JP2011128145A - Ultrasonic flowmeter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic flowmeter capable of saving electric power by keeping to the necessary minimum the consumption of an electric current necessary for operation at the time of gain adjustment by optimizing the timing of gain adjustment. <P>SOLUTION: The ultrasonic flowmeter includes: ultrasonic vibrators 11 and 12 which are disposed in a channel 1 and transmit and receive ultrasonic waves; a switching means 3 which performs switching between transmission and reception which are performed by the ultrasonic vibrators 11, 12; a transmitting means 2 which drives the ultrasonic vibrator 11; an amplifying means 4 which amplifies signals received by the ultrasonic vibrator 12 with a set gain; a clock means 6 which measures the duration of the propagation of the ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic vibrators; a flow rate calculating means 8 which calculates a flow rate from the duration of propagation; and a flow rate difference determining means 9 which determines a difference between the flow rate obtained when the previous gain adjustment has been performed and a current flow rate. In the case that the flow volume difference is a predetermined value or larger, the gain adjustment is performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic flowmeter for measuring a flow rate of gas or the like.

  Conventional ultrasonic flowmeters generally have the configuration shown in FIG. The ultrasonic flowmeter includes ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12, transmission means 2, switching means 3, amplification means 4, comparison means 5, timing means 6, repetition means 7, and flow rate calculation means 8. And the control means 10.

  The ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12 are installed in the flow path 1 through which the fluid to be measured flows, and transmit and receive ultrasonic waves to and from the flow path 1 by the transmission unit 2. The transmission unit 2 drives the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12. The switching means 3 sets one of the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12 to the receiving side and sets the other to the transmitting side. In FIG. 5, the ultrasonic transducer 11 is set on the transmission side and the ultrasonic transducer 12 is set on the reception side by the switching means 3.

  For example, the amplifying unit 4 receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer 11 by the ultrasonic transducer 12 and amplifies the output of the ultrasonic transducer 12 with an amplification degree according to the output of the control unit 10. . The comparing means 5 compares the output of the amplifying means 4 with the reference voltage, and outputs it to the repeating means 7 when the magnitude relationship is inverted. The repeater 7 outputs to the controller 10 by the output from the comparator 5 and repeats the driving operation of the ultrasonic transducer 11 n times set in advance. The time measuring means 6 measures the inversion time of the comparison means 5 for n times. The flow rate calculating means 8 calculates the flow rate from the time of the time measuring means 6. The control unit 10 outputs a measurement start signal to the transmission unit 2 and receives measurement data from the time measuring unit 6 that measures the propagation time of the ultrasonic wave between the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12.

  The ultrasonic flowmeter having the above configuration repeats the driving operation of the ultrasonic transducer 11 n times set in advance, and measures the time during this time by the time measuring means 6. Then, the switching means 3 switches the setting between the transmitting side and the receiving side of the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12, and the fluid to be measured from upstream to downstream (this direction is a positive flow) and from downstream to upstream (this direction is changed). Each propagation time to (reverse flow) was measured as described above, and the flow rate Q was obtained from (Equation 1).

Q = S · v = S · L / 2 · cosφ {(1 / t1) − (1 / t2)} (Expression 1)
However, in Expression 1, L is an effective distance in the flow direction between the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12, t1 is n measurement times from upstream to downstream, and t2 is n times from downstream to upstream. V is the flow velocity of the fluid to be measured, S is the cross-sectional area of the flow path 1, φ is the sensor angle, and Q is the flow rate. Actually, the flow rate is calculated by multiplying (Equation 1) by a coefficient corresponding to the flow rate.

  In addition, the ultrasonic flow meter disclosed in Patent Document 1 considers the characteristics of the upstream and downstream transducers, and adjusts the gain of the amplification means from upstream to downstream and from downstream to upstream. In addition, gain adjustment is not performed at a flow rate below a certain flow rate. Alternatively, in the ultrasonic flow meter disclosed in Patent Document 2, the gain control unit fixes the gain of the variable gain amplifier to a predetermined gain when the flow rate obtained by the calculation unit is equal to or higher than the predetermined flow rate. It has become.

Japanese Patent No. 3473491 Japanese Patent No. 4140095

  Here, as the flow rate of the fluid to be measured increases, the signal level at the time of reception of the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12 changes. Further, the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12 have variations in characteristics between the upstream side and the downstream side (it is very difficult to completely eliminate this variation). Therefore, it is necessary to reset the amplification degree of the amplification means 4 by performing gain adjustment.

