Rainfall meter

Abstract

A precipitation meter (100) uses the total water discharge amount W [mm3] from a water storage tank (15) in a measurement period P[s] and the change ΔH [mm] in the water level in the water storage tank before and after the measurement period P[s] to calculate a precipitation amount D [mm] and / or a precipitation intensity DP [mm / h]. The precipitation meter (100) includes the water storage tank (15) and a water discharge device (17) that discharges liquid phase water from inside the water storage tank (15). The water discharge device (17) discharges the liquid phase water from inside the water storage tank (15) in accordance with the water level inside the water storage tank (15) reaching a maximum water level Hmax. D is the value of (W+S2×ΔH) / S1, DP is the value of (W+S2×ΔH)×3600 / (S1×P), S1 [mm2] is the catchment area, and S2 [mm2] is the cross-sectional area of the water storage tank (15).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a precipitation gauge.

Background Art

[0002] A precipitation gauge is a device for measuring precipitation. Precipitation (depth of precipitation) is the depth to which water as a substance falling from the sky would cover a horizontal ground surface as liquid water, assuming that the liquid water does not penetrate into the ground, does not evaporate from the ground surface, and is not discharged from the ground surface within a predetermined period. "Water as a substance" may be rephrased as "a compound represented by the chemical formula H2O". Based on the International System of Units, this specification uses SI units (including units with SI prefixes), SI combined units, and assembled units using these. Other unit systems may be adopted. The adopted unit system has no effect on the precipitation gauge disclosed in this specification. The Japan Meteorological Agency adopts mm (millimetre) as the unit of precipitation, and this specification also adopts mm as the unit of precipitation. The "predetermined period" is arbitrarily specified. The "predetermined period" is, for example, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours (exactly 24 hours starting from any moment), 1 day (that is, 24 hours from 00:00 to 24:00). In particular, the precipitation D [mm] measured in 1 hour is sometimes called the "measured precipitation intensity", and the unit of the "measured precipitation intensity" is mm / h (millimetre per hour). Furthermore, the precipitation within a period other than 1 hour can also be converted to the precipitation per hour. The converted precipitation is sometimes called the "converted precipitation intensity", and the unit of the "converted precipitation intensity" is also mm / h. For example, when the precipitation in 10 minutes is D [mm], the converted precipitation intensity is 6D [mm / h]. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the "converted precipitation intensity" is simply referred to as the "precipitation intensity".

[0003]

[0004] ​​​Water as a substance that falls from the sky can be broadly classified into liquid water and solid water. Atmospheric phenomena in which liquid water falls from the sky are called rain, and the water droplets that fall are also called rain. An example of atmospheric phenomena in which solid water falls from the sky is called snow, and in this case, the ice crystals that fall are also called snow. Furthermore, ice particles can be given as an example of solid water that falls from the sky. The Japan Meteorological Agency calls these ice particles "hail" (pronounced: hyou) if their diameter is 5 mm or more, and "sleet" (pronounced: arare) if their diameter is less than 5 mm, and the two are distinguished. However, there is no unified standard for such distinctions around the world, and there may be countries or regions that do not distinguish between the two. In the following, unless otherwise specified, "rain," "snow," etc., refer to objects that fall from the sky, not atmospheric phenomena. When solid water (e.g., snow, ice particles) falls from the sky, or when both liquid water (i.e., rain) and solid water fall from the sky (the Japan Meteorological Agency calls this atmospheric phenomenon "mizore"), a precipitation gauge uses a heater attached to the precipitation gauge to convert the solid water into liquid water, and then measures the amount of precipitation.

[0005] The volume V [mm²] of liquid water captured by the precipitation gauge. 3 ] and the catchment area A[mm 2 The relationship between ] and precipitation D[mm] is given by equation (1). The catchment area is the area of ​​the opening that takes in water as a substance that falls from the sky into the precipitation meter.

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[0006] Rain gauges are broadly classified into two types: tipping bucket rain gauges and reservoir rain gauges.

[0007] A tipping bucket type rain gauge has a structure in which two buckets separated by a central partition are adjacent to each other, and liquid water drips alternately into the two buckets. When water is stored, the weight causes the inclined bucket to tip over, resulting in one bucket discharging liquid water and the other bucket beginning to receive liquid water. The other bucket then stores a certain amount V1 of liquid water. When this happens, the weight causes the tipping bucket to tip over, resulting in the other bucket discharging liquid water and the other bucket beginning to receive liquid water. In this way, the tipping bucket repeatedly tips over. The amount of rainfall D [mm] is measured by counting the number of times N the bucket tips over within a predetermined period. In rain meters commonly used in Japan, V1 is the volume corresponding to 0.5 [mm] of rainfall. Therefore, D = 0.5 × N [mm] holds true.

[0008] A water storage type precipitation meter includes a container for storing liquid-phase water, and measures precipitation by measuring the amount of water stored using a weight sensor or the like (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-286864 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] Because tipping bucket precipitation gauges utilize the mechanical movement of the tipping bucket (i.e., tipping), it is difficult to ensure the long-term operational stability of tipping bucket precipitation gauges. Furthermore, it is known that the measurement error of tipping bucket precipitation gauges increases with increasing rainfall, and in particular, the tipping speed of the tipping bucket cannot keep up with rainfall intensities exceeding, for example, 100 mm / h.

[0011] A water-storage type rain gauge needs to drain the container when it is filled with liquid water. Therefore, a water-storage type rain gauge cannot measure rainfall while draining.

