Ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic flowmeter

Abstract

To provide a technique of improving the gain of an ultrasonic signal more.SOLUTION: An ultrasonic sensor 5 includes: a piezoelectric element 51 for sending or receiving an ultrasonic wave; and a fixation member 52 to which the piezoelectric element 51 is attached and fixed. The fixation member 52 has an adjustment unit 52G for adjusting the angle of attachment of the piezoelectric element 51 in an attachment surface 52a to which the piezoelectric element 51 is attached.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to ultrasonic sensors and ultrasonic flow meters. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, ultrasonic flowmeters use a transmitting transducer (hereinafter also referred to as an "ultrasonic sensor") to irradiate ultrasonic waves to a fluid (gas) sample to be measured, and calculate the flow velocity of the fluid by measuring the time it takes for the ultrasonic waves to pass through the fluid to be measured and arrive at a receiving transducer (ultrasonic sensor).The flow rate is also calculated from the relationship between the calculation result and the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe through which the fluid flows.

[0003] In this case, the transmitting and receiving ultrasonic sensors are configured to include, for example, a piezoelectric element, an acoustic matching layer, and a fixing member. The piezoelectric element is an element that converts between an ultrasonic signal, which is an electrical signal, and ultrasonic waves. The acoustic matching layer is provided to improve the efficiency of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves. The fixing member is a member for attaching and fixing the piezoelectric element and the acoustic matching layer. When fixing the piezoelectric element to the fixing member, a common method is to apply an adhesive to the electrode surface of the piezoelectric element and adhere this surface to the fixing member to fix it.

[0004] In an ultrasonic flowmeter, a pair of sensors, a transmitting side and a receiving side ultrasonic sensor, are arranged opposite to each other. In this case, in the ultrasonic flowmeter, from the viewpoint of measuring the propagation time of ultrasonic waves with high accuracy, it is desirable that, for example, when the direction between the elements of the two ultrasonic sensors is the Z-axis direction, the angle formed by the piezoelectric elements of the two ultrasonic sensors is not tilted (perpendicular) with respect to the Z-axis direction. In this regard, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for fixing each ultrasonic sensor so that the angle formed by the piezoelectric elements of the two ultrasonic sensors is not tilted with respect to the Z-axis direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-253585 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "conventional technology"), the ultrasonic propagation time can be measured with high accuracy by fixing each ultrasonic sensor so that the angle formed by the piezoelectric elements of the two ultrasonic sensors is not tilted with respect to the Z-axis direction. On the other hand, in an ultrasonic flowmeter, there is a demand for improving the gain of the ultrasonic signal.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technique capable of improving the gain of an ultrasonic signal more than ever before. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The ultrasonic sensor of the present disclosure includes a piezoelectric element that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, and a fixing member to which the piezoelectric element is attached and fixed, and the fixing member is characterized in that it has an adjustment portion for adjusting the mounting angle of the piezoelectric element within a mounting surface to which the piezoelectric element is attached. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, since it is configured as described above, it is possible to improve the gain of the ultrasonic signal more than before. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view in the flow direction of an ultrasonic flowmeter including an ultrasonic sensor according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic sensor according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a front view showing a configuration example of an ultrasonic sensor according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view in the flow direction of an ultrasonic flowmeter according to the conventional technology, and FIG. 4B is a schematic configuration diagram of the ultrasonic sensor in FIG. 4A when viewed from the Z-axis direction. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5A is a diagram for explaining the deviation in the mounting angle within the mounting surface between a pair of piezoelectric elements in the conventional technology, and FIG. 5B is a diagram for explaining the positional deviation of each piezoelectric element when the pair of piezoelectric elements in the conventional technology are viewed from the inter-element direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view in the flow direction of an ultrasonic flowmeter 1 equipped with ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6 according to the first embodiment.

[0012] The ultrasonic flowmeter 1 includes a flow measurement unit 2 including ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6, a measurement unit 7, and a calculation unit 8, as shown in FIG.

