Pipe network, with a hierarchical structure, for supplying water or gas and/or for removing industrial water, process for detecting a leak in such a pipe network and process for determining, with the aid of a computer, the operating life theoretically remaining for a renewable power source for at least one flowmeter in such a pipe network
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Abstract
Summary: The invention concerns a pipe network (10), with a hierarchical structure, for supplying water or gas and/or removing industrial water where the flowmeters (54-82) provided in the individual pipes are standalone units that are connected to a master flowmeter (52) in a master-slave network. The flowmeters (54-82) have their own, autarkic power supply system. By totaling the measured flow values in the lower-order pipes in the hierarchy and comparing the result with a measured flow value in the related pipe on the next highest level, a leak can be detected in one of the lower-order pipes.
In addition, the invention also concerns a process for detecting a leak in such a pipe network (10) and a process for determining—with the aid of a computer—the operating life theoretically remaining for a renewable power source for at least one flowmeter in such a pipe network.
38 Citations
79 Claims
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1-40. -40. (canceled)
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41. A pipe network for supplying water or gas and/or removing industrial water, comprising:
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a hierarchical structure made up of pipe branches of individual legs with several pipe branches each fitted with at least one flowmeter, wherein; said flowmeters are standalone units; said flowmeters are connected to a master-slave network; and said flowmeters communicate wirelessly with one another. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A process for detecting a leak in a pipe network for supplying water or gas and/or removing industrial water, where the pipe network includes a hierarchical structure made up of pipe branches of individual legs and several pipe branches are fitted with at least one flowmeter and where the flowmeters are standalone units, are connected to a master-slave network and communicate with one another using wireless technology, the process comprises the following steps:
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reporting measured values using slave flowmeters in lower-order pipe branches, and record to the master flowmeter which is arranged in a higher-order pipe branch; calculating a total from the measured values using the master flowmeter of the slave flowmeters of the hierarchical levels in question; comparing this total to a value measured for the next highest hierarchical level; and generating an alarm signal by the master flowmeter if the total of the lower-order hierarchical level deviates from the measured value measured in the next highest hierarchical level and is outside a prespecified tolerance value, which indicates that the values do not tally and requests the pipe branch or branches be inspected. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A process for determining, with the aid of a computer, the operating life theoretically remaining for a renewable power source for at least one flowmeter in a pipe network for supplying water or gas and/or removing industrial water, comprising:
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a hierarchical structure made up of pipe branches of individual legs with several pipe branches each fitted with at least one flowmeter, wherein; said flowmeters are standalone units; said flowmeters are connected to a master-slave network; and said flowmeters communicate wirelessly with one another, comprising the following steps; determining a matrix of influencing factors which affect the theoretical operating life of the power source; determining a theoretical operating life with a variation of different influencing factors or a combination thereof; recording all the influencing factors from the point when the power source is installed to when it fails or terminates; recording at least the influencing factors at specified times as a function of an operating time, which has elapsed by then, of the flowmeter in question; determining the operating life theoretically remaining with the aid of a matrix taking into account all the influencing factors recorded to date and the operating time that has elapsed; and performing all the process steps previously mentioned on a computer connected to the flowmeter or flowmeters. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
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Specification