Fluid flow measuring and control devices and method

• US 10,648,842 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2017
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benoit & Cote
• Original Assignee: Benoit & Cote
• Inventors: Croteau, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): McCalister, William M
• Application Number:
  US15/629,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20170370754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 1374875
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 17/36 actuated in consequence of extraneous circumstances, e.g. shock, change of position
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/06 using a magnet , e.g. diaphragm valves, cutting off by means of a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/402 acting on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/005 for measuring fluid parameters F16K37/0033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/06 using rotating vanes with tangential admission
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/065 with radiation as transfer means to the indicating device, e.g. light transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/075 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/10 of flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 5/00 Measuring a proportion of the volume flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/26 by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2815 using pressure measurements

Abstract

There is described a fluid flow measuring and control device for installation within plumbing. The device comprises a main flow channeling system having an inlet and an outlet for connection to the plumbing, and a bypass channeling system in parallel from the main flow channeling system. A flowmeter is provided in the bypass channeling system for measuring the fluid flow in the bypass channeling system and thereby estimating the fluid flow at the inlet or at the outlet of the main flow channeling system. The flowmeter may comprise a wheel and a pair of movement sensors. A valve such as a solenoid valve can be provided as an on/off control for the plumbing. Using a microcontroller, the device can identify which appliance is used and determine consumption, or detect abnormal use or leaks and close the valve and/or notify a user mobile device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a fluid flow measuring and control device for installation within plumbing that channels a fluid, the device comprising;

a flowmeter for assessing the fluid flow in the device;

a main flow channelling system having an inlet and an outlet for connection to the plumbing;

a bypass channelling system in parallel from the main flow channelling system, starting from a first location on the main flow channelling system and ending at a second location on the main flow channelling system downstream of the first location;

a valve for stopping the fluid flow in the main flow channelling system, hence blocking fluid flow in the fluid flow measuring and control device and in the plumbing; and

a first pressure sensor upstream of the valve and a second pressure sensor downstream of the valve to determine if there is a pressure drop when the valve is closed;

a transceiver operatively connected to the flowmeter for collecting data therefrom and send the data to a computer; and

the computer comprising a memory for storing pre-recorded fluid usage signatures of specific appliances and for storing instructions and a processor operatively connected to the memory for executing the instructions to compare the data to the pre-recorded fluid usage signatures for identifying in the data from the flowmeter that a specific appliance was used.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further adapted to at least one of:

identify an abnormal fluid usage by comparing the data from the flowmeter from previously acquired data from the flowmeter; and

identify an identity of the specific appliances which consume fluid.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the flowmeter is provided in the bypass channelling system for measuring the fluid flow in the bypass channelling system and thereby estimating the fluid flow at the inlet or at the outlet of the main flow channelling system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the flowmeter comprises:

a flowmeter chamber;

a flowmeter wheel installed in the flowmeter chamber, the flowmeter wheel comprising rotating blades; and

a pair of movement sensors installed in the flowmeter chamber, each one of the movement sensors monitoring the rotating blades alternately moving in opposite directions and identifying a direction of a rotation movement to assess a net flow through the flowmeter chamber.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the valve comprises a solenoid valve.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is operably connected to the first pressure sensor, the second pressure sensor and the valve, to determine from the data from the flowmeter that no appliance is being used and instruct the valve to close to collect pressures from the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer is further adapted to:

detect that there is a pressure drop and determine from a low to medium pressure drop that it is a leak, and to maintain the valve closed, and

detect that there is no pressure drop or a high pressure drop indicative of normal use, and reopen the valve.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer is further adapted to instruct the transceiver to send a notification to a remote server to inform a user mobile device in communication with the remote server.

9. A method of pattern recognition for fluid use in a plumbing installation to which fluid consuming appliances are fluidly connected, the method comprising:

installing a fluid flow measuring and control device at a single location in the plumbing installation which is fluidly common to all of the fluid consuming appliances, the device comprising

a flowmeter for assessing the fluid flow in the device;

a main flow channelling system having an inlet and an outlet for connection to the plumbing;

a bypass channelling system in parallel from the main flow channelling system, starting from a first location on the main flow channelling system and ending at a second location on the main flow channelling system downstream of the first location;

a valve in the main flow channelling system; and

a first pressure sensor upstream of the valve and a second pressure sensor downstream of the valve;

capturing and storing data relative to a flow rate of each one of the fluid consuming appliances in the plumbing installation through the fluid flow measuring and control device;

analysing and recording the data to determine a fluid usage signature for each of the fluid consuming appliances, thereby resulting in pre-recorded fluid usage signatures for each of the fluid consuming appliances

stopping the fluid flow in the main flow channelling system using the valve, hence blocking fluid flow in the fluid flow measuring and control device and in the plumbing; and

determining if there is a pressure drop when the valve is closed by using the first pressure sensor upstream of the valve and the second pressure sensor downstream of the valve.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in an actual use of the plumbing installation:

comparing an actual measurement of the fluid flow measuring and control device to the pre-recorded fluid usage signatures for each of the fluid consuming appliances to identify which one of the fluid consuming appliances corresponds to the actual measurement.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

comparing an actual measurement of the fluid flow measuring and control device to the pre-recorded fluid usage signatures over a given recurring period to identify a difference with the pre-recorded fluid usage signatures;

issuing a notification signal upon determining that the difference exceeds a given threshold.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying that the actual measurement of the fluid flow measuring and control device contains none of the pre-recorded fluid usage signatures;

temporarily shutting a valve in the fluid flow measuring and control device;

measuring a first pressure upstream of the valve and a second pressure downstream of the valve;

identifying a difference between the first pressure and the second pressure; and

;

if the difference is zero or is above a threshold indicative of normal use, reopen the valve;

otherwise, maintain the valve closed.