  FIG. 6 shows the flow rate of the fluid to be measured and the received signal levels of the upstream and downstream ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12 (in this case, the characteristics of the upstream and downstream ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12 are respectively The same). As shown by the horizontal axis in FIG. 6, when the flow rate Q increases from the value a in the figure, the flow of the fluid to be measured in the flow path 1 is disturbed in both the normal flow and the reverse flow. Change. Therefore, in order to ensure the accuracy of flow rate measurement, it is important that the received signal level for comparison with the reference voltage in the comparison means 5 is substantially constant.

  However, if gain adjustment is performed at every measurement, extra current is consumed during gain adjustment operation. Therefore, it has been a problem to save power by reducing gain adjustment as much as possible.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problem, and by optimizing the timing for performing gain adjustment, an ultrasonic wave that enables power saving by reducing current consumption required during gain adjustment operation as much as possible. The purpose is to provide a flow meter.

  In order to solve the above problems, an ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present invention is disposed upstream and downstream of a flow path through which a fluid to be measured flows, and a pair of ultrasonic transducers for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic wave The switching means for switching the transducer between the transmission side and the reception side, the transmission means for driving the ultrasonic transducer on the transmission side, and the reception signal received by the ultrasonic transducer on the reception side are set. Amplifying means for amplifying with a gain, time measuring means for measuring the propagation time of ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic transducers, flow rate calculating means for calculating the flow rate based on the propagation time obtained from the time measuring means, A flow rate difference determination unit that stores a flow rate at the flow rate calculation unit when gain adjustment of the amplification unit is performed and determines a difference between a flow rate at the previous gain adjustment and a current flow rate obtained by the flow rate calculation unit. And the flow rate difference If the difference between the flow rate is determined to a predetermined or more in the determination unit, a configuration in which to perform the gain adjustment to be substantially constant output of said amplifying means.

  The ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present invention includes a timer unit that measures a time from when the gain adjustment of the amplifying unit is performed instead of the flow rate difference determining unit, and a predetermined time has elapsed by the timer unit. In some cases, the gain may be adjusted so that the output of the amplifying means becomes substantially constant.

  Further, the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present invention includes a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature of the fluid to be measured instead of the flow rate difference determination unit, and the amplification when the temperature detection unit changes a predetermined temperature. The gain may be adjusted so that the output of the means becomes substantially constant.

  Furthermore, the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present invention may be configured to include at least two of the flow rate difference determination unit, the timer unit, and the temperature detection unit.

  As described above, the present invention provides an ultrasonic flowmeter that can save power by optimizing the timing for performing gain adjustment, thereby reducing current consumption required during gain adjustment operation as much as possible. There is an effect that it is possible.

The block diagram which shows an example of the ultrasonic flowmeter which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. The block diagram which shows an example of the ultrasonic flowmeter which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. The block diagram which shows the other example of the ultrasonic flowmeter which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. The block diagram which shows an example of the ultrasonic flowmeter which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. Block diagram showing an example of a conventional general ultrasonic flowmeter The graph explaining the relationship between the flow rate of the fluid to be measured and the received signal level in the ultrasonic flow meter shown in FIG.

  The present invention switches between a pair of ultrasonic transducers that are arranged upstream and downstream of a flow path through which a fluid to be measured flows and transmits / receives ultrasonic waves, and sets the ultrasonic transducers to be a transmission side or a reception side. A switching unit; a transmission unit that drives the ultrasonic transducer on the transmission side; an amplification unit that amplifies a reception signal received by the ultrasonic transducer on the reception side with a set gain; and the ultrasonic transducer Time measuring means for measuring the propagation time of the ultrasonic wave, flow rate calculating means for calculating the flow rate based on the propagation time obtained from the time measuring means, and the flow rate calculating means when the gain of the amplifying means is adjusted And a flow rate difference determination unit that determines a difference between the flow rate at the previous gain adjustment and the current flow rate obtained by the flow rate calculation unit. When judged to be above the prescribed level An ultrasonic flowmeter having the configuration of the output was performed almost gain adjustment so as to be constant of the amplifying means.

  According to the above configuration, the gain adjustment is performed when the difference between the flow rate at the previous gain adjustment and the current flow rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, so that the necessary minimum operation can be performed and the power consumption for gain adjustment can be reduced. it can.

