JPH07174696A - Salinity sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accurately and rapidly sense, even in a high-moisture environment, the presence or absence of adhesion of salt to the surface of an object at a specific location or in a specific environment. CONSTITUTION:The salinity sensor 4 is constituted of a prism 1 where the outer surface of a reflection surface is the surface of salt adhesion, a light source 2 for applying a flux of sensing light into the prism 1, and a light receiver 3 for taking out the above flux of detection light outside the prism 1 as the flux of irradiation light. A heating dryer 5 for heating and drying the surface of the prism 1 is provided opposing to the salinity sensor 4. The salinity sensor 4 and the heating dryer 5 are covered with a case 6 which can be opened or closed freely.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a salt detecting device for detecting the presence and amount of salt, which greatly contributes to corrosion deterioration of metals and reduction of electric resistance of insulators.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a brush washing method is known as a conventional method for detecting the presence and amount of salt. This method will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, the salt detecting adhesive plate 100 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is arranged in a place where the presence of salt (S) is to be detected, and after leaving for a certain period of time, the detecting adhesive plate 100 is recovered, and FIG. As shown in FIG.
Wash off by. The washed-out liquid, that is, the solution 109 containing the salt (S) to be detected is stored in the separately prepared empty container 101 without leaking. Wash water 1
As 02, distilled water or the like containing no electrolyte is used. Further, the same amount of distilled water is added so that the subsequent calculation can be easily performed, and the total amount of the solution 109 is rounded, for example, 1
Set to kg.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, a pair of electrodes 104 and 105 are set in a solution 109 in a container 101,
An electric circuit is constructed by incorporating an ammeter 106 and a battery 107 between both electrodes 104 and 105. At this time, the solution 109
A thermometer 108 is also arranged inside. After this preparation, the current value flowing in the circuit is measured from the ammeter 106 and the solution 1 at that time is measured.
The temperature of 09 is read from the thermometer 108, and the electric resistance between both electrodes, and therefore the electric conductivity thereof, is known from these values. In general, the salinity concentration (mol / kg) of a solution has a uniquely determined relation to its electrical conductivity (S / cm). Therefore, a graph or table showing these functional relations should be used. It is possible to know the salt concentration.

[0004]

As described above, the conventional brush-washing method is complicated and depends on manual work, and cannot easily and promptly detect the salt content. Therefore,
The present invention provides a salt detection device capable of easily and quickly detecting the presence and amount of salt and accurately even in a high humidity environment.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a prism having an outer surface of a reflecting surface as a salt adhering surface and a detection light beam is incident on the prism. And a salt detection sensor comprising a light receiver which is incident from this light projector and which is detected by the reflecting surface and reflected by the reflecting surface as a light beam emitted outside the prism,
It is a salt content detecting device comprising a heat dryer for the salt adhering surface of the prism, and an openable / closable case covering the salt content sensor and the heat dryer.

[0006]

The detection light entering the prism is totally reflected by the reflecting surface when the medium contacting the outer surface of the reflecting surface of the prism is air, but is totally reflected by the reflecting surface when the medium is other than air. Without passing through, it penetrates through the medium and goes out of the prism. Therefore, when salt is attached to the outer surface of the reflecting surface of the prism, the ambient environment of the salt detecting device is low humidity, and the outer surface of the reflecting surface of the prism is in a dry state, that is, the medium contacting the outer surface is air. , The detection light incident on the prism is transmitted through the salt in the reflecting surface portion where the salt is adhered to the outer surface and goes out of the prism, while it is outside the prism in the other reflecting surface portion. Total reflection without going out. Therefore, the emitted light taken out of the prism is attenuated by the amount of light that has passed through the salt and goes out of the prism, with respect to the detection light that has entered the prism.
The amount of salt can be known from the degree of the attenuation. In this case, since the outer surface of the reflecting surface of the prism is dry, the case is in the open state without covering the salt detection sensor, and the heating dryer is not operated.

