Noisemaker for pipe systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018340912-A1
Application number	US-201816054078-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 3, 2018
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Nov 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for creating a pressure pulse in a fluid system with a noisemaker, the method includes opening a valve of the noisemaker to allow a fluid of the fluid system to flow through a valve cavity of the noisemaker, the valve disposed within the valve cavity, the noisemaker connected in fluid communication with the fluid system; closing the valve of the noisemaker to abruptly interrupt the flow of the fluid through the valve cavity; and repeatedly opening and closing the valve to generate a pulsating flow to the fluid system.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . A method for creating a pressure pulse in a fluid system with a noisemaker, the method comprising:
opening a valve of the noisemaker to allow a fluid of the fluid system to flow through a valve cavity of the noisemaker, the valve disposed within the valve cavity, the noisemaker connected in fluid communication with the fluid system; closing the valve of the noisemaker to abruptly interrupt the flow of the fluid through the valve cavity; and repeatedly opening and closing the valve to generate a pulsating flow to the fluid system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling a rate at which the valve is opened and closed to vary a frequency of the pulsating flow.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein varying the frequency of the pulsating flow varies a frequency of an acoustic signal transmitted through the fluid system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rotating a stem of the noisemaker to selectively actuate the valve between the open position and the closed position.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the valve comprises a disc and wherein rotating the stem selectively rotates the disc between the open position and the closed position.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein rotating the stem comprises rotating the stem with a variable speed motor attached to the stem.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
leaving the valve in the closed position for a first period of time; and leaving the valve in the open position for a second period of time.

8 . A noisemaker system comprising:
a node of an infrastructure system; and a noisemaker connected in fluid communication with the node, the noisemaker comprising:
a valve housing defining a valve cavity, and
a valve positioned within the valve cavity, the valve configured to contact a fluid within the valve cavity and generate an acoustic signal within the fluid.

9 . The noisemaker system of claim 8 , wherein:
the valve is configured to selectively rotate between an open position and a closed position; a fluid flow passes through the valve housing when the valve is in the open position; the fluid flow is interrupted when the valve is in the closed position; and the valve is configured to generate a pulsating flow within the infrastructure system when the valve is selectively rotated about and between the open position and the closed position.

10 . The noisemaker system of claim 9 , wherein:
the valve rotates at a rotational speed; and a frequency of the pulsating flow is controlled by varying the rotational speed of the valve.

11 . The noisemaker system of claim 8 , further comprising a purge valve in fluid communication with the noisemaker, the purge valve configured to remove air from the noisemaker system.

12 . The noisemaker system of claim 8 , wherein the infrastructure system is a water infrastructure system, and wherein the node is a fire hydrant.

13 . The noisemaker system of claim 8 , further comprising an adapter connected to the node, wherein the noisemaker is connected to the node via the adapter.

14 . The noisemaker system of claim 8 , wherein the valve is a butterfly valve.

15 . The noisemaker system of claim 8 , wherein:
the noisemaker further comprises a stem; the valve is selectively actuated between an open position and a closed position when the stem is rotated; a variable speed motor is attached to the stem; and the variably speed motor is configured to selectively actuate the valve by rotating the stem.

16 . A noisemaker comprising:
a valve housing, the valve housing defining a valve cavity, the valve cavity in fluid communication with an infrastructure pipe system; and a valve, the valve positioned within the valve cavity and configured to generate an acoustic signal within a fluid of the infrastructure pipe system by selectively actuating about and between an open position and a closed position, a fluid flow passing through the valve cavity when the valve is in the open position, the fluid flow interrupted when the valve is in the closed position.

17 . The noisemaker of claim 16 , further comprising:
a stem positioned within the valve cavity and connected to the valve; and a variable speed motor attached to the stem and configured to rotate the valve between the open position and the closed position.

18 . The noisemaker of claim 16 , wherein:
the valve rotates between the open position and the closed position at a rotational speed; and a frequency of the acoustic signal is controlled by varying the rotational speed of the valve.

19 . The noisemaker of claim 16 , wherein the valve is a butterfly valve.

20 . The noisemaker of claim 16 , wherein the valve is a ball valve.

Assignees

• Mueller Int Llc

Inventors

• Burtea Valentin Mircea
• Robertson Bruce

Classifications

• E03B9/02

  Hydrants; Arrangements of valves therein; Keys for hydrants · CPC title

• G01N29/045

  by imparting shocks to the workpiece and detecting the vibrations or the acoustic waves caused by the shocks (measuring resonant frequency G01H13/00; measuring strength properties by application of mechanical stress G01N3/00) · CPC title

• G01N29/043

  in the interior, e.g. by shear waves · CPC title

• G01M3/00

  Investigating fluid-tightness of structures · CPC title

• G01N2291/0289

  Internal structure, e.g. defects, grain size, texture · CPC title