[0012] We can determine the amount of precipitation and / or even in atmospheric phenomena with precipitation intensity exceeding 100 [mm / h]. We disclose a precipitation meter capable of continuously measuring precipitation intensity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The technical matters described herein are provided not to explicitly or implicitly limit the invention described in the claims, nor to enable persons other than those who benefit from the invention (e.g., the applicant and the rights holder) to limit the invention described in the claims, but simply to facilitate understanding of the essential points of the invention. An overview of the invention from other perspectives can be understood, for example, from the claims of this patent application as filed.

[0014] The disclosed precipitation meter measures the total drainage volume W[mm²] from the reservoir within a predetermined measurement period P[s]. 3 Using the change in water level in the reservoir ΔH[mm] before and after the measurement period P[s], the precipitation D[mm] is calculated. and / or precipitation intensity D P [mm / h] is calculated. Specifically, the disclosed precipitation meter stores The system includes a water tank and a drainage device for discharging the liquid phase water from the water tank. The drainage device discharges the liquid phase water from the water tank when the water level in the tank reaches a predetermined maximum level. D is the value of (W + S2 × ΔH) / S1, and D P The value of (W + S2 × ΔH) × 3600 / (S1 × P) is given by S1 [mm 2 ] is the catchment area, and S2[mm 2 ] is the cross-sectional area of ​​the water storage tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the disclosed precipitation meter, as will be described in more detail later (see the description of the embodiment), even in atmospheric phenomena with precipitation intensity exceeding 100 [mm / h], the amount of precipitation and / or precipitation The intensity can be measured continuously. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Configuration of a precipitation meter according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the precipitation meter in the embodiment (first example). [Figure 3]A flowchart illustrating the operation of the precipitation meter in the embodiment (second example). [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the precipitation meter in the embodiment (third example). [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the precipitation meter in the embodiment (Fourth Example). [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the precipitation meter in the embodiment (Example 5). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings do not necessarily represent actual dimensions. The precipitation meter 100 of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 includes a main body 10 and a processing device 20. The precipitation meter 100 may optionally include a heater (not shown).

[0018] The main body 10 includes a base 11, a case 12, legs 13, a receiver 14, a water tank 15, a drain pipe 16, a drainage device 17, and a water level gauge 18. Multiple legs 13 for fixing the main body 10 to a concrete base (not shown) are attached to the underside of the base 11.

[0019] A cylindrical case 12 mounted on a base 11 houses a receiver 14, a water tank 15, a drain pipe 16, a drainage device 17, and a water level gauge 18 inside. The funnel-shaped receiver 14 is fixed to the top of the case 12. The water tank 15 is located below the receiver 14 and is fixed on the base 11. In this example, the water tank 15 has the shape of a rectangular tube with a square cross-section and is made of metal such as stainless steel. The horizontal cross-sectional area of ​​the water tank 15 at any two different vertical positions is equal to each other. The shape of the water tank 15 is not limited to a rectangular tube. If the water level gauge 18 is a water level gauge that measures the water level by capacitance, it is preferable that the water tank 15 has a flat inner wall surface as part of the water tank 15. If necessary, a mesh (not shown) to prevent debris such as leaves from entering is attached to the top of the receiver 14. The water tank 15 pre-stores liquid phase water. In Figure 1, the symbol W indicates the surface of the liquid-phase water stored in the water tank 15. The surface W of the liquid-phase water stored in the water tank 15 is covered with non-volatile oil 19, thus preventing changes in the water level due to evaporation.

[0020] The receiver 14 receives water as a substance falling from the sky. The water as a substance falling from the sky is converted into liquid water by a heater (not shown) heating the receiver 14 and a mesh (not shown) as needed. Hereinafter, "water" refers to "liquid water" unless otherwise specified. The shape of the opening of the receiver 14 is preferably a circle, square, or rectangle with a small aspect ratio. Water flows from the receiver 14 into the water tank 15. In this example, the receiver 14 includes a long cylindrical water supply pipe 14a in the vertical direction (i.e., the axial direction of the case 12), as shown in Figure 1. Water flows into the water tank 15 through the water supply pipe 14a. The outlet (i.e., lower end) of the water supply pipe 14a is located well below the water level at the end of the wastewater treatment described later, i.e., it is submerged. Therefore, the water level W due to the inflow of water... L This prevents shaking.

[0021] The water storage tank 15 has a drain port 15a at its bottom, to which a drain pipe 16 is connected. A drainage device 17 capable of switching between drainage operation and shut-off operation (i.e., switching between ON and OFF states) is attached to the drain pipe 16. When the drainage device 17 is activated, it discharges the water from the water storage tank 15. The drainage operation of the drainage device 17 is executed by a drainage command from the controller 22, which will be described later. Examples of drainage devices 17 include a constant flow pump and a normally closed electromagnetic pump, which will be described later. Including the valve. In the longitudinal range of the drain pipe 16 from at least the drain port 15a to the portion beyond the part to which the drain device 17 is installed, the cross-sectional areas perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the drain pipe 16 at any two different positions along the longitudinal direction of the drain pipe 16 are equal to each other.

[0022] The drain outlet 15a is located well below the water level at the end of the wastewater treatment process, which will be described later, and is preferably located near the bottom of the water storage tank 15. However, in order to prevent debris that has passed through the mesh (not shown) from adversely affecting the drainage operation of the drainage device 17, it is desirable that the drain outlet 15a be located a certain distance above the bottom of the water storage tank 15. This allows debris to accumulate at the bottom of the water storage tank 15.

