JP5289495B2 - Liquid level gauge and pump function inspection method using the liquid level gauge - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to, for example, a liquid level meter used when performing a function test of a liquid pump such as a drainage pump, and a pump function test method using the liquid level gauge.

  Conventionally, in substations, there is a possibility that oil will be mixed in during rain, so once rainwater that has flowed into cable pits is stored in the drainage tank and the stored amount exceeds the set value, Water is drained automatically by the drainage pump installed in About this drainage pump, in order to confirm the function, the trial run is performed regularly (for example, once a year) and temporarily (before the rainy season or before the typhoon arrives) to measure the drainage amount (discharge amount). We are carrying out.

  However, in general, a flow meter for measuring the flow rate of drainage discharged from the drainage pump is not attached, and the drainage pump is operated for a certain period of time, and the amount of drainage during this period is obtained from the amount of change in water level. Furthermore, generally, since there is no water level meter in the drainage tank, the operator gets down to the vicinity of the water surface using a trap installed in the drainage tank, and obtains the amount of water level change using a measure.

  Here, the drainage pump is operated automatically and adjusted to drain water from the bottom of the drainage tank until the water level reaches a few centimeters. To measure the amount of water level change, It is necessary to get off.

  Therefore, since the water level is measured at a position slightly above the water surface after getting off the tarp, the scale reading error increases depending on the angle between the line of sight and the water surface. In addition, the measurement is performed in an unstable posture, which is a safety problem. In addition, there is a risk of falling into the drainage tank when ascending / descending, and there is a risk of slipping the foot when the stored water falls to the bottom surface, which is a further safety problem.

  For this reason, for example, a water level measurement composed of a measuring rod inserted into the water in the container and having a weight formed in the lower portion, a cylinder for guiding the measuring rod to be movable in the vertical direction, and a float coupled to the cylinder. It is conceivable to apply a tool (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-6339

  However, when a water level meter is installed in the drainage tank by applying the above-described conventional technology or a flow meter is installed in the drainage pump, the installation work cost increases. Moreover, it is necessary to install each drainage tank, the cost is increased, and maintenance of a water level meter and a flow meter is indispensable. Furthermore, there is a problem that the function confirmation test is sufficient only once a year and is too expensive compared to the effect.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and provides a liquid level meter capable of measuring the liquid level or its change amount safely and accurately, and at a low cost, and a pump function inspection method using the liquid level meter. It is intended to provide.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 is inserted into the liquid tank at the time of measurement in order to measure the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid tank in which the liquid is stored or the amount of change thereof. A liquid level gauge that is used and is floated in the liquid in the liquid tank, and is disposed in the liquid tank, a floating portion that is displaced along a substantially vertical direction along with the displacement of the liquid level of the liquid, The floating part is supported so as to be displaceable along a substantially vertical direction, and includes a fixing part provided on the top thereof for indicating the liquid level of the liquid, and the floating part includes the liquid level The floating portion and the fixed portion are configured to be adjustable in length, and at least one of the floating portion and the fixed portion is extendable. It is characterized by being composed of a tubular member of a hollow structure

In the first aspect of the invention, the floating portion that is inserted into the liquid tank at the time of measurement and is displaced along the substantially vertical direction along with the displacement of the liquid surface of the liquid is floated on the liquid in the liquid tank, and the liquid level of the liquid A fixed part provided with a scale for indicating the position is disposed in the liquid tank and supports the floating part so that it can be displaced along a substantially vertical direction. The scale corresponding to is indicated. The floating portion and the fixed portion can be adjusted in length , and at least one of the floating portion and the fixed portion is formed of a tubular member having a hollow structure that can expand and contract.

  A second aspect of the present invention is the liquid level gauge according to the first aspect, wherein at least one of the floating portion and the fixed portion is configured to be capable of being divided and assembled. Yes.

A third aspect of the present invention is the liquid level gauge according to the first or second aspect , wherein the floating portion is disposed on a floating portion main body and an upper portion of the floating portion main body, and is substantially vertically oriented for position adjustment. And an indicating adjustment member including the indicating portion that can be displaced along the direction.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the liquid level meter according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the fixing portion is constituted by a hollow or solid long member, and the floating portion is the fixed portion. It is characterized by being comprised from the hollow member in which the penetration hole which penetrates a part was formed.

