CN217953614U

CN217953614U - Detection device for filling rate of liquefied petroleum gas cylinder and liquefied petroleum gas cylinder

Info

Publication number: CN217953614U
Application number: CN202090000886.9U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 哈桑·图尔盖·特泽尔
Original assignee: Yigas Electric Co ltd
Current assignee: Yigas Electric Co ltd
Priority date: 2019-09-26
Filing date: 2020-09-21
Publication date: 2022-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 2030-09-21
Also published as: BR212022005506U2; PL130726U1; PT2021061074Y; TR2022004019U5; CL2022000687U1; WO2021061074A1; TR201914701A2

Abstract

The utility model relates to a detection apparatus and liquefied petroleum gas cylinder for liquefied petroleum gas cylinder filling rate, this gas cylinder include metal material's cylindrical main part, roughly hemispherical metal material's the upper part body and roughly hemispherical metal material's lower part body, the upper part body covers cylindrical main part with whole form from the upside of gas cylinder. The liquefied petroleum gas cylinder includes a handle of non-metallic material extending upwardly from an upper side of the cylinder.

Description

Detection device for filling rate of liquefied petroleum gas cylinder and liquefied petroleum gas cylinder

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a detect the LPG liquid level of the gas cylinder of storage Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and consequently detect the device of the filling rate of this gas cylinder.

Background

LPG cylinders are typically made of steel materials, while LPG cylinders may also be made of composite materials in a transparent form. Design calculation, manufacturing method and laboratory test are carried out according to the requirements of national standard and/or regional standard. Propane, butane or a mixture of these two gases in various proportions is filled into cylinders, which can vary geographically and seasonally. With the cylinder full, 80% of the pressurized LPG gas in the cylinder is in liquid form and 20% is in gaseous form, and the gas is consumed in gaseous form. As the gaseous form of LPG is consumed, the liquid form evaporates in the cylinder and renews the lost gas.

The components other than the gas cylinder body that the gas contacts are typically made of steel. During use, dirt, rust and permanent deformation can form in these parts. In particular, the retrofitting of already permanently deformed accessories is cumbersome and sometimes impossible. In such a case, the deformed accessories are cut and replaced with new accessories in the repair shop. In the case of plastic accessories, this is more feasible. The accessory can be easily removed and a new one can be installed.

One disadvantage with known LPG cylinders is that when the cylinder is made of a non-transparent material, it is not possible to tell from the outside what level (i.e. how much) of LPG is available at a given time, depending on its use. This presents the problem of not being able to accurately predict when the LPG in the cylinder is depleted. As there is a desire for comfort for the user, such as being able to use such an energy source at any time when an LPG cylinder is required.

In the case where the LPG cylinder is transparent, although the level of LPG in liquid form in the cylinder can be externally discriminated by naked eyes, it does not matter whether the cylinder is made of a transparent material in terms of discriminating the level of LPG when the cylinder is placed out of the user's view or in a situation where the user may be unconscious.

Several proposals have been made for external discrimination of gas levels in LPG cylinders. According to an embodiment, the weight of the cylinder is based and various control signals generated based on data received from the load cell, so that users and cylinder suppliers can be alerted for automatic ordering. The ultrasonic sensor may also be used as a separate detection means. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor is positioned on the bottom of the gas cylinder (made of steel material) by a magnet, i.e. it is formed detachably. However, the application of ultrasonic sensors for gas cylinders is cumbersome: for example, during a cylinder change, the filled (new) cylinder should be tilted. This can be challenging for the user or service personnel, for example, in a 12kg cylinder (about 23-24kg when the cylinder is full). Furthermore, the position of the magnetic ultrasonic sensor at the bottom of the cylinder is critical for accurate measurements. In practice, it is suitable to choose a position coinciding with the middle part of the bottom, but this is not always possible.

On the other hand, an ultrasonic sensor attached to the gas cylinder by a magnet during replacement of the gas cylinder may be left below the gas cylinder. In this case, the customer will lose his own ultrasonic sensor and the safety of the facility may be compromised because the device with energy thereon is not noticed by being plugged into the LPG filling facility.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The utility model aims at providing an effective detection of gas level in LPG gas cylinder.

According to its purpose, the present invention relates to a device for detecting the level of LPG in liquid form in a sealed LPG cylinder, comprising a bottom portion, a top portion, and a body extending between the bottom portion and the top portion, characterized in that it comprises:

an ultrasonic sensor, a first electronics unit in communication with the ultrasonic sensor,

wherein the ultrasonic sensor is configured to detect a level of LPG from outside a bottom portion of the cylinder when the cylinder is positioned vertically with respect to the ground, and the first electronic unit is configured to be placed outside the cylinder.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the ultrasonic sensor is configured to be positioned substantially corresponding to the center of the bottom portion of the gas cylinder. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic sensor and the first electronic unit are configured to perform wired communication. According to an embodiment of the invention, the first electronic unit is configured to be placed on a top portion of the gas cylinder. According to an embodiment of the invention, the ultrasonic sensor and the first electronic unit are configured to be detachably or non-detachably attached to the gas cylinder.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus of the invention further comprises a second electronic unit configured to communicate with the first electronic unit. According to an embodiment of the invention, the second electronic unit may be a mobile device (e.g. a mobile phone or a smartphone) or a modem or a router.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the device of the invention further comprises a third electronic unit configured to communicate with the second electronic unit. According to an embodiment of the invention, the third electronic unit may be a host computer having software communicating with a database.

