System for monitoring the use of heat energy in water devices in an individual unit of a multi-unit building

• US 5,838,258 A
• Filed: 11/08/1996
• Issued: 11/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wellspring Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: David A. Saar
• Inventors: Saar, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr., Timothy
• Application Number:
  US08/745,300
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 364/509, 364/510, 73/195, 73/196, 73/197, 73/198, 137/552, 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 340/870.05, 340/870.06, 340/870.11, 340/870.17, 340/603, 340/604, 340/606, 705/400, 705/412, 705/413
• US Class Current: 340/870.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/003 using electromagnetic, electric or electronic means G01F15/002, G01F15/02 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/0755 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 17/06 Measuring quantity of heat conveyed by flowing media, e.g. in heating systems G01K17/02, G01K17/04 take precedencee.g. the quantity of heat in a transporting medium, delivered to or consumed in an expenditure device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8175 Plural

Abstract

A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in water devices in an individual unit of a multi-unit complex wherein the multi-unit building is supplied water from a common source and the individual unit has a plurality of energy consuming water devices each supplied by supply and return water pipes supplied from said common source. The system comprises a monitor for monitoring the flow through each of the water pipes which will determine that successive volumetric flow units have flowed through the pipe, define the heat energy of each of the successive volumetric flow units, and compute a total heat energy removed from the successive volumetric flow units, and periodically transmits the total heat energy consumed from the successive volumetric flow units, and a remote receiver which receives the total heat energy transmitted from each of the plurality of monitors and computes a total heat energy use for the individual unit for a selected period of time.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in a plurality of energy consuming water devices in an individual unit of a multi-unit building wherein each energy consuming water device is supplied by a water pipe comprising

at least one monitor for monitoring the flow through each of the plurality of water pipes, each of said monitors including

meter means for determining that successive volumetric flow units have flowed through the pipe,

temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the water flowing through the water pipe,

multiplying means for defining the heat energy of each of said successive volumetric flow units by multiplying the temperature times the increment of flow,

totalizator means for computing a total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units, and

a transmitter for periodically transmitting said total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units, and

a first remote receiver for receiving the total heat energy transmitted by the transmitter of each of said plurality of monitors and periodically retransmitting the total heat energy received from each of the monitors, and

a second remote receiver for receiving the total heat energy for each of said monitors retransmitted from said first remote receiver and for periodically computing the total heat energy of the water for said Plurality of monitors.

2. A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in energy consuming water devices in an individual unit of a multi-unit building according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of energy consuming water devices includes at least one hot water consuming device which discharges hot water during use and wherein a single monitor monitors the flow through each of the hot water consuming devices that discharge hot water during use.

3. A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in energy consuming water devices in an individual unit of a multi-unit building according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of energy consuming water devices includes at least one heating/cooling device supplied by a water pipe, and wherein first and second monitors are located on either side of each of said heating/cooling devices and said second remote receiver computes a total heat energy use for each of the heating/cooling devices by subtracting the total heat energy of the first monitor monitoring the flow through the heating/cooling device from the total heat energy of the second monitor monitoring the flow through the heating/cooling device.

4. A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in energy consuming water devices in an individual unit of a multi-unit building according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of energy consuming water devices includes at least one hot water consuming device which discharges hot water during use and wherein a single monitor monitors the flow through each of the hot water consuming devices that discharge hot water during use.

5. A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in a plurality of heat energy using water devices in an individual unit of a multi-unit building wherein each water device discharges hot water supplied by a water pipe comprising

a monitor for monitoring the flow through each of the plurality of water pipes, each of said monitors including

meter means for determining that successive volumetric flow units have flowed through the pipe,

temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the water flowing through the water pipe,

multiplying means for defining the heat energy of each of said successive volumetric flow units by multiplying the temperature times the increment of flow,

totalizator means for computing a total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units, and

a transmitter for periodically transmitting said total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units, and

a first remote receiver for receiving the total heat energy transmitted by the transmitter of each of said plurality of monitors and periodically retransmitting the total heat energy received from each of the monitors, and

a second remote receiver for receiving the total heat energy for each of said monitors retransmitted from said first remote receiver and for periodically computing the total heat energy of the water for said plurality of monitors.

6. A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in a plurality of energy using water devices in an individual unit of a multi-unit building wherein each energy using water device is supplied by a water pipe comprising

first and second monitors located on either side of each of said heating/cooling devices, each of said monitors including

meter means for determining that successive volumetric flow units have flowed through the pipe,

temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the water flowing through the water pipe,

multiplying means for defining the heat energy of each of said successive volumetric flow units by multiplying the temperature times the increment of flow,

totalizator means for computing a total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units, and

a transmitter for periodically transmitting said total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units, and

a first remote receiver for receiving the total heat energy transmitted by the transmitter of each of said plurality of monitors and periodically retransmitting the total heat energy received from each of the monitors, and

a second remote receiver for receiving the total heat energy for each of said monitors retransmitted from said first remote receiver and for periodically computing the total heat energy of the water for said plurality of monitors by subtracting the total heat energy of the first monitor monitoring the flow through the heating/cooling device from the total heat energy of the second monitor monitoring the flow through the heating/cooling device.

7. A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in an energy consuming water device in an individual unit of a multi-unit building which is supplied by a water pipe comprising

a monitor for monitoring the flow through the water pipe including

meter means for determining that successive volumetric flow units have flowed through the pipe,

temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the water flowing through the water pipe,

multiplying means for defining the heat energy of each of said successive volumetric flow units by multiplying the temperature times the increment of flow,

totalizator means for computing a total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units, and

a transmitter for periodically transmitting said total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units,

a first remote receiver for receiving the total heat energy transmitted by said transmitter and periodically retransmitting the total heat energy received from said monitor, and

a second remote receiver for receiving the total heat energy for said monitor retransmitted from said first remote receiver and for periodically computing the total heat energy of the water for said monitor.

8. A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in an energy consuming water device in an individual unit of a multi-unit building according to claim 7, wherein said energy consuming water device is a hot water consuming device which discharges hot water during use.

9. A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in an energy consuming water device in an individual unit of a multi-unit building according to claim 7, wherein said energy consuming water device is a heating/cooling device.

10. A system for monitoring the use of heat energy in a heating/cooling device in an individual unit of a multi-unit building which is supplied by a water pipe comprising

a monitor for monitoring the flow through the water pipe including

meter means for determining that successive volumetric flow units have flowed through the pipe,

temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the water flowing through the water pipe at first and second spaced locations, on either side of the heating/cooling device

multiplying means

for defining the heat energy of each of said successive volumetric flow units at the first location by multiplying the temperature sensed at the first location times the increment of flow and

for defining the heat energy of each of said successive volumetric flow units at the second location by multiplying the temperature sensed at the second location times the increment of flow,

totalizator means

for computing a first total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units at said first location and

for computing a second total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units at said second location, and

a transmitter for periodically transmitting the first and second total heat energy for said successive volumetric flow units, and

a first remote receiver for receiving the first and second total heat energy transmitted by said transmitter and periodically retransmitting the first and second total heat energy received from said monitor, and

a second remote receiver for receiving the first and second total heat energy for said monitor retransmitted from said first remote receiver and for periodically computing the total heat energy of the water consumed by the device.