  The present invention also provides a pair of ultrasonic transducers that are arranged upstream and downstream of a flow path through which a fluid to be measured flows, and that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, and whether the ultrasonic transducer is a transmission side or a reception side. Switching means for switching between, a transmission means for driving the ultrasonic transducer on the transmission side, an amplification means for amplifying a reception signal received by the ultrasonic transducer on the reception side with a set gain, and the ultrasonic vibration Time measuring means for measuring the propagation time of the ultrasonic wave between the children, flow rate calculating means for calculating the flow rate based on the propagation time obtained from the time measuring means, and time from when the gain of the amplifying means is adjusted And an ultrasonic flow meter configured to perform gain adjustment so that the output of the amplification means becomes substantially constant when a predetermined time has elapsed in the timer means. Good.

  According to the above configuration, by performing gain adjustment every predetermined time, it is possible to eliminate unnecessary gain adjustment operation, and thus it is possible to reduce power consumption while responding to temperature changes that change with time. .

The present invention also provides a pair of ultrasonic transducers that are arranged upstream and downstream of a flow path through which a fluid to be measured flows, and that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, and whether the ultrasonic transducer is a transmission side or a reception side. Switching means for switching between, a transmission means for driving the ultrasonic transducer on the transmission side, an amplification means for amplifying a reception signal received by the ultrasonic transducer on the reception side with a set gain, and the ultrasonic vibration Time measuring means for measuring the propagation time of the ultrasonic wave between the children, flow rate calculating means for calculating the flow rate based on the propagation time obtained from the time measuring means, and temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the fluid to be measured; And an ultrasonic flowmeter configured to adjust the gain so that the output of the amplifying unit becomes substantially constant when a predetermined temperature change is detected by the temperature detecting unit.

  According to the above configuration, by performing gain adjustment according to the temperature change of the fluid to be measured, it is possible to omit unnecessary gain adjustment operation, so that power consumption can be reduced.

  The ultrasonic flowmeter may include a timer unit that measures time from when gain adjustment is performed, and may perform gain adjustment even when a predetermined time has elapsed. According to this configuration, not only the flow rate change but also the gain adjustment is performed periodically, so that the power consumption can be reduced while accommodating the temperature change.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings, and redundant description thereof is omitted. Further, the present invention is not limited by these embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
The ultrasonic flowmeter according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the ultrasonic flowmeter according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[Configuration of ultrasonic flowmeter]
First, the configuration of the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment includes ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12, transmission means 2, switching means 3, amplification means 4, comparison means 5, and timing means. 6, a repeating unit 7, a flow rate calculating unit 8, a flow rate difference determining unit 9, and a control unit 10.

  The ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12 are installed in the flow path 1 through which the fluid to be measured flows, and transmit and receive ultrasonic waves to and from the flow path 1 by the transmission unit 2. The transmission unit 2 drives the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12. The switching means 3 sets one of the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12 to the receiving side and sets the other to the transmitting side. In FIG. 1, the switching unit 3 sets the ultrasonic transducer 11 to the transmission side and the ultrasonic transducer 12 to the reception side.

  For example, the amplifying unit 4 receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer 11 by the ultrasonic transducer 12 and amplifies the output of the ultrasonic transducer 12 with an amplification degree according to the output of the control unit 10. . The comparing means 5 compares the output of the amplifying means 4 with the reference voltage and outputs it to the means 7 repeatedly when the magnitude relationship is inverted. The repeating unit 7 outputs the output from the comparing unit 5 to the control unit 10 and repeats the driving operation of the ultrasonic transducer 11 n times (n is an arbitrary natural number) set in advance. The time measuring means 6 measures the inversion time of the comparison means 5 for n times. The flow rate calculating means 8 calculates the flow rate from the time of the time measuring means 6.

  The flow rate difference determination unit 9 stores the flow rate at the flow rate calculation unit 8 when the gain adjustment of the amplification unit 4 is performed, and the difference between the flow rate at the previous gain adjustment and the current flow rate obtained by the flow rate calculation unit 8. Determine. The control means 10 can control the entire flow measurement operation by the ultrasonic flowmeter. In this embodiment, in particular, the control means 10 outputs a measurement start signal to the transmission means 2 and also the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12. Gain for receiving measurement data from the time measuring means 6 for measuring the propagation time of the ultrasonic wave between them, and further controlling the output of the amplifying means 4 to be substantially constant (in accordance with a predetermined output value set in advance) It is configured to make adjustments.

