JP2017161285A - Water quantity measurement device and water quantity measurement method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water quantity measurement device and a water quantity measurement method with which it is possible to measure the quantity of water in a water tank with higher accuracy.SOLUTION: The water quantity measurement device of an embodiment comprises a measured data acquisition unit, a water tank information storage unit, and a water quantity measurement unit. The measured data acquisition unit acquires the measured data of a gaseous layer portion in the water tank from a measurement sensor capable of measuring the distance to an object for a plurality of places and provided upward of the inside of the water tank. The water tank information storage unit stores in advance initial state measured data that is measured data measured by the measurement sensor in an initial state before water is stored in the inside of the tank. The water quantity measurement unit measures a water quantity that is the quantity of water in the water tank on the basis of the measured data acquired by the measured data acquisition unit and the initial state measured data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a water amount measuring apparatus and a water amount measuring method.

  Conventionally, techniques for measuring the amount of water present in a water tank have been proposed. In general, a method has been employed in which the water level in the height direction is measured by a water level gauge submerged in the bottom, and the amount of water is calculated by multiplying the measurement result by the area of the horizontal plane of the aquarium. However, with such a method, the amount of water could not be measured accurately.

JP2012-026109A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a water amount measuring device and a water amount measuring method capable of measuring the amount of water in a water tank with higher accuracy.

  The water amount measurement device of the embodiment has a measurement data acquisition unit, a water tank information storage unit, and a water amount measurement unit. The measurement data acquisition unit is a measurement sensor that can measure the distance to an object at a plurality of locations, and acquires measurement data of an air layer portion in the water tank from a measurement sensor provided on the inner upper side of the water tank. The aquarium information storage unit stores in advance initial state measurement data that is measurement data measured by the measurement sensor in an initial state before water is stored inside the aquarium. The water amount measuring unit measures the amount of water that is the amount of water in the water tank based on the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquiring unit and the initial state measurement data.

1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of a water amount measurement system 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the cross section of the wall of the water tank. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the measurement by the measurement sensor. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a functional configuration of a water amount measuring device 30. FIG. It is a figure which shows the specific example of an abnormal location. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow of the water amount measuring device 30.

Hereinafter, a water amount measuring apparatus and a water amount measuring method of an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of a water amount measurement system 1. The water amount measurement system 1 measures the amount of water (hereinafter referred to as “reserved water”) present in the water tank 10. First, the water tank 10 will be described. The water tank 10 is a container that can keep water inside. The stored water does not necessarily need to be water with few impurities (for example, drinking water, tap water). The stored water may be water containing a large amount of impurities such as muddy water and sewage. In the water tank 10, there are roughly two layers. One is a water layer 101 which is a water layer. The other is a gas layer 102 which is a layer of gas (for example, air, nitrogen, etc.). In the water amount measurement system 1, the arrow 103 in FIG. 1 indicates the height of the air layer (z direction). The height of the air layer is the ceiling from the water surface at the position of the inner wall of the aquarium (position in the x and y directions (horizontal direction): hereinafter referred to as “wall surface position”) (a predetermined position when there is no ceiling). The height is shown. When the height of the ceiling is different for each wall surface position, the value of the air layer height is different for each wall surface position.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cross section of the wall of the water tank 10. The surface of the inner wall of the water tank 10 is processed such as painting. For example, when the wall of the water tank 10 is constructed of concrete 110, a coating film 120 for the purpose of waterproofing and corrosion prevention may be formed on the inner surface thereof.

  Next, returning to FIG. 1, the water amount measurement system 1 will be described. The water amount measurement system 1 includes a measurement sensor 20 and a water amount measurement device 30. The measurement sensor 20 is provided inside the water tank 10. In the example of FIG. 1, the measurement sensor 20 is attached to the inside of the ceiling of the water tank 10. As described above, the measurement sensor 20 is provided above the inside of the water tank 10 (in principle, a place where the air layer 102 is kept). However, the measurement sensor 20 may be attached at any position as long as the shape of the wall surface of the air layer 102 can be measured.

