Discharge tube diagnostic device and discharge tube diagnostic system

Abstract

To provide a device and a system that diagnose discharge tubes on site.SOLUTION: A discharge tube diagnostic device of an embodiment comprises: a light receiving unit which receives light that is emitted from a light emitting section inserted into the inside of a discharge tube including a discharge section having a dielectric and a metal film superposed on the dielectric and is transmitted through the discharge section; a control unit which calculates a predetermined index value based on data obtained by light receiving by the light receiving unit; a display unit which displays the predetermined index value; a power supply which supplies power to at least the control unit and the display unit; and a portable housing which houses or holds each of the light receiving unit, the control unit, the display unit and the power supply.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a discharge tube diagnostic device and a discharge tube diagnostic system. [Background technology]

[0002] Ozone generators generate ozone by supplying power to a discharge tube, which includes a discharge section made of, for example, a dielectric and a metal film overlaid on the dielectric. These discharge tubes undergo degradation, with the metal film gradually disappearing over time. Because there is a strong correlation between this degradation state and the efficiency of ozone generation, it is important to accurately determine the degradation state of the discharge tube. Conventional techniques include, for example, diagnosing discharge tubes using a discharge tube diagnostic device installed in the facility. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-160068 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-12159 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology has a problem in that it is not possible to diagnose the discharge tube on-site.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a discharge tube diagnostic device and a discharge tube diagnostic system that can diagnose discharge tubes on-site. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The discharge tube diagnostic device of the embodiment includes a light receiving unit that receives light irradiated from a light emitting unit inserted inside a discharge tube including a discharge unit having a dielectric and a metal film overlaid on the dielectric and that passes through the discharge unit; a control unit that calculates a predetermined index value based on data obtained by light reception by the light receiving unit; a display unit that displays the predetermined index value; a power supply that supplies power to at least the control unit and the display unit; and a portable housing that contains or holds each of the light receiving unit, the control unit, the display unit, and the power supply. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a discharge tube diagnostic system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the discharge tube diagnosis device of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a discharge tube diagnostic system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a discharge tube diagnostic device according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations (technical features) of the embodiments shown below, as well as the actions and effects brought about by the configurations, are merely examples. The present invention can be realized by configurations other than those disclosed in the following embodiments, and it is possible to obtain at least one of the various effects obtained by the basic configurations.

[0009] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a discharge tube diagnosis system S according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a discharge tube diagnosis device 1 according to the first embodiment. Note that FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a discharge tube 100 and a light-shielding unit 11 taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and a functional configuration diagram of the discharge tube diagnosis device 1. The discharge tube diagnosis system S includes the discharge tube diagnosis device 1, the light-shielding unit 11, a light-emitting unit 21, and a disk 22.

[0010] The object to be diagnosed is a discharge tube 100 provided in an ozone generator. The discharge tube 100 is substantially cylindrical (tubular) with one end closed and the other end open, and includes a discharge part having a glass material 101 (dielectric) and a metal material 102 (metal film) overlaid on the glass material 101. Note that in FIG. 1 , for the sake of simplicity, the metal material 102 is shown extending up to the left end of the discharge tube 100, but in reality, the metal material 102 does not have to be provided near the left end of the discharge tube 100.

[0011] The glass material 101 is specifically a dielectric material such as quartz glass, borosilicate glass, high silicate glass, or aluminosilicate glass, and has electrical insulation properties. The metal material 102 is layered on the inner surface of the glass material 101. The metal material 102 is specifically a conductive material such as stainless steel, nickel, carbon, or aluminum, and has conductivity. The metal material 102 is adhered to the inner surface of the glass material 101 by sputtering, thermal spraying, vapor deposition, electroless plating, electrolytic plating, paint application, or the like of the conductive material. The metal material 102 functions as a high-voltage electrode.

[0012] The light emitting unit 21 is inserted into the discharge tube 100 and irradiates light of a certain intensity toward the inner surface of the discharge tube 100. The light emitting unit 21 is, for example, an LED tape lamp in which a plurality of blue LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are arranged. However, the light emitting unit 21 is not limited to this, and may be an LED of another color, an incandescent lamp, a fluorescent lamp, a mercury lamp, an ultraviolet lamp, an infrared lamp, or the like.

[0013] In addition, two disks 22 (with a diameter slightly shorter than the inner diameter of the discharge tube 100) having a hole in the center are attached to two locations on the rod-shaped light-emitting unit 21. As a result, when the light-emitting unit 21 is inserted into the discharge tube 100, the light-emitting unit 21 is positioned at the center of the circular cross section within the discharge tube 100, and the distance from the light-emitting unit 21 to the light-receiving unit 5 can be maintained constant. The disks 22 are made of, for example, rubber or plastic so as not to damage the inner surface of the discharge tube 100. The number of disks 22 is not limited to two, and may be three or more. The attachment positions of the disks 22 are not limited to the positions shown in FIG. 1, and may be any positions as long as the light-emitting unit 21 inserted into the discharge tube 100 can be positioned at the center of the circular cross section within the discharge tube 100.

