A wireless ultrasonic array axial force sensor for large bolts in a water turbine
By using a wireless ultrasonic array axial force sensor to monitor the axial force of turbine bolts in real time, the problem of traditional detection methods being difficult to monitor in real time has been solved, improving monitoring accuracy and system reliability, and reducing maintenance costs.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202522582476.7
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-11-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-12-05
AI Technical Summary
The bolts on the top cover of large water turbines are susceptible to the effects of humidity and vibration, which can lead to a decrease in structural strength. Traditional testing methods are unable to monitor changes in axial force in real time, which can easily cause loosening or breakage, posing a safety hazard.
The axial force sensor uses a wireless ultrasonic array, which includes multiple magnetic housings, contacts, and a wireless communication module. It integrates a signal processing module and wireless charging function to achieve real-time monitoring of bolt axial force, avoiding signal abnormalities and complex cable routing.
Real-time monitoring of bolt axial force was achieved, which improved monitoring accuracy and system reliability, reduced maintenance costs and frequency, and ensured the long-term stable operation of the equipment.
Smart Images

Figure CN224945563U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of water turbine technology, and more specifically, to a wireless ultrasonic array group axial force sensor for large bolts of water turbines. Background Technology
[0002] For large hydroelectric turbines, large bolts such as the top cover bolts are critical components of the unit structure. For example, the top cover bolts are crucial for ensuring a secure and reliable connection between the top cover and the seat ring. Due to the structural characteristics of hydroelectric generators, the turbine chamber where the top cover bolts are located experiences high humidity, making them highly susceptible to corrosion. This reduces the bolt's structural strength and reliability under dynamic impacts from the unit, easily leading to loosening or even breakage of the bolt connections, potentially causing a series of serious accidents, even tragedies like the Sayan Hydroelectric Power Station disaster in Russia. During long-term operation, bolts are susceptible to vibration and corrosion, causing changes in axial force, which traditional detection methods struggle to monitor in real time. This invention utilizes wireless ultrasonic array technology to monitor the bolt axial force in real time, promptly identifying potential hazards, ensuring the safe and stable operation of the unit, and playing a vital role in preventing major production accidents. Utility Model Content
[0003] To solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model proposes a wireless ultrasonic array group axial force sensor for large bolts of water turbines.
[0004] The first aspect of this utility model provides a wireless ultrasonic array axial force sensor for large bolts in a water turbine, comprising: multiple magnetic housings arranged in parallel and contacts disposed inside the magnetic housings. Multiple magnetic housings are electrically connected via composite cables, and a wireless communication module is connected to the end of each composite cable. A wafer is disposed at the bottom of any of the magnetic housings; The magnetic housing includes a protective shell, inside which a weight block is disposed, a cable is disposed on the top of the weight block, a socket is disposed on the top of the cable, and the socket is connected to the composite cable; The protective shell is filled with sound-absorbing material inside and outside the weight block.
[0005] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wireless communication module includes a metal housing and a signal processing module disposed inside the metal housing; The bottom of the signal processing module is connected to the composite cable, and the top of the signal processing module is equipped with a communication module and a charging module.
[0006] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the wireless communication module uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology for signal transmission.
[0007] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, a buffer layer is provided on the inner wall of the contact.
[0008] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the socket is provided with a key slot inside.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, multiple slots are provided at intervals on the outer side of the contact.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the wafer is a 40kHz piezoelectric ceramic wafer with a diameter of 10-15mm and a thickness of 2-3mm.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the contact is made of tungsten carbide material, and the end of the contact is provided with a spherical contact head, the spherical radius of the spherical contact head being adapted to the curvature of the bolt end face.
[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects obtained by this utility model are as follows: 1. The sensor structure in this invention is an integrated ultrasonic sensor, which does not require changes to the main structure of the measured object. At the same time, it can avoid the problem of signal abnormality or signal loss caused by the movement of the contact in a split sensor. The integrated design simplifies the installation steps, has a simple structure, is easy and quick to disassemble, reduces maintenance costs, improves the overall reliability and stability of the sensor, and ensures long-term efficient operation.
[0013] 2. The sensor body has a structure of 6 crystals and contacts, which can set up 6 measuring points on a bolt to realize multi-angle data acquisition of the same bolt, cover the entire bolt, avoid monitoring blind spots, and improve monitoring accuracy.
[0014] 3. The sensor itself has a processing chip, enabling real-time data processing. This reduces the complexity of the data acquisition equipment, optimizes data integration efficiency, and further enhances the overall monitoring capabilities and data analysis accuracy of the system.
