CN214959331U - Flow meter - Google Patents
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- CN214959331U CN214959331U CN202121025278.6U CN202121025278U CN214959331U CN 214959331 U CN214959331 U CN 214959331U CN 202121025278 U CN202121025278 U CN 202121025278U CN 214959331 U CN214959331 U CN 214959331U
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Abstract
The utility model relates to a flowmeter. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flow meter, including: a sensor and a transmitter; wherein, the flowmeter still includes: a self-powered module consisting of at least one unit module and arranged on the fluid conduit or sensor for powering the sensor and/or the transmitter, wherein the at least one unit module comprises a heat sink and a thermoelectric converter module configured to generate electricity by thermoelectric effect.
Description
Technical Field
The utility model relates to a flowmeter field especially relates to a flowmeter with self-power module.
Background
A flowmeter is a meter widely used in industrial fields for measuring a flow rate of a fluid, and includes a sensor and a transmitter connected to the sensor. Sensors are mounted on the fluid conduits for measuring various physical parameters of the fluid, such as mass flow, density, temperature and pressure, etc., and transmitting one or more of these physical parameters to the transmitter, which processes the physical parameters measured by the sensors and converts them to standard voltage or current signals, which are output to an external device, such as a remote client and/or display, for further processing of the signals and/or display of the measured fluid flow.
In existing flowmeters, the flowmeter, and in particular the transmitter of the flowmeter, is powered by a battery installed in the flowmeter or a power source connected to the flowmeter. Both of these power supply approaches have limitations in some applications. For a flow meter powered by a battery, the flow meter cannot be powered for a long time due to limited electric energy stored by the battery, so that the flow meter cannot work for a long time. While there is a need for a stable power supply for a flow meter that is powered using a power source, in some environments it is difficult to provide a stable power supply, thereby rendering the flow meter inoperable in those environments.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved flow meter having a self-powered module that can stably power the flow meter so that the flow meter can stably obtain power in a variety of environments and thus operate stably in a variety of environments.
SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL
The general outline of the present invention is provided in this section, not a full scope of the present invention or a full disclosure of all the features of the present invention.
The to-be-solved problem of the utility model is the power supply problem of flowmeter. In order to solve the problem, the utility model provides a flowmeter with from power module should can supply power for the flowmeter steadily from the power module for the flowmeter can work in various application environment.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flow meter, including: a sensor and a transmitter; wherein, the flowmeter still includes: a self-powered module consisting of at least one unit module and arranged on the fluid conduit or sensor for powering the sensor and/or the transmitter, wherein the at least one unit module comprises a heat sink and a thermoelectric converter module configured to generate electricity by thermoelectric effect.
In the above flow meter, the self-powered module includes an upper half portion and a lower half portion each constituted by at least one unit module, and the upper half portion and the lower half portion of the self-powered module are disposed opposite to each other and fixed to each other by bolting.
In the above flow meter, the upper half portion and the lower half portion of the self-powered module are respectively formed of a plurality of unit modules, and the adjacent unit modules of the upper half portion or the lower half portion of the self-powered module are fixed to each other by welding, or the adjacent unit modules of the upper half portion or the lower half portion of the self-powered module are integrally formed.
In the above flow meter, the thermoelectric converter module is disposed inside the heat radiating fin, and the thermoelectric converter module and the heat radiating fin are fixed to each other by caulking and/or heat conductive glue so that the thermoelectric converter module is attached to the inside of the heat radiating fin.
In the above flowmeter, the heat sink includes a body portion and flange portions at both ends of the body portion, wherein the body portion has an arc shape, and a convex portion is provided on an outer side of the body portion, and a screw hole is provided on the flange portion.
In the above flow meter, the thermoelectric converter module has a multilayer structure, and the thermoelectric converter module is composed of the following respective layers disposed from outside to inside: the outer insulating material layer is attached to the radiating fin; an outer electrode layer; a thermoelectric conversion material layer including a P-type semiconductor material block and an N-type semiconductor material block, and the P-type semiconductor material block and the N-type semiconductor material block being spaced apart from each other; an internal electrode layer including a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer, wherein the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer are spaced apart from each other, and the positive electrode layer is attached to the P-type semiconductor material block, and the negative electrode layer is attached to the N-type semiconductor material block; and an inner insulating material layer, and adjacent layers among the above-described respective layers of the thermoelectric converter module are fixed to each other by a thermally conductive adhesive.
