SENSOR MODULE AND MANHOLE INFORMATION COLLECTION/PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20170222115A1
• Filed: 02/10/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kurihara, Kazuaki, KOUMA, NORINAO
• Granted Patent: US 10,388,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/88 Providing power supply at the sub-station
• 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: H10N 10/01 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/17 characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device

Abstract

There is provided a sensor system capable of being used semi-permanently in a maintenance-free state without exchanging batteries as well as being installed in an already-existing manhole lid by a simple work on the spot, and having a measurement unit, a power source unit, and a communication unit, and installed in a manhole lid, wherein the power source unit includes a thermoelectric power generation module configured to generate electric power by a difference in temperature between a first heat transfer unit thermally connected to the manhole lid and a second heat transfer unit thermally connected to a heat radiating unit within a manhole, and the measurement unit and the communication unit are driven by electric power generated by the thermoelectric power generation module and measurement data of the measurement unit is transmitted to the outside via the communication unit.

Claims

1. A sensor module comprising:

a measurement unit;

a power source unit; and

a communication unit, and installed in a manhole lid, wherein

the power source unit includes a thermoelectric power generation module configured to generate electric power by a difference in temperature between a first heat transfer unit thermally connected to the manhole lid and a second heat transfer unit thermally connected to a heat radiating unit within a manhole, and

the measurement unit and the communication unit are driven by electric power generated by the thermoelectric power generation module and measurement data of the measurement unit is transmitted to the outside via the communication unit.

2. The sensor module according to claim 1, comprising:

a bolt unit formed in the first heat transfer unit and configured to screw the sensor module into a screw hole of the manhole lid.

3. The sensor module according to claim 2, wherein

at least part including the second heat transfer unit of the main body unit has a shape that can be inserted into a manhole from outside a manhole through the screw hole.

4. The sensor module according to claim 3, wherein

the second heat transfer unit includes a fin that is changed into a shape that passes through the screw hole and which enters an expanded state after passing through the screw hole.

5. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein

the measurement unit detects at least one of temperature, humidity, gas concentration, a water level, a sewage flow rate, and vibration.

6. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein

the measurement unit includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas concentration sensor, a water level sensor, a sewage flow rate sensor, and a vibration sensor having a shape that can be inserted into a manhole from outside a manhole through the screw hole.

7. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein

the measurement unit receives a detection signal from at least one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas concentration sensor, a water level sensor, a sewage flow rate sensor, and a vibration sensor arranged within the manhole.

8. The sensor module according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic circuit configured to process a detection signal of the measurement unit and to perform processing to transmit data of the detection signal from the communication unit.

9. The sensor module according to claim 8, wherein

the communication unit has an antenna located on the top of the screw hole and a signal line provided between the antenna and the electronic circuit.

10. The sensor module according to claim 8, wherein

the communication unit has an external terminal located on the top of the screw hole and a signal line provided between the external terminal and the electronic circuit.

11. A fixing method of a sensor module, the method comprising:

forming a screw hole by processing a manhole lid from the surface to form a thread in a through-hole of the manhole lid; and

fixing a screw portion of a sensor module having a thermoelectric power generation module configured to generate electric power by a difference in temperature and a communication unit into the screw hole by screwing the sensor module.

12. A manhole information collection and processing system comprising:

a plurality of sensor modules installed in a plurality of manhole lids and having a thermoelectric power generation module configured to generate electric power by a difference in temperature between a first heat transfer unit thermally connected to the manhole lid and a second heat transfer unit thermally connected to a heat radiating unit within a manhole;

a server that collects and processes data of the plurality of sensor modules; and

a wireless communication network that connects the wireless communication unit of the plurality of sensor modules to the sever so as to be capable of communication.

13. The manhole information collection and processing system according to claim 12, wherein

each sensor module includes a bolt unit formed in the first heat transfer unit and configured to screw the sensor module into a screw hole of the manhole lid.

14. A manhole information collection and processing method of collecting measurement data of a plurality of sensor modules installed in a plurality of manhole lids and having a thermoelectric power generation module configured to generate electric power by a difference in temperature between a first heat transfer unit thermally connected to the manhole lid and a second heat transfer unit thermally connected to a heat radiating unit within a manhole, and a communication unit, the method comprising:

connecting a mobile terminal having a communication function to the communication unit of the plurality of sensor modules;

reading measurement data of the plurality of sensor modules by the mobile terminal and storing the data; and

transmitting the measurement data of the plurality of sensor modules stored in the mobile terminal to a server.

15. The manhole information collection and processing method according to claim 14, wherein

the communication unit of the sensor module is a wireless communication unit, and

the mobile terminal collects measurement data by wireless communication from the communication unit of the sensor module.

16. The manhole information collection and processing method according to claim 14, wherein

the communication unit of the sensor module has an external communication terminal, and

measurement data is collected by connecting a communication terminal of the mobile terminal to the external communication terminal of the communication unit of the sensor module.