However, when the environment surrounding the salt detecting device is in high humidity and the outer surface of the reflecting surface of the prism is wet, the medium contacting the outer surface becomes something other than air (water). The detection light incident on will go out of the prism without being totally reflected not only on the reflective surface area where salt adheres, but also on the reflective surface area where salt adherence is not seen on the outer surface, and the correct salt detection will be performed. Inconvenience will occur. Therefore, in such a case, the salt detection sensor is covered by closing the case, the heating dryer is operated to heat and dry the outer surface of the prism, and then detection light is incident into the prism to perform the salt detection operation.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3, the salt detection sensor 4
Has a prism 1 in the form of a quadrangular prism as a main constituent member, and an entrance 10 and an exit 11 having a substantially triangular prism shape are formed on both ends of the prism 1 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
The obliquely chamfered portions of the entrance portion 10 and the exit portion 11 serve as the entrance and exit surfaces 10A and 11A of the detection light beam L, respectively.

The prism 1 is a prism fixing jig 1
2 is supported by the above-mentioned input / output surfaces 10A, 11
A is provided with a light projector 2 and a light receiver 3, respectively. Further, a heating dryer 5 such as a heater is disposed so as to face the salt detection sensor 4, and the salt detection sensor 4 and the heating dryer 5 move with a fixed-side casing component member 61 forming a hexahedron by them. It is configured to be covered by a case 6 composed of a side housing constituent member 62, and the moving side housing constituent member 62 is slid by the opening / closing mechanism 7 from the state shown in FIG. 1 to the state shown in FIG. The case 6 can be opened and closed. In this embodiment, a light emitting diode (LE) is used as the projector 2.
D) is used, and a photodiode (P
Although D) is used, of course, other materials may be used.

The heating dryer 5 is for heating and drying the surface of the prism 1, and the heating dryer 5
When activating, the case 6 is closed in the state shown in FIG. The opening / closing mechanism 7 of the case 6 includes a rack 71 fixed to the moving-side housing component 62 and a fixed-side housing component 61.
The rack and pinion mechanism is composed of a pinion 73 which is driven by a motor 72 installed in the rack 71 and meshes with the rack 71. However, the opening / closing mechanism 7 is not limited to this configuration.

The salt detecting device of the present invention is installed at a place near an object where presence or absence of the adherence of salt and the amount of the adhering salt are to be detected. And the detection luminous flux L which should detect salt content
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, is the incident surface 10 of the incident portion 10.
The first reflecting surface P1 to the fourth reflecting surface P1 are guided from A to the inside of the prism 1.
The light is sequentially reflected on the reflection surface P4, that is, multiple reflection is performed as if the spiral movement is repeated clockwise in the traveling direction of the detection light beam L, and the light is emitted from the emission surface 11A of the emission unit 11.

Now, the salt detecting function of the salt detecting sensor 4 formed of the prism 1 will be described. If salt S adheres to the outer surface of the first reflecting surface P1 of the prism 1 (hereinafter referred to as the first salt adhering surface A1) as shown in FIG. 6, the detection light beam L does not undergo total reflection on the reflecting surface P1. Then, a part of the light passes through the salt S and goes out of the prism 1. The light transmitted through the salt S is the surface of the salt S (usually a rough surface with a lot of irregularities).
Is scattered from the medium (air) M. Thus, the detection light beam L is not totally reflected on the first reflecting surface P1 but is attenuated in the partial reflection state. Second reflection surface P2 to fourth
Even on the reflecting surface P4, if the reflecting surfaces P2 to P4
Outer surface (hereinafter, the second salt content adhering surface A2 to the fourth salt content adhering surface A
If the salt content S is attached to (4), the detection light flux L is further partially attenuated as in the case of the first reflecting surface P1.

In this way, the rate of light attenuation in these many reflection opportunities is determined by the first to fourth salt adhering surfaces A.
1 to A4, it can be considered that it is proportional to the amount of salt S adhering to A4. Therefore, the amount of the outgoing light beam Lo finally output to the outside of the prism 1 is known by the light receiver 3 connected here, and this outgoing light beam Lo is detected. At the beginning of Lo, the attenuation rate with respect to the incident light beam Le entering the prism 1 is checked by a calculation unit (not shown) using a microprocessor or the like to determine the first
It is possible to detect the presence or absence of the salt S adhered to the fourth salt adhering surfaces A1 to A4 and the amount of the adhering salt S.