In the above flow meter, the heat radiating fins are made of copper or aluminum alloy; the outer insulating material layer and the inner insulating material layer are made of mica or ceramic; the outer electrode layer and the inner electrode layer are made of platinum-rhodium alloy, NiCr10 alloy or constantan; and the P-type semiconductor material block and the N-type semiconductor material block of the thermoelectric conversion material layer are made of Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3, PbTe, SiGe, or CrSi.
In the above flow meter, the thermoelectric converter module has a multilayer structure, and the thermoelectric converter module is composed of the following respective layers disposed from outside to inside: the outer insulating material layer is attached to the radiating fin; an outer electrode layer including a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer, wherein the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer are spaced apart from each other; a thermoelectric conversion material layer including a block of P-type semiconductor material and a block of N-type semiconductor material, wherein the blocks of P-type semiconductor material and N-type semiconductor material are spaced apart from each other, and the blocks of P-type semiconductor material are bonded to the positive electrode layer, and the blocks of N-type semiconductor material are bonded to the negative electrode layer; an inner electrode layer; and an inner insulating material layer, and adjacent layers among the above-described respective layers of the thermoelectric converter module are fixed to each other by a thermally conductive adhesive.
In the above-described flow meter, the upper half portion and the lower half portion of the self-powered module are fixed to each other by fixing bolts passed through threaded holes of flange portions of the heat sinks of the respective unit modules of the upper half portion and the lower half portion of the self-powered module, wherein a fixing plate having threaded holes corresponding to positions of the threaded holes of the flange portions is further provided on the flange portions, and fixing bolts for fixing the upper half portion and the lower half portion of the self-powered module are passed through the threaded holes of the flange portions and the threaded holes of the fixing plate so that the fixing bolts abut on the fixing plate.
In the above-described flow meter, the body portions of the heat radiation fins of the respective unit modules from the upper half and the lower half of the power supply module form heat radiation portions having heat radiation grooves formed by the convex portions of the body portions of the heat radiation fins of the respective unit modules, and the thermoelectric converter modules from the respective unit modules of the upper half and the lower half of the power supply module are connected in series by wires, wherein the positive electrode layers of the internal electrode layers of the thermoelectric converter modules of adjacent unit modules are connected to each other by wires, and the negative electrode layers of the internal electrode layers of the thermoelectric converter modules of adjacent unit modules are connected to each other by wires.
The advantages of the flow meter according to the invention are for example as follows. Firstly, because according to the utility model discloses a flowmeter has self-power module, consequently need not provide extra power and supply power for the flowmeter, also need not consider the problem of being connected of flowmeter and power, consequently makes the user more convenient to flowmeter installation and use, has reduced the use cost of flowmeter. Moreover, because need not set up the power, consequently according to the utility model discloses a flowmeter's application environment is wider, can use in the environment that does not have the power or supply power difficulty. Furthermore, because the utility model discloses a flowmeter supplies power through self-power module, consequently compares with the conventional flowmeter who does not have self-power module and pass through battery powered, the utility model discloses a flowmeter can work for a long time and need not charge, consequently is suitable for long-time monitoring flow. Additionally, the utility model discloses a power module of flowmeter has noiselessness, nos wearing and tearing in the power generation process, no medium leakage to long service life's advantage.
