Flow testing system for fluid networks

• US 20080281534A1
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hurco Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lyndon J. Hurley
• Inventors: Hurley, Lyndon J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,917,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/47
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/00 Protection or supervision of installations arrangements for protecting foundations E02D31/00; protecting pipes from damage or internal or external wear F16L57/00, against corrosion and scale F16L58/00; investigation of the fluid-tightness of structures G01M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/46 Pitot tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/00 Details of, or accessories for, apparatus for measuring steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluent medium insofar as such details or accessories are not special to particular types of pressure gauges

Abstract

An apparatus, system, method and kit for testing fluid flow and pressure is provided. The apparatus, system, method and kit include or include the use of a flow unit which is configured to measure flow rate and/or flow velocity when interfaced with a flow valve or hydrant and a pressure unit configured to measure at least residual pressure when interfaced with a test valve or hydrant. At least one of the units is configured to wirelessly send data transmissions to the other unit which is configured to receive such transmissions.

Claims

1. A hydrant testing system which measures hydrant pressures at least two hydrants and determines fluid flow at least one hydrant, the system comprising:

a pressure unit configured to interface with a test hydrant and configured to measure static pressure and then residual pressure of the test hydrant;

a flow unit configured to interface with a flow hydrant and to determine a fluid flow at the flow hydrant, the pressure unit and flow unit configured to measure residual pressure and determine the fluid flow at the flow hydrant at about the same time;

a transmitter in at least one of the units, the transmitter configured for wireless communication and effective for wirelessly communicating data representative of measurements taken in the at least one of the units;

a receiver in at least one of the units, the receiver configured for receipt of wireless communications and effective for receiving data in the wireless communication representative of measurements taken in the other unit and then communicated to the receiver; and

at least one data storage device, the system effective for wirelessly communicating data representative of the measurements made at least one of the units and receiving the communication at the other unit and storing data representative of the measurement of data by both units,

the system being configured to measure, transmit and record data representative of the static pressure and residual pressure, and

at least measure and record data representative of residual pressure and fluid flow at about the same time.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the flow unit is configured to measure pitot pressure from which fluid flow at the flow hydrant may be determined.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid flow is the flow rate of fluid from the flow hydrant.

4. A method for testing pressure and fluid flow in a network of fluid carrying pipes, the method comprising:

providing a pressure unit and a flow unit, the flow unit and the pressure unit being units separately moveable with respect to each other;

interfacing the pressure unit to a test hydrant;

interfacing the flow unit to a flow hydrant;

measuring a static pressure of a fluid at the test hydrant with the pressure unit;

after measuring the static pressure at the test hydrant, initiating a fluid flow through the flow hydrant;

determining the fluid flow through the flow hydrant;

measuring a residual pressure in the test hydrant substantially simultaneously with determining the fluid flow through the flow hydrant;

wirelessly transmitting data representative of at least one of the residual pressure measurement from the pressure unit and the fluid flow from the flow unit to the other unit; and

recording data representative of the fluid flow and the residual pressure measurement in a storage medium in at least one of the units.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the fluid flow is the flow rate of fluid from the flow hydrant.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the fluid flow is determined by measuring a pitot pressure at the flow hydrant.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the method further comprises wirelessly communicating data representative of the static pressure measured at the test hydrant to the flow unit and storing data representative of the static pressure in a storage medium in the flow unit.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein data representative of the pitot pressure measured at the flow hydrant is stored in a storage medium in the flow unit.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein data representative of the pitot pressure measured at the flow hydrant is wirelessly communicated to the pressure unit and is stored in a storage unit in the pressure unit.

10. An apparatus which is effective for measuring a fluid pressure at a first hydrant and wirelessly communicating data representative of a measured pressure to second hydrant, the apparatus comprising:

a pressure measuring device which is mountable on the first hydrant;

a transmitter which is effective for wirelessly transmitting data representative of a measured fluid pressure at the first hydrant to a receiver at a second hydrant; and

a storage medium which is effective for storing data representative of a measured fluid pressure at least one of the hydrants.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus further includes a receiver for receiving data from the second hydrant, the receiver being in communication with the storage medium for storing the data from the second hydrant.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the pressure measuring device is effective for measuring at least residual pressure.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the pressure measuring device is effective for measuring pitot pressure and the apparatus further includes a computer control which calculates a fluid flow from the measured pitot pressure.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the fluid flow is the flow rate of fluid.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the fluid flow is the velocity of a fluid.

16. An apparatus which is effective for measuring pressure at a first hydrant and receiving wirelessly communicated data representative of a measured pressure at a second hydrant, the apparatus comprising:

a pressure measuring device which is mountable on the first hydrant;

a receiver which is effective for receiving wirelessly transmitted data representative of a measured pressure at the second hydrant; and

a storage medium which is effective for storing data representative of a measured pressure at least one of the hydrants.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the pressure measuring device is effective for measuring pitot pressure and the apparatus further includes a computer control which calculates fluid flow from the measured pitot pressure and wherein the storage medium stores data representative of the pitot pressure and calculated fluid flow.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the fluid flow is the flow rate of fluid.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the fluid flow is the velocity of a fluid.