[0023] A water level gauge 18 is installed in the water tank 15 to measure the water level. The substrate 18a of the water level gauge 18 is fixed in a predetermined position in the water tank 15 by a fixing device (not shown). In this example, the water level gauge 18 is a water level gauge that measures the water level by capacitance, and as shown in Figure 1, it includes a long electrode 18b that is arranged on the substrate 18a and extends vertically, and a detector 18c. The electrode 18b faces the flat side wall 15b of the rectangular water tank 15. The side wall 15b of the water tank 15 functions as a ground electrode, and the electrode 18b and the side wall 15b constitute a parallel plate capacitor. The detector 18c detects the water level in the water tank 15 by measuring the capacitance between the electrode 18b and the side wall 15b.

[0024] The processing unit 20 includes a controller 22 and a calculator 23.

[0025] Based on the water level detected by the detector 18c, the controller 22 controls the drainage operation and the water stop operation (i.e., the ON state and the OFF state) of the drainage device 17. When the water level in the water storage tank 15 reaches a predetermined maximum water level, the controller 22 causes the drainage device 17 to perform a drainage operation. In principle, the drainage volume of the m-th drainage treatment may be different from the drainage volume of the n-th (n≠m) drainage treatment.

[0026] The calculator 23 calculates the precipitation amount and / or precipitation intensity using the change amount of the water level detected by the detector 18c and the drainage volume from the water storage tank 15. Since the inflow volume of water into the water storage tank 15 is the sum of the water discharge volume from the water storage tank 15 and the change amount of water in the water storage tank 15, the precipitation amount D [mm] within a predetermined period P [s] can be calculated by Equation (2), and the precipitation intensity D P [mm / h] can be calculated by Equation (3). In Equations (2) and (3), t is the elapsed time from the start point of measurement of the rain gauge 100, δ(t) [mm 3 / s] is the drainage volume per unit time at the elapsed time t, H(t) [mm] is the water level at the elapsed time t , H'(t) [mm / s] is the time derivative of the water level H(t) [mm], S1 [mm 2 is the water collection area, specifically the area of the opening of the receiver 14, and S2 [mm 2 is the cross-sectional area of the water storage tank 15. During the water stop operation of the drainage device 17, δ(t)=0. The drainage volume within a predetermined period P [s], that is, the value of the first term in the numerator of Equation (2) or Equation (3), can generally be known using a flow meter (not shown). When the drainage device 17 includes, for example, a constant flow pump or a normally closed solenoid valve, as will be described later, the value of the first term in the numerator of Equation (2) or Equation (3) can be known without using a flow meter.

Equation

[0027] In order to lower the water level by the drainage treatment, Equation (4) must hold. In Equation (4), DP,max [mm / h] represents the maximum precipitation intensity that the precipitation meter 100 can measure, T[s] is the drainage time required for one drainage treatment, and t[s] is the elapsed time from the start of drainage. Furthermore, when the water level H(t) reaches the highest water level H max When it reaches [mm], the water level H(t) will drop due to drainage. To ensure certainty, it is preferable that equation (5) holds. In equation (5), δ(0)[mm 3 / s] is the amount of wastewater discharged per unit time at the start of discharge, and γ is a safety factor, a predetermined value satisfying 0 < γ ≤ 1, for example γ = 0.8. In other words, precipitation meter 100 is, As long as the amount of water flowing into the reservoir 15 per unit time does not exceed the drainage capacity of the drainage device 17, the amount of precipitation and / or precipitation intensity can be measured. In other words, by appropriately setting the drainage capacity of the drainage device 17, the precipitation meter 100 can measure atmospheric phenomena with a precipitation intensity exceeding 100 [mm / h]. Even so, precipitation and / or precipitation intensity can be continuously measured. The drainage time T is, for example, an actual measured value, but if the drainage device 17 includes, for example, a normally closed solenoid valve, the drainage time T can be determined by calculation under the condition that the fluctuation of the water level per unit time due to the inflow of water into the water tank 15 is sufficiently small.

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[0028] Furthermore, in order for the water level gauge 18 to detect the change in water level caused by the minimum atmospheric precipitation intensity that the precipitation gauge 100 can measure within a predetermined period P1[s] (where P1≦P), equation (6) holds true. This is preferable. In formula (6), D P,min [mm / h] is the minimum value that the precipitation meter 100 can measure. This represents the precipitation intensity, and ξ [mm] is the resolution of the water level gauge 18 (i.e., the minimum distance between two different water levels that the water level gauge 18 can distinguish).

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[0029] Furthermore, the time interval t for water level detection by the water level gauge 18 int In [s], it is preferable that equation (7a) holds true so that the water level change due to atmospheric phenomena with the maximum precipitation intensity that the precipitation gauge 100 can measure does not exceed the resolution ξ [mm] of the water level gauge 18.

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[0030] Below, from the perspective of simplifying wastewater treatment, the maximum water level H(t)[mm] in the water storage tank 15 is max When the water level H(t)[mm] in the water tank 15 reaches the maximum water level H, the drainage device 17 will activate. max [mm] A predetermined minimum water level H min Discharge the water from the water tank 15 until it reaches [mm]. Let's consider the case. The controller 22 will determine when the water level H(t) in the water tank 15 is at the lowest water level H min When it reaches this point, the drainage device 17 is instructed to perform a water shutoff procedure. Therefore, the water level H(t) in the water storage tank 15 is Theoretically, the lowest water level H min and the highest water level H max It fluctuates between [values]. However, depending on the timing of water level detection and drainage capacity, the actual water level may be the maximum water level H max If it exceeds the minimum water level H min It falls below [a certain level]. Minimum water level H min and the highest water level H max This is merely a criterion for drainage and shutoff operations. Minimum water level H min As described above, the drain is located well above the outlet of the water supply pipe 14a, and is also drained. It is positioned well above mouth 15a.