Drawings
The technical features of the inventive flow meter, in particular of the self-powered module of the flow meter, are illustrated in the following figures, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the principle of electricity generation using the thermoelectric effect;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a thermoelectric converter (TEG) module for generating electricity using the thermoelectric effect;
fig. 3 is a perspective view of a single unit module of a self-powered module of a flow meter according to a first embodiment of the invention;
fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a single unit module of a self-powered module of a flow meter according to a first embodiment of the invention;
fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the upper half of a self-powered module of a flow meter according to a first embodiment of the invention, comprising three unit modules connected together;
fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a self-powered module of a flow meter according to a first embodiment of the present invention mounted on a fluid conduit;
fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a self-powered module of a flow meter and a transmitter coupled to the self-powered module according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and
fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a single unit module of a self-powered module of a flow meter according to a second embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description
The invention is described in detail below with the aid of specific embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. The following detailed description of the invention is merely for purposes of illustration and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
In order to solve the problem of stable power supply, a self-powered module is provided for the flow meter according to the present invention, which is installed on the fluid pipeline or on the sensor of the flow meter to generate electricity by thermoelectric effect using the temperature difference between the temperature of the fluid in the fluid pipeline and the ambient temperature, and then supply the generated electric energy to the sensor and/or the transmitter of the flow meter to maintain the operation of the flow meter.
First, before describing the self-powered module in detail, a principle of generating electricity by a thermoelectric effect is described with reference to fig. 1.
The thermoelectric effect is a phenomenon in which, when a temperature difference occurs at a junction in a closed circuit formed of different conductors, a thermoelectric current flows in the closed circuit, and a thermoelectromotive force is generated. As shown in FIG. 1, different metals or semiconductors A and B form a loop when two contacts C of the metals or semiconductors A and B are connected1And C2Is different, a current is generated in the loop, which is also known as the Seebeck (Seebeck) effect. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the absolute Seebeck coefficient at a metal or semiconductor A is SaThe absolute Seebeck coefficient of the metal or semiconductor B is Sb(Sa＞Sb) Contact point C1At a temperature of T1Contact point C2At a temperature of T2(C1Point of cold end, C2The point being a hot end, T2＞T1) In the case of (2), the electromotive force V generated by the circuitabCan be expressed as:
Vab＝(Sa-Sb)(T2-T1)
fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a thermoelectric converter (TEG) module for generating electricity by utilizing the principle of the thermoelectric effect. As shown in fig. 2, a thermoelectric converter (TEG) module includes a block N of P-type semiconductor material P, N, a block N of semiconductor material, a first electrode E1Comprises a second electrode positive terminal E2+ and a second electrode negative terminal E2Second electrode E of (E)2. Electric equipment/load L and second electrode positive terminal E2+ and a second electrode negative terminal E2Are connected to form a loop, so that a current is generated in the loop, so that the TEG module can supply power to the consumers/loads L. When the TEG module as shown operates in an operating environment, the first electrode E1In a lower temperature environment and hence called cold side, and a second electrode E2In a higher temperature environment and is therefore referred to as the hot end. According to the seebeck effect as described above, when the consumer/load L is connected to the TEG module to form a loop, the first contact point of the P-type semiconductor material block P and the N-type semiconductor material block N is the first electrode E1(i.e. cold side) and the second contact point is the second electrode E2(i.e., hot side), since the temperature of the first contact is lower than the temperature of the second contact, power generation can be used at the TEG module to power the consumer/load L using the seebeck effect. In a TEG module, there are specific requirements for the performance of the electrode, the block of N-type semiconductor material, and the block of P-type semiconductor material. For the electrode layer, the following characteristics are required: the thermoelectric power is large and changes along with the temperature in a monotonic function, the melting point is high, the high-temperature oxidation resistance and the environmental medium corrosion resistance are good, the thermoelectric property is stable, and the processing performance and the mechanical strength are good. For example, the material of the electrode may be platinum rhodium alloy, NiCr10 alloy, constantan, or the like. For a block of N-type semiconductor material, the following properties are required: electrons can be easily released, the electron concentration is high, and the absolute seebeck coefficient is negative. For a block of P-type semiconductor material, the following characteristics are required: electrons can be easily absorbed, and the absolute seebeck coefficient thereof is a positive value. E.g. blocks of N-type semiconductor material and P-halvesThe block of conductor-type material may be made of a thermoelectric material of semiconductor metal alloy type such as Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3, PbTe, SiGe or CrSi.
