Gas regulator pressure-relief monitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11971291-B2
Application number	US-202017127880-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Dec 18, 2020
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

Techniques for using data indicating if a gas regulator supplying gas at a regulated pressure to a gas meter (e.g., the gas meter of a house or business) within a gas distribution system has one or more lock-up failure events or venting events, wherein gas is vented to the atmosphere. The data may identify the identity of gas regulators at which the lock-up failure events or venting events occurred. Based at least in part on the identified gas regulators, a number of gas regulators having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events that are connected to a same gas supply line may be identified. If the number of gas regulators having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events on the identified gas supply line exceeds a threshold number this may indicate the presence of debris in the gas supply. Remedial steps may be taken, and the situation may be monitored and reassessed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
obtaining indicators of at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events, wherein the obtained indicators identify gas regulators at which at least one of the lock-up failure events or venting events occurred;
determining, based at least in part on the identified gas regulators, a number of gas regulators having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events that are connected to a same identified gas supply line;
determining that the number of gas regulators having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events on the same identified gas supply line exceeds a threshold number; and
based at least in part on the number of gas regulators having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events on the same identified gas supply line, performing an action.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises remediating gas quality within the identified gas supply line by at least one of:
identifying a source of debris introduced into the identified gas supply line; or
removing the identified source of debris introduced into the identified gas supply line.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the indicators of at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events comprises:
obtaining an indicator of a first gas regulator having at least one of a lock-up failure event or a venting event; and
obtaining an indicator of a second gas regulator having a lock-up failure event but not a venting event.

4. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising:
accessing a database to identify a gas supply line of an individual gas regulator associated with a lock-up failure event or a venting event.

5. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising:
recording in a database a lock-up failure event or a venting event for an individual gas regulator associated with a lock-up failure event or a venting event.

6. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising:
identifying, for each of a plurality of gas supply lines, a number of gas regulators associated with a respective gas supply line having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events within a period of time.

7. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising:
providing over an application programming interface (API) information that identifies the identified gas regulators and respective gas supply lines of the identified gas regulators.

8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure a computing device to perform acts comprising:
obtaining indicators of at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events, wherein the obtained indicators identify gas regulators at which the lock-up failure events or venting events occurred;
determining, based at least in part on the identified gas regulators, a number of gas regulators having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events that are connected to a same identified gas supply line;
determining that the number of gas regulators having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events on the same identified gas supply line exceeds a threshold number; and
based at least in part on the number of gas regulators having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events on the same identified gas supply line, performing an action.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 8 , wherein the acts additionally comprise:
sending instructions to prevent entry of debris into the same identified gas supply line; and
confirming, after action on the instructions, that gas regulators supplied by the identified gas supply line are experiencing less than a threshold number of lock-up failure events or venting events per unit time.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 8 , wherein obtaining indicators comprises:
obtaining an indicator of a first gas regulator having a lock-up failure event or a venting event; and
obtaining an indicator of a second gas regulator having a lock-up failure event but not a venting event.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 8 , wherein the acts additionally comprise:
accessing a database to identify a gas supply line of a gas regulator associated with a lock-up failure event or a venting event.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 8 , additionally comprising, for an individual gas regulator associated with a lock-up failure event or a venting event, acts comprising:
recording in a database the lock-up failure event or the venting event for the individual gas regulator.

13. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory media as in claim 8 , wherein the acts additionally comprise:
identifying, for each of a plurality of gas supply lines, a number of gas regulators associated with a respective gas supply line having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events within a period of time.

14. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory media as recited in claim 8 , wherein the acts additionally comprise:
sending a request to remove one or more sources of contaminate particles introduced into the identified gas supply line.

15. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory media as recited in claim 8 , wherein the acts additionally comprise:
providing via an application programming interface (API) information that identifies the identified gas regulators and respective gas supply lines of the identified gas regulators.

16. A gas regulator pressure relief monitor of a gas distribution system, comprising:
an application programming interface (API), wherein the API is available to asset-tracking software or workforce-management software to schedule maintenance;
a sensor in each of a plurality of gas regulators of a respective plurality of gas meters to detect at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events within each of the plurality of gas regulators of the respective plurality of gas meters within the gas distribution system;
a communications network of the gas distribution system; and
a processor configured to perform actions, comprising:
obtaining data indicating at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events via the communications network, wherein the obtained data were based on information obtained by sensors of gas regulators from among the plurality of gas regulators, and wherein the obtained data identify gas regulators at which at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events occurred;
determining, based at least in part on the identified gas regulators, a number of gas regulators having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events that are connected to a same gas supply line;
determining if the number of gas regulators having at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events on the same gas supply line exceeds a threshold number; and
indicating, to asset-tracking software or workforce-management software via operation of the API, the same gas supply line of the gas distribution system as a region to repair to improve gas quality and to lessen at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events.

17. The gas regulator pressure relief monitor of claim 16 , wherein the region indicated is determined based at least in part by actions comprising:
identifying a location along the same gas supply line having more downstream at least one of lock-up failure events or venting events an

Assignees

• Itron Inc

Inventors

• Cornwall Mark K
• Kann James Lee
• Clevenger Peter

Classifications

• G01F25/15 Primary

  specially adapted for gas meters (G01F25/11 - G01F25/14, G01F25/17 take precedence) · CPC title

• F17D1/04

  for distribution of gas · CPC title

• F17D3/01

  for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product · CPC title

• F17D5/02

  Preventing, monitoring, or locating loss · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  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 title