As the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12, a known configuration can be suitably used for the ultrasonic flowmeter, and the specific configuration is not particularly limited. Further, the specific configurations of the transmission unit 2, the switching unit 3, the amplification unit 4, and the comparison unit 5 are not particularly limited, and a known transmission circuit, switching circuit, amplification circuit, comparison circuit, and the like are preferably used. Can do. A timer counter is used as the time measuring means 6, but is not particularly limited. Specific configurations of the repeating unit 7, the flow rate calculating unit 8, and the flow rate difference determining unit 9 are not particularly limited, and may be any known circuit that can perform the above-described operation. The control means 10 should just be comprised with a well-known control circuit or an arithmetic unit.

  Further, the repeating unit 7, the flow rate calculating unit 8, and the flow rate difference determining unit 9 may be a functional configuration of the control unit 10. That is, for example, a CPU as a controller is mounted on the control means 10, and the CPU may be realized by operating according to a program stored in a storage unit such as a memory (not shown). . In addition, in the present embodiment, the control unit 10 is configured to adjust the gain of the output of the amplification unit 4. However, when the control unit 10 controls the entire flow rate measurement operation, the control unit 10 has a functional configuration. A gain adjusting means may be provided separately. In this case, in FIG. 1, for example, the function block of the gain adjusting unit can be included between the control unit 10 and the amplifying unit 4.

  As described above, the switching unit 3, the amplifying unit 4, the comparing unit 5, the time measuring unit 6, the repeating unit 7, the flow rate calculating unit 8, the flow rate difference determining unit 9, and the control unit 10 are circuit units or functions in the ultrasonic flow meter. It constitutes a unit or the like. Therefore, in the present embodiment, these components include a switching unit (or switching unit), an amplifying unit (or amplifier), a comparing unit (or comparator), a timer unit (or timer unit), and a repeating unit (or repeating unit). Device), a flow rate calculation unit (or flow rate calculator), a flow rate difference determination unit (or flow rate difference determination device), and a control unit (or controller). Further, when the gain adjusting means is provided separately from the control means 10, the gain adjusting means can be read as a gain adjusting unit (gain adjuster).

[Operation of ultrasonic flowmeter]
Next, the operation of the ultrasonic flowmeter having the above configuration will be described. In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic transducer 11 and the ultrasonic transducer 12 are disposed upstream and downstream of the flow path 1 through which the fluid to be measured flows so as to face each other at an angle φ in the flow direction. For convenience of explanation, the upstream ultrasonic transducer 11 is referred to as a first ultrasonic transducer 11, and the downstream ultrasonic transducer 12 is referred to as a second ultrasonic transducer 12. For example, the switching unit 3 first sets the first ultrasonic transducer 11 to the transmission side and the second ultrasonic transducer 12 to the reception side. Then, the drive signal output from the transmission unit 2 is input to the first ultrasonic transducer 11 set on the transmission side, and an ultrasonic signal is transmitted from the first ultrasonic transducer 11.

  Next, the ultrasonic signal received by the second ultrasonic transducer 12 set on the receiving side is amplified by the amplifying means 4. The amplified signal is compared with a predetermined reference signal by the comparison means 5, and when a signal equal to or higher than the reference signal is detected, the signal is transmitted through the control means 10 by the repeat means 7 for a preset number of times (n times). The means 2 repeatedly transmits an ultrasonic signal. Then, the time measuring means 6 obtains the time when the preset number (n times) of the repeating means 7 is repeated.

  Next, transmission / reception of the first ultrasonic transducer 11 and the second ultrasonic transducer 12 is switched by the switching means 3 so that the second ultrasonic transducer 12 is on the transmission side and the first ultrasonic transducer 11 is on the reception side. After setting, an ultrasonic signal is transmitted from the downstream to the upstream, the transmission is repeated as described above, and the time is counted.

Then, the flow rate value is obtained by the flow rate calculation means 8 in consideration of the size of the flow path 1 and / or the flow state from the time difference. Specifically, the driving operation of the ultrasonic transducer 11 is repeated n times, and the time during this time is measured by the time measuring means 6. Then, the switching means 3 switches the setting between the transmitting side and the receiving side of the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12, and the upstream and downstream (this direction is assumed to be a normal flow) and the downstream to the upstream (this direction is changed) of the fluid to be measured. Each propagation time to the reverse flow is measured as described above, and the flow rate Q is obtained from (Equation 1).

