JPS6230366B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a condensate flow meter that measures the flow rate of condensate generated in a steam system.

Accurately measuring the flow rate of condensate generated within a steam system is extremely important for thermal management of the steam system. However, conventional flowmeters have a complicated structure and are large, making them unsuitable for measuring small flow rates and cannot be used to measure flow rates in areas where a small amount of condensate is generated, such as steam main pipes or small heat exchangers. Nakatsuta. In addition, condensate is difficult to handle due to its high temperature and pressure, and it causes re-evaporation within the flowmeter, so there are very few flowmeters that can measure the flow rate of double water.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a condensate flow meter that has a simple structure, can be made compact, and can accurately measure the flow rate of condensate.

The technical means of the present invention taken to achieve the above object are: a tank formed to be able to store a fixed amount of condensate inside and to be able to detect this;
An inlet is provided at the top of the tank to connect to the steam system and guide the condensate generated in the steam system into the tank, and an outlet is provided to automatically discharge the condensate that has accumulated in the tank. A steam trap placed on the side, a valve means placed downstream of the steam trap to control the accumulation and outflow of condensate in the tank, and measuring the time for a certain amount of condensate to accumulate in the tank. It consists of a time measuring means, and measures the flow rate of condensate by multiplying and dividing the accumulated amount of condensate by the required time.

The operation of the above technical means is as follows.

Before measuring the amount of condensate, close the valve means located downstream of the steam trap. Condensate generated in the steam system flows into the tank from the inlet and accumulates there. The time measuring means measures the time it takes for a certain amount of condensate to accumulate in the tank, and the amount of condensate accumulated in the tank is multiplied and divided by the required time to calculate the flow rate per unit time. A steam trap is installed on the outlet side of the tank to automatically discharge only condensate without letting gas escape, so the upstream side of the steam trap, that is, the inside of the tank, is at the same pressure as the steam system. Therefore, condensate does not re-evaporate within the tank, allowing accurate measurement of the amount of condensate.

Next, the present invention will be explained based on the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 1, numeral 1 denotes a tank for storing condensate, and a condensate storage chamber 4 is formed inside. An inlet 2 opens at the ceiling of the chamber 4, and an outlet 3 opens at the bottom. The inlet 2 is connected to the connecting pipe 5 and the pipe 5
It is connected to the condensate generation side 6 through a valve 19 arranged in the chamber 4, and the condensate flows down into the chamber 4. The outlet 3 is connected to a condensate outlet (not shown) via a connecting pipe 7 and a valve 16. Predetermined upper H and predetermined lower L of room 4
Attach the electrode rods 8 and 9 to the. At this time, the volume between the electrode rods 8 and 9 is determined in advance. Electrode rods 8, 9
The signal from is sent to time measuring means 10. tank 1
The outer surface of is covered with a heat insulating material 17, and the surface of the heat insulating material 17 is covered with an exterior material 18.

The time measuring means 10 is formed from that shown in FIG. That is, a reference transmitter 12 that outputs a pulse signal at fixed time intervals, a gate unit 11 that sends a signal from the time when the electrode rod 9 comes into contact with condensate to the time when the electrode rod 8 comes into contact with the condensate to the following counter, and a pulse signal. A counter 13 that receives and counts the value (time value) received from the counter 13, and a multiplication/division operation that calculates the flow rate per unit time by multiplying and dividing the volume between the electrode rods 8 and 9, which has been determined in advance by the received value (time value) from the counter 13. 14, and a result display 15 for displaying or recording the received value from the multiplier/divider 14. In the figure, arrows indicate signals from electrode rods 8 and 9.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained. Close valve 16 before measuring condensate. Condensate flows from inlet 2 to chamber 4
It flows inside and begins to accumulate. When the condensate level in the chamber 4 reaches L, the electrode rod 9 contacts the condensate and sends a signal to the time measuring means 10. The gate section 11 then sends the signal from the reference oscillator 12 to the counter 13. room 4
When the condensate level within reaches H, the electrode rod 8 contacts the condensate and sends a signal to the time measuring means 10. Gate part 1
1 thereby stops sending the signal from the reference oscillator 12 to the counter 13. The multiplier/divider 14 is L
The flow rate per unit time is calculated by multiplying and dividing the predetermined time until reaching the interval between L and H by the volume between L and H, and the result display 15 displays or records this flow rate.

This embodiment consists of a tank 1, electrode rods 8, 9, a valve 16, and a time measuring means 10, and has a simple structure and can be made compact. However, if the total volume when the condensate level rises to H is known, the time measuring means 10 can be operated immediately after the valve 16 is closed, and the electrode rod 9 can be omitted. When measuring the flow rate of condensate, the valve 16 is closed and the chamber 4 is at the same pressure as the steam system, so the condensate does not re-steam in the chamber 4, and therefore the condensate does not re-evaporate. Accurate measurements can be made without any errors caused by Furthermore, since the tank 1 is kept warm and little heat is radiated into the atmosphere, the steam in the tank 1 does not condense to increase the amount of condensed water and cause measurement errors. Furthermore, the measured flow rate is displayed or recorded on the result display 15 of the time measuring means 10, and there is no need for the measurer to calculate it, making it easy to handle.

In this embodiment, since the steam trap 31 is placed on the outlet 3 side, when the valve 16 is opened and the tank 1 is emptied before measurement, the condensate can be removed. Due to the large pressure difference between the generation side 6 and the condensate outflow side, all of the condensate on the condensate generation side 6 flows out, making it possible to prevent the flow rate of condensate from being measured in a state different from the normal condensate generation state. . That is, the steam trap 31 maintains the pressure inside the tank 1 at approximately the same pressure as the condensate generation side 6, and maintains the condensate generation side 6 in a normal state to enable flow rate measurement. at the same time,
It is also possible to prevent unnecessary steam from flowing out from the condensate generation side 6.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a condensate flow meter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a time measuring means. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...tank, 2...inlet, 3...outlet, 4...condensate reservoir chamber, 8, 9...electrode rod, 10...time measuring means, 11...gate section, 12...reference oscillator, 13...
Counter, 14... Multiplier/divider, 15... Result display, 3
1...Steam trap.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tank formed to be able to store and detect a fixed amount of condensate inside, and connected to a steam system so as to guide condensate generated in the steam system into the tank. An inlet opening at the top of the tank,
An outlet is provided at the bottom of the tank to drain the condensate accumulated in the tank to the outside, and a steam outlet is placed on the outlet side to automatically discharge the condensate accumulated in the tank. A trap, a valve means disposed downstream of the steam trap to control the accumulation and outflow of condensate in the tank, and a time measuring means for measuring the time for a certain amount of condensate to accumulate in the tank, A condensate flow meter that measures the flow rate of condensate by multiplying and dividing the accumulated amount of condensate by the time required. 2 In what is stated in claim 1,
The time measurement means includes a reference oscillator, a counter that receives and counts oscillation signals from the reference oscillator, and a counter that is interposed between the reference oscillator and the counter and that counts the oscillation signal only while a certain amount of condensate is accumulated in the tank. 1. A condensate flowmeter characterized by having a gate section for receiving signals from the condensate. 3 In what is stated in claim 2,
In addition to the reference oscillator, the counter, and the gate, the time measurement means includes a multiplier/divider that multiplies and divides the counted value from the counter and the accumulated amount of condensate and converts it into a flow rate, and displays or records the flow rate. A condensate flow meter characterized by having a result display.