Drawings

For a better understanding of the structure of the invention together with the additional elements and its advantages, reference should be made to the drawings which are explained below.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a device according to the present invention mounted on an LPG cylinder.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the first electronic unit of fig. 1 detached from the LPG cylinder.

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the LPG cylinder and a symbolic view of the second electronic unit.

Figure 4 is a schematic of the bottom of the LPG cylinder and sensor.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of an exploded view of the first electronics unit.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a lower portion of the first electronic unit.

Reference numerals for components in the figures

1. Main body

2. Top part

3. Bottom part

4. Handle (CN)

5. Base part

6. First cable

7. First cable joint

8. A first electronic unit

9. Hole(s)

10. Electronic unit casing

11. Gas LPG

12. Liquid LPG

13. Transmitting wave

14. Return wave

15. Ultrasonic sensor

16. A second electronic unit

17. Sensor housing

18. Second cable

19. Second cable joint

20. Push button

21. Display panel

22. Upper part of the first electronic unit

23. Electronic card

24. Battery with a battery cell

25. Lower part of the first electronic unit

26. Battery cover

27 LED

28. Battery case

29 LPG cylinder

Detailed Description

Throughout this specification the term "LPG cylinder" is to be understood as a closed container made of a material having sufficient strength to be able to contain a pressurised hydrocarbon material therein.

In a basic embodiment, the invention comprises an ultrasonic sensor (15) and a first electronics unit (8) in communication therewith. In fig. 1 to 4, an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown connected to an LPG cylinder (29). The LPG cylinder generally comprises a main body (1) and a top portion (2) covering the body (1) from the upper side and a bottom portion (3) covering the body (1) from the lower side. As can be seen more clearly in fig. 3, the ultrasonic sensor (15) is attached to the bottom part (3) so as to be substantially in contact with the bottom. In this context, the expression "substantially in contact" is understood to have physical contact or to have a small gap without physical contact.

The ultrasonic sensor (15) sends ultrasonic waves (13) from the bottom (3) to the internal volume of the cylinder (29) and these are reflected back as waves (14) returning from the boundary wall between the liquid (12) form to the gas (11) form of the LPG. The signal received from the ultrasonic sensor (15) is sent to the first electronic unit (8) and processed in the first electronic unit (8) and produces a result on the height of the LPG fluid (12) (and therefore the filling rate of the cylinder). As can be expected, the time difference between the wave (13) sent from the ultrasonic sensor (15) and the return wave (14) is a variable as a function of the height of the liquid LPG (12), and the height value of the liquid LPG (12) is calculated using software embedded in the electronic card (23) in the first electronic unit.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention as seen in fig. 1 and 4, the coupling of the ultrasonic sensor (15) to the first electronic unit (8) may be provided by a cable. Thus, the first cable (6) extending from the first electronic unit (8) and the second cable (18) extending from the ultrasonic sensor (15) can be interconnected. The connection may be achieved by attaching a first cable joint (7) at the end of the first cable (6) to a second cable joint (19) at the end of the second cable (18). Although a continuous cable may be used between the first electronics unit (8) and the ultrasonic sensor (15), the use of an interconnection cable may be more advantageous, otherwise both components would have to be replaced in the continuous cable when the ultrasonic sensor or the first electronics unit needs to be replaced due to a malfunction or other reasons.

The first cable (6) and the second cable (18) may be used for signal transduction and power transmission. Because the energy required for the operation of the ultrasonic sensor (15) is preferably provided by a battery (24) contained in the first electronic unit (1). The ultrasonic sensor (15) may be connected to the bottom part (3) in several ways. According to an embodiment of the invention, as seen in fig. 1 to 4, a base (5) may be provided such that it covers the bottom portion (3) of the gas cylinder (29) from the lower side and preferably in a detachable manner. The base (5) may include a sensor housing (17) at its center, and the ultrasonic sensor (15) may be positioned in the sensor housing (17). According to an alternative embodiment, when the base (5) is not used, the ultrasonic sensor (15) may be positioned directly on the bottom (3), preferably in the centre of the bottom.

The base (5) comprises a hole (9), and the hole (9) provides an aperture for interconnecting the first cable connector (7) and the second cable connector (19). The handle (4) can be placed on the top part (2) of the gas cylinder (29). The handle (4) has mutually arranged gripping portions so that the gas cylinder (29) can be gripped with both hands. The front of the handle (4) is formed to include an opening, and the electronic unit case (10) is disposed at the bottom of the handle (4) to correspond to the opening. The first electronic unit (8) may be arranged in a removable or non-removable manner by fitting into the housing. According to an embodiment of the invention, the first electronic unit (8) may also be arranged on the gas cylinder top part (2) in a non-detachable or directly detachable manner.