[0031] Minimum water level H min If this is determined, the minimum water level H min To prevent a significant drop in water level from, the minimum water level H min Discharge rate per unit time δ(t)| t@Hmin [mm 3 / s] and time interval t intIt is preferable that equation (7b) holds during [s]. In equation (7b), η is a safety factor, which is a predetermined value satisfying 0 < η < 1, for example, η = 0.2. δ(t)| t@Hmin is, If the water device 17 includes a normally closed solenoid valve, H(t) is H min It is represented by equation (8) (equation (8) will be described later) when substituted, and is represented by δ when the drainage device 17 includes a constant flow pump.

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[0032] The following describes how to calculate precipitation amount and / or precipitation intensity using a precipitation meter 100, which includes a drainage device 17 containing a normally closed solenoid valve.

[0033] When water is considered an incompressible fluid with negligible viscosity, the amount of water drained at elapsed time t (i.e., the amount of water flowing through the drain pipe 16 per unit time at elapsed time t) δ(t) [mm 3 S3[mm 2 ] is the cross-sectional area of ​​the drain pipe 16, and K v g is the flow coefficient, and g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m / s²). 2 ]) and H(t)[mm] is the water level (i.e., from the top of the drain outlet 15a to the water surface W L The height up to is S2, and S2 is greater than S3. Drainage device 17 is no If a closed solenoid valve is included, the water level H(t)[mm] at the elapsed time t during wastewater treatment is known. If this is possible, the value of the first term in the numerator of equation (2) or equation (3) can be calculated from equations (8) and (9) without using a flow meter. If S2 is sufficiently larger than S3, equation (8) can be rewritten as equation (8a) (Torricelli's theorem).

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[0034] Although it is possible to calculate the precipitation using Equation (8) (or Equation (8a)) and Equation (2) (see Figure 2), for more accurate calculations, the water level must be measured multiple times at the narrowest possible time intervals, and the calculated drainage volume δ(t) must be accumulated. To avoid multiple accumulation processes it may be possible to calculate the drainage volume V(t) [mm 3 from the elapsed time t. According to Bernoulli's principle, Equation (10) holds between the elapsed time t and the water level z (where 0 < H(T) ≤ z ≤ H(0)). H(0) is the water level at the start of drainage. As described above, H max ≤ H(0) holds. H(T) is the water level at the end of drainage. As described above, H(T) ≤ H min holds. In Equation (10), log is the natural logarithm. β in Equation (10) is expressed by Equation (11). For Equation (10) to hold, the antilogarithm of the natural logarithm must be positive, but Equation (12) must hold due to the condition of lowering the water level by drainage. As described above, H(T) may vary for each drainage process, and H(T) ≤ H holds, so it is desirable for Equation (13 min ) to hold. In Equation (13), "x ≪ y" means that x is much smaller than y. In the embodiment, preferably, the rate of decrease [mm / s] of the water level at the end of drainage and the time interval t [s] should be considered. However, since H(T) does not fall much below the lowest water level H int due to the drainage control of the controller 22 m in , H min is a value obtained by adding several tens of millimeters to the value on the left side of Equation (13) Good. If equation (14) holds in equation (10), then equation (16) holds approximately. As mentioned above, H(0) may differ for each wastewater treatment, and H(T) may differ for each wastewater treatment. Therefore, the values ​​on both sides of equation (14) will differ depending on the wastewater treatment. However, a) the wastewater control of controller 22 will cause H(0) to reach the highest water level H max It does not exceed significantly, and H(T) is the lowest water level H min b) Since it will not fall significantly below this value, and b) the value of the natural logarithm does not fluctuate significantly in this case (reason: when equation (12) holds, the numerator and denominator of the argument of the natural logarithm in equation (10) are negative, and the value of the numerator is greater than the value of the denominator, so the value of the argument of the natural logarithm in equation (10) is greater than 1, and furthermore, in the range where the value of the argument is 1 or greater, the slope of the range of the natural logarithm is 1 or less), for practical purposes, equation (15) can be considered instead of equation (14). In equations (14) and (15), "x≪y" means that x is sufficiently small compared to y. In the embodiment, it is preferably x<0.05×y, more preferably x<0.03×y, and even more preferably x<0.01×y. Equations (14) or (15) hold when, for example, the drain pipe 16 is wide (specific example: S3 is about 5% to 10% of S2). Therefore, if equation (14) or equation (15) is true, the amount of water V(t) discharged by the elapsed time t is [mm] 3 ] is expressed by equation (17).

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[0035] <Numerical example> P=P1=600[s] D P,min =0.5 [mm / h] D P,max =200 [mm / h] ξ = 0.1 [mm] t int =0.1[s] S1 = 3000 [mm 2 ] S2 = 1600 [mm 2 ] S3 = 160 [mm 2 ] K v =0.14 H max =75[mm] H min =45[mm] Let's assume that equations (4), (5), (6), (7a), (7b), (13), and (15) hold. Furthermore, regarding equation (16), t(H(0)=H max ,z=H min ) ≈ 1.98 [s], and therefore, the drainage operation of the normally closed solenoid valve can be performed. In other words, having this numerical example, and including the drainage device 17 including the normally closed solenoid valve, the precipitation meter 100 is suitable for atmospheric phenomena with precipitation intensities ranging from 0.5 [mm / h] to 200 [mm / h] and can measure precipitation and / or precipitation intensity with practically sufficient accuracy.

[0036] In the flowcharts shown in Figures 2 to 6, the symbol "=" is an assignment operator, representing the assignment of the value on the right-hand side to the symbol on the left-hand side. In the flowcharts, the symbols "≦", "≧", and "==" are comparison operators, and the result of the comparison between the left-hand and right-hand sides is represented by a boolean value.

