Disaggregation of gas load to determine meter or service under-sizing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12061101-B2
Application number	US-202318195202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2023
Priority date	Dec 18, 2020
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

Techniques determine if a gas service (e.g., piping and/or meter) is under-sized for the customer's needs. In one example, flowrate information corresponding to gas usage at a service site over a first period of time is obtained. The flowrate information is disaggregated to determine an expected flowrate associated with each of two or more appliances having generally fixed-rates of gas consumption. Flowrate information is again obtained, corresponding to a second period of time. The second flowrate information is compared to one or more combinations (i.e., summations) of the expected flowrates associated with each of the two or more appliances. Based on the comparison, it may be determined that the service site is not appropriately sized. In an example, failure to detect two fixed-rate of gas-consumption appliances operating at their respective fixed-rates at the same time may indicate that the service cannot provide gas at a sufficient flowrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas meter, comprising:
a processor;
a metrology unit controlled by the processor;
a radio controlled by the processor; and
a memory device in communication with the processor, and containing statements, which when executed by the processor perform actions comprising:
obtaining first flowrate information from the metrology unit, wherein the first flowrate information corresponds to gas usage at a service site over a first period of time;
disaggregating the first flowrate information to determine flowrates associated with each of two or more appliances having fixed rates of gas consumption;
obtaining second flowrate information from the metrology unit, wherein the second flowrate information corresponds to a second period of time;
determining, over a threshold period of time, that a flowrate sufficient to simultaneously operate the two or more appliances having fixed rates of gas consumption is not shown by the second flowrate information;
recognizing, based on the determining, that at least one of gas piping or the gas meter at the service site is not appropriately sized;
generating a notification indicating that gas piping or the gas meter at the service site is not appropriately sized; and
transmitting the notification to another device.

2. The gas meter of claim 1 , wherein the flowrate sufficient to simultaneously operate the two or more appliances comprises:
a sum of two or more of expected flowrates associated with respective appliances of the two or more appliances.

3. The gas meter of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more appliances having fixed-rate gas consumption is a gas hot water tank.

4. The gas meter of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises:
determining that a sum of respective fixed-rates of consumption of the two or more appliances is less than measured gas flows of the second flowrate information.

5. The gas meter of claim 1 , wherein disaggregating the first flowrate information to determine the flowrate associated with each of the two or more appliances comprises:
excluding flowrates associated with appliances that have variable gas flowrates.

6. The gas meter of claim 1 , wherein the threshold period is based at least in part on a number of appliances having fixed-rates of gas consumption.

7. The gas meter of claim 1 , wherein the notification comprises a recommendation to upgrade a service at the service site, and wherein the actions additionally comprise:
upgrading the service at the service site to provide a greater gas flowrate than an original service at the service site, wherein the upgrading comprises changing at least one of a pipe size of incoming gas or a meter size at the service site.

8. A headend device, comprising:
a processor;
a network connection in communication with the processor;
a memory device in communication with the processor, and containing statements, which when executed by the processor perform actions comprising:
obtaining first flowrate information from a gas meter at a service site that is remote from the headend device, wherein the first flowrate information corresponds to gas usage at the service site over a first period of time;
disaggregating the first flowrate information to determine flowrates associated with each of two or more appliances having fixed rates of gas consumption;
obtaining second flowrate information from the gas meter, wherein the second flowrate information corresponds to a second period of time;
determining, over a threshold period of time, that a flowrate sufficient to simultaneously operate the two or more appliances having fixed rates of gas consumption is not shown by the second flowrate information;
recognizing, based on the determining, that at least one of gas piping or the gas meter at the service site is not appropriately sized;
generating a notification indicating that gas piping or the gas meter at the service site is not appropriately sized; and
transmitting the notification to another device.

9. The headend device of claim 8 , wherein the flowrate sufficient to simultaneously operate the two or more appliances comprises:
a sum of two or more of expected flowrates associated with respective appliances of the two or more appliances.

10. The headend device of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the two or more appliances having fixed-rate gas consumption is a gas hot water tank.

11. The headend device of claim 8 , wherein the determining comprises:
determining that a sum of respective fixed-rates of consumption of the two or more appliances is less than measured gas flows of the second flowrate information.

12. The headend device of claim 8 , wherein disaggregating the first flowrate information to determine the flowrate associated with each of the two or more appliances comprises:
excluding flowrates associated with appliances that have variable gas flowrates.

13. The headend device of claim 8 , wherein the threshold period is based at least in part on a number of appliances having fixed-rates of gas consumption.

14. The headend device of claim 8 , wherein the notification comprises a recommendation to upgrade a service at the service site, and wherein the actions additionally comprise:
upgrading the service at the service site to provide a greater gas flowrate than an original service at the service site, wherein the upgrading comprises changing at least one of a pipe size of incoming gas or a meter size at the service site.

15. 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 first flowrate information from a metrology unit, wherein the first flowrate information corresponds to gas usage at a service site over a first period of time;
disaggregating the first flowrate information to determine flowrates associated with each of two or more appliances having fixed rates of gas consumption;
obtaining second flowrate information from the metrology unit, wherein the second flowrate information corresponds to a second period of time;
determining, over a threshold period of time, that a flowrate sufficient to simultaneously operate the two or more appliances having fixed rates of gas consumption is not shown by the second flowrate information;
recognizing, based on the determining, that at least one of gas piping or a gas meter at the service site is not appropriately sized;
generating a notification indicating that gas piping or the gas meter at the service site is not appropriately sized; and
transmitting the notification to another device.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 , wherein the flowrate sufficient to simultaneously operate the two or more appliances comprises:
a sum of two or more of expected flowrates associated with respective appliances of the two or more appliances.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 , wherein at least one of the two or more appliances having fixed-rate gas consumption is a gas hot water tank.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 , wherein the determining comprises:
determining that a sum of respective fixed-rates of consumption of the two or more appliances is less than measured gas flows of the second flowrate information.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 , wherein the threshold period is based at leas

Assignees

• Itron Inc

Inventors

• Cornwall Mark K
• Kann James Lee
• Clevenger Peter

Classifications

• G01D4/002

  Remote reading of utility meters · CPC title

• G01F15/063 Primary

  using electrical means · CPC title

• G01D2204/22

  Arrangements for detecting or reporting faults, outages or leaks · CPC title

• G01D2204/24

  Identification of individual loads, e.g. by analysing current/voltage waveforms · CPC title

• F23K5/007

  Details · CPC title