Q = S · v = S · L / 2 · cosφ {(1 / t1) − (1 / t2)} (Expression 1)
However, in Expression 1, L is an effective distance in the flow direction between the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12, t1 is n measurement times from upstream to downstream, and t2 is n times from downstream to upstream. V is the flow velocity of the fluid to be measured, S is the cross-sectional area of the flow path 1, φ is the sensor angle, and Q is the flow rate. Actually, the flow rate is calculated by multiplying (Equation 1) by a coefficient corresponding to the flow rate.

  Here, in the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment, gain adjustment is not performed at each flow rate measurement. The timing for performing gain adjustment is optimized by the flow rate difference determination means 9. That is, when the flow rate difference determination unit 9 outputs a signal to the control unit 10 so as to perform gain adjustment, it stores the flow rate value of the flow rate calculation unit 8 at that time. Then, the flow rate value is compared with the flow rate value of the flow rate calculation means 8 each time. That is, the difference between the flow rate at the previous gain adjustment and the current flow rate obtained by the flow rate calculation means 8 is determined. As a result, if it is determined that the flow rate difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the flow rate difference determination unit 9 outputs a signal to the control unit 10 so as to perform gain adjustment.

  As described above, the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment includes the flow rate difference determination unit 9 to trigger the flow rate difference between the flow rate at the previous gain adjustment and the current flow rate obtained by the flow rate calculation unit 8. Thus, the control means 10 performs gain adjustment. As a result, it is possible to sufficiently cope with a change in the amplitude of the ultrasonic signal, so that the gain adjustment can be prevented from being performed when the flow rate is stable. Therefore, useless gain adjustment operation can be omitted and power consumption can be reduced.

  In this embodiment, the flow rate difference is set to 100 L / h or more, but this flow rate difference is set as a judgment value of the flow rate that may have started using a new instrument. It is not limited. The flow rate difference can be appropriately set to a suitable value according to the use condition of the ultrasonic flowmeter, the type of fluid to be measured, and the like. If the signal amplified by the amplifying unit 4 cannot be compared by the comparing unit 5, or if an error occurs, it is determined that the gain is not appropriate, and the gain adjustment may be performed immediately.

  In the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment, if the control unit 10 includes a gain adjustment unit, first, when the flow rate difference determination unit 9 outputs a gain adjustment signal to the gain adjustment unit. The flow rate value of the flow rate calculation unit 8 at that time is stored, and the flow rate value is compared with the flow rate value of the flow rate calculation unit 8 each time. When the flow rate difference determining unit 9 determines that the flow rate difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the output of the amplifying unit 4 is adjusted to a preset output value (set output value) in the gain adjusting unit. The gain may be adjusted.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the difference between the flow rate at the previous gain adjustment and the current flow rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the number of gain adjustments can be reduced as much as possible. It becomes possible to reduce power consumption.

(Embodiment 2)
An ultrasonic flowmeter according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic flow meter according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another example of the ultrasonic flow meter according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG.

[Configuration and operation of ultrasonic flowmeter]
First, the configuration of the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment has basically the same configuration as the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the first embodiment, but does not include the flow rate difference determination means 9. Instead, timer means 13 is provided. As the timer means 13, a known timer circuit that counts down or counts up to a predetermined time can be suitably used, but a functional configuration using the clock of the control means 10 may be used. The timer means 13 can also be read as a timer unit (or a clock register or the like) in the present embodiment. The constituent elements other than the timer means 13 are the same as those described in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  Next, the operation of the ultrasonic flowmeter having the above configuration will be described. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the first ultrasonic transducer 11 and the second ultrasonic transducer 12 are arranged upstream and downstream of the flow path 1 through which the fluid to be measured flows so as to face each other at an angle φ in the flow direction. ing. First, the switching unit 3 sets the first ultrasonic transducer 11 to the transmission side and the second ultrasonic transducer 12 to the reception side. Then, the drive signal output from the transmission unit 2 is input to the first ultrasonic transducer 11 set on the transmission side, and an ultrasonic signal is transmitted from the first ultrasonic transducer 11.

