Fresh water control system and method

• US 5,175,892 A
• Filed: 04/10/1990
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Original Assignee: Bauer Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Shaw, Daniel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fetsuga, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US07/507,462
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 4/300, 4/301, 4/302, 4/303, 4/304, 4/305, 4/313, 4/623, 4/DIG. 3, 4/DIG. 9, 4/661, 137/624.11, 137/118, 364/510, 406/14, 406/15, 406/16, 406/17, 406/19, 406/29, 406/30, 406/31
• US Class Current: 4/304
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 1/00 Methods or layout of installations for water supply E03B3/00, E03B9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 4/03 Electric flushing

Abstract

The method of controlling operation of a plurality of fixtures comprises the steps of establishing a maximum fluid flow rate and determining which of the fixtures requires operation. A determination is then made of the fluid flow rate of the fixture requiring operation and a calculation is made of whether operation of the fixture requiring operation will cause the maximum flow rate to be exceeded. The fixture requiring operation is caused to operate if the maximum flow rate will not be exceeded and is prevented from operating if the maximum flow rate will be exceeded.

Claims

1. The method of controlling operation of a plurality of liquid utilizing fixtures, comprising the steps of:

a) initially establishing a maximum liquid flow rate;

b) thereafter determining which of the fixtures requires operation;

c) thereafter determining the liquid flow rate of the fixture requiring operation before operation thereof;

d) thereafter calculating whether operation of the fixture requiring operation will cause the maximum liquid flow rate to be exceeded; and

e) thereafter causing the fixture requiring operation to operate if the maximum liquid flow rate will not be exceeded and preventing operation of the fixture requiring operation until sufficient liquid capacity is available if the maximum flow rate would be exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, including the step of:

a) determining the fixture requiring operation with sensor means, and a sensor means being operably associated with each of the fixtures.

3. The method of claim 2, including the step of:

a) determining the fixture requiring operation with infrared sensor means.

4. The method of claim 2, including the step of:

a) determining the fixture requiring operation with electromagnetic sensor means.

5. The method of claim 1, including the step of:

a) determining whether any other fixture is operating prior to calculating whether operation of the fixture requiring operation will cause the maximum liquid flow rate to be exceeded.

6. The method of claim 1, including the step of:

a) preventing subsequent operation of any fixture which operates while the fixture requiring operation is prevented from operating.

7. The method of claim 1, including the step of:

a) establishing the maximum liquid flow rate in response to a remotely located controller.

8. The method of claim 1, including the step of:

a) preventing operation of a fixture requiring operation for a preselected period.

9. The method of claim 1, including the step of:

a) establishing the maximum flow rate as a function of external demands.

10. The method of claim 1, including the step of:

a) sequentially operating the fixtures requiring operation which are prevented from operating.

11. The method of controlling liquid flow to a plurality of fixtures operably connected to a liquid supply and with each fixture utilizing a predetermined quantity of liquid during operation and each fixture having a remotely operable valve for causing operation thereof and each valve operably associated with a controller and a detector means being operably associated with each of the fixtures for detecting usage thereof and the detector means being operably associated with the controller for signaling the need to operate the associated valve, comprising the steps of:

a) initially establishing a maximum liquid flow rate for the supply;

b) thereafter signaling the controller with a detector means the need of an associated one of the fixtures to operate;

c) thereafter determining the liquid flow rate of the fixture needing operation before operation thereof;

d) thereafter determining whether any other fixture is operating;

e) thereafter calculating the liquid flow of the operating fixtures and adding to that the liquid flow of the fixture needing operation and thereby generating a required liquid flow rate;

f) thereafter comparing the required liquid flow rate with the maximum liquid flow rate; and

g) thereafter operating the fixture needing operation if the required liquid flow rate is less than the maximum liquid flow rate and preventing operation of the fixture needing operation if the required liquid flow rate would exceed the maximum liquid flow rate.

12. The method of claim 11, including the step of:

a) preventing subsequent operation of any fixture which is operated while a fixture needing operation is prevented from operating.

13. The method of claim 11, including the steps of:

a) determining whether the maximum liquid flow rate is being exceeded; and

,

b) operating an alarm if the maximum liquid flow rate is being exceeded.

14. The method of claim 11, including the step of:

a) establishing the maximum fluid flow rate in response to external demands on the supply.

15. The method of claim 11, including the step of:

a) delaying for a selected period operation of any fixture needing operation.