The salt detection sensor 4 formed of the prism 1 detects salt as described above. In this case,
When the environment surrounding the salt detection sensor 4 has low humidity,
Outer surfaces of the reflecting surfaces P1 to P4 of the prism 1 (salt-adhering surface A1
~ A4) is dry, that is, since the medium contacting the outer surface is air, the detected light flux L is reflected by the reflecting surfaces P1 to P4.
The salt S goes out of the prism 1 only in the portion where the salt S adheres, and the other portions are totally reflected.
Therefore, the attenuation rate of the detected light flux L is exactly proportional to the amount of salt S present. Therefore, in such an ambient environment, the case body 6 is opened by sliding the moving-side housing component member 62 as shown in FIG. 3, and the salt detecting operation is performed without operating the heating dryer 5.

On the other hand, when the surrounding environment of the salt content detecting sensor 4 is in high humidity, the outer surfaces of the reflecting surfaces P1 to P4 of the prism 1 are wetted, that is, the medium contacting the outer surface becomes water, and the detection light flux L becomes Not only the portion of the reflecting surfaces P1 to P4 where the salt S adheres, but also the other portions of the reflecting surface P1 to P4 go out of the prism 1, which causes an inconvenience that accurate salt detection cannot be performed. Therefore, in such an environment,
The moving-side housing component 62 is slid as shown in FIG. 1 to cover the salt detection sensor 4 with the closed case 6, and the heating / drying device 5 is actuated to remove the salt S of the prism 1.
After the adhering surfaces A1 to A4 of the prism 1 are heated and dried, that is, the medium contacting the outer surfaces of the reflecting surfaces P1 to P4 of the prism 1 is air, the detection light flux L is made incident on the prism 1 to perform the salt content detection work. . This enables accurate salt detection even in a high humidity environment. The evaporated water is discharged to the outside of the case 6 through the exhaust hole 62A.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the attenuation rate of the detection (incident) light beam projected from the light projector and entering the prism is measured for the outgoing light beam entering the light receiver outside the prism. Thus, it is possible to easily and quickly know the presence or absence of salt and the amount of salt when salt is present. Especially, even when the surrounding environment is high humidity and the outer surface of the reflecting surface of the prism is wet with water, the outer surface can be dried by the heating dryer, so that it exists even in the high humidity condition. The amount of salt can be accurately detected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a salt detecting device according to the present invention in a state where a case is closed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the salt detection device shown in FIG. 1 with a case opened.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a reflection state of a detection light beam on a prism of a salt content detection sensor.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a reflection state of a detection light beam on a prism of a salt detection sensor.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a reflection state of a detection light beam when salt is attached to a salt-attached surface of a prism of the salt-detection sensor.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a salt detecting attachment plate used in a brush washing method which is a conventional salt detecting method.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the salt detecting attachment plate shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a state in which a brush washing method, which is a conventional salt content detecting method, is being performed.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a measurement state of electric conductivity of a salt solution, which is performed in a brush washing method which is a conventional salt detection method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 prism 2 light projector 3 light receiver 4 salt content detection sensor 5 heating dryer 6 case A1 to A4 salt adhering surface L detection light flux P1 to P4 reflective surface S salt content

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Junji Fukuda 1-5-1 Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Fujikura Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kunio Konuma 1-1-5 Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Shareholders Inside Fujikura

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A prism (1) having outer surfaces of reflecting surfaces (P1, P2 ...) As adhering surfaces (A1, A2 ...) of salt (S), and a detection light beam (L) incident on the prism (1). And a light receiver (3) for taking out the detected light flux (L) which is incident from the light projector (2) and reflected by the reflecting surfaces (P1, P2 ...) As an outgoing light flux outside the prism (1). ), A heating dryer (5) for the salt (S) adhering surfaces (A1, A2 ...) Of the prism (1), the salt detecting sensor (4) and heating drying. A salt detection device comprising a case (6) that covers the container (5) and can be opened and closed.