Ultrasonic Flow Meter Modular Electronics Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultrasonic flow meters face challenges in component replacement due to environmental conditions and restricted access, often requiring the entire device to be replaced when individual components fail, and there is a need for facilitating the replacement of electronics and routing/protection of transducer/receiver pairs and associated cabling.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a pressure vessel with pass-through apertures for transducers and prewired electronics, allowing for the assembly of flow measurement electronics as a sub-assembly that can be sealed and easily replaced, with transducer housings and wiring spaces to maintain a watertight seal and facilitate mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the flow meter is sealed to protect internal components from environmental damage, then reliability is improved, but ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flow meter is divided into separate modular components: an electronics housing containing measurement electronics, transducer housings containing transducers, and a meter body with flow passage. These modules can be independently replaced through sealed interfaces, allowing repair without compromising environmental protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronics housing and transducer housings are nested within or attached to the meter body, creating a hierarchical structure where smaller sealed units are contained within the larger flow meter assembly. This allows individual modules to be replaced while maintaining the overall sealed structure.
2Reliability
If the entire flow meter is replaced when components fail, then reliability is maintained, but loss of time and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the flow meter into replaceable modules (electronics housing, transducer housings, meter body), only the failed component needs to be replaced rather than the entire device. This significantly reduces replacement time while maintaining reliability through modular interchangeability.
3Ease of operation
If transducers and cables are exposed to facilitate access, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to susceptibility to damage
Solution Approach 1:
Transducers are housed in separate protected enclosures (transducer housings) that can be accessed as units. The housings provide physical protection while allowing controlled access through the modular interface, preventing cable damage and transducer exposure to harsh environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The transducer housings act as intermediary protective structures between the transducers/cables and the harsh external environment. These housings provide mechanical protection and environmental sealing while still allowing the transducers to perform their ultrasonic measurement function.
4Reliability
If cabling is sealed to protect internal components, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Cabling is contained within separate sealed modules (electronics housing, transducer housings) rather than requiring complex sealing throughout the entire device. Each module can be sealed and tested independently during manufacturing, simplifying the overall assembly process while maintaining protection.
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 configuration enables the replacement of flow measurement electronics without exposing internal components to environmental damage, reducing maintenance complexity and extending the life of the device by allowing for individual component replacement rather than the entire unit.
Implementation Method 1
at least one ultrasonic transmitter/receiver pair, also referred to as transducers, transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals through a conduit through which a fluid or gas to be measured is being transported
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasonic flow meter is configured to facilitate replacement of flow measurement electronics. The flow meter includes flow measurement electronics including a plurality of transducer assemblies transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves through a flow for ultrasonic measurement of the flow and a flow meter body. The flow meter body includes a conduit providing a flow passage through the flow meter body, an electronics receptacle configured to receive the flow measurement electronics to form an electronics housing compartment, a plurality of transducer housings configured to receive transducer assemblies and position one or more transducers of the transducer assemblies relative to the conduit, and at least two pass-through apertures directly between the electronics housing into each of the plurality of transducer housings.