Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge Deflector for Overflow Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tipping bucket rain gauges experience fluid loss and measurement inaccuracies during high flow rates, as fluid continues to flow and fill the bucket beyond its capacity, leading to overflow or splashing, which is not accounted for in the measurement.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating deflectors between the buckets and the fluid flow orifice, which redirect the fluid flow to an offset zone on the overflow wall, enhancing the tilting dynamics and reducing the amount of fluid that fills the bucket beyond its capacity, allowing for quicker position transitions and minimizing fluid loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bucket is filled from the bottom during tilting, then the tilting mechanism can operate, but fluid continues to flow and fill the bucket beyond its capacity causing overflow or splashing
Solution Approach 1:
A deflector is introduced as an intermediary element between the flow orifice and the bucket. The deflector redirects the fluid flow to strike the overflow wall at an offset zone, preventing direct filling from the bottom and reducing fluid loss during tilting transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The deflector is positioned to preemptively redirect flow before it can fill the bucket beyond capacity. By pre-establishing the flow path to the offset zone on the overflow wall, the system prevents excessive filling before it occurs.
2Quantity of substance
If the bucket capacity is increased to accommodate higher flow rates, then more fluid can be collected, but the tilting mechanism becomes slower and less responsive
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector creates a localized flow redirection zone on the overflow wall, concentrating the flow impact at a specific offset position. This local quality change allows the bucket to be designed with optimized capacity while maintaining rapid tilting response through focused flow redirection.
3Productivity
If the flow orifice is enlarged to handle higher flow rates, then more fluid can be recovered, but measurement precision decreases due to unmeasured fluid filling during tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector acts as a mediator that enables larger flow orifices to operate accurately by redirecting flow to the overflow wall offset zone. This prevents unmeasured fluid accumulation during tilting, allowing high productivity without sacrificing measurement precision.
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 improves the accuracy and efficiency of fluid recovery by reducing unmeasured fluid quantities, ensuring precise measurement of fluid flow during high flow rates without causing losses, and enhancing the dynamism of the tipping mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
the first, respectively the second, deflector comprising a deflection wall arranged to deport the flow of the fluid over a zone of the overflow wall of the first, respectively of the second, trough offset with respect to the bottom of said trough
Implementation Method 2
When the bucket contains a predetermined quantity of fluid, the tilting assembly tilts due to the weight of the fluid in the bucket
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
This connection device (1) comprises a fluid flow orifice (4) in fluidic communication with a receiving device (6) that receives said fluid, said device comprising a first bucket (18) and a second bucket (20) and being mounted so that it can rotate between a first position and a second position. The receiving device (6) further comprises a first deflector (34) and a second deflector (36) which are interposed respectively between the first (18) and the second (20) buckets and the fluid flow orifice (4), the first (34), or, respectively, the second (36), deflector comprising a deflection wall (38) which is designed to divert the flow of the fluid onto a zone (56) of the first (18) or, respectively, of the second (20), bucket that is offset away from the bottom (30) of said bucket.