Sensing events affecting liquid flow in a liquid distribution system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9250105-B2
Application number	US-201313888917-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2013
Priority date	Jun 11, 2009
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

By monitoring pressure transients in a liquid within a liquid distribution system using only a single sensor, events such as the opening and closing of valves at specific fixtures are readily detected. The sensor, which can readily be coupled to a faucet bib, transmits an output signal to a computing device. Each such event can be identified by the device based by comparing characteristic features of the pressure transient waveform with previously observed characteristic features for events in the system. These characteristic features, which can include the varying pressure, derivative, and real Cepstrum of the pressure transient waveform, can be used to select a specific fixture where a valve open or close event has occurred. Flow to each fixture and leaks in the system can also be determined from the pressure transient signal. A second sensor disposed at a point disparate from the first sensor provides further event information.

First claim

The invention in which an exclusive right is claimed is defined by the following:

1. An apparatus for monitoring a flow of water in a pipe system of a structure, the pipe system is coupled between a water source and two or more water fixtures, the apparatus comprising:
a processing module configured to run on a computational unit; and
a sensing device comprising:
one or more pressure sensors configured to provide one or more pressure measurements and convert the one or more pressure measurements to one or more digital pressure measurement signals,

wherein:
the one or more pressure sensors are configured to couple to at least one of the pipe system of the structure or the two or more water fixtures;
the one or more pressure sensors are coupled to the pipe system of the structure or the two or more water fixtures such that the one or more pressure sensors are not coupled to the pipe system between a first one of the two or more water fixtures and the water source;
the sensing device is further configured to communicate the one or more digital pressure measurement signals to the computational unit; and
the processing module is configured to determine at least a first individual water flow amount usage by the first one of the two or more water fixtures and a second individual water flow amount usage by a second one of the two or more water fixtures based on the one or more digital pressure measurement signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the processing module is further configured to determine a total water flow amount usage of the two or more water fixtures that are coupled to the pipe system of the structure during a predetermined period of time; and
the total water flow amount usage comprising at least the first individual water flow amount usage and the second individual water flow amount usage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the processing module is further configured to determine an individual water flow amount usage by each of the two or more water fixtures based on the one or more digital pressure measurement signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensing device further comprises:
a processor;
a communication module configured to run on the processor and further configured to communicate the one or more digital pressure measurement signals to the computational unit using the Internet; and
a pre-processing module configured to run on the processor and further configured to perform one or more processing operations to the one or more digital pressure measurement signals before the communication module communicates the one or more digital pressure measurement signals to the computational unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the second one of the two or more water fixtures comprises a faucet;
the one or more pressure sensors are coupled to the pipe system between the water source and the faucet; and
the faucet is not coupled to the pipe system between the first one of the two or more water fixtures and the water source.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more pressure sensors are coupled to the pipe system of the structure at an end point of the pipe system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a first one of the one or more pressure sensors are coupled to the pipe system of the structure at a first point of the pipe system;
the first point of the pipe system is not located in the pipe system between the first one of the two or more water fixtures and the water source;
the first one of the one or more pressure sensors is configured to determine the one or more digital pressure measurement signals at the first point in the pipe system; and
the processing module is further configured to determine an individual water flow amount usage of each of the two or more water fixtures that are coupled to the pipe system of the structure using the one or more digital pressure measurement signals from the first point in the pipe system.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more pressure sensors are coupled to the pipe system of the structure such that the one or more pressure sensors are not coupled to the pipe system between the second one of the two or more water fixtures and the water source.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more pressure sensors are coupled to the pipe system of the structure such that the one or more pressure sensors are coupled to the pipe system between the second one of the two or more water fixtures and the water source.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the two or more water fixtures comprise at least two of: a faucet, a bathroom sink, a toilet, a kitchen sink, a bathtub, a dishwasher, a shower, a hot water heater, or a clothing washing machine.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the processing module is further configured to determine whether a valve associated with the first one of the two or more water fixtures has changed state by closing more or by opening more.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the processing module is further configured to detect a leak in the pipe system by detecting the flow of the water in the pipe system during a period of time during which none of the two or more water fixtures had been detected to be open.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the processing module is further configured to communicate the first individual water flow amount usage and the second individual water flow amount usage to a user via a graphical user interface.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensing device comprises two or more pressure sensors configured to provide two or more pressure measurements and convert the two or more pressure measurements to two or more measurement signals;
the one or more pressure measurements comprise the two or more pressure measurements;
the one or more digital pressure measurement signals comprise the two or more digital pressure measurement signals; and
the processing module is configured to determine at least the first individual water flow amount usage by the first one of the two or more water fixtures and the second individual water flow amount usage by the second one of the two or more water fixtures based on the two or more digital pressure measurement signals.

15. An apparatus for monitoring a flow of water in a pipe system of a structure, the pipe system is coupled between a water source and two or more water fixtures, the apparatus comprising:
a processing module configured to run on a computational unit; and
a sensing device comprising:
one or more pressure sensors configured to provide one or more pressure measurements,

wherein:
the one or more pressure sensors are configured to couple to at least one of the pipe system of the structure or the two or more water fixtures;
the one or more pressure sensors are coupled to the pipe system of the structure or the two or more water fixtures such that the one or more pressure sensors are not coupled to the pipe system between a first one of the two or more water fixtures and the water source;
the sensing device is further configured to communicate the one or more pressure measurements to the computational unit;
the processing module is configured to use the one or more pressure measurements to determine water usage by at least the first one of the two or more water fixtures and a second one of the two or more water fixtures;
the first one of the two or more water fixtures comprises a reservoir with a reservoir valve that opens automatically if a level of the water in the reservoir drops below a predefined level; and

Assignees

• Univ Washington

Inventors

• Patel Shwetak N
• Fogarty James A
• Froehlich Jon E
• Larson Eric C

Classifications

• G01F15/066

  involving magnetic transmission devices · CPC title

• G01F15/0755

  involving digital counting · CPC title

• F17D5/02

  Preventing, monitoring, or locating loss · CPC title

• G01M3/26

  by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors · CPC title

• F17D1/08

  for liquids or viscous products (water-main or service pipe systems E03B7/04; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D17/00) · CPC title