Optical Flow Meter Tolerance Compensation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow meters with optical detection units are sensitive to manufacturing and positional tolerances, leading to inaccuracies in flow quantity measurement and high production costs.
Innovation Solution
A flow meter with an optical detection unit featuring a rotating disc, aspherical concave reflection elements, and strategically positioned optical transmission and reception elements, which reduces sensitivity to mechanical tolerances and allows for cost-effective, automated production, ensuring precise flow rate measurement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional optical detection units are used with standard transmission and reception elements, then the device can be manufactured with simpler components, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to high sensitivity to manufacturing and positional tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs aspherical concave reflection elements instead of standard planar or spherical mirrors. These aspherical surfaces are specifically designed to focus optical signals from the transmission element to the reception element while compensating for manufacturing and positional tolerances. The aspherical geometry allows the system to maintain measurement precision without requiring extremely tight tolerances on component placement and manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the system by introducing reflection elements with specific aspherical concave geometries and positioning the transmission and reception elements at focal points. This parameter optimization creates an optical path that is less sensitive to tolerances, thereby improving measurement precision while maintaining reasonable device complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional optical detection units with standard components are used, then production costs may be lower, but manufacturing precision requirements become excessively high leading to increased production costs
Solution Approach 1:
The aspherical concave reflection elements are designed to inherently compensate for manufacturing and positional tolerances. This geometric design allows for more relaxed manufacturing precision requirements compared to conventional optical systems, making the device easier and more cost-effective to manufacture while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical detection unit is designed so that the aspherical reflection elements and focal point positioning automatically compensate for tolerance variations without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or extremely precise manufacturing. The system self-corrects for manufacturing imperfections, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing production costs.
3Measurement precision
If the optical detection unit is designed with high sensitivity to mechanical tolerances, then measurement precision can be maintained, but the device becomes more complex and costly to produce
Solution Approach 1:
The aspherical concave reflection elements provide a geometric solution that reduces sensitivity to mechanical tolerances. By carefully designing the aspherical surface parameters and positioning the transmission and reception elements at the focal points, the system achieves measurement precision without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms or extremely precise component placement, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
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
The solution provides precise and cost-effective flow rate measurement, enabling a compact and reliable flow meter design suitable for various applications, with reduced manufacturing costs and improved signal integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a surface of the rotating disc has at least one planar reflecting area (3.1) and at least one non-reflecting area (3.2)
Implementation Method 2
the optical transmission element (4) is arranged in a first focal point (B11, B12) of a first reflection element (RE1, RE2) and the optical reception element (5) is arranged in a first focal point (B11, B12) of a second reflection element (RE1, RE2), the reflection elements being aspherical and concave
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The meter has an optical detection unit (1) with a rotary disk (2) driven by the meter depending on a flow amount. A surface (3) of the disk includes a flat reflecting area (3.1). An optical transmission element (4) is arranged in a focal point (B11) of a reflection element (RE1). An optical receiving element (5) is arranged in a focal point (B12) of another reflection element (RE2). Other focal points (B21, B22) of the reflection elements lie outside a disk center (M) such that an optical signal transmitted by the transmission element and reflected by the area reaches the receiving element. The optical transmission element and the optical receiving element are designed as Surface Mount Device (SMD) elements. The optical transmission element is designed as an infrared light-transmitting element, and the optical receiving element is designed as an infrared light-receiving element.