[0037] The flowchart shown in Figure 2 represents the processing flow of the precipitation meter 100, which measures precipitation every hour. The controller 20 sets the variable n to 0 (step S1) and sets the current time to T n Set to (step S2). Detector 18c detects the water level H in the water tank 15. pre The controller 20 detects (step S3). The controller 20 increments the variable n (step S4), and the calculator 30 sets the precipitation amount R to 0 (step S5). The controller 20 sets the current time to T n The detector 18c is set to (step S6), and the detector 18c detects the water level H (step S7). The calculator 30 calculates the water level change ΔH = HH pre Calculate (Step S8), H pre Substitute H into the equation (Step 9).

[0038] The calculator 30 obtains information from the controller 20 regarding whether the drainage device 17 is draining water (step S10), and if it is not draining water, it calculates the amount of rainfall r per detection interval Δt using r = S2ΔH. (Step S11), set R to R+r (Step S12). Controller 20 sets water level H to the maximum water level H max Determine whether it exceeds (step S13), and if it does not exceed, T n -T n-1 Calculate (step S14), and if the result is less than 1 hour, return to step S6.

[0039] In step S13, water level H reaches the highest water level H max If the controller determines that the value exceeds the limit, it turns on the drainage system 17 (step S15), starts draining, and then executes step S14.

[0040] If the information obtained in step S10 indicates that drainage is occurring, the calculator 30 calculates the amount of rainfall r per detection interval Δt by multiplying equation (7a) by Δt and summing it with S2ΔH (step S16), set R to R+r (step S17). Controller 20 sets water level H to the minimum water level H min It is determined whether the level has dropped to a certain point (step S18). If it has not dropped, step S14 is executed. If it has dropped, the drainage by the drainage device 17 is turned OFF (step S19), the drainage is stopped, and then step S14 is executed.

[0041] In step S14, T n -T n-1 When the time reaches one hour, the calculator 30 calculates the amount of rainfall (step S20) and outputs the calculated amount of rainfall (step S21). Then, it returns to step S4 and measures the amount of rainfall for the next hour.

[0042] Each of the flowcharts shown in Figures 3 to 6 represents the precipitation D[mm] at predetermined intervals P[s] and Precipitation intensity D P This shows an example of the processing flow of the processing device 20 that measures [mm / h]. Let's explain the flowchart. Controller 22 sets both variables FLAG and Q to 0 (step S1), and then sets the current time to variable T0 (step S2). Variable FLAG set to a value of 0 represents a water shutoff operation, and variable FLAG set to a value of 1 represents a drainage operation. Variable Q represents the drainage amount. By setting variable FLAG to 0 in step S1, controller 22 sends a water shutoff command to drainage device 17. Drainage device 17 starts a water shutoff operation if drainage is in progress, and maintains a water shutoff operation if water shutoff is in progress. Detector 18c detects the water level H (step S3). Controller 22 sets the water level H detected in step S3 to variable H0 (step S4). Variable H0 is set to the value at the start of a predetermined period P[s]. The water level is represented. Controller 22 sets the current time to variable T1 (step S5). Detector 18c detects the water level H (step S6). Controller 22 sets the water level H detected in step S6 to variable H1 (step S7).

[0043] The controller 22 determines whether the elapsed time T1-T0 has reached a predetermined period P[s] (S (S8). If the elapsed time T1-T0 has not reached the predetermined period P[s], the controller 22 The water level set in variable H1 is the highest water level H max Determine whether or not it has reached (Step S) 9) The water level set in variable H1 is the highest water level H max If it reaches this point, the controller 22 changes Step S10 determines whether the variable FLAG is 0 or not. If the variable FLAG is not 0, error handling is performed. If the variable FLAG is 0, the controller 22 sets the variable FLAG to 1 (Step S11), sets the variable Ts to the current time, and sets the value of variable H1 to variable H2 (Step S12). Variable H2 represents the water level at the start of drainage treatment. In the process of step S11, the controller 22 sends a drainage command to the drainage device 17, and the drainage device 17 starts drainage operation. Following the process of step S12, the processes from step S5 onwards are performed. The water level set in variable H1 is the maximum water level H maxIf it has not reached, the controller 22 will The water level set in variable H1 is the minimum water level H min Determine whether or not it has reached (Step S1) 3) The water level set in variable H1 is the minimum water level H min If it reaches this point, the controller 22 changes Step S14 determines whether the variable FLAG is 1 or not. If the variable FLAG is not 1, the processes from step S5 onwards are executed. If the variable FLAG is 1, the controller 22 sets the variable FLAG to 0 (step S15) and updates the value of the variable Q to the value of Q+q(H2,T1,Ts) according to the function q (step S16). In the process of step S15, the controller 22 sends a water stop command to the drainage device 17, and the drainage device 17 starts the water stop operation. Following the process of step S16, the processes from step S5 onwards are executed.

[0044] When the elapsed time T1-T0 reaches a predetermined period P[s], the controller 22 will set the variable FLAG Determine whether it is 1 or not (Step S17). If the variable FLAG is not 1, the calculator 23 calculates the precipitation D[mm]=g(H1,H0,Q) according to the function g (Step S18), and the function Precipitation intensity D according to h P The calculator calculates the precipitation amount D[mm]=f(H2,H1,H0,T1,Ts,Q) according to the function f (step S20), and the precipitation intensity D according to the function h. P Calculate [mm / h]=h(D) (Step S21).