According to an embodiment of the invention, as shown in fig. 3, the first electronic unit (8) may preferably communicate wirelessly with the second electronic unit (16). The second electronic unit (16) may be a mobile or non-mobile device such as a smart phone, a modem, etc. The first electronic unit (8) may be connected to the first electronic unit by a transmitter or transceiver, such as

ZigBee ^TM 、Wi-Fi ^TM Communicates with the second electronic unit (16) within various ranges of radio frequencies. The second electronic unit (16), for example when it is a smartphone, may include application software. The application software may provide a warning signal to the smartphone user when the level of liquid LPG (12) in the gas cylinder (29) reaches a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, the application software may transmit information to the third electronic unit. The third electronic unit may be, for example, a main computer in the gas cylinder supply station. Thus, before the LPG is depleted in the cylinder (29), an automated order can be formed from the main computer (in fact, the use can be defined on the main computerThe user's bank card information and immediate collection in the presence of the user's pre-approval). Likewise, when the second electronic unit (16) is for example a modem, the data received from the first electronic unit (8) may use Wi-Fi ^TM The frequency is transmitted to the host computer via a modem.

The first electronic unit (8) comprises various components as seen in fig. 5. An upper part (22) in the form of a cover and a lower part (25) covering the upper part from the underside form the housing of the first electronic unit (8). An electronic card (23) is arranged in the inner space of the lower part (25), with a battery (24) in a housing (28) therebelow. An opening formed on the lowermost surface of the lower portion (25) is covered by a battery cover (26). The button (20) is placed in an opening in the uppermost surface of the upper portion (22) and there is a display panel (21) below it. The display panel (21) is made of a transparent material and has a number of LEDs (27) thereunder. When the user presses the button (20), the ultrasonic sensor (15) is warned, the measurement is performed, and the electronic card (23) lights the LED (27) by processing the received signal. In the case where the amount of liquid LPG in the gas cylinder (29) is considerable, all LEDs are lit, whereas in the case where it is not so large, a single LED is lit, and so on. Of course, the user does not necessarily need to obtain the filling rate information of the gas cylinder by pressing the button (20). For example, a warning may be provided to the ultrasonic sensor (8) using instructions sent at given intervals from the electronic card (23), a measurement performed, and then an LED lit; furthermore, an audible warning may be given, or a warning may be sent to the user's mobile phone/smartphone by sending information to the second electronic unit (16).

Claims

1. A detection device for the filling rate of bottles of liquefied petroleum gas, comprising a bottom portion (3), a top portion (2) and a body (1) extending between said bottom portion (3) and said top portion (2), characterized in that it comprises: an ultrasonic sensor (15), a first electronic unit (8) in communication with the ultrasonic sensor (15),

wherein the ultrasonic sensor (15) is configured to detect the level of liquefied petroleum gas from outside the bottom portion (3) of the gas cylinder (29) when the gas cylinder is positioned vertically with respect to the ground, and the first electronic unit (8) is configured to be placed outside the gas cylinder (29).

2. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ultrasonic sensor (15) is configured to be positioned in correspondence of the centre of the bottom portion (3) of the gas cylinder.

3. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the ultrasonic sensor (15) and the first electronic unit (8) are configured to perform wired communication.

4. A testing device according to claim 3, characterized in that the cable comprises a two-piece form, one piece extending from the ultrasonic sensor (15) and the other piece extending from the first electronic unit (8) and being connected to each other.

5. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first electronic unit (8) is configured to be arranged on a top portion (2) of the gas cylinder (29).

6. A detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the gas cylinder (29) comprises a handle (4) on the top portion (2).

7. The detection device according to claim 6, characterized in that the first electronic unit (8) is configured to be located on the handle (4).

8. Detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the ultrasonic sensor (15) and the first electronic unit (8) are configured to be removably or non-removably connected to the gas cylinder (29).

9. The detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a second electronic unit (16) configured to communicate with the first electronic unit (8).

10. The detection device according to claim 9, characterised in that the second electronic unit (16) is selected from the group comprising a mobile phone, a smart phone, a modem and a router.

11. The detection device according to claim 10, characterized by comprising a third electronic unit configured to communicate with the second electronic unit (16).

12. A testing device according to claim 11, wherein the third electronic unit (16) comprises a host computer comprising software for communicating with a database.

13. A detection device according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a base (5) arranged to cover a bottom part (3) of the gas cylinder (29) from a lower side thereof, wherein the base (5) comprises a sensor housing (17), the ultrasonic sensor (15) being located in the sensor housing (17).

14. A cylinder for liquefied petroleum gas, characterized by comprising a detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.