20. A system which measures pressures at least two hydrants and determines a fluid flow at least one hydrant and stores data representative of at least one of the pressures and fluid flow, the system comprising:

a pressure unit configured to interface with a test hydrant and configured to measure at least residual pressure at the test hydrant;

a flow unit configured to interface with a flow hydrant and being configured to determine fluid flow through the flow hydrant, the pressure unit and flow unit configured to measure residual pressure and determine the fluid flow through the flow hydrant at the same time;

a transmitter in at least one of the units, the transmitter configured for wireless communication and effective for wirelessly communicating data representative of the measurements taken in the at least one of the units;

a receiver in at least one of the units, the receiver configured for receipt of wireless communication and effective for receiving data in the wireless communication representative of measurements taken in the other unit and communicated to the receiver;

a computer control which associates data representative of at least some of the measurements taken at least one of the units with data which identifies the position of the at least one of the units; and

at least one data storage device, the system effective for wirelessly communicating data representative of the measurement of data in one of the units, receiving the communication at the other unit and storing data representative of the measurement of data by both units, the system being configured to measure and store data representative of the residual pressure, and measure residual pressure and fluid flow characteristics at about the same time.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the pressure unit is configured to measure static and residual pressures at the test hydrant and the system being is configured to measure, transmit and record data representative of the static pressure, transmit and store data representative of the residual pressure, and measure residual pressure and fluid flow characteristics at about the same time.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the fluid flow is fluid velocity.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the fluid flow is a flow rate of the fluid.

24. The system of claim 20 where the system further includes at least one global positioning system which locates the position of at least one of the units and provides geographical data which identifies and is representative of the position of the at least one of the units

25. A method which measures pressure at least one hydrant and determines fluid flow at least one hydrant, and stores data arising from the measured pressure and fluid flow, the method comprising:

providing a pressure unit and a flow unit, the pressure unit and the flow unit being units separately moveable with respect to each other;

interfacing the pressure unit to a test hydrant;

interfacing the flow unit to a flow hydrant;

initiating a fluid flow through the flow hydrant;

determining the fluid flow at the flow hydrant;

measuring a residual pressure in the test hydrant substantially simultaneously with determining the fluid flow at the flow hydrant;

wirelessly transmitting data representative of at least one of the residual pressure measurement from the pressure unit and data representative of fluid flow at the flow unit to the other unit; and

storing data representative of the fluid flow and the residual pressure measurement in a storage medium in at least one of the units.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the method further comprises measuring a static pressure of a fluid at the test hydrant with the pressure unit and after measuring the static pressure at the test hydrant measuring a residual pressure in the test hydrant substantially simultaneously with determining the fluid flow at the flow hydrant.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the method further comprises determining the location of at least one of the units with at least one global positioning system which locates the position of at least one of the units and provides geographical data which identifies the position of the at least one of the units.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the fluid flow is determined by measuring data representative of the pitot pressure at the flow hydrant, wherein the fluid flow is flow rate at the flow hydrant and the pitot pressure at the flow hydrant and a residual pressure at the test hydrant are measured at the same time.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the method further comprises wirelessly communicating data representative of the static pressure measured at the test hydrant to the flow unit and storing data representative of the static pressure in a storage medium in the flow unit.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein data representative of the pitot pressure measured at the flow hydrant is stored in a storage medium in the flow unit.

31. A kit which comprises:

a pressure unit configured to interface with a test hydrant and configured to measure at least a residual pressure of the test hydrant with a pressure sensor;

a flow unit configured to interface with a flow hydrant and being configured to determine fluid flow at the flow hydrant;

a transmitter in at least one of the units, the transmitter configured for wireless communication and effective for wirelessly communicating data representative of a measurement taken in the at least one of the units;

a receiver in at least one of the units, the receiver configured for receipt of the wireless communication and effective for receiving data in the wireless communication representative of at least one measurement taken in the other unit and communicated to the receiver;

data storage device in at least one of the units, the data storage device effective for storing data relating to measurements and calculations made by one or both units when operated in connection with the hydrant; and

a hand carryable case configured to house at least one flow unit and at least one test unit.

32. The kit of claim 31 wherein the kit further includes a GPS which locates the position of one of the units when it is mounted on a hydrant and a computer control which calculates fluid flow from a measured pitot pressure and associates data regarding measurements taken by the units with the data from the GPS.

33. The kit of claim 32 wherein the computer is configured to calculate velocity of fluid flow from a flow hydrant.

34. The kit of claim 32 wherein the computer is configured to calculate flow rate of fluid flow from a flow hydrant.