle size of the particulate matter to be filtered.

[0030] Specifically, the airflow passage 220 includes multiple airflow branches arranged in parallel. In this embodiment, the multiple airflow branches extend horizontally and are connected end to end, thus extending in a continuous S-shape from bottom to top. This can significantly increase the length of the airflow passage 220 within the effective space and increase the residence time of the airflow in the airflow passage 220. In addition, the baffles forming the airflow branches are arranged facing the gas inlet 201, so that the incoming gas first collides with the baffles, effectively reducing the gas flow velocity.

[0031] In other embodiments of this utility model, the airflow passage 220 may also include multiple vertical length segments, with adjacent vertical length segments connected vertically, or forming a continuous S-shaped extended airflow passage 220.

[0032] like Figure 2 and 3As shown, several first baffles 221 and several second baffles 222 are arranged at intervals and cross each other within the airflow branch to form a continuous S-shaped path within each airflow branch. In this embodiment, the first baffle 221 is a baffle that runs horizontally through the airflow branch and is fixedly connected to the inner top surface of the airflow branch upwards; the second baffle 222 runs horizontally through the airflow branch and is fixedly connected to the inner bottom surface of the airflow branch downwards. This further buffers the airflow, not only increasing the residence time of the airflow in the airflow passage 220 but also extending the length of the airflow passage 220, significantly increasing the contact time between the airflow and the filter material, thereby improving the adsorption effect.

[0033] Furthermore, the second baffle 222 is made of filter material and is grid-shaped, including several U-shaped grooves 2221 with openings facing upwards. This allows the airflow to not only straighten when it flows through the horizontal length section, but also be continuously and repeatedly compressed and released, buffering the airflow and dissolving large turbulence into several small turbulences that can be eliminated in the air intake buffer chamber 2, so that the airflow can fully contact the filter material for efficient dust removal. The design is ingenious.

[0034] In addition, the second baffle 222 is designed to have an angle that is inclined from top to bottom in the direction of airflow to guide the airflow forward. The rear end face of the second baffle 222 is vertical to further buffer the airflow and form several small turbulences, thereby increasing the contact time between the airflow and the filter material and improving the adsorption effect.

[0035] The airflow that is then discharged through the airflow channel 220 enters the larger intake buffer chamber 2, where the airflow velocity is further reduced significantly, thus eliminating turbulence and stabilizing the airflow.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the flow channel body 1 is located inside the housing 20, through which airflow passes and is connected to a first inlet and a first outlet. In this embodiment, the flow channel body 2 extends horizontally, the airflow channel 220 is connected to the gas inlet through the air inlet buffer chamber 2, and the first outlet is connected to the gas outlet 202 through the air outlet buffer chamber 3. like Figure 2 As shown, the flow channel body 1 includes a first guide section 12, a measuring section 11 at the middle position, and a second guide section 13 arranged sequentially in the middle. It also includes a first transducer 30 and a second transducer 40, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, a first mounting position 5 and a second mounting position 6 for installing transducer assemblies are respectively provided at the first inlet near the inlet end of the measuring section 11 and at the first outlet near the outlet end of the measuring section 11. The first transducer 30 is installed at the first mounting position 5 and the second transducer 40 is installed at the second mounting position 6.

[0037] like Figure 4As shown, a rectifying structure 7 is fixed within the measuring section 11. The rectifying structure 7 includes a central flow channel 71 and several peripheral flow channels 72 evenly arranged around the central flow channel 71. In this embodiment, the central flow channel 71 is cylindrical, and its inner diameter is at least 1.5 times the wavelength of the ultrasonic pulse passing through the measuring section 11. This ensures the quality of the ultrasonic pulse transmission signal and helps improve measurement accuracy. If the maximum sound velocity of the ultrasonic pulse used for metering gas is estimated, and the transducer emits an ultrasonic pulse frequency of 200K with a wavelength of 2.4mm, the minimum inner diameter of the central flow channel 71 is 3.6mm.

[0038] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the first guide section 12 between the inlet end of the measuring section 11 and the first inlet is funnel-shaped to guide the airflow smoothly into the measuring section 11 through the first inlet; wherein, the first guide section 12 includes an arc surface extending in a loop, the arc opening of the arc surface faces outward and the radius of the arc surface is 0.9 to 1.5 times the inner diameter of the measuring section. In this embodiment, the radius of the arc surface is the inner diameter value of the measuring section 11, so that the airflow can be well guided to smoothly enter the measuring section 11.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, to further improve the stability of the airflow within the measurement section 11, a flow guide grille 10 is also provided at the first inlet. The outer flow channel 72 extends and forms several flow guide channels evenly arranged circumferentially within the flow guide grille 10. Each flow guide channel includes multiple flow guide branches of the same size, and these branches are arranged in a fan shape. Figure 3 As shown, a first mounting position 5 is formed at the center of the flow guide grille 10.

[0040] In this embodiment, the number of peripheral flow channels 72 is 3 to 10, which effectively rectify the airflow in the measurement section 11. Each of the flow channels is provided with 2, 3 or 4 flow branches. On the one hand, the airflow is fully rectified before entering the measurement section 11, which improves the stability of the airflow in the measurement section 11. On the other hand, it avoids the airflow passing through the flow branches from being split again by the grid between the peripheral flow channels 72, which would generate turbulence at the inlet end of the measurement section and cause greater airflow disturbance, which is beneficial to improving the measurement accuracy of the measurement section 11.