The structure and the operation principle of the flow meter according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which is suitable for measuring the flow rate of high-temperature fluid, will be described below with reference to fig. 3 to 7.
The self-powered module of the flow meter according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes the above-described TEG module, and the self-powered module is composed of at least one unit module. The self-powered module may be composed of an upper half and a lower half mounted to the fluid pipe or the sensor opposite to each other, the upper half and the lower half of the self-powered module are respectively composed of at least one unit module, and the upper half and the lower half of the self-powered module have the same number of unit modules. Fig. 3 and 4 are a perspective view and a sectional view, respectively, of a single unit module of the self-powered module.
As shown in fig. 3, the unit modules of the self-powered module of the flow meter according to the first embodiment of the present invention include a heat sink 10 and a TEG module 20. The heat sink 10 includes a body portion 11 and flange portions 12 at both ends of the body portion 11. The body portion 11 is arc-shaped to match the outer shape of the fluid conduit or sensor in which the self-powered module is mounted. The outer side of the body portion 11 is provided with a protrusion 111 to increase the area of the outer surface of the body portion 11 of the heat sink 10, thereby improving heat dissipation efficiency. When a plurality of unit modules are combined together to form the upper half or the lower half of the self-powered module, the protrusion of each unit module forms a heat dissipation groove for dissipating heat on the outer side of the self-powered module (as shown in fig. 6 in particular). The flange portion 12 of the heat sink 10 may be provided with screw holes for fixing the upper and lower halves of the self-powered module to each other by bolting. The heat sink 10 is made of, for example, copper or aluminum alloy or other material having a good thermal conductivity. The TEG module 20 is disposed inside the heat sink 10, and is fixed to the heat sink 10 by riveting and/or a heat conductive adhesive such that the outside of the TEG module 20 is attached to the inside of the heat sink 10. Therefore, heat on the outside of the TEG module 20 can be dissipated through the heat sink 10, so that the outside temperature of the TEG module 20 is low. When the self-powered module is mounted on a fluid pipe or sensor, the inside of the TEG module 20 and the fluid pipe or sensor come into abutting contact with each other, so that the high temperature of the fluid is transmitted to the inside of the TEG module 20 through the fluid pipe or sensor. Therefore, the temperature of the inside of the TEG module 20 is high, and thus a large temperature difference is formed between the outside and the inside of the TEG module 20, so that the TEG module 20 can generate electricity by the thermoelectric effect.
A specific structure of the TEG module of the unit module is explained with reference to fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a single unit module of the self-powered module of the flow meter according to the first embodiment of the invention, which in particular shows a detailed view of the multilayer structure of the TEG module 20. As shown in fig. 4, the TEG module 20 is, from the outside to the inside, an outer insulating material layer 21, an outer electrode layer 22, a thermoelectric conversion material layer 23 including a block 231 of P-type semiconductor material and a block 232 of N-type semiconductor material, an inner electrode layer 24 including a positive electrode layer 24+ and a negative electrode layer 24-, and an inner insulating material layer 25, respectively. Adjacent layers among the above-described respective layers of the TEG module 20 are fixed to each other by a heat conductive adhesive. As described above, the temperature of the outer side (i.e., the side where the outer insulating material layer 21 is located) of the TEG module 20 is low, and the temperature of the inner side (i.e., the side where the inner insulating material layer 25 is located) is high, so that the outer side of the TEG module 20 is a cold end and the inner side is a hot end. The outer insulating material layer 21 and the inner insulating material layer 25 are made of insulating materials such as mica or ceramics, have good insulating strength, and can protect the electrodes and the semiconductor material blocks between the outer insulating material layer 21 and the inner insulating material layer 25 from being damaged. The outer insulating material layer 21 and the inner insulating material layer 25 also have good heat conductivity, and ensure that the heat dissipation efficiency of the cold end and the heat absorption efficiency of the hot end of the TEG module 20 are high, so that the TEG module 20 can generate electricity by using the temperature difference between the cold end and the hot end. The outer surface of the outer insulating material layer 21 is attached to the inner side of the heat sink 10, and the inner surface is attached to the outer electrode layer 22. The outer electrode layer 22 of the TEG module 20 is located between the outer insulating material layer 21 and the thermoelectric conversion material layer 23, and is attached to the P-type semiconductor material block 231 and the N-type semiconductor material block 232. The pieces of P-type semiconductor material 231 and the pieces of N-type semiconductor material 232 of the thermoelectric conversion material layer 23 of the TEG module 20 are spaced apart from each other, and the pieces of P-type semiconductor material 231 are attached to the positive electrode layers 24+ of the internal electrode layers 24, while the pieces of N-type semiconductor material 232 are attached to the negative electrode layers 24-of the internal electrode layers 24. The positive electrode layer 24+ and the negative electrode layer 24-of the internal electrode layer 24 are also spaced apart from each other, and correspond to the positions of the pieces of P-type semiconductor material 231 and the pieces of N-type semiconductor material 232, respectively. The internal insulating material layer 25 of the TEG module 20 is located at the innermost side of the TEG module 20, and is bonded to the positive electrode layer 24+ and the negative electrode layer 24-of the internal electrode layer 24.
Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the upper half of a self-powered module of a flow meter according to a first embodiment of the invention, which comprises three unit modules. As shown in fig. 5, the upper half 2 of the self-powered module of the flowmeter is constituted by three elementary modules side by side. Here, it should be noted that the upper half of the self-powered module shown in the drawings is merely an example, and the upper half of the self-powered module may be configured of two or more unit modules according to the power consumption requirement of the flow meter. The adjacent unit modules of the upper half 2 of the self-powered module may be fixed to each other by welding, or the adjacent unit modules of the upper half 2 of the self-powered module may be integrally formed. As shown in the drawing, the upper half 2 of the self-powered module has a heat dissipation portion 26 composed of a body portion of the heat sink of each unit module, the heat dissipation portion 26 having heat dissipation grooves (as more clearly shown in fig. 6) for improving heat dissipation efficiency. Here, it should be noted that the heat dissipation part shown in the drawings is only an example, and the heat dissipation part may have different shapes or structures according to actual needs, for example, the heat dissipation part may have more grooves to increase the surface area, thereby further improving the heat dissipation efficiency. The screw holes may be provided on the flange portion 12 of one or more unit modules. In the embodiment shown in fig. 5, the screw hole is provided on the flange portion of each unit module, but in other embodiments, the screw hole may be provided only on the flange portion of a part of the unit modules as needed. The TEG modules of the respective unit modules of the upper half 2 of the self-powered module are connected in series by a wire, wherein the positive electrode layers of the inner electrode layers of the TEG modules of the respective unit modules are connected to each other by a wire, and the negative electrode layers of the inner electrode layers of the TEG modules of the respective unit modules are connected to each other by a wire. The lower half 3 of the self-powered module has the same structure as the upper half 2 and has the same number of unit modules, and thus will not be described in detail.
Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a self-powered module of a flow meter according to a first embodiment of the present invention mounted on a fluid conduit. As shown in fig. 6, the upper half 2 and the lower half 3 of the self powered module 1 of the flow meter are mounted on the fluid pipe in a manner surrounding the fluid pipe 4, and the upper half 2 and the lower half 3 of the self powered module 1 are oppositely disposed. Here, it is to be noted that although the self-powered module of the flow meter is shown mounted on the fluid conduit, the self-powered module of the flow meter may be mounted on the sensor of the flow meter in the same manner. As shown, the upper half 2 and the lower half 3 of the self-powered module 1 are fixed to each other by fixing bolts 9 passing through threaded holes on the flange portions 12 of the respective unit modules. A fixing plate 6 spanning a plurality of unit modules may be further provided on the flange portion 12. The fixing plate 6 has threaded holes corresponding to the positions of the threaded holes on the flange portion 12, so that the fixing bolts 9 can pass through the threaded holes on the flange portion 12 and the corresponding threaded holes on the fixing plate 6 and then abut against the fixing plate 6 to stabilize the fixing of the upper half 2 and the lower half 3 of the self-powered module 1. As shown in the drawings, when the self-powered module 1 is mounted on the fluid pipe 4, the inner insulating material layer of the TEG module of each unit module of the upper and lower half portions 2 and 3 of the self-powered module 1 and the fluid pipe are in close contact with each other.
Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a self-powered module of a flow meter and a transmitter coupled to the self-powered module according to a first embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 7, a self-powered module 1 formed by fixing the upper half 2 and the lower half 3 of the self-powered module together has been mounted on a fluid pipe 4, and the self-powered module 1 is connected to a transmitter 5 through a power cord to form a loop to supply power to the transmitter 5 when the flow meter is in operation. The specific way in which the self-powered module 1 is connected to the transducer 5 is as follows: the positive electrode layer 24+ of the inner electrode layer 24 of the TEG module 20 of the self-powered module 1 is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply of the transmitter 5, and the negative electrode layer 24-is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply of the transmitter 5.
The operation of the flow meter according to the first embodiment of the present invention having the self-powered module as described above is explained below with reference to the drawings and the above description.
When the flow meter according to the first embodiment of the present invention is used to measure the flow rate of high-temperature fluid, the self-powered module of the flow meter is mounted on a fluid pipeline or a sensor of the flow meter, and is connected to a transmitter of the flow meter through a power line to form a loop. At this time, the high-temperature fluid flows through the hollow portion of the fluid pipe or the sensor, and the temperature of the fluid pipe or the sensor is increased. At this time, since the TEG module of the self-powered module mounted on the fluid pipe or the sensor and the fluid pipe or the sensor are in contact with each other, the high temperature of the fluid pipe or the sensor is transferred to the inner insulating material layer of the TEG module and further to the inner electrode layer, so that the first sides of the P-type semiconductor material block and the N-type semiconductor material block of the TEG module, which are in contact with the inner electrode layer, have higher temperature, and a hot end is formed. And because the second sides of the P-type semiconductor material block and the N-type semiconductor material block of the TEG module, which are opposite to the first sides, are attached to the outer electrode layer, the heat of the second sides can be transmitted to the heat dissipation part through the outer electrode layer and the outer insulating layer, and then the heat is dissipated to the air through the heat dissipation grooves of the heat dissipation part, so that the temperatures of the second sides of the P-type semiconductor material block and the N-type semiconductor material block are lower, and cold ends are formed. In this case, the TEG module can generate electricity using the thermoelectric effect as described above due to the temperature difference between the hot and cold sides, and transmit the generated current to the transmitter through the power line to power the transmitter. Moreover, according to actual needs, the self-powered module of the flow meter can be further configured to supply power to the sensor.
The structure and the operation principle of the flow meter according to the second embodiment of the present invention, which is suitable for measuring the flow rate of a cryogenic fluid such as liquid nitrogen, will be described below with reference to fig. 8. The flow meter according to the second embodiment of the present invention is basically the same in structure as the flow meter according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and differs only in that the structure of the TEG module is different. In particular, the arrangement of the various layers of the TEG module of the flow meter according to the second embodiment is reversed compared to the TEG module of the flow meter according to the first embodiment. Therefore, a specific structure of a TEG module of a flow meter according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to fig. 8 only.
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a single unit module of a self-powered module of a flow meter according to a second embodiment of the invention, particularly showing a detailed view of the multilayer structure of TEG module 30. As shown in fig. 8, the TEG module 30 is, from the outside to the inside, an outer insulating material layer 31, an outer electrode layer 32 including a positive electrode layer 32+ and a negative electrode layer 32-, a thermoelectric conversion material layer 33 including a P-type semiconductor material block 331 and an N-type semiconductor material block 332, an inner electrode layer 34, and an inner insulating material layer 35, respectively. Adjacent layers among the above-described respective layers of the TEG module 30 are fixed to each other by a heat conductive adhesive. Since the flow meter according to the second embodiment of the present invention is used for measuring a low-temperature fluid, the outside (i.e., the side where the outer insulating material layer 31 is located) of the TEG module 30 is higher in temperature, and the inside (i.e., the side where the inner insulating material layer 35 is located) is lower in temperature, so that the outside of the TEG module 30 is a hot end and the inside is a cold end. In this way, TEG module 30 may utilize the temperature difference between the cold and hot sides for power generation. As described above, the arrangement of the layers of the TEG module 30 is merely reversed compared to the TEG module 20, and thus will not be described in detail.