[0013] The flow rate measuring unit 2 measures the flow rate of a fluid flowing through a flow path 3. Specifically, the flow rate measuring unit 2 has a flow path 3 through which the fluid flows. The flow path 3 is provided with openings 4a and 4b that propagate ultrasonic waves so that ultrasonic waves can be transmitted and received obliquely to the direction in which the fluid flows. In addition, a pair of ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6 that transmit and receive ultrasonic waves are fixed to face each other at the ends of the openings 4a and 4b, respectively.

[0014] 1, R1 indicates the propagation path of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic sensor 5, and R2 indicates the propagation path of the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic sensor 6. Here, V denotes the flow velocity of the fluid flowing through the flow path 3, C denotes the speed of sound in the fluid, L denotes the distance between the elements of the ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6, and θ denotes the angle between the flow direction of the fluid and the propagation direction of the ultrasonic waves.

[0015] For example, when ultrasonic sensor 6 is used as the transmitting side and ultrasonic sensor 5 is used as the receiving side, the measurement unit 7 calculates the propagation time t1 for the ultrasonic waves transmitted from ultrasonic sensor 6 to reach ultrasonic sensor 5 using the following equation (1). t1=L / (C+Vcosθ) (1)

[0016] Similarly, when ultrasonic sensor 5 is used as the transmitting sensor and ultrasonic sensor 6 is used as the receiving sensor, the measurement unit 7 calculates the propagation time t2 for the ultrasonic waves transmitted from ultrasonic sensor 5 to reach ultrasonic sensor 6 from the following equation (2). t2=L / (C-Vcosθ) (2)

[0017] The calculation unit 8 calculates the flow velocity V of the fluid from equation (3) obtained by eliminating the sound velocity C of the fluid from equations (1) and (2). V=L / (2cosθ((1 / t1)-(1 / t2))) (3)

[0018] If the distance L in the inter-element direction of the ultrasonic sensors 5, 6 and the angle θ are known, the calculation unit 8 calculates the flow velocity V from equation (3) using the propagation times t1, t2 calculated by the measurement unit 7. The calculation unit 8 also multiplies the flow velocity V by the cross-sectional area S of the flow path 3 and a correction coefficient K to calculate the flow rate Q of the fluid.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of ultrasonic sensor 5 according to embodiment 1, and Fig. 3 is a front view showing the configuration example of ultrasonic sensor 5 according to embodiment 1. Note that since the configuration examples of ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6 according to embodiment 1 are similar, ultrasonic sensor 5 will be described here as a representative example.

[0020] As shown in, for example, FIGS. 2 and 3, the ultrasonic sensor 5 includes a piezoelectric element 51, a fixing member 52, and an acoustic matching layer (not shown).

[0021] The piezoelectric element 51 is an element that converts between an ultrasonic signal, which is an electrical signal, and ultrasonic waves. In the manufacturing process, the piezoelectric element 51 is cut out from a piezoelectric sheet manufactured in a large area in a dicing process, and is formed into, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The piezoelectric element 51 may be made of any material that exhibits piezoelectricity, but is preferably made of a material such as barium titanate or lead zirconate titanate.

[0022] 2, the piezoelectric element 51 is attached and fixed to a mounting surface 52a of a fixing member 52. Electrodes (not shown) are formed on a surface (mounted surface) 51b of the piezoelectric element 51 that is attached to the mounting surface 52a and on the opposite surface 51a. Lead wires (not shown) are connected to the electrodes formed on the surface 51a of the piezoelectric element 51. The electrodes formed on the mounted surface 51b of the piezoelectric element 51 are fixed to the mounting surface 52a of the fixing member 52 together with the mounted surface 51b. The mounted surface 51b of the piezoelectric element 51 is a transmitting / receiving surface that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves via an acoustic matching layer, which will be described later.

[0023] The fixing member 52 is a plate-like member that fixes the piezoelectric element 51. The fixing member 52 is made of a metal material such as iron, stainless steel, brass, copper, aluminum, or a nickel-plated steel plate.

[0024] The mounting surface 51b of the piezoelectric element 51, together with the electrodes, is fixed to the mounting surface 52a of the fixing member 52. A lead wire (not shown) is connected to the mounting surface 52a. An acoustic matching layer (not shown) is provided on the surface 52b of the fixing member 52.