Invention of Claim 5 used the liquid level meter for performing the functional test | inspection of the pump for liquid installed in the said liquid tank using the liquid level meter of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 4 . In the pump function inspection method, the step of adjusting the indication unit to match the reference point of the scale, and the time until the liquid pump is stopped after being operated for a predetermined time after starting the liquid pump A step of reading a change amount of the liquid level from an indication value of the liquid level after the predetermined time has elapsed after starting the liquid pump, and a change amount of the liquid level and a dimension of the liquid tank And determining the flow rate of the liquid by the liquid pump based on the predetermined time.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the liquid level gauge is inserted into the liquid tank at the time of measurement, and the floating portion that is displaced along the substantially vertical direction with the displacement of the liquid level floats on the liquid in the liquid tank. A fixed portion provided with a scale for indicating the liquid level is disposed in the liquid tank, and supports the floating portion so as to be displaceable in a substantially vertical direction. Since the indicating unit indicates the scale corresponding to the liquid level, the liquid level or the amount of change thereof can be measured safely and accurately and at low cost. In addition, by adjusting the lengths of the floating part and the fixed part according to the depth of the liquid tank, it is possible to perform measurement in various liquid tanks having different dimensions.

Moreover, since at least one of the floating part and the fixed part is formed of a tubular member having a hollow structure that can be expanded and contracted, it can be made compact and easily transported.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, at least one of the floating portion and the fixed portion can be disassembled and assembled, so that it can be easily transported.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the pointing portion that can be displaced along the substantially vertical direction is included for position adjustment, zero point adjustment can be easily performed.

According to the invention of claim 4 , the floating portion can be smoothly displaced by adopting a structure in which the floating portion is inserted through the fixed portion.

According to the invention of claim 5 , it is possible to measure the liquid level or the amount of change thereof safely and accurately at a low cost, and by adjusting the indication unit in advance to match the reference point of the scale. The change in the liquid level can be read visually.

It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the structure and usage method of the water level meter by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the same water level meter. It is a front view of the expansion state which shows the structure of the fixed shaft part of the same water level gauge. It is a front view of the accommodation state which shows the structure of the fixed shaft part of the water level gauge. It is a front view which shows the structure of the scale part provided in the fixed shaft part. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the usage method of the same water level meter. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the water level meter by the modification of one embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the structure and usage method of the water level meter.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the configuration and method of use of a water level meter according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the water level meter, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the shaft portion, FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the fixed shaft portion of the water level meter, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the scale portion provided on the fixed shaft portion. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining how to use the water level gauge.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the water level gauge 1 of this embodiment is used to perform a function test of a drainage pump 3 installed in the drainage tank 2 to drain the stored water in the drainage tank 2. , A plurality of float members 6a, 6b,..., A pointing adjustment member 7, and a grip 8 to which a strap 9 is attached, and a portable water level that can be easily assembled and disassembled. It is a total. A lid is disposed at the opening of the drain tank 2.

  Here, according to the depth of the drainage tank 2, the fixed shaft part 5 is expanded and contracted, and a necessary number is selected from a plurality of float members 6a, 6b,. Is variable in the range of about 1.5 m to 5 m, for example. 1 and 2 show a case where three float members 6a, 6b and 6c are used.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the fixed shaft portion 5 has a disc-shaped base portion 12 disposed on the bottom surface of the drainage tank 2 and a peripheral surface that is slightly inclined at a predetermined angle, and has a common shaft core. The cylinders 13, 14, and 15 are open at both ends and are slidably coupled to each other, and the scale portion 16. The diameter of the base 12 is set to about 10 cm, for example. The cylindrical bodies 13, 14, 15 constitute a telescopic pipe that can be expanded and contracted, and the upper cylindrical bodies 15, 14 can be accommodated inside the lower cylindrical bodies 14, 13. As shown in FIG. 5, the scale unit 16 is attached to the upper part of the cylindrical body 15, for example, a scale for indicating the water level from the reference point (0 point) is attached, and numerical values (for example, above and below the reference point) cm unit) is displayed.

  The fixed shaft portion 5 is compacted in the housed state as shown in FIG. 4 during transportation, and is extended as shown in FIG. 3 during use. The fixed shaft portion 5 is made of, for example, a resin or metal member. On the upper part of the cylindrical body 15, an internal thread portion that is screwed with the external thread portion of the grip portion 8 is formed.