[0014] The discharge tube diagnostic device 1 is a light intensity measuring device, and includes a housing 2, a switch 3, a display unit 4 (display device), a light receiving unit 5, a potentiometer 6, a control unit 7, and a power supply 8.

[0015] The housing 2 is a portable housing that houses or holds the switch 3, the display unit 4, the light receiving unit 5, the potentiometer 6, the control unit 7, and the power supply 8, respectively.

[0016] The switch 3 is an operating unit for switching the discharge tube diagnosis device 1 on and off.

[0017] The display unit 4 displays various information. The display unit 4 is, for example, an LED or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that displays based on an instruction signal from the control unit 7, and displays letters and numbers. The display unit 4 displays, for example, a predetermined index value (details of which will be described later).

[0018] The light receiving unit 5 is disposed at the bottom of the discharge tube diagnostic device 1, and receives light emitted from the light emitting unit 21 inserted inside the discharge tube 100 and transmitted through the discharge unit while being close to or in contact with the discharge tube 100. The light receiving unit 5 has, for example, one or more light receiving elements. The light receiving elements are, for example, photodiodes. Note that the light receiving elements are not limited to photodiodes. Elements according to the type of light may be used as the light receiving elements.

[0019] In addition, a light-shielding portion 11 is arranged (formed) so that the light-receiving portion 5 does not receive any light other than the light emitted from the light-emitting portion 21. The light-shielding portion 11 has a hole in the portion corresponding to the light-receiving portion 5, and serves to block light other than the light emitted from the light-emitting portion 21 (external light) from reaching the light-receiving portion 5. The light-shielding portion 11 is, for example, a cloth (skirt) with a light-shielding function. The light-shielding portion 11 is, for example, fixed to the housing 2, but is not limited to this and may not be fixed.

[0020] The potentiometer 6 detects the amount of movement when the operator moves the discharge tube diagnostic device 1 in the axial direction or circumferential direction of the discharge tube 100 .

[0021] The control unit 7 is a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 7 calculates a predetermined index value based on data obtained by light reception by the light receiving unit 5. The control unit 7 measures, for example, a current value corresponding to the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 5 as the predetermined index value. The control unit 7 may also have a signal amplification function.

[0022] The metal material 102 in the discharge tube 100 becomes thinner as the discharge time passes and eventually disappears, so the degree of disappearance can be evaluated by the above-mentioned current value.

[0023] The power supply 8 supplies power to the display unit 4, the potentiometer 6, the control unit 7, and the like.

[0024] Next, the procedure for diagnosing a discharge tube 100 using the discharge tube diagnostic system S will be described. First, the worker removes the discharge tube 100 to be diagnosed from the ozone generator. Next, the worker checks whether there is any dirt or attachment on the inner and outer surfaces of the discharge tube 100. If there is any dirt or attachment on the discharge tube 100, the worker wipes it off.

[0025] Next, the worker inserts the light-emitting unit 21, to which the two disks 22 are attached, into the inside of the discharge tube 100 and causes it to emit light. The worker also places the discharge tube diagnosis device 1 on the diagnostic portion of the discharge tube 100. In this case, for example, the discharge tube diagnosis device 1 is brought into contact with the discharge tube 100 so that unnecessary light from outside does not enter the light-receiving unit 5.

[0026] The worker then measures the above-mentioned current value using the discharge tube diagnosis device 1. Specifically, the worker measures the current value at a position of the discharge tube 100 using the discharge tube diagnosis device 1, then moves the discharge tube diagnosis device 1 a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction, and again measures the current value using the discharge tube diagnosis device 1. This process is repeated.

[0027] If the metal material 102 in the discharge section is not damaged (deteriorated), the light from the light-emitting section 21 does not pass through the discharge section, so the light is not received by the light-receiving section 5, and the current value is measured as 0 amperes and displayed on the display section 4. On the other hand, if the metal material 102 is completely damaged, the light from the light-emitting section 21 passes through the glass material 101 and reaches the light-receiving section 5 as is, and the current value corresponding to the amount of light at that time is measured and displayed on the display section 4. The current value at this time corresponds to a light transmittance of 100%, and if the metal material 102 is partially damaged, the current value changes depending on the degree of damage, so the worker can recognize the degree of damage to the metal material 102 by looking at the current value displayed on the display section 4.

[0028] As described above, according to the discharge tube diagnostic system S of the first embodiment, an operator can diagnose the discharge tube 100 on-site by using the portable discharge tube diagnostic device 1 and the light-emitting unit 21. The deterioration state of the discharge tube 100 can be diagnosed based on data obtained by receiving light from the light-receiving unit 5, i.e., objective information. This allows the optimum timing for replacing the discharge tube 100 to be determined, enabling appropriate maintenance management of the ozone generator. Therefore, for example, it is possible to prevent the replacement of a healthy discharge tube 100 that has not yet reached the end of its life, or conversely, to prevent the continued use of a discharge tube 100 that has reached the end of its life without replacement. Therefore, for example, it is possible to avoid the need to periodically replace a discharge tube 100 that is still usable, thereby reducing wasteful expenses.