[0025] The acoustic matching layer is provided to improve the efficiency of transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves. The open end face of the acoustic matching layer, i.e., the end face opposite to the side fixed to the surface 52b of the fixing member 52, becomes the ultrasonic wave radiating surface. By adjusting the thickness of the acoustic matching layer to λ / 4, the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the mounting surface 51b of the piezoelectric element 51 are efficiently propagated from the radiating surface to the measured fluid. The acoustic matching layer can be realized, for example, by filling the gaps of a hollow glass sphere with a thermosetting resin and hardening it, or by forming an acoustic membrane on the sound wave radiating surface of a ceramic porous body.

[0026] The piezoelectric element 51 and the fixing member 52, and the fixing member 52 and the acoustic matching layer are bonded to each other at their respective contact surfaces with an adhesive or a conductive paste.

[0027] Here, the fixing member 52 includes an adjustment portion 52G for adjusting the mounting angle of the piezoelectric element 51 within a mounting surface 52a to which the piezoelectric element 51 is attached. As shown in Fig. 2, for example, the adjustment portion 52G is a surface of the fixing member 52 that is continuous with the mounting surface 52a and is a surface parallel to an end surface 51c of the piezoelectric element 51 attached to the mounting surface 52a.

[0028] The adjustment portion 52G is not limited to the surface of the fixing member 52 as described above. For example, the adjustment portion 52G may be a line formed on the mounting surface 52a and a line (partial line) parallel to any side of the mounting surface 51b of the piezoelectric element 51 to be mounted on the mounting surface 52a. The adjustment portion 52G may be a recess formed on the mounting surface 52a and the outer shape of the recess is formed to correspond to the outer shape of the piezoelectric element 51.

[0029] Although the description is omitted here, the ultrasonic sensor 6 also has the same configuration as the above-mentioned ultrasonic sensor 5. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the components of the ultrasonic sensor 6 will be referred to as the piezoelectric element 61, the surfaces 61a to 61c of the piezoelectric element 61, the fixing member 62, the mounting surface 62a of the fixing member 62, the adjustment portion 62G, etc.

[0030] Next, a description will be given of the effects of the ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6 and the ultrasonic flowmeter 1 according to embodiment 1. The ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6 and the ultrasonic flowmeter 1 according to embodiment 1 are configured as described above, and therefore can improve the gain of the ultrasonic signal more than ever before.

[0031] This point will be described in comparison with the conventional technology shown in Patent Document 1. Fig. 4A is a cross-sectional view in the flow direction of an ultrasonic flowmeter 100 in the conventional technology, and Fig. 4B is a schematic configuration diagram of the ultrasonic sensor 500 in Fig. 4A when the ultrasonic sensor 500 is viewed from the Z-axis direction. In Fig. 4B, the X-axis and Y-axis perpendicular to the Z-axis are defined as shown in the figure.

[0032] The ultrasonic flowmeter 100 shown in Fig. 4A has a similar configuration to the ultrasonic flowmeter 1 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1. That is, the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 includes a flow measurement unit 200 including ultrasonic sensors 500 and 600, a measurement unit 700, and a calculation unit 800, as shown in Fig. 4A, for example.

[0033] The flow rate measuring unit 200 measures the flow rate of a fluid flowing through a flow path 300. Specifically, the flow rate measuring unit 200 has a flow path 300 through which a fluid flows. The flow path 300 is provided with openings 400a and 400b that propagate ultrasonic waves so that ultrasonic waves can be transmitted and received obliquely to the direction in which the fluid flows. In addition, a pair of ultrasonic sensors 500 and 600 that transmit and receive ultrasonic waves are fixed to the ends of the openings 400a and 400b so as to face each other. Note that a specific method of calculating the flow rate of a fluid in the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 is the same as that of the ultrasonic flowmeter 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0034] Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the inter-element direction of a pair of ultrasonic sensors 500, 600 is the Z-axis direction, in the ultrasonic flowmeter 100, the ultrasonic sensors 500, 600 are fixed to the openings 400a, 400b so that the angle formed by the piezoelectric elements of the ultrasonic sensors 500, 600 with respect to the Z-axis direction is not tilted (perpendicular).