  The float members 6a, 6b,... Are constituted by cylindrical members having substantially the same dimensions and having an insertion hole through which the fixed shaft portion 5 is inserted. The float members 6a, 6b,... Float on water having a height (length) of, for example, about 1 m (high buoyancy), and are composed of, for example, a polystyrene foam member.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the instruction adjusting member 7 is arranged on the upper surface of the float portion 6 c at the time of measurement, and is composed of an expandable / contractible bellows (bellows-like) member. The upper surface (indicating portion) is expanded and contracted in a range of about ˜50 cm, and the zero point is adjusted by adjusting the upper surface (indicating portion) to the reference point of the scale portion 16, and this upper surface indicates the amount of change in the water level.

  The holding part 8 is formed with a male screw part that is screwed into the female screw part of the cylindrical body 15 at the lower part thereof. The gripping part 8 may be attached to the fixed shaft part 5 or may be removed during transportation. The operator P holds and holds the grip portion 8 or has the strap 9 to support the water level meter 1 during measurement and prevent the water level meter 1 from falling. Further, the holding portion 8 prevents the instruction adjusting member 7 and the float members 6a, 6b,. In the drain tank 2, a water level detector 18 including, for example, a plurality of electrode rods for controlling the drain pump 3 during automatic operation is disposed.

  Next, a function inspection method of the drainage pump 3 using the water level gauge 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the operator P carries the fixed shaft portion 5 with the gripping portion 8 attached and housed, the float members 6a, 6b,... Head to the room) and assemble the water level gauge 1 on site. After canceling the automatic operation of the drainage pump 3, the worker P first removes the gripping portion 8 and extends the fixed shaft portion 5 while lying on the floor G, and passes the float members 6a, 6b,. After attaching the instruction adjusting unit 7, the gripping unit 8 is attached, put into the drainage tank 2, so that the base 12 is disposed on the bottom surface of the drainage tank 2, and the instruction adjustment member 7 is expanded and contracted in the height direction. The water level gauge 1 is supported by holding the strap 9 attached to the gripping portion 8 with the upper surface aligned with the reference point (0 point) of the scale portion 16.

  After extending the fixed shaft portion 5 into the drainage tank 2, the float members 6a, 6b,... Are passed through the fixed shaft portion 5 in order, and the instruction adjusting portion 7 is disposed on the upper surface of the float portion 6c. The grip portion 8 may be attached to the portion 5.

  In this state, another worker manually activates the drain pump 3 and starts timing using a stopwatch or the like. After operating for a predetermined time, the drainage pump 3 is stopped, and the scale of the scale portion 16 indicated by the upper surface of the indication adjusting member 7, that is, the amount of change in the water level is read. Thereby, the amount of change (variation) in the water level from the start of the test operation to the end of the test operation is read, and the amount of drainage (discharge amount) by the drainage pump 3 during the operation time from this change amount and the area of the drainage tank 3, for example. The drainage flow rate is obtained from the drainage amount and the operation time, and the function of the drainage pump 3 is confirmed and recorded. After the inspection is completed, the water level gauge 1 is pulled up and disassembled. That is, the holding portion 8 is removed, the instruction adjusting member 7 and the float members 6a, 6b,... Are removed, the fixed shaft portion 5 is stored, and the holding portion 8 is attached to the fixed shaft portion 5 again, as shown in FIG. The fixed shaft portion 5 in the housed state, the float portions 6a, 6b,... Note that the gripping portion 8 may be detached from the fixed shaft portion 5 during transportation.

  Thus, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the fixed shaft portion 5 can be made compact as a stored state, and the float portions 6a, 6b,... Can be divided and transported easily. Moreover, according to the depth of the drainage tank 2, the fixed shaft part 5 is expanded and contracted, and the height (length) H of the whole water level gauge 1 is selected by selecting a necessary number from a plurality of float members 6a, 6b,. Since it can be changed, if there is one type and at least one (one set) of water level gauges 1, it is possible to carry out measurements in various drainage tanks 3 having different dimensions, and the versatility is high. Further, as the float members 6a, 6b,..., For example, by using a relatively lightweight foamed polystyrene, the transportation is easy and the cost can be suppressed. In this way, it is not necessary to place a water level gauge on site, and it can be easily transported, so it is possible to easily measure the liquid level or the amount of change thereof at a low cost and carry out a function test of the drainage pump. it can.

  In addition, since the water level or the amount of change thereof can be measured on the stable floor surface (ground) G of the scaffold, safety in operation can be improved. In addition, since the operator can read the instruction value with a stable posture, the operator can measure accurately.

