SYSTEMS FOR MEASURING PROPERTIES OF WATER IN A WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

• US 20170059543A1
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Clark, Kenneth A., Sitnikov, Timofey, Gifford, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,203,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/071 Arrangement of safety devices in domestic pipe systems, e.g. devices for automatic shut-off
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 3/04 Pipes or fittings specially adapted to sewers manufacture of concrete tubes B28; pipes or pipe fittings in general F16L
• 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 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/00 Investigating fluid-tightness of structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/243 for pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/18 Water
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7025 Pipe line transport

Abstract

A water sensing assembly includes: a valve box securely mountable on an underground water pipe; a sensor mounted inside the valve box, the sensor configured to sense a property of water within the underground water pipe; a top section connected to the valve box; and an electrical communication device mounted at a top portion of the adjustable top section such that the electrical communication device is positioned at or near the surface of the ground.

Claims

1. A water sensing assembly comprising:

a valve box securely mountable on an underground water pipe;

a sensor mounted inside the valve box, the sensor configured to sense a property of water within the underground water pipe;

a top section connected to the valve box; and

an electrical communication device mounted at a top portion of the adjustable top section such that the electrical communication device is positioned at or near the surface of the ground.

2. The water sensing assembly of claim 1, further comprising a communication assembly mounted in the valve box and an electrical cable electrically coupling the sensor to the communication assembly.

3. The water sensing assembly of claim 2, wherein the electrical communication device is an antenna electrically coupled to the communication assembly.

4. The water sensing assembly of claim 1, wherein the top section is telescopically connected to the valve box and wherein the top section is moveable with respect to the valve box in order to vary the overall height of the sensing assembly.

5. The water sensing assembly of claim 1, further comprising a ball valve mounted in the valve box and connectable to the pipe, the sensor coupled to the ball valve.

6. A service saddle comprising:

a lower channel alignable with a bore in a water pipe;

a main port having an interior volume opened to the lower channel;

a secondary port having an interior volume opened to the lower channel;

a first valve moveably mounted in the main port for controlling water flow through the main port; and

a second valve moveably mounted in the secondary port for controlling water flow through the secondary port.

7. The service saddle of claim 6, wherein each of the first valve and the second valve is a ball valve including a bore formed therethrough such that turning the ball valve opens or closes the respective port.

8. The service saddle of claim 6, further comprising a first sensor mounted in the main port.

9. The service saddle of claim 8, further comprising a second sensor mounted in the secondary port.

10. The service saddle of claim 8, wherein the first sensor is a water sensing assembly mounted to the main port by a port bracket.

11. The service saddle of claim 10, wherein the water sensing assembly comprises an energy harvesting device moveable between a retracted position within the main port when not in use and an extended position protruding from the main port when in use, the energy harvesting device including a turbine.