[0035] On the other hand, in the ultrasonic sensor 500, the piezoelectric element 510 is attached and fixed to a fixed member (piezoelectric body support plate) 520 as shown in FIG. 4B, for example, but the fixed member 520 is not provided with a guide for adjusting the attachment angle of the piezoelectric element 510 in the attachment surface to which the piezoelectric element 510 is attached. Therefore, when manufacturing the ultrasonic sensor 500, the user cannot adjust the attachment angle of the piezoelectric element 510 in the attachment surface (XY plane) of the fixed member 520. This is the same when manufacturing the ultrasonic sensor 600, and the user cannot adjust the attachment angle of the piezoelectric element 610 in the attachment surface of the fixed member 620 of the ultrasonic sensor 600.

[0036] In this case, when the pair of ultrasonic sensors 500, 600 are fixed to the openings 400a, 400b in the ultrasonic flowmeter 100, as shown in FIG. 5A, the mounting angle in the mounting surface (XY plane) may be misaligned between the two piezoelectric elements 510, 610. In this case, when viewed from the Z-axis direction, the piezoelectric elements 510, 610 have a portion (a portion marked with an x) on the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface that does not face the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface of the other piezoelectric element. Then, the portion marked with an x ​​cannot transmit and receive ultrasonic waves appropriately, and as a result, the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 may not be able to improve the gain of the ultrasonic signal.

[0037] In contrast, in the ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6 according to the first embodiment, as described above, the adjustment units 52G and 62G for adjusting the mounting angle of the piezoelectric elements 51 and 61 within the mounting surfaces 52a and 62a to which the piezoelectric elements 51 and 61 are attached are provided on the fixing members 52 and 62. Therefore, the user can adjust the mounting angle of the piezoelectric elements 51 and 61 using the adjustment units 52G and 62G as a guide.

[0038] For example, when adjustment portion 52G is configured by a surface of fixing member 52 that is continuous with mounting surface 52a (see FIG. 2), when fixing piezoelectric element 51 to fixing member 52, the user fixes piezoelectric element 51 to a predetermined position on fixing member 52 while appropriately adjusting the posture (angle) of piezoelectric element 51 so that end surface 51c of piezoelectric element 51 is parallel to surface 52G of fixing member 52 that is continuous with mounting surface 52a.

[0039] Furthermore, for example, if adjustment portion 52G is configured with a line (partial line) formed on mounting surface 52a, when mounting and fixing piezoelectric element 51 to fixing member 52, the user fixes piezoelectric element 51 to a predetermined position on fixing member 52 while appropriately adjusting the attitude (angle) of piezoelectric element 51 so that any side of mounting surface 51b of piezoelectric element 51 is parallel to line (partial line) 52G formed on mounting surface 52a. Similarly, for ultrasonic sensor 6, the user fixes piezoelectric element 61 to a predetermined position on fixing member 62 in the same manner as above.

[0040] In this way, in the first embodiment, the user can use the adjustment units 52G, 62G as a guide to adjust (align) the mounting angles of the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 when viewed from the inter-element direction (Z-axis direction). Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility of deviation in the mounting angles of the piezoelectric elements as described in Fig. 5A, and to improve the gain of the ultrasonic signal.

[0041] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the user can use the adjustment portions 52G, 62G as guides to adjust (align) the positions of the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 when viewed from the inter-element direction (Z-axis direction).

[0042] For example, in the above conventional technology, even if the mounting angles of the piezoelectric elements 510, 610 are adjusted (aligned) as shown in Fig. 5B, there is a possibility that the positions of the piezoelectric elements 510, 610 may be shifted when viewed from the inter-element direction (Z-axis direction). The positional shift in this case is, for example, the positional shift in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction shown in Fig. 4B.