  Further, when the measurement is started, the indication adjustment member 7 is expanded and contracted in the height direction, and the upper surface thereof is adjusted to the reference point of the scale unit 16, so that not only the water level but also the change amount of the water level can be easily known visually. Further, since the float members 6a, 6b,... Are inserted into the fixed shaft portion 5, the float members 6a, 6b,... Are reliably supported by the fixed shaft portion 5 and smoothly displaced. And can indicate the water level accurately.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the design can be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. Is included in the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the fixed shaft portion 5 is configured to be extendable and contractible. However, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the separable cylindrical cylindrical bodies 28, 29, and 31 are screwed together. You may make it connect by. That is, the water level gauge 21 includes a fixed shaft portion 22, float members 23a and 23b, an instruction adjusting member 24, and a grip portion 25 to which a strap 26 is attached. The fixed shaft portion 22 is a cylindrical tube. The bodies 28, 29, and 31 are connected by screwing. A scale portion 32 is attached to the upper portion of the cylindrical body 31. 7 and 8 show a case where two float members are used. In addition, as a member of the fixed shaft portion, a member that sinks by its own weight may be used, and for example, a member that is relatively light if it is fixed by pressing may be used. Further, the number of float members is not limited to two or three, but may be four or more, and the height (length) may be arbitrarily changed. Further, the float member may be further compacted as a telescopic pipe. Further, only the float member may be configured to be stretchable and the fixed shaft portion may be configured to be separable.

  Further, the float member may be disposed on the center side, and the fixed shaft portion may be disposed on the peripheral side. In this case, it is desirable to arrange a filter or a net-like member in order to prevent dust from flowing into the inside. Moreover, you may fix a fixing | fixed part to the wall part of a storage tank. The instruction adjusting member is not limited to the bellows-like member, and may be any member that can be adjusted along the height direction, having a pointer that is displaced together with the float member and points to the scale. Further, the fixed portion and the floating portion are not necessarily coaxial, and may be arranged side by side.

  This can also be applied when multiple drainage pumps are installed. In addition to drainage pumps, it can also be applied to function confirmation inspections of other liquid pumps such as water supply pumps. Further, the present invention can be applied to the case of handling other liquids such as fuel in addition to water containing a solution as a liquid.

1,21 Water level gauge (liquid level gauge)
2 Drainage tank (liquid tank)
3 Drainage pump (liquid pump)
5,22 Fixed shaft (fixed part)
6a, 6b, ..., 23a, 23b Float member (floating part, floating part body, hollow member)
7,24 Instruction adjustment member
13, 14, 15 Tubular body (tubular member)
16, 32 Scale (Scale)

Claims (5)

In order to measure the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid tank in which the liquid is stored or the amount of change thereof, a liquid level meter that is inserted into the liquid tank at the time of measurement and used.
A floating part that floats on the liquid in the liquid tank and displaces along the substantially vertical direction along with the displacement of the liquid surface of the liquid, and is disposed in the liquid tank, and the floating part is displaced along the substantially vertical direction. And a fixing part provided on the upper part of the scale for indicating the liquid level of the liquid, and the floating part includes an instruction part for indicating the scale corresponding to the liquid level. And the floating part and the fixed part are configured to be adjustable in length ,
At least one of the floating part and the fixed part is constituted by a cylindrical member having a hollow structure that can be expanded and contracted .   2. The liquid level meter according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the floating portion and the fixed portion is configured to be capable of being divided and assembled. The floating unit includes a floating unit main body and an instruction adjusting member that is disposed on an upper part of the floating unit main body and includes the indicating unit that can be displaced along a substantially vertical direction for position adjustment. The liquid level meter according to claim 1 or 2 . The fixing unit is composed of a hollow or solid elongate member, said floating portion is 1 to claim, characterized by being composed of a hollow member having an insertion hole for inserting the fixing portion is formed 4. The liquid level meter according to any one of 3 above. A pump function inspection method using a liquid level meter for performing a function inspection of a liquid pump installed in the liquid tank using the liquid level meter according to any one of claims 1 to 4. ,
Adjusting the indicator to match the reference point of the scale;
A step of measuring a time until the liquid pump is stopped after being started for a predetermined time after starting the liquid pump;
Reading the amount of change in the liquid level from the indicated value of the liquid level after the predetermined time has elapsed since the liquid pump was activated;
A pump function test using a liquid level gauge, comprising: a step of determining a flow rate of the liquid by the liquid pump based on a change amount of the liquid level, a dimension of the liquid tank, and the predetermined time. Method.

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