When a flow meter according to a second embodiment of the present invention is used to measure a flow of a cryogenic fluid, a self-powered module of the flow meter is mounted to a fluid conduit or a sensor of the flow meter, and the self-powered module is connected to a transmitter of the flow meter through a power line to form a loop. At this time, the cryogenic fluid flows through the hollow portion of the fluid pipe or the sensor, and the temperature of the fluid pipe or the sensor is lowered. At this time, since the TEG module of the self-powered module mounted on the fluid pipe or the sensor and the fluid pipe or the sensor are in contact with each other, the low temperature of the fluid pipe or the sensor is transferred to the inner insulating material layer of the TEG module and further to the inner electrode layer, so that the first sides of the P-type semiconductor material block and the N-type semiconductor material block of the TEG module, which are in contact with the inner electrode layer, have a lower temperature, forming a cold end. And because the second sides of the P-type semiconductor material block and the N-type semiconductor material block of the TEG module, which are opposite to the first sides, are attached to the outer electrode layer, the temperature of the second sides is closer to the ambient temperature, so the temperature of the second sides of the P-type semiconductor material block and the N-type semiconductor material block is relatively higher, and a hot end is formed. In this case, the TEG module can generate electricity using the thermoelectric effect as described above due to the temperature difference between the hot and cold sides, and transmit the generated current to the transmitter through the power line to power the transmitter. Moreover, according to actual needs, the self-powered module of the flow meter can be further configured to supply power to the sensor.
Compared with the flowmeter in the prior art, according to the utility model discloses a flowmeter with from power module's advantage lies in: the flowmeter does not need to be powered by an additional power supply, and the problem of connection between the flowmeter and the power supply does not need to be considered, so that the convenience of use of the flowmeter is improved, the use cost is reduced, the application environment of the flowmeter is wider, and the flowmeter can be used in the environment without the power supply or with difficult power supply. Also, the self-powered module can continuously power the flow meter while the flow meter is running, allowing long runs of the flow meter without the problem of insufficient battery capacity when battery powered to support long runs of the flow meter and/or replacement or recharging of batteries. In addition, the self-powered module has no noise, no abrasion and no medium leakage in the power generation process, and has long service life.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated in detail herein, and that various changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope defined by the appended claims.
Claims (10)
1. A flow meter, comprising:
a sensor and a transmitter;
characterized in that the flow meter further comprises:
a self-powered module composed of at least one unit module and disposed on a fluid conduit or the sensor for powering the sensor and/or the transmitter,
wherein the at least one unit module includes a heat sink and a thermoelectric converter module configured to generate electricity by a thermoelectric effect.
2. The flowmeter of claim 1, wherein the self-powered module comprises an upper half and a lower half each composed of at least one unit module, the upper half and the lower half of the self-powered module being disposed opposite to each other and fixed to each other by bolting.
3. The flowmeter of claim 2, wherein the upper half and the lower half of the self-powered module are respectively formed of a plurality of unit modules, adjacent unit modules of the upper half or the lower half of the self-powered module are fixed to each other by welding, or adjacent unit modules of the upper half or the lower half of the self-powered module are integrally formed.
4. The flowmeter of any one of claims 1-3, wherein said thermoelectric converter module is arranged inside said heat sink and said thermoelectric converter module and said heat sink are fixed to each other by riveting and/or heat conducting glue such that said thermoelectric converter module conforms to said heat sink inside.
5. The flowmeter of any one of claims 1-3, wherein said fins comprise a body portion and flange portions at both ends of said body portion,
wherein the body portion has an arc shape and a convex portion is provided at an outer side of the body portion, and
the flange portion is provided with a threaded hole.