[0045] If the drainage device 17 includes the normally closed solenoid valve described above, then functions q, f, g, and h are as follows:

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[0046] The drainage device 17 is a constant flow pump (drainage volume δ[mm] per unit time) 3If it includes / s], see Figure 4 As shown, the process of step S1 in the flow shown in Figure 3 is changed to the process of step S1a, and the process of step S16 in the flow shown in Figure 3 is changed to the process of step S16a. In the process of step S1a, the controller 22 sets both the variable FLAG and the variable Td to 0. The variable Td represents the total drainage operation time. In the process of step S16a, the controller 22 updates the value of the variable Td to the value of Td + T1 - Ts. The functions f, g, and h in the flow shown in Figure 4 are as follows.

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[0047] When the elapsed time T1-T0 reaches a predetermined period P[s] during wastewater treatment, the amount of rainfall and rainfall The calculation of water strength may be avoided. In this case, as shown in Figure 5, the processes of steps S20 and S21 can be avoided by changing the process of step S8 in the flow shown in Figure 3 to the process of step S8a. In the process of step S8a, the controller 22 checks the proposition that "the variable FLAG is 0 and the elapsed time T1-T0 has reached a predetermined period P[s]". The truth value of the statement 'is true' is determined (step S8a). If the proposition is true, the process in step S18 is executed; if the proposition is false, the process in step S9 is executed. In the processes of steps S18 and S19 of the processing flow shown in Figure 5, the functions q, g, and h are as follows. For the convenience of the user, it is preferable to display not only the calculated precipitation amount and precipitation intensity but also the measurement period T1-T0 on the display (not shown). If the elapsed time T1-T0 reaches a predetermined period P[s] during the water shutoff operation, then T1-T0 ≈ P.

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[0048] Similarly, as shown in Figure 6, by changing the processing of step S8 in the flow shown in Figure 4 to the processing of step S8a, the processing of steps S20 and S21 can be avoided. In this case, in the processing of steps S18 and S19, functions g and h are as follows.

number

[0049] In each of the flowcharts shown in Figures 2 to 6, the calculator 23 calculates the precipitation amount D [mm] or precipitation intensity D. P The flowchart may be changed to calculate [mm / h]. In each chart, if the variable FLAG is not 0 during the processing in step S10, the processing from step S5 onwards may be performed instead of error handling.

[0050] According to the precipitation gauge in this disclosure, as described above, atmospheric phenomena with precipitation intensity exceeding 100 [mm / h] Even in such conditions, precipitation amount and / or precipitation intensity can be continuously measured.

[0051] The water level gauge 18 may be a water level gauge that directly measures the water level using ultrasound or infrared radiation. The water level gauge 18 may also be a water level gauge that converts the weight measured using a load cell into a water level.

[0052] The drainage device 17 may be installed at the drain outlet 15a instead of the drain pipe 16.

[0053] Water surface W L This is not a non-volatile oil 19, but rather something with a specific gravity greater than water, such as styrofoam. It can be covered with something light.

[0054] If the drain pipe 16 is long, the measurement accuracy can be further improved by taking into account the viscosity coefficient and / or gradient of the drain pipe 16.

[0055] <Addendum> While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications can be made and elements can be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular system, device, or component thereof to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed for the purpose of carrying out the invention, but includes all embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0056] Furthermore, the use of terms such as “First,” “Second,” etc., is permitted in this specification and / or attached claims. When used within this scope, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., do not indicate order or importance, but are used to distinguish elements. The terms used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. The terms “including” and their variations, when used herein and / or in the appended claims, are not intended to indicate order or importance. Reveal the presence of the affected features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components. However, one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / The term "and / or" does not exclude the existence or addition of those groups. This includes, if any, one or any combination of the related listed elements. In the claims and specification, unless otherwise specified, “connected,” “joined,” “joined,” “linked,” or their synonyms, and all their forms, do not necessarily negate the existence of one or more intermediate elements between two that are, for example, “connected” or “joined” or “linked” to one another. In the claims and specification, the term “arbitrary,” if any, should be understood as having the same meaning as the universal symbol ∀ unless otherwise specified. For example, the expression “for any X” is the same as “for all X” or “for each X.” Expressions such as “at least one of A, B and C” (for example in English, “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B or C”, “at least one of A, B and / or C”), if any, should be understood as the power set 2 of the set S that contains all the listed elements, unless otherwise specified. S From the sky This means selecting one element from the set P excluding the set φ. In this example, S = {A, B, C}, 2 S ={φ,{A},{B},{C},{A,B},{A,C},{B,C },{A,B,C}},P={{A},{B},{C},{A,B},{A,C},{B,C},{A,B,C}}, and this example means that one element (for example, {A,C}) is selected from the set P.

[0057] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Furthermore, terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed to have the meaning consistent with their meanings in the relevant art and in the context of this disclosure, and should not be construed ideally or excessively formally unless expressly defined.

[0058] It will be understood that many techniques and steps are disclosed in the description of this invention. Each of these has its own advantages, and each can be used in combination with one or more, or possibly all, of the other disclosed techniques. Therefore, to avoid complexity, this specification refrains from describing every possible combination of individual techniques or steps. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and claims.

[0059] In the following claims, all corresponding structures, materials, actions, and equivalents of functional elements combined with means or steps are intended to include structures, materials, or actions for performing a function in combination with other elements, if any.