[0015] 4. The sensor integrates a wireless communication module, which has wireless communication function, which can greatly reduce the laying of cables, making the overall structure of the monitoring system simple, easy to use, and increasing the convenience and reliability of later maintenance.
[0016] 5. The sensor features wireless charging, eliminating the need for frequent battery replacements, reducing maintenance frequency and costs, and preventing performance degradation due to battery aging, thus ensuring long-term stable monitoring results. The application of wireless charging technology allows the sensor to maintain continuous power supply even in complex environments, while reducing cable routing and further improving system reliability and practicality. Attached Figure Description
[0017] Figure 1This invention presents a schematic diagram of the axial force sensor structure of a wireless ultrasonic array group for large bolts in a water turbine. Figure 2 The diagram shows the structure of the wireless communication module of this utility model; Figure 3 A structural diagram of the contact of this utility model is shown; Figure 4 The protective shell structure diagram of this utility model is shown in view AA. Figure 5 The diagram shows the structure of the protective shell of this utility model from view BB.
[0018] In the diagram, 1. Chip; 2. Contact; 3. Magnetic housing; 4. Composite cable; 5. Wireless communication module; 6. Protective shell; 7. Buffer layer; 8. Card slot; 9. Sound receiving material; 10. Weight block; 11. Cable; 12. Socket; 13. Metal housing; 14. Signal processing module; 15. Communication module; 16. Charging module; 17. Keyed card slot. Detailed Implementation
[0019] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.
[0020] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0021] like Figures 1-5 As shown, the first aspect of this utility model provides a wireless ultrasonic array axial force sensor for large bolts of a water turbine, comprising: multiple magnetic housings 3 arranged in parallel and contacts 2 disposed inside the magnetic housings 3. Multiple magnetic housings 3 are electrically connected by composite cables 4, and a wireless communication module 5 is connected to the end of the composite cables 4; A wafer 1 is disposed at the bottom of any magnetic housing 3; The magnetic housing 3 includes a protective shell 6, inside which a weight block 10 is provided, a cable 11 is provided on the top of the weight block 10, a socket 12 is provided on the top of the cable 11, and the socket 12 is connected to the composite cable 4. The protective shell 6 is filled with sound-absorbing material 9 inside and outside the weight block 10.
[0022] Specifically, the axial force sensor consists of 6 sets of chips 1 and contacts 2, a magnetic housing 3, a composite cable 4, and a wireless communication module 5. Each chip 1 is aligned with the center of one contact 2 and bonded together with high-strength adhesive. The magnetic housing 3 is clipped onto each set of chips 1 and contacts 2. One core of the composite cable 4 is connected to the connector at the reserved hole at the top of the contact 2. All cores of the composite cable 4 are connected to the connectors at the reserved holes at the top of each contact 2. The lead wire of the wireless communication module 5 is connected to the reserved main connector of the composite cable 4 to form a whole.
[0023] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the wireless communication module 5 includes a metal housing 13 and a signal processing module 14 disposed inside the metal housing 13. The bottom of the signal processing module 14 is connected to the composite cable 4, and the top of the signal processing module 14 is provided with a communication module 15 and a charging module 16.
[0024] According to an embodiment of this utility model, the wireless communication module 5 uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology for signal transmission.
[0025] It should be noted that the wireless communication module 5 adopts low-power Bluetooth technology to achieve long-distance data transmission. The wireless communication module 5 uses a metal shell 13 as a protective shell 6. The metal shell 13 has a buffer layer 7 inside, and a built-in signal processing module 14, communication module 15 and wireless charging module 16. The signal processing module 14 is fixed in the metal shell 13. The communication module 15 and wireless charging module 16 are arranged side by side in the slot 8 on the upper end of the shell and fixed with non-metallic structural parts. The composite cable 4 is connected to the slot of the signal processing module 14.
[0026] The protective shell 6 is made of high-strength composite material and has an optimized internal buffer layer 7 to enhance its impact resistance. The protective shell 6 is divided into two parts, and each part has a slot 8 on its two edges to allow the two parts to be joined together as a whole. The slot 8 is designed with an interlocking structure to ensure that the protective shell 6 is tightly closed. The lower end of the protective shell 6 has a groove that matches the size of the wafer 1, and the upper end of the protective shell 6 is designed with a recessed keyed slot 8, which can not only install the socket 12 on the protective shell 6, but also facilitate a tight fit with the magnetic housing 3.
[0027] The sensor in this application can monitor changes in axial force in real time, promptly detect problems such as bolt preload decay, and avoid equipment failure or safety accidents caused by bolt loosening or breakage.
[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a buffer layer 7 is provided on the inner wall of the contact 2.
[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the socket 12 is provided with a key slot 17 inside.
