Fluid Meter Battery Module Sealing for Underwater Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fluid meters, especially those designed for underwater installation, face challenges in maintaining hermetic sealing due to the complexity of sealing requirements, which complicates the replacement of energy storage devices without compromising the housing's tightness.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves separately casting electronic and energy storage devices as prefabricated, sealed units that can be connected via cable or inductive interfaces, allowing for easy replacement without the need for complex resealing, using self-sealing connectors and casting compounds to ensure fluid resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the housing is hermetically sealed to prevent fluid ingress, then fluid resistance is improved, but the energy storage device cannot be replaced without compromising the seal
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a fixed hermetically sealed part and a replaceable battery compartment. The battery compartment can be opened and replaced without affecting the hermetic seal of the main housing, thus maintaining fluid resistance while enabling easy energy storage device replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy storage device is extracted as a separate replaceable component in a dedicated compartment. This allows the battery to be removed and replaced independently from the sealed housing, solving the contradiction between maintaining seal integrity and enabling maintenance access.
2Ease of repair
If the housing is opened to replace the energy storage device, then ease of repair is improved, but the hermetic seal is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure is segmented into a sealed main body and an accessible battery compartment. Only the compartment needs to be opened for battery replacement, while the main sealed housing remains intact, preserving the hermetic seal during maintenance operations.
3Reliability
If a complex sealing system is used to ensure complete fluid tightness, then fluid resistance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into a permanent hermetic seal for the main housing and a simple access mechanism for the battery compartment. This segmentation allows complex sealing only where absolutely necessary (main housing) while keeping the replacement mechanism simple.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach ensures maximum fluid resistance and simplifies the replacement of energy storage devices, eliminating the need for extensive resealing, enabling easy underwater installation and operation without compromising functionality.
Implementation Method 1
the connected ends are encapsulated in the potting compound of the electronic device and the energy storage device, respectively
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Fluid meter with an electronic unit (1) comprising a housing (2) in which an electronic device (3) and an associated energy storage device (5, 5a) supplying it are arranged, wherein both the electronic device (3) and the energy storage device (5, 5a) are separately encapsulated in a potting housing (7, 9) with a potting compound (8, 10) and are coupled to each other either via a cable connection (6) or via an inductive energy transfer interface.