  The measurement sensor 20 may be configured using a distance measurement sensor that can measure a distance to an object. The measurement sensor 20 irradiates the measurement target with, for example, laser, infrared light, and modulated light, and measures the distance to the measurement target by receiving the reflected light by the light receiving element. The measurement sensor 20 may measure the distance by using, for example, the TOF (Time Of Flight) method. The measurement sensor 20 measures the distance from its own device to the wall surface at a plurality of wall surface positions by rotating around the vertical axis in the water tank. At this time, the measurement sensor 20 measures the distance at a plurality of positions in the height direction (the direction of the arrow 103) at one wall surface position. By performing such measurement, as a result, the shape of the inner wall surface of the water tank 10 is acquired as three-dimensional data. In other words, the measurement sensor 20 may be configured using a three-dimensional scanner. The measurement sensor 20 outputs the measurement result to the water amount measuring device 30. The measurement result may be expressed as a distance to an object at each measurement point, for example, or may be expressed as data indicating a three-dimensional shape.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of measurement by the measurement sensor 20. In FIG. 3, a screen 80 showing a part of the measurement range of the measurement sensor 20 is shown by a broken-line rectangle. In the screen 80, there are a plurality of spots 90 that indicate regions irradiated with lasers during distance measurement. The measurement sensor 20 irradiates each spot 90 with a laser and receives laser light reflected by an inner wall (hereinafter referred to as “inner wall”) of the water tank 10. The measurement sensor 20 measures the distance to the object (inner wall of the water tank 10) existing in the direction of the spot 90 by measuring the time from when the laser light is emitted until the laser light is received. In addition, in FIG. 3, although the screen 80 and the inner wall of the water tank 10 are drawn in the parallel state, it is not necessary to be parallel. The measurement sensor 20 can change the position of the screen 80 by changing its direction, and can change the measurement direction.

  The water amount measuring device 30 measures the amount of stored water in the water tank 10 based on the measurement result of the measurement sensor 20. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing a functional configuration of the water amount measuring device 30. The water amount measuring device 30 includes a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, an auxiliary storage device, and the like connected by a bus. The water amount measurement device 30 functions as a device including a measurement data acquisition unit 301, a measurement data storage unit 302, a water tank information storage unit 303, a water amount measurement unit 304, and an abnormality detection unit 305 by executing a water amount measurement program. All or part of each function of the water amount measuring device 30 may be realized by using hardware such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). . The water amount measurement program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built in the computer system. The water amount measurement program may be transmitted via a telecommunication line.

  The measurement data acquisition unit 301 acquires data indicating a measurement result output from the measurement sensor 20 (hereinafter referred to as “measurement data”). The measurement data includes information indicating the measurement result and information indicating the date and time when the measurement result was obtained.

  The measurement data storage unit 302 is a storage device such as a magnetic storage device or a semiconductor storage device. The measurement data storage unit 302 stores the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 301.

  The water tank information storage unit 303 is a storage device such as a magnetic storage device or a semiconductor storage device. The aquarium information storage unit 303 stores information about the aquarium 10 that has been acquired in advance. The information related to the water tank 10 includes, for example, a measurement result measured by the measurement sensor 20 in a state where the water tank 10 is empty (a state where water is not present inside: hereinafter referred to as “initial state”).

  The water amount measurement unit 304 measures the water amount based on the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 301. Hereinafter, a specific method in which the water amount measuring unit 304 measures the water amount will be described.

(First method)
The water amount measuring unit 304 calculates the volume of the water tank 10 based on the measurement result in the initial state. The water amount measurement unit 304 calculates the volume of the air layer 102 based on the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 301. The water amount measurement unit 304 acquires the result of subtracting the volume of the air layer 102 from the volume of the water tank 10 as a volume representing the amount of water. In addition, after calculating the volume of the water tank 10 once based on the measurement result of the initial state, the water amount measuring unit 304 may store the calculated value and repeatedly use it.

(Second method)
The water amount measuring unit 304 has a table in advance showing a correspondence relationship between the height value of the air layer 102 and the value of the water amount in the water tank 10 at that time. This table may be registered in advance in the aquarium information storage unit 303, for example. Based on the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 301, the water amount measurement unit 304 acquires the height value of the air layer 102 at that time. The water amount measurement unit 304 refers to the above table and acquires a water amount value corresponding to the acquired height of the air layer 102.

This is the end of the description of the water amount measuring unit 304. Next, the abnormality detection unit 305 will be described.
The abnormality detection unit 305 detects an abnormality that has occurred on the inner wall of the water tank 10 based on the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 301. For example, the abnormality detection unit 305 deforms the shape by comparing the measurement result in the initial state stored in advance in the water tank information storage unit 303 with the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 301. A location (for example, a recessed location) is detected as an abnormal location. For example, the abnormality detection unit 305 compares the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 301 with a relatively new one and an old one, thereby changing the shape (for example, a hollow portion). ) Is detected as an abnormal point. Whether or not the shape is deformed may be determined based on, for example, whether or not the difference value between the two measurement data exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of an abnormal location. A recess 121 is generated by partially missing or thinning the surface of the coating film 120. Such a part is detected as an abnormal part. In such a portion, for example, the value of the distance measurement result is increased by the amount of the depression 121. By detecting such a difference in values, the abnormality detection unit 305 can detect an abnormal part. In addition to the example shown in FIG. 5, for example, a fall or loss of a structure provided on the inner wall can be detected as an abnormal location.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow of the water amount measuring device 30. First, the measurement data acquisition unit 301 acquires measurement data output from the measurement sensor 20 (step S101).