[0041] The second guide section 13 between the outlet end of the measuring section 11 and the first outlet is funnel-shaped to guide the airflow through the measuring section 11 and smoothly discharge it from the first outlet.

[0042] In this embodiment, the gas valve 4 is located at the gas outlet 202 of the meter. That is, the gas discharged through the first outlet is buffered in the outlet buffer chamber 3 and then discharged from the gas outlet 202, avoiding turbulence at the outlet end of the measuring section 11, which is beneficial to improving the measurement accuracy of the measuring section 11. On the one hand, it can greatly reduce the turbulence effect of the gas valve 4 on the inlet end of the measuring section 11. On the other hand, while ensuring that the measuring section 11 is of sufficient length, it effectively increases the distance between the inlet end of the measuring section 11 and the gas inlet port, so that the airflow entering the inlet buffer chamber 2 is fully buffered and rectified before entering the measuring section 11, which is beneficial to improving the airflow stability of the measuring section 11 and improving the measurement accuracy.

[0043] In addition, since the gas valve 4 is located at the gas outlet 202, it does not occupy the space of the air inlet buffer chamber 2. Under the condition that the inner cavity of the meter housing 20 is fixed, the space of the air inlet buffer chamber 2 is relatively large. This avoids the situation in the prior art where the gas valve 4 is located at the gas inlet, resulting in the gas valve 4 being close to the inlet end of the measuring section 11 and requiring a matching gas valve 4 with good anti-turbulence performance. This is beneficial to reducing costs.

[0044] The present invention has been described above by way of example, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Any modifications or variations made based on the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic gas meter, characterized in that, It includes a housing (20), a flow channel body (1), and a dust removal unit (22); The housing (20) is provided with a gas inlet (201) and a gas outlet (202). The upright plate (8) fixedly installed inside the housing (20) divides the inner cavity of the housing into an independent air inlet buffer chamber (2) and an air outlet buffer chamber (3). The dust removal unit (22) is located at the gas inlet (201). The dust removal unit (22) forms a meandering airflow passage (220). The airflow passage (220) is provided with filter material to filter out particulate matter in the airflow. The flow channel body (1) is located inside the shell (20), through which airflow passes and is connected to a first inlet and a first outlet. The first inlet is connected to the gas inlet (201) through the air inlet buffer chamber (2), and the first outlet is connected to the gas outlet (202) through the air outlet buffer chamber (3).

2. The ultrasonic gas meter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flow channel body (1) includes an intermediate measurement section (11), and a first installation position (5) and a second installation position (6) for installing a transducer assembly are respectively provided at the first inlet near the inlet end of the measurement section (11) and the first outlet near the outlet end of the measurement section (11).

3. The ultrasonic gas meter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airflow passage (220) includes multiple airflow branches arranged in parallel, with the multiple airflow branches connected end to end.

4. The ultrasonic gas meter according to claim 3, characterized in that, The airflow branch is provided with a number of first baffles (221) and a number of second baffles (222) arranged at intervals to form a continuous S-shaped path. The first baffles (221) and / or the second baffles (222) include filter material.

5. The ultrasonic gas meter according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first baffle (221) is a baffle that runs across the airflow branch. The second baffle (222) is grid-shaped and includes several U-shaped grooves (2221) with openings facing upwards. The second baffle (222) is designed to have an angle that is inclined from top to bottom in the direction of airflow along the airflow direction to guide the airflow forward. The rear end face of the second baffle (222) is vertical to buffer the airflow.

6. The ultrasonic gas meter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the housing (20) between the gas inlet (201) and the gas outlet (202) is recessed inward to form a cavity (203), which is used to accommodate and fix functional components.

7. The ultrasonic gas meter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, It also includes a gas valve (4), which is located at the gas outlet (202), and the upright plate (8) is arranged close to the gas outlet (202).

8. The ultrasonic gas meter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first guide section (12) between the inlet end of the measuring section (11) and the first inlet is funnel-shaped to guide the airflow smoothly into the measuring section (11) through the first inlet; the second guide section (13) between the outlet end of the measuring section (11) and the first outlet is funnel-shaped to guide the airflow smoothly out of the first outlet through the measuring section (11).

9. The ultrasonic gas meter according to claim 8, characterized in that, The measuring section (11) is provided with a rectification structure (7), which includes a central flow channel (71) and a number of peripheral flow channels (72) arranged circumferentially around the central flow channel (71). A guide grid (10) is also provided at the straight pipe section at the first inlet. The peripheral flow channels (72) extend and form a number of guide channels arranged circumferentially around the guide grid (10). The guide channels include multiple guide branches. A first mounting position (5) for accommodating the first transducer (30) is formed at the center of the guide grid.

10. The ultrasonic gas meter according to claim 9, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the central channel (71) is at least 1.5 times the wavelength of the ultrasonic pulse passing through the measuring section (11); the number of the peripheral channels (72) is 3 to 10, and each of the channels has 2, 3 or 4 branch channels.

11. The ultrasonic gas meter according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first guide section (12) includes an arc surface extending in a loop, the arc surface has an outward arc opening and the radius of the arc surface is 0.9 to 1.5 times the inner diameter of the measuring section (11); the first outlet extends into the air outlet buffer chamber (3) and is set facing the side wall of the housing (20), and the distance between the first outlet and the side wall of the housing (20) is not less than the inner diameter of the measuring section (11).

Images