[0043] In this case, when viewed from the inter-element direction (Z-axis direction) in the piezoelectric elements 510 and 610, the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface has a portion (portion marked with an x) that does not face the ultrasonic transmission / reception surface of the other piezoelectric element. Then, in the portion marked with an x, ultrasonic waves cannot be properly transmitted and received, and as a result, in the ultrasonic flowmeter 100, there are cases where the gain of the ultrasonic signal cannot be improved.

[0044] In contrast, in the ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6 according to the first embodiment, the above-mentioned adjustment units 52G and 62G are provided on the fixing members 52 and 62. Therefore, the user fixes the piezoelectric elements 51 and 61 to the approximately corresponding positions of the fixing members 52 and 62 while appropriately adjusting the mounting angle of the piezoelectric elements 51 and 61 using the adjustment units 52G and 62G and the end faces 51c and 61c of the piezoelectric elements 51 and 61 as a guide to fabricate the ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6. Next, when fixing the ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6 to the openings 4a and 4b of the flow path 3 of the ultrasonic flowmeter 1, the user visually checks that the adjustment unit 52G of the ultrasonic sensor 5 and the adjustment unit 62G of the ultrasonic sensor 6 are parallel to each other when viewed from the inter-element direction (Z-axis direction), while appropriately adjusting the attitude of the ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6, and fixes both to the openings 4a and 4b. In this way, in the first embodiment, the user can use the adjustment units 52G, 62G as a guide to adjust (align) the positions of the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 when viewed from the inter-element direction (Z-axis direction). Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility of misalignment of the piezoelectric elements in the X-axis and Y-axis directions as described in Fig. 5B, and to further improve the gain of the ultrasonic signal.

[0045] In the above description, an example in which the fixing members 52, 62 are provided with three adjustment units 52G, 62G has been described, but the number of adjustment units 52G, 62G is not limited to this. For example, it is sufficient that one or more adjustment units 52G, 62G are provided. However, the greater the number of adjustment units 52G, 62G, the higher the adjustment accuracy of the mounting angle and position of the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 can be.

[0046] In addition, in the above explanation, a configuration for adjusting the mounting angle and position of the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 was described. In addition to this, in embodiment 1, the angle that the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 make with respect to the Z-axis direction may be configured not to be inclined (to be perpendicular) using a method similar to that of the conventional technology.

[0047] For example, in the ultrasonic sensor 5 according to the first embodiment, the user provides an insulating vibration-damping member (not shown) so as to cover the piezoelectric element 51 and the fixed member 52. In addition, a predetermined hole is formed in the insulating vibration-damping member. The hole is configured to penetrate from the outside of the insulating vibration-damping member on the piezoelectric element 51 side of the fixed member 52 and reach the fixed member 52.

[0048] Meanwhile, the user provides a fixing member (not shown) having the same number of protrusions as the holes provided in the insulating vibration-damping member at the opening 4a of the flow path 3 of the ultrasonic flowmeter 1, and fixes the ultrasonic sensor 5 to the opening 4a by inserting the protrusions of the fixing member into the holes of the insulating vibration-damping member. As a result, the fixing member 52 of the ultrasonic sensor 5 is directly pressed against the flow path 3, and the piezoelectric element 51 of the ultrasonic sensor 5 is fixed without being tilted with respect to the Z-axis direction. The same applies to the ultrasonic sensor 6.

[0049] As a result, in the first embodiment, the mounting angles and positions of the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 of the ultrasonic sensors 5, 6 are adjusted (aligned), and the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 are fixed so as not to be tilted with respect to the Z-axis direction. Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is possible to improve the gain of the ultrasonic signal and also improve the measurement accuracy of the ultrasonic propagation time.

[0050] When an insulating vibration-damping member is provided as described above, it is desirable that the insulating vibration-damping member is made of, for example, a transparent member so as not to prevent the user from viewing the adjustment units 52G and 62G. Alternatively, the insulating vibration-damping member may be made of, for example, a thin elastic member, in which case the user may elastically deform the insulating vibration-damping member as necessary to expose the adjustment units 52G and 62G, thereby enabling the user to view the adjustment units 52G and 62G.