16. The method of controlling operation of a plurality of fixtures, comprising the steps of:

a) initially establishing a maximum fluid flow rate;

b) thereafter determining which of the fixtures requires operation with infrared sensor means, and an infrared sensor means being operably associated with each of the fixtures;

c) thereafter determining the fluid flow rate of the fixture requiring operation before operation thereof;

d) thereafter calculating whether operation of the fixture requiring operation will cause the maximum flow rate to be exceeded; and

e) thereafter causing the fixture requiring operation to operate if the maximum flow rate will not be exceeded and preventing operation of the fixture requiring operation until sufficient fluid capacity is available if the maximum flow rate would be exceeded.

17. The method of claim 16, including the step of:

a) determining whether any other fixture is operating prior to calculating whether operation of the fixture requiring operation will cause the maximum flow rate to be exceeded.

18. The method of claim 16, including the step of:

a) preventing subsequent operation of any fixture which operates while a fixture requiring operation is prevented from operating.

19. The method of claim 16, including the step of:

a) establishing the maximum flow rate in response to a remotely located controller.

20. The method of claim 16, including the step of:

a) preventing operation of the fixture requiring operation for a preselected period.

21. The method of claim 16, including the step of:

a) establishing the maximum flow rate as a function of external demands.

22. The method of claim 16, including the step of:

a) sequentially operating the fixtures requiring operation which are prevented from operating.

23. The method of controlling fluid flow to a plurality of fixtures operably connected to a fluid supply and with each fixture utilizing a predetermined quantity of fluid during operation and each fixture having a remotely operable valve for causing operation thereof and each valve operably associated with a controller and a detector means being operably associated with each of the fixtures for detecting usage thereof and the detector means being operably associated with the controller for signaling the need to operate the associated valve, comprising the steps of:

a) initially establishing a maximum fluid flow rate for the supply;

b) thereafter signaling the controller the need of one of the fixtures to operate;

c) thereafter determining the fluid flow rate of the fixture needing operation before operation thereof;

d) thereafter determining whether any other fixture is operating;

e) thereafter calculating the fluid flow of the operating fixtures and adding to that the fluid flow of the fixture needing operation and thereby generating a required fluid flow rate;

f) thereafter comparing the required fluid flow rate with the maximum fluid flow rate;

g) thereafter operating the fixture needing operation if the required fluid flow rate is less than the maximum fluid flow rate and preventing operation of the fixture needing operation if the required fluid flow rate would exceed the maximum fluid flow rate;

h) continually determining whether the maximum fluid flow rate is being exceeded; and

i) thereafter operating an alarm if the maximum fluid flow rate is being exceeded.

24. A liquid control system for combination with a liquid supply and a liquid drain interconnected by a plurality of liquid operating means wherein each liquid operating means is operable through a remotely controlled valve, the liquid control system comprising:

a) a plurality of sensors, each sensor for operable association with one of the liquid operating means for determining the need of the associated liquid operating means to operate; and

b) control means for operable association with each of said sensors for identifying the liquid operating means requiring operation and for operable association with each of the valves for causing selective operation thereof, said control means includes first means for establishing a maximum liquid flow rate for the supply, calculating means for initially determining whether operation of the liquid operating means requiring operation will cause the maximum liquid flow rate to be exceeded and said calculating means making said determination before operation of the liquid operating means requiring operation, and second means for thereafter causing operation of the valve of the liquid operating means requiring operation if the maximum liquid flow rate will not be exceeded and for preventing operation of the valve of the liquid operating means requiring operation if the maximum liquid flow rate will be exceeded.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein:

a) each of said sensor means is a radiant energy detector.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein:

a) each of said sensor means is an infrared sensor.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein:

a) said control means further includes third means for preventing subsequent operation of any of the liquid operating means which requires operation prior to operation of any liquid operating means requiring operation and prevented from operating by said second means.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein:

a) said control means includes means for adjusting the maximum liquid flow rate.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein:

a) said control means includes means for selectively grouping said sensors into a plurality of operating units of the liquid operating means so that a maximum liquid flow rate is established for each unit and said calculating means and said second means causes operation of a liquid operating means in a unit in response of the established maximum fluid flow rate for the associated unit.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein:

a) said control means includes means for independently establishing the maximum liquid flow rate for each unit.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein:

a) said control means includes means for delaying for a preselected period operation of any of said liquid operating means.