[0060] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Various modifications and variations are permitted without departing from the spirit of the invention. The selected and described embodiments are for illustrating the principles of the present invention and its practical applications. The present invention can be used in various embodiments with various modifications or variations, and the various modifications or variations will be determined according to the expected use. All such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and are intended to be given the same protection when interpreted in accordance with the fair, lawful and equitable breadth. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 10 Main Unit 11 Pedestal 12 cases 13 legs 14 Receiving part 14a Water supply pipe 15 Water storage tank 15a Drain 15b side wall 16 Drain pipe 17 Drainage system 18 Water level gauge 18a substrate 18b electrode 18c detector 19 Non-volatile oils 20 Processing Units 22 Controllers 23 Calculator 100 Precipitation gauge

Claims

1. It is a rain gauge, A receptacle to receive water as a physical substance falling from the sky, The water in the receiver flows into a water tank as liquid water, provided that the water tank has a drain outlet. A drain pipe connected to the aforementioned drain outlet, A drainage device attached to the drain outlet or drain pipe for discharging the water in the water storage tank, A water level gauge for measuring the water level in the water storage tank, A controller that causes the drainage device to discharge the water from the water storage tank when the water level in the water storage tank reaches a predetermined maximum water level H max [mm], The total drainage volume W [mm] of the drainage device within a predetermined measurement period P [s] 3 , and the change amount ΔH [mm] of the water level in the water storage tank before and after the measurement period P [s], are used to calculate the precipitation amount D [mm] and / or precipitation intensity D P [mm / h], where D is the value of (W + S 2 ×ΔH) / S 1 , and D P is the value of (W + S 2 ×ΔH) × 3600 / (S 1 × P), where S 1 [mm 2 is the catchment area, and S 2 [mm 2 is the cross-sectional area of the water storage tank including Precipitation gauge.

2. In the precipitation meter according to claim 1, [Number 13] The following holds true, however, D P,max [mm / h] is the maximum precipitation intensity that the precipitation meter can measure, T[s] is the drainage time, and δ(t)[mm 3 / s] is the amount of wastewater drained per unit time by the wastewater drainage device. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

3. In the precipitation meter according to claim 2, [Number 14] The following holds true, where δ(0)[mm 3 [ / s] is the amount of wastewater per unit time of the wastewater drainage device at the start of wastewater drainage, and γ is a predetermined value satisfying 0 < γ ≤ 1. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

4. In a precipitation meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, [Number 15] The following holds true, however, D P,min [mm / h] is the minimum precipitation intensity that the precipitation meter can measure, P 1 [s] is P 1 A predetermined period satisfying ≤ P, where ξ[mm] is the resolution of the water level gauge. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

5. In a precipitation meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, [Number 16] The following holds true, however, D P,max [mm / h] is the maximum precipitation intensity that the precipitation meter can measure, and t int [s] is the time interval for water level detection by the water level meter, and ξ[mm] is the resolution of the water level meter. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

6. In the precipitation meter according to claim 4, [Number 16] The following equation holds true, where DP,max [mm / h] is the maximum precipitation intensity that the precipitation meter can measure, t int [s] is the time interval for water level detection by the water level meter, and ξ [mm] is the resolution of the water level meter. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

7. In a precipitation meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, [Number 17] The following holds true, however H min [mm] is a predetermined minimum water level, η is a predetermined value satisfying 0 < η < 1, and t int [s] is the time interval for water level detection by the water level gauge, and δ(t)| t@Hmin [mm 3 / s] is the minimum water level H min This is the amount of wastewater discharged per unit time in [location]. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

8. In the precipitation meter according to claim 4, [Number 17] The following equation holds true, where H min [mm] is a predetermined minimum water level, η is a predetermined value satisfying 0 < η < 1, t int [s] is the time interval for water level detection by the water level gauge, and δ(t)| t@Hmin [mm³ / s] is the amount of wastewater per unit time at the minimum water level H min. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

9. In the precipitation meter according to claim 5, [Number 17] The following equation holds true, where H min [mm] is a predetermined minimum water level, η is a predetermined value satisfying 0 < η < 1, t int [s] is the time interval for water level detection by the water level gauge, and δ(t)| t@Hmin [mm³ / s] is the amount of wastewater per unit time at the minimum water level H min. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

10. In the precipitation meter according to claim 6, [Number 17] The following equation holds true, where H min [mm] is a predetermined minimum water level, η is a predetermined value satisfying 0 < η < 1, t int [s] is the time interval for water level detection by the water level gauge, and δ(t)| t@Hmin [mm³ / s] is the amount of wastewater per unit time at the minimum water level H min. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

11. In the precipitation meter according to claim 1, The drainage device, in a single operation, reaches the maximum water level H max From a water level of [mm] or higher, the predetermined minimum water level H min Discharge the water from the water tank to a water level of [mm] or less. The drainage device includes a solenoid valve, a) If the measurement period P[s] expires while the drainage device is draining: The aforementioned W is, [Number 18] The value is such that the drainage device is at the highest water level H max From a water level of [mm] or higher to the minimum water level H min Full draining is defined as draining the water from the storage tank to a water level of [mm] or less, where n is the number of full drains during the measurement period P[s], and when n is 0, Q = 0, and H0 (i) [mm] is the water level at the start of the i-th full drainage, and Δt (i) [s] is the processing time for the i-th full drain, i ∈ {x ∈ N: 1 ≤ x ≤ n}, N is the set of all positive integers, and S 3 [mm 2 ] is the cross-sectional area of ​​the drain pipe, K v g[m / s] is the flow coefficient. 2 ] is the acceleration due to gravity, H0 [mm] is the water level at the start of drainage by the drainage device when the measurement period P [s] has expired, and Δt [s] is the drainage processing time by the drainage device when the measurement period P [s] has expired. b) If the measurement period P[s] expires while the drainage device is not draining: The aforementioned W is, [Number 19] The value is, however, the drainage device is at the highest water level H max From a water level of [mm] or higher to the minimum water level H min Full draining is defined as draining the water from the storage tank to a water level of [mm] or less, where n is the number of full drains during the measurement period P[s], and when n is 0, W = 0, and H0 (i) [mm] is the water level at the start of the i-th full drainage, and Δt (i) [s] is the processing time for the i-th full drain, i ∈ {x ∈ N: 1 ≤ x ≤ n}, N is the set of all positive integers, and S 3 [mm 2 ] is the cross-sectional area of ​​the drain pipe, K v g[m / s] is the flow coefficient. 2 ] is the acceleration due to gravity. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

12. In the precipitation meter according to claim 11, [Number 20] The following holds true, however, D P,max A precipitation meter characterized in that [mm / h] is the maximum precipitation intensity that the precipitation meter can measure.