  Next, the ultrasonic signal received by the second ultrasonic transducer 12 set on the receiving side is amplified by the amplifying means 4. This amplified signal is compared with a predetermined reference signal by the comparison means 5, and when a signal equal to or higher than the reference signal is detected, the transmission means 2 passes the control means 10 through the control means 10 repeatedly by a preset number of times. Transmits sound wave signals repeatedly. Then, the time measuring means 6 obtains the time when the preset number of times of the repeating means 7 is repeated.

  Next, transmission / reception of the first ultrasonic transducer 11 and the second ultrasonic transducer 12 is switched by the switching means 3 so that the second ultrasonic transducer 12 is on the transmission side and the first ultrasonic transducer 11 is on the reception side. After setting, an ultrasonic signal is transmitted from the downstream to the upstream, the transmission is repeated as described above, and the time is counted. In the same manner as in the first embodiment, the flow rate calculation means 8 obtains the flow rate value in consideration of the size of the flow path 1 and / or the flow state from the measured time difference.

  Furthermore, in the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment, gain adjustment is not performed at each flow measurement, and the timing of gain adjustment is optimized by the timer means 13. That is, the timer means 13 starts a timer when outputting a signal to the control means 10 so as to perform gain adjustment. Then, a signal is output to the control means 10 so that the gain adjustment is performed after a predetermined time elapses. In other words, since the gain adjustment is performed with a predetermined time as a trigger, it is possible to cope with a temperature change of the fluid to be measured without providing a temperature detection means, and it is possible to omit a useless gain adjustment operation. .

  In the present embodiment, the predetermined time measured by the timer means 13 is 1 minute. Therefore, the gain adjustment is performed every 1 minute, but this predetermined time is: The value is not limited to 1 minute, and a suitable value can be appropriately set according to the use condition of the ultrasonic flowmeter, the type of fluid to be measured, and the like. If the signal amplified by the amplifying unit 4 cannot be compared by the comparing unit 5, or if an error occurs, it is determined that the gain is not appropriate, and the gain adjustment may be performed immediately.

[Modification]
A modification of the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment may include a temperature detection unit 14 instead of the timer unit 13. That is, in the configuration described above, the timer unit 13 is used so that it can cope with a temperature change that changes with time. However, as in this modification, the temperature of the fluid to be measured is detected by the temperature detection unit 14. It may be detected directly. Examples of the temperature detection means 14 include a known thermometer or a temperature detection circuit that can measure a temperature change of the fluid to be measured. The temperature detection means 14 can also be read as a temperature detection unit (or a temperature detector) in the present embodiment.

  In this modification, the temperature detection means 14 is configured to output a signal to the control means 10 so as to perform gain adjustment when the temperature change of the fluid to be measured becomes a predetermined temperature or more. As a result, gain adjustment is performed using a predetermined temperature change as a trigger, so that unnecessary gain adjustment operation can be omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the ultrasonic flowmeter includes the timer means 13 or the temperature detection means 14 is illustrated as FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, but both the timer means 13 and the temperature detection means 14 are provided. The structure provided may be sufficient.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the number of gain adjustments can be reduced as much as possible by performing gain adjustment at predetermined time intervals or by performing gain adjustment for each predetermined temperature change. It becomes possible to reduce power consumption.

(Embodiment 3)
An ultrasonic flowmeter according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic flowmeter according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment includes both the flow rate difference determining means 9 described in the first embodiment and the timer means 13 described in the second embodiment. Except for this, the configuration is the same as that of the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the first or second embodiment.

  The flow measurement operation and the flow value calculation method by the ultrasonic flowmeter having the above-described configuration are the same as the operation and method described in the first or second embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted. In the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment, the flow rate calculation means 8 obtains a flow value by the same operation and method as described above, and the flow rate difference determination means 9 outputs a signal to the control means 10 so as to perform gain adjustment. The flow rate value of the flow rate calculation means 8 at that time is stored. Then, the flow rate value is compared with the flow rate value of the flow rate calculation unit 8 every time, and if it is determined that the flow rate difference is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the flow rate difference determination unit 9 signals the control unit 10 to perform gain adjustment. Output.

  Further, the timer means 13 is configured to output a signal to the control means 10 independently of the signal output by the flow rate difference determination means 9. That is, the timer unit 13 starts a timer when a signal is output to the control unit 10 so as to perform gain adjustment. Then, a signal is output to the control means 10 so that the gain adjustment is performed after a predetermined time elapses.