  The water amount measurement unit 304 acquires information related to the air layer 102 based on the measurement data (step S102). The information regarding the air layer 102 part may be, for example, the volume of the air layer 102 part if the water amount measuring unit 304 uses the first method. The information on the air layer 102 part may be the height of the air layer 102 part, for example, if the water measuring unit 304 uses the second method. The water amount measurement unit 304 acquires the water amount based on the information acquired in step S102 (step S103). The water volume measuring unit 304 outputs information indicating the acquired water volume to a terminal device or a display device (not shown).

  The abnormality detection unit 305 acquires the difference between the measurement data based on the measurement data (step S104). The abnormality detection unit 305 may acquire a difference between the latest measurement data and the measurement data in the initial state, or may acquire a difference between the latest measurement data and relatively old measurement data. When there is a location where the obtained difference value exceeds a predetermined threshold (step S105-YES), the abnormality detection unit 305 detects the location as an abnormal location (step S106). When an abnormal part is detected, the abnormality detection unit 305 outputs information indicating the detected abnormal part to a terminal device or a display device (not shown). When there is no location where the difference value exceeds the predetermined threshold (step S105—NO), an abnormal location is not detected. The above processing is repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing.

  According to the water amount measuring apparatus or the water amount measuring method of at least one embodiment described above, the water amount can be measured based on the measurement data of the air layer 102 portion of the water tank 10. The air layer 102 can be measured with higher accuracy using a distance measuring sensor or the like. Therefore, the amount of water can be measured with higher accuracy than the conventional method of calculating the amount of water based on the water level.

  In addition, according to the water amount measuring apparatus or the water amount measuring method of the embodiment, it is possible to detect an abnormal location that has occurred on the inner wall of the water tank 10 based on the measurement data obtained in the process of calculating the water amount.

  Moreover, according to the water amount measuring apparatus or the water amount measuring method of the embodiment, the amount of water can be accurately measured without a person entering the water tank 10. Therefore, it is particularly suitable when the amount of water is intended in the aquarium 10 that cannot be opened, such as a fermenter.

  Moreover, according to the water amount measuring apparatus or the water amount measuring method of the embodiment, the water amount is calculated by measuring the shape in the water tank 10. Therefore, even if the inside of the water tank 10 has a complicated shape, it becomes possible to calculate the amount of water with high accuracy.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Water quantity measurement system, 10 ... Water tank, 101 ... Water layer, 102 ... Air layer, 103 ... Arrow, 110 ... Concrete, 120 ... Paint film, 20 ... Measurement sensor, 30 ... Water quantity measuring device, 301 ... Measurement data acquisition part , 302 ... Measurement data storage unit, 303 ... Water tank information storage unit, 304 ... Water volume measurement unit, 305 ... Abnormality detection unit, 80 ... Screen, 90 ... Spot

Claims (4)

A measurement sensor that can measure the distance to an object at a plurality of locations, and a measurement data acquisition unit that acquires measurement data of an air space portion in the water tank from a measurement sensor provided on the inside upper side of the water tank,
About the water tank, a water tank information storage unit that stores in advance initial state measurement data that is measurement data measured by the measurement sensor in an initial state before water is stored inside,
A water amount measurement unit that measures the amount of water that is the amount of water in the aquarium based on the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit and the initial state measurement data;
A water amount measuring device comprising:   The water amount measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormal portion by comparing a relatively new one with an old one of the measurement data.   The water amount measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the abnormality detection unit detects a location where a difference between relatively new measurement data and old measurement data exceeds a predetermined threshold as an abnormal location. A measurement sensor that can measure the distance to the object at a plurality of locations, and from a measurement sensor provided on the inside upper side of the aquarium, a measurement data acquisition step for acquiring measurement data of the air layer portion in the aquarium,
For the aquarium, obtaining the initial state measurement data from a tank information storage unit that stores in advance initial state measurement data that is measurement data measured by the measurement sensor in an initial state before water is stored therein;
A water amount measuring step for measuring a water amount that is the amount of water in the aquarium based on the measurement data acquired in the step of acquiring the measurement data and the initial state measurement data;
A method for measuring the amount of water.

Images