13. In the precipitation meter according to claim 12, [Math 21] The following is true. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

14. In the precipitation meter according to claim 1, The drainage device, in a single operation, reaches the maximum water level H max From a water level of [mm] or higher, the predetermined minimum water level H min Discharge the water from the water tank to a water level of [mm] or less. The drainage system includes a constant flow pump. a) If the measurement period P[s] expires while the drainage device is draining: The aforementioned W is, [Number 22] The value is such that the drainage device is at the highest water level H max From a water level of [mm] or higher to the minimum water level H min Full drainage is defined as draining the water from the storage tank to a water level of [mm] or less, and δ[mm 3 / s] is the amount of wastewater drained per unit time by the wastewater drainage device, T open [s] is the total processing time spent by the drainage device for full drainage, and Δt[s] is the drainage processing time performed by the drainage device at the end of the measurement period P[s]. b) If the measurement period P[s] expires while the drainage device is not draining: The aforementioned W is, [Number 23] It is the core, however δ[mm 3 / s] is the amount of wastewater drained per unit time by the wastewater drainage device, T open [s] is the total time spent treating wastewater by the wastewater treatment device within the measurement period P[s]. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

15. In the precipitation meter according to claim 1, The drainage device, in a single operation, reaches the maximum water level H max From a water level of [mm] or higher, the predetermined minimum water level H min Discharge the water from the water tank to a water level of [mm] or less. The drainage device includes a solenoid valve, a) If the measurement period P[s] expires while the drainage device is draining: The aforementioned W is, [Number 24] The value of the above D P teeth, [Number 25] The value is such that the drainage device is at the highest water level H max From a water level of [mm] or higher to the minimum water level H min Full drainage is defined as draining the water from the reservoir to a water level of [mm] or less, T0 is the start time of the measurement period P[s], T1 is the time after the measurement period P[s] has ended when the drainage by the drainage device performed at the end of the measurement period P[s] has ended and constitutes full drainage, n is the number of full drainages during the period T1-T0, when n is 0, W=0, and H0 (i) [mm] is the water level at the start of the i-th full drainage, and Δt (i) [s] is the processing time for the i-th full drain, i ∈ {x ∈ N: 1 ≤ x ≤ n}, N is the set of all positive integers, and S 3 [mm 2 ] is the cross-sectional area of ​​the drain pipe, K v g[m / s] is the flow coefficient. 2 ] is the acceleration due to gravity, b) If the measurement period P[s] expires while the drainage device is not draining: The aforementioned W is, [Number 26] The value of the above D P teeth, [Number 27] The value is such that the drainage device is at the highest water level H max From a water level of [mm] or higher to the minimum water level H min Full draining is defined as draining the water from the storage tank to a water level of [mm] or less, where n is the number of full drains during the measurement period P[s], and when n is 0, W = 0, and H0 (i) [mm] is the water level at the start of the i-th full drainage, and Δt (i) [s] is the processing time for the i-th full drain, i ∈ {x ∈ N: 1 ≤ x ≤ n}, N is the set of all positive integers, and S 3 [mm 2 ] is the cross-sectional area of ​​the drain pipe, K v g[m / s] is the flow coefficient. 2 ] is the acceleration due to gravity. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

16. In the precipitation meter according to claim 1, The drainage device, in a single operation, reaches the maximum water level H max From a water level of [mm] or higher, the predetermined minimum water level H min Discharge the water from the water tank to a water level of [mm] or less. The drainage system includes a constant flow pump. a) If the measurement period P[s] expires while the drainage device is draining: The aforementioned W is, [Number 28] The value of the above D P teeth, [Number 29] The value is such that the drainage device is at the highest water level H max From a water level of [mm] or higher to the minimum water level H min Full drainage is defined as draining the water from the storage tank to a water level of [mm] or less, and δ[mm 3 / s] is the amount of wastewater per unit time of the wastewater drainage device, T0 is the start time of the measurement period P[s], and T1 is the time after the measurement period P[s] has ended when the wastewater drainage by the wastewater drainage device that is being carried out at the end of the measurement period P[s] has ended as full wastewater drainage. open [s] is the total time spent processing wastewater by the wastewater treatment device during the period from T0 to T1. b) If the measurement period P[s] expires while the drainage device is not draining: The aforementioned W is, [Number 30] The value of the above D P teeth, [Number 31] It is the core, however δ[mm 3 / s] is the amount of wastewater drained per unit time by the wastewater drainage device, T open [s] is the total time spent treating wastewater by the wastewater treatment device within the measurement period P[s]. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

17. In a precipitation meter according to any one of claims 11 to 16, The receiving device includes a water supply pipe. The water in the receiving container flows into the water storage tank through the water supply pipe. The outlet of the water supply pipe is located below the minimum water level. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

18. In a precipitation meter according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16, The surface of the water in the aforementioned water storage tank is covered with a non-volatile oil. A precipitation meter characterized by the following:

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