[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of slots 8 are provided at intervals on the outer side of the contact 2.
[0031] It should be noted that the wireless communication module 5 adopts low-power Bluetooth technology to achieve long-distance data transmission. The wireless communication module 5 uses a metal shell 13 as a protective shell 6. The metal shell 13 has a buffer layer 7 inside, and a built-in signal processing module 14, communication module 15 and wireless charging module 16. The signal processing module 14 is fixed in the metal shell 13. The communication module 15 and wireless charging module 16 are arranged side by side in the slot 8 on the upper end of the shell and fixed with non-metallic structural parts. The composite cable 4 is connected to the slot of the signal processing module 14.
[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the wafer is a 40kHz piezoelectric ceramic wafer with a diameter of 10-15mm and a thickness of 2-3mm.
[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the contact is made of tungsten carbide material, and the end of the contact is provided with a spherical contact head, the radius of the spherical contact head being adapted to the curvature of the bolt end face.
[0034] In summary, the sensor structure in this invention is an integrated ultrasonic sensor, which does not require changes to the main structure of the measured object. At the same time, it can avoid the problem of signal abnormality or signal loss caused by the movement of contact 2 in a split sensor. The integrated design simplifies the installation steps, has a simple structure, is easy and quick to disassemble, reduces maintenance costs, improves the overall reliability and stability of the sensor, and ensures long-term efficient operation.
[0035] The sensor body has a structure of 6 sets of crystals 1 and contacts 2, which can set up 6 measuring points on a bolt to realize multi-angle data acquisition of the same bolt, cover the entire bolt, avoid monitoring blind spots, and improve monitoring accuracy.
[0036] The sensor itself has a processing chip, enabling real-time data processing. This reduces the complexity of the data acquisition equipment, optimizes data integration efficiency, and further enhances the overall monitoring capabilities and accuracy of the system's data analysis.
[0037] The sensor integrates a wireless communication module 15, which has wireless communication capabilities. This can significantly reduce the laying of cables 11, making the overall structure of the monitoring system simple, easy to use, and increasing the convenience and reliability of later maintenance.
[0038] The sensor features wireless charging, eliminating the need for frequent battery replacements, reducing maintenance frequency and costs, and preventing performance degradation due to battery aging, thus ensuring long-term stable monitoring results. The application of wireless charging technology allows the sensor to maintain continuous power supply even in complex environments, while also reducing the amount of cabling, further improving the system's reliability and practicality.
[0039] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For instance, multiple units or components may be combined, integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the various components shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.
[0040] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units; some or all of the units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.
[0041] In addition, in the various embodiments of this utility model, all functional units can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be a separate unit, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit; the integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.
[0042] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A wireless ultrasonic array group shaft force sensor for a large bolt of a hydraulic turbine, comprising: A plurality of magnetic housings arranged in parallel and contacts disposed inside the magnetic housings, characterized in that, Multiple magnetic housings are electrically connected via composite cables, and a wireless communication module is connected to the end of each composite cable. A wafer is disposed at the bottom of any of the magnetic housings; The magnetic housing includes a protective shell, inside which a weight block is disposed, a cable is disposed on the top of the weight block, a socket is disposed on the top of the cable, and the socket is connected to the composite cable; The protective shell is filled with sound-absorbing material inside and outside the weight block.
2. The wireless ultrasonic array group shaft force sensor for large bolts of a hydraulic turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wireless communication module includes a metal housing and a signal processing module disposed inside the metal housing. The bottom of the signal processing module is connected to the composite cable, and the top of the signal processing module is equipped with a communication module and a charging module.
3. The wireless ultrasonic array group shaft force sensor for large bolts of a hydraulic turbine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The wireless communication module uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology for signal transmission.
4. The wireless ultrasonic array group shaft force sensor for large bolts of a hydraulic turbine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner wall of the contact is provided with a buffer layer.
5. The wireless ultrasonic array group shaft force sensor for large bolts of a hydraulic turbine according to claim 4, characterized in that, The socket has a key card slot inside.
6. The wireless ultrasonic array group shaft force sensor for large bolts of a hydraulic turbine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The outer side of the contact is provided with multiple slots at intervals.
7. The axial force sensor for a large bolt wireless ultrasonic array in a water turbine according to claim 6, characterized in that, The wafer is a 40kHz piezoelectric ceramic wafer with a diameter of 10-15mm and a thickness of 2-3mm.
8. The wireless ultrasonic array group shaft force sensor for large bolts of a hydraulic turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact is made of tungsten carbide material, and the end of the contact is provided with a spherical contact head. The spherical radius of the spherical contact head is adapted to the curvature of the bolt end face.
