FLOW CONTROLLER FOR LIQUIDS, HAVING AN ENERGY SUPPLY BY MEANS OF THE FLOW

• US 20120318386A1
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cristobal Guzman
• Original Assignee: Cristobal Guzman
• Inventors: Guzman, Cristobal
• Application Number:
  US13/581,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20120318386A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/560
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/10 operated electrically E03D5/01, E03D5/12 take precedence, e.g. by a photo-cell; also combined with devices for opening or closing shutters in the bowl outlet and/or with devices for raising/or lowering seat and cover and/or for swiveling the bowl
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/20 within closed fluid conduits, e.g. pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/602 with energy recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/604 for domestic central heating or production of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/7068 equipped with permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 18/00 Small-scale combined heat and power [CHP] generation systems specially adapted for domestic heating, space heating or domestic hot-water supply
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1018 Radiator valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2101/10 Gas turbines; Steam engines or steam turbines; Water turbines, e.g. located in water pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 2240/01 Batteries, electrical energy storage device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/50 Hydropower in dwellings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8376 Combined

Abstract

The invention relates to a flow controller for fluids, having an energy supply by means of the flow of said fluid. Said flow controller consists of a supply line for the fluid and a turbine wheel which is rotationally mounted and through which the fluid flows and which drives an electric generator which charges the energy accumulator and a consumption point for the fluid. The forwarding of the liquid can be blocked by a shut-off valve which can be electrically controlled by control electronics which use at least one sensor and which can be adapted to various types of sensors and to the characteristics of the various types of consumption points and the shut-off valve, the control electronics and the sensor can be supplied with electric energy by the energy accumulator.

Claims

1. Flow controller for liquids having an energy supply by means of the flow of said liquid, consisting of:

a supply line for the liquid and

a turbine wheel,

which is rotationally mounted and

through which the liquid can flow, and

which drives an electrical generator, which charges an energy accumulator and

a consumption point for the liquid, characterized in that

transmission of the liquid can be blocked by a shut-off valve,

which can be electrically actuated by control electronics,

which is evaluated by at least one sensor, and

which can be adapted to various types of sensors and the characteristics of different types of consumption points, and

the shut-off valve and control electronics and sensor can be supplied with electrical energy by the energy accumulator.

2. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the control electronics has at least one input for a second sensor, of which the signal

can be evaluated by the control electronics and

can be taken into account in the adaptation to the consumption point in each case during actuation of the shut-off valve.

3. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the consumption point is

a washbasin or

a toilet flush

a shower or

a bathtub or

another sanitary object or

a radiator or

a cooling element or

another temperature-control device or

a beverage dispenser or

another liquid discharge or

a plant to be watered or

another agricultural or forestry device.

4. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the turbine wheel is a thin-walled hollow cylinder,

which is rotationally mounted on its outside and

which is equipped on its inside with radially oriented guide vanes.

5. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that there are fastened on the outside of the turbine wheel permanent magnets.

which are disposed at very low distances from the stationary electrical coils and

thereby emit an electrical current when the turbine wheel is rotated.

6. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that for sanitary applications

an ultrasound sensor or

an infrared sensor or

a light barrier

registers the presence of a hand or another body region.

7. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, for sanitary applications, the control electronics, by means of a multistage or analogue sensor, changes the pressure of the outflowing liquid in dependence on the distance from the body part that is perceived as nearest.

8. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, for sanitary applications, the control electronics, registers the signals of a second sensor for temperature control,

the second sensor registering a space that is located outside the consumption point and

the ingress of a body part and/or an object into a first edge region of the space increases the temperature and

the introduction into a second edge region of the space reduces the temperature.

9. Flow controller according to claim 8, characterized in that the temperature is varied by mixing two liquids with temperatures that differ from one another in each case.

10. Flow controller according to claim 8, characterized in that the varying of the setpoint value for the temperature is also possible without flow of the liquid.

11. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the setpoint value and/or the actual value for the temperature can be indicated by means of a display, for example in stages or as a numerical value.

12. Flow controller according to claim 8, characterized in that the control electronics evaluates a second sensor as temperature sensor, and regulates the temperature in dependence on this measurement and the set temperature setpoint value.

13. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the supply line for the hot liquid can be changed over by the control electronics to a removing circulation line

on the start command for a supply of liquid to the consumption point, a second sensor registers the temperature in the supply line and

the control electronics only releases the supply to consumption point and blocks the circulation line when the temperature setpoint value has been reached.

14. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the shut-off valve can be shifted by means of a current pulse in each case into a particular position and remains in this position without energy supply.

15. Flow controller according to claim 14, characterized in that the shut-off valve only has the two positions “

open” and

“

closed.”

16. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid flows through a first shut-off valve, which is disposed in the vicinity of the turbine wheel and which only has the positions “

open” and

“

closed” and

the liquid flows from there into an intermediate vessel, of which the outlet can be closed by means of a second shut-off valve with a plurality of positions.

17. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the voltage of the energy accumulator can be monitored by the control electronics and if the voltage of the energy accumulator sinks below a particular minimum value, the control electronics opens the shut-off valve and keeps it open until the electrical generator has increased the voltage of the energy accumulator by a particular amount.

18. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor is a contact on the cover of a toilet, which can be registered by the control electronics and the turbine wheel is installed in a supply line of the flush tank and the shut-off valve is disposed in the outlet line of the liquid from the flush tank and after the cover of the toilet has been closed, the shut-off valve is opened for a particular time or until a particular liquid amount has flowed through.

19. Flow controller according to claim 18, characterized in that, by means of a further sensor, the weight of a mass lying in the toilet bowl can be registered, which can be evaluated by the control electronics and, with increasing mass, the amount of the amount of liquid that is outlet from the flush tank for flushing is also increased.

20. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the case of a consumption point, as a radiator that is to be heated or cooled by means of liquid, the sensor is a temperature sensor and

below a settable minimum temperature, the shut-off valve can be opened and

remains open until an adjustable maximum temperature has been reached and

a temperature setpoint value, which lies approximately midway between these two extremes, can be externally entered into the control electronics.

21. Flow controller according to claim 10, characterized in that the control electronics varies the temperature setpoint value in dependence on the time of day and/or the day of the week and/or the opening of windows and/or doors.

22. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the consumption point is at least one plant in the soil or in another substrate and

the sensor is a moisture sensor and the liquid serves for watering the plant.

23. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that:

the consumption point is a vessel that can be filled with the liquid and

the supply line has a U-shaped end portion that can be mounted on the edge of the vessel and

the first sensor is disposed on the U-shaped end portion and

during mounting of the end portion on the edge of the vessel, the shut-off valve can be opened by the control electronics and

the second sensor is also disposed on the end portion and

registers the fact that the level of the liquid has reached a particular distance from the edge of the vessel and

at this level, the shut-off valve can be closed by the control electronics.

24. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the control electronics is disposed on a circuit board, which can be formed into a hollow cylindrical segment or into a polygonal hollow column.

25. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that further electrical consumers can be connected to the energy accumulator or to the control electronics and supplied, such as, for example:

lighting elements and/or

heating and/or other electrical equipment.

26. Flow controller according to claim 1, characterized in that the turbine wheel and the shut-off valve are disposed in the outflow line of a central water accumulator of a watering system and the turbine wheel and the electrical generator are dimensioned so large that, besides the shut-off valve, further electrical consumers can be operated, such as, for example, lighting elements or heating for plants to be watered.