[0051] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 5 includes a piezoelectric element 51 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, and a fixing member 52 to which the piezoelectric element 51 is fixed, and the fixing member 52 includes an adjustment section 52G for adjusting the mounting angle of the piezoelectric element 51 within a mounting surface 52a to which the piezoelectric element 51 is mounted. This makes it possible for the ultrasonic sensor 5 according to the first embodiment to improve the gain of the ultrasonic signal compared to conventional techniques.

[0052] Furthermore, the piezoelectric element 51 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the adjustment portion 52G is a surface of the fixing member 52 that is continuous with the mounting surface 52a and is a surface parallel to the end surface 51c of the piezoelectric element 51 that is attached to the mounting surface 52a. This allows the ultrasonic sensor 5 according to the first embodiment to easily configure the adjustment portion 52G.

[0053] Furthermore, the piezoelectric element 51 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the adjustment portion 52G is a line formed on the mounting surface 52a and parallel to any side of the mounting surface 51b of the piezoelectric element 51 mounted on the mounting surface 52a. This allows the ultrasonic sensor 5 according to the first embodiment to easily configure the adjustment portion 52G.

[0054] According to the first embodiment, the ultrasonic flowmeter 1 is an ultrasonic flowmeter that measures the flow rate of a fluid by a pair of ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6 that transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, and each of the pair of ultrasonic sensors 5 and 6 is the above-mentioned ultrasonic sensor. As a result, the ultrasonic flowmeter 1 according to the first embodiment can improve the gain of the ultrasonic signal more than in the past.

[0055] In addition, the pair of ultrasonic sensors 5, 6 can be adjusted by using adjustment units 52G, 62G so that the mounting angles of the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 in the mounting surface of the fixing member 52 to which the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 are attached are aligned, and the positions of the piezoelectric elements 51, 61 when viewed from the inter-element direction are aligned. This makes it possible for the ultrasonic flowmeter 1 according to embodiment 1 to further improve the gain of the ultrasonic signal compared to the conventional art.

[0056] It should be noted that, within the scope of the present disclosure, any of the components of the embodiments may be modified or any of the components of the embodiments may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1 Ultrasonic flowmeter 2 Flow measurement part 3. Flow Path 4a opening 4b opening 5 Ultrasonic Sensor 6 Ultrasonic Sensors 7. Measurement section 8 Arithmetic section 51 Piezoelectric element 51a side 51b Mounting surface 51c end face 52 Fixing member 52a Mounting surface 52b side 52G adjustment section 100 Ultrasonic Flowmeter 200 Flow measurement section 300 Channels 400a opening 400b opening 500 Ultrasonic Sensor 600 Ultrasonic Sensor 700 Measurement section 800 Arithmetic unit 510 Piezoelectric element 520 Fixing member 610 Piezoelectric element

Claims

1. A piezoelectric element for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves; a fixing member to which the piezoelectric element is attached and fixed, The fixing member is The piezoelectric element is provided with an adjustment unit for adjusting the mounting angle of the piezoelectric element within a mounting surface on which the piezoelectric element is mounted.

1. An ultrasonic sensor comprising:

2. The piezoelectric element has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, The adjustment unit is 2. The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the fixing member is continuous with the mounting surface and is parallel to an end face of the piezoelectric element attached to the mounting surface.

3. The piezoelectric element has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, The adjustment unit is 2. The ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, wherein the line formed on the mounting surface is parallel to any one of the sides of the mounting surface of the piezoelectric element to be mounted on the mounting surface.

4. An ultrasonic flowmeter that measures a flow rate of a fluid by a pair of ultrasonic sensors that transmit and receive ultrasonic waves, Each of the pair of ultrasonic sensors is An ultrasonic flowmeter comprising the ultrasonic sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The pair of ultrasonic sensors include Using the adjustment unit, 5. The ultrasonic flowmeter according to claim 4, characterized in that the mounting angles of the piezoelectric elements within the mounting surface of the fixing member to which the piezoelectric elements are attached can be adjusted to be uniform, and the positions of the piezoelectric elements when viewed from the inter-element direction can be adjusted to be uniform.

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