[0029] (Modification 1 of the first embodiment) The light receiving unit 5 may be provided with a bandpass filter that passes only light of the wavelength of the light emitted from the light emitting unit 21. For example, if the light receiving unit 5 is indoors and sunlight containing light of a wide range of wavelengths does not reach the room, the light blocking unit 11 can be omitted by using this bandpass filter. This also improves the accuracy of diagnosis.

[0030] (Modification 2 of the first embodiment) Instead of measuring and displaying the current value, the light transmittance may be measured and displayed. For example, if the metal material 102 is partially damaged, the light transmittance will change depending on the degree of the damage, and the light transmittance will be displayed on the display unit 4 in the range of 0 to 100%, with 100% being the reference light transmittance.

[0031] In this case, the control unit 7 calculates, as a predetermined index value, the transmittance according to the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 5. The light receiving unit 5 also has a configuration function of calibrating the relationship between the amount of light emitted by the light emitting unit 21 and the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 5.

[0032] The worker performs calibration of the discharge tube diagnostic device 1. Specifically, since the light transmittance varies depending on the amount of light emitted by the light-emitting unit 21, the worker measures the relationship between the amount of light emitted by the light-emitting unit 21 and the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit 5 under a certain environment, and performs calibration so that the relationship between these becomes a predetermined relationship. This improves the diagnostic accuracy.

[0033] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. Descriptions of matters similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted where appropriate. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a discharge tube diagnostic system S according to the second embodiment.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 3, a light-shielding section 12 is provided for the discharge tube diagnosis device 1. The light-shielding section 12 is, for example, a thin rectangular shape with a hole inside, and is made of rubber or plastic material, so that it is flexible and can fit closely to the curved surface of the discharge tube 100. This makes it possible to further prevent unnecessary light from entering the light-receiving section 5 from the outside.

[0035] Although the light-shielding portion 11 is not shown in FIG. 3, it is conceivable that unwanted light from the outside may penetrate into the inside of the discharge tube 100 through deteriorated portions of the discharge tube 100, and the reflected light may enter the light-receiving portion 5, so the light-shielding portion 11 shown in FIG. 2 may also be used.

[0036] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. Explanation of matters similar to those in the first embodiment will be omitted where appropriate. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of a discharge tube diagnosis device 1 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, a camera 9 is used as the light receiving unit. In this case, a control unit 7 calculates a predetermined index value based on image data obtained by photographing with the camera 9. A specific description will be given below.

[0037] The camera 9 is a device for capturing light emitted from the light-emitting unit 21 as an image, and may be, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera. If the metal material 102 is not damaged, light does not pass through the discharge unit, and the image captured by the camera 9 is therefore black. The light transmittance of this black image is set to 0%. Furthermore, if the metal material 102 is not present, the image captured by the camera 9 is a white image. The light transmittance of this white image is set to 100%. If the metal material 102 is partially damaged, an image in which black and white are mixed will be captured. For example, the light transmittance can be calculated by calculating the area ratio of the black and white images. In this way, the discharge tube 100 can be diagnosed based on the image data.

[0038] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1...discharge tube diagnostic device, 2...casing, 3...switch, 4...display unit, 5...light receiving unit, 6...potentiometer, 7...control unit, 8...power supply, 9...camera, 11...light shielding unit, 12...light shielding unit, 21...light emitting unit, 22...disk, 100...discharge tube, 101...glass material, 102...metal material, S...discharge tube diagnostic system

Claims

1. a light receiving section that receives light irradiated from a rod-shaped light emitting section and transmitted through the discharge section, the light receiving section being inserted into a discharge tube together with disks attached to at least both sides of the rod, the light irradiated from a rod-shaped light emitting section being inserted into the discharge tube together with disks attached to at least both sides of the rod, the light irradiated from the rod-shaped light emitting section being inserted into the discharge tube ..., the light irradiated from the rod-shaped light emitting section being inserted into the discharge tube, the light irradiated from the rod-shaped light emitting section being inserted into the discharge tube, the light irradiated from the rod-shaped light emitting section being inserted into the discharge tube, the light a control unit that calculates a predetermined index value based on data obtained by receiving light by the light receiving unit; a display unit that displays the predetermined index value; a power source that supplies power to at least the control unit and the display unit; a portable housing that houses or holds the light receiving unit, the control unit, the display unit, and the power supply; a light-shielding portion formed around the light-receiving portion to prevent external light from entering the light-receiving portion; A discharge tube diagnostic device comprising:

2. 2. The discharge tube diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit measures, as the predetermined index value, a current value corresponding to an amount of light received by the light receiving unit.

3. the light receiving unit is a camera, 2. The discharge tube diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit calculates the predetermined index value based on image data obtained by photographing with the camera.

4. 2. The discharge tube diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving section includes a bandpass filter that passes only light having a wavelength corresponding to the light emitted from the light emitting section.

5. the control unit calculates, as the predetermined index value, a transmittance according to an amount of light received by the light receiving unit; 2. The discharge tube diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving section has a function of calibrating the relationship between the amount of light emitted by the light emitting section and the amount of light received by the light receiving section.

6. A discharge tube diagnosis system comprising: the discharge tube diagnosis device according to claim 1; and the light-emitting unit.

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