6. The flowmeter of claim 5 wherein the thermoelectric converter module has a multilayer structure and is comprised of the following layers disposed from outside to inside:
the outer insulating material layer is attached to the radiating fin;
an outer electrode layer;
a thermoelectric conversion material layer including a block of P-type semiconductor material and a block of N-type semiconductor material, and the blocks of P-type semiconductor material and N-type semiconductor material being spaced apart from each other;
an internal electrode layer comprising a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer, wherein the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer are spaced apart from each other and the positive electrode layer is attached to the block of P-type semiconductor material and the negative electrode layer is attached to the block of N-type semiconductor material; and
a layer of internal insulating material, and
adjacent ones of the above-mentioned individual layers of the thermoelectric converter module are fixed to each other by a thermally conductive glue.
7. The flowmeter of claim 6,
the radiating fins are made of copper or aluminum alloy;
the outer insulating material layer and the inner insulating material layer are made of mica or ceramic;
the outer electrode layer and the inner electrode layer are made of platinum-rhodium alloy, NiCr10 alloy or constantan; and is
The P-type semiconductor material block and the N-type semiconductor material block of the thermoelectric conversion material layer are made of Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3, PbTe, SiGe, or CrSi.
8. The flowmeter of claim 5 wherein the thermoelectric converter module has a multilayer structure and is comprised of the following layers disposed from outside to inside:
the outer insulating material layer is attached to the radiating fin;
an outer electrode layer including a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer, wherein the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer are spaced apart from each other;
a thermoelectric conversion material layer including a block of P-type semiconductor material and a block of N-type semiconductor material, wherein the blocks of P-type semiconductor material and N-type semiconductor material are spaced apart from each other, and the blocks of P-type semiconductor material are bonded to the positive electrode layer and the blocks of N-type semiconductor material are bonded to the negative electrode layer;
an inner electrode layer; and
a layer of internal insulating material, and
adjacent ones of the above-mentioned individual layers of the thermoelectric converter module are fixed to each other by a thermally conductive glue.
9. The flow meter according to claim 6, wherein the upper half portion and the lower half portion of the self-powered module are fixed to each other by fixing bolts passing through threaded holes of flange portions of the heat dissipation fins of the respective unit modules of the upper half portion and the lower half portion of the self-powered module, wherein a fixing plate having threaded holes corresponding to positions of the threaded holes of the flange portions is further provided on the flange portions, and the fixing bolts for fixing the upper half portion and the lower half portion of the self-powered module pass through the threaded holes of the flange portions and the threaded holes of the fixing plate so that the fixing bolts abut on the fixing plate.
10. The flowmeter as claimed in claim 9, wherein the body portions of the fins of the respective unit modules of the upper half and the lower half of the self-powered module form heat dissipation portions having heat dissipation grooves formed by projections of the body portions of the fins of the respective unit modules, and the thermoelectric converter modules of the respective unit modules of the upper half and the lower half of the self-powered module are connected in series by wires, wherein the positive electrode layers of the internal electrode layers of the thermoelectric converter modules of adjacent unit modules are connected to each other by wires, and the negative electrode layers of the internal electrode layers of the thermoelectric converter modules of adjacent unit modules are connected to each other by wires.
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| CN202121025278.6U CN214959331U (en) | 2021-05-13 | 2021-05-13 | Flow meter |
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| CN202121025278.6U CN214959331U (en) | 2021-05-13 | 2021-05-13 | Flow meter |
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Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN115347817A (en) * | 2021-05-13 | 2022-11-15 | 高准有限公司 | flow meter |
| CN119826909A (en) * | 2023-10-12 | 2025-04-15 | 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 | Self-powered double-rotor flowmeter |
-
2021
- 2021-05-13 CN CN202121025278.6U patent/CN214959331U/en active Active
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN115347817A (en) * | 2021-05-13 | 2022-11-15 | 高准有限公司 | flow meter |
| CN119826909A (en) * | 2023-10-12 | 2025-04-15 | 中国石油天然气股份有限公司 | Self-powered double-rotor flowmeter |
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