Ultrasonic Flow Meter Vertical Ceramic Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic flow measurement devices have complex structures and high manufacturing costs due to the horizontal arrangement of measuring ceramics and printed circuit boards, making them difficult to assemble and modify for different applications.
Innovation Solution
The electronics board is arranged parallel to the plane containing the fluid line, with measuring ceramics and prisms positioned to steer ultrasound through the fluid line, allowing for a simpler structure that can be assembled using standard components and manufactured under clean room conditions, optimizing the angle of refraction for accurate sound wave deflection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If measuring ceramics are arranged horizontally to the printed circuit board, then the device can process transmitted and received signals, but the structure becomes complex and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional horizontal arrangement of measuring ceramics relative to the printed circuit board, positioning them vertically instead. This inversion simplifies the overall structure by aligning the ceramics perpendicular to the board plane, reducing structural complexity while maintaining signal processing functionality through the vertical configuration of the ultrasonic measurement path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional horizontal arrangement to a three-dimensional vertical configuration by positioning measuring ceramics perpendicular to the printed circuit board. This dimensional change allows the ultrasonic beam to propagate vertically through the fluid line, simplifying the structural layout while preserving measurement capabilities through optimized spatial arrangement.
2Reliability
If measuring ceramics are arranged horizontally to the printed circuit board, then the device can function, but manufacturing costs increase and assembly becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the arrangement from horizontal to vertical orientation, the patent simplifies the assembly process. The vertical positioning of measuring ceramics perpendicular to the printed circuit board allows for more straightforward mounting and alignment during manufacturing, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining full device functionality through the revised spatial configuration.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard components and clean room assembly are used, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but the structure must be simplified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the device into distinct functional modules: the printed circuit board with evaluation electronics, the vertically arranged measuring ceramics, the prisms for ultrasonic beam steering, and the fluid line. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using standard processes and clean room assembly techniques, reducing overall manufacturing costs while the modular structure maintains functional complexity through organized component arrangement.
4Ease of manufacture
If the electronics board is arranged parallel to the fluid line plane, then manufacturing costs are reduced, but the ultrasonic beam steering must be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces prisms as intermediary elements between the vertically arranged measuring ceramics and the fluid line. These prisms serve as mediators that precisely steer the ultrasonic beam generated by the ceramics through the fluid line, compensating for the simplified parallel arrangement of the electronics board while maintaining manufacturing cost efficiency through the use of standardized optical steering components.
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 reduces manufacturing costs, enables easy modification for special applications, and improves the accuracy of ultrasonic measurements by optimizing the angle of refraction for different media properties, allowing for efficient and precise flow measurement.
Implementation Method 1
measuring ceramics for generating ultrasound
Implementation Method 2
The prisms have defined angles of refraction to the fluid line... the refraction of the sound beam at the boundary surfaces takes place according to the respective ratio of the speed of sound
Implementation Method 3
The angle of the prisms to the fluid line is designed according to the medium to be measured... optimized to reflect the sound waves at 45°
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for measuring flows with a fluid line and measuring ceramics for generating ultrasound, in which the measuring ceramics are arranged on a plane parallel to the fluid line.