  In the present embodiment, the flow rate difference determining means 9 is set to a flow rate difference of 100 L / h or more as in the first embodiment, and the timer means 13 is the same as in the second embodiment. Similarly, although the predetermined time is set to 1 minute, as described above, these set values are not particularly limited, and are suitably set according to the use conditions of the ultrasonic flowmeter, the type of fluid to be measured, and the like. A value can be set. If the signal amplified by the amplifying unit 4 cannot be compared by the comparing unit 5, or if an error occurs, it is determined that the gain is not appropriate, and the gain adjustment may be performed immediately.

Although not shown, the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment may include the temperature detection unit 14 described in the modification of the second embodiment in addition to the flow rate difference determination unit 9 and the timer unit 13. . Alternatively, the flow rate difference determination means 9 and the temperature detection means 14 are provided, and the timer means 1
3 may be provided. That is, the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present embodiment may be configured to include at least two of the flow rate difference determination unit 9, the timer unit 13, and the temperature detection unit 14.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, gain adjustment is performed when the difference between the flow rate at the previous gain adjustment and the current flow rate is greater than or equal to a predetermined time interval and at a predetermined time interval (or a predetermined temperature change). As a result, the number of times of gain adjustment can be reduced as much as possible, so that gain adjustment corresponding to a flow rate change and a temperature change can be achieved and power consumption can be reduced.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the description of the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the scope of the claims, and are disclosed in different embodiments and a plurality of modifications. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  As described above, since the ultrasonic flowmeter according to the present invention can measure the flow rate while reducing power consumption, what kind of fluid is measured in the field of fluid measurement? However, it can be suitably used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flow path 2 Transmitting means 3 Switching means 4 Amplifying means 5 Comparison means 6 Timekeeping means 7 Repeating means 8 Flow rate calculating means 9 Flow rate difference determining means 10 Control means 11 First ultrasonic transducer (ultrasonic transducer)
12 Second ultrasonic transducer (ultrasonic transducer)
13 Timer means

Claims (4)

A pair of ultrasonic transducers arranged upstream and downstream of the flow path through which the fluid to be measured flows, for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves;
Switching means for switching the ultrasonic transducer to be a transmission side or a reception side;
Transmitting means for driving the ultrasonic transducer on the transmitting side;
Amplifying means for amplifying the received signal received by the ultrasonic transducer on the receiving side with a set gain;
Time measuring means for measuring the propagation time of ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic transducers;
A flow rate calculating means for calculating a flow rate based on the propagation time obtained from the time measuring means;
A flow rate difference determination unit that stores a flow rate at the flow rate calculation unit when gain adjustment of the amplification unit is performed and determines a difference between a flow rate at the previous gain adjustment and a current flow rate obtained by the flow rate calculation unit. And comprising
An ultrasonic flowmeter characterized in that, when the flow rate difference determining means determines that the flow rate difference is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the gain adjustment is performed so that the output of the amplifying means becomes substantially constant. A pair of ultrasonic transducers arranged upstream and downstream of the flow path through which the fluid to be measured flows, for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves;
Switching means for switching the ultrasonic transducer to be a transmission side or a reception side;
Transmitting means for driving the ultrasonic transducer on the transmitting side;
Amplifying means for amplifying the received signal received by the ultrasonic transducer on the receiving side with a set gain;
Time measuring means for measuring the propagation time of ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic transducers;
A flow rate calculating means for calculating a flow rate based on the propagation time obtained from the time measuring means;
Timer means for measuring the time from when the gain of the amplification means is adjusted,
An ultrasonic flowmeter characterized in that gain adjustment is performed so that the output of the amplification means becomes substantially constant when a predetermined time elapses in the timer means. A pair of ultrasonic transducers arranged upstream and downstream of the flow path through which the fluid to be measured flows, for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves;
Switching means for switching the ultrasonic transducer to be a transmission side or a reception side;
Transmitting means for driving the ultrasonic transducer on the transmitting side;
Amplifying means for amplifying the received signal received by the ultrasonic transducer on the receiving side with a set gain;
Time measuring means for measuring the propagation time of ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic transducers;
A flow rate calculating means for calculating a flow rate based on the propagation time obtained from the time measuring means;
Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the fluid to be measured,
An ultrasonic flowmeter, wherein a gain adjustment is performed so that the output of the amplifying means becomes substantially constant when a predetermined temperature change is detected by the temperature detecting means. Timer means to measure the time from when the gain adjustment is performed,
The ultrasonic flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein the gain adjustment is performed even when a predetermined time has elapsed.