Regulation valve control based on fluid level changes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9541057-B2
Application number	US-201313745885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2013
Priority date	Jan 21, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for energy production from fluid. In a step, the computer determines if the rate of the fluid level increase in the one of the one or more fluid reservoirs is above a predetermined threshold. In a step, the computer sends a signal to a bypass valve to open and release fluid through a bypass fluid connection from the one of the one or more fluid reservoirs if the rate of the fluid level increase in the one of the one or more fluid reservoirs is above a predetermined threshold. In a step, the computer sends a signal to a regulation valve to open for fluid connection to one or more turbines if the fluid level of the one of the one or more fluid reservoirs is above the predetermined threshold level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for energy production from fluid, the method comprising:
receiving historical data relating to a first historical fluid flow pattern of fluid flow into a first reservoir of a set of one or more fluid reservoirs;
determining a fluid level in the one or more fluid reservoirs utilizing data received from one or more sensors;
determining a rate, with respect to time, of the fluid level increase within one of the one or more fluid reservoirs utilizing the data received from the sensors;
determining if the rate of the fluid level increase in the one of the one or more fluid reservoirs is larger than a predetermined threshold;
on condition that the rate is larger than the predetermined threshold, sending a signal to a bypass valve to open and release fluid through a bypass fluid connection from the one of the one or more fluid reservoirs;
determining a first fluid level threshold for the first fluid reservoir based on the first historical data;
determining if the first fluid level threshold is reached in the one of the first fluid reservoir; and
on condition that the first fluid threshold is reached, sending a signal to a regulation valve to open for fluid connection from the first fluid reservoir to one or more turbines.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving data from the one or more sensors related to an amount of fluid produced from one or more fluid sources.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving data related to an amount of energy produced from the one or more turbines from sensors that are associated with the one or more turbines.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining the amount of energy produced from the one or more turbines.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining how to improve energy production utilizing data related to an amount of energy produced from the one or more turbines from sensors that are associated with the one or more turbines.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining how to improve energy production utilizing data gathered over time includes determining a schedule to signal the regulation valve and the bypass valve that allows fluid to flow through fluid connections that lead to the one or more turbines in a continuous manner.

7. A computer program product for energy production from fluid, the computer program product comprising:
one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to:
receive historical data relating to a first historical fluid flow pattern of fluid flow into a first reservoir of a set of one or more fluid reservoirs;
determine a fluid level in the one or more fluid reservoirs utilizing data received from one or more sensors;
determine a rate, with respect to time, of the fluid level increase within one of the one or more fluid reservoirs utilizing the data received from the sensors;
determine if the rate of the fluid level increase in the one of the one or more fluid reservoirs is larger than a predetermined threshold;
on condition the rate is larger than the predetermined threshold, send a signal to a bypass valve to open and release fluid through a bypass fluid connection from the one of the one or more fluid reservoirs;
determine a first fluid level threshold for the first fluid reservoir based on the first historical data;
determine if the first fluid level threshold is reached in the first fluid reservoir; and
on condition that the first fluid threshold is reached, send a signal to a regulation valve to open for fluid connection from the first fluid reservoir to one or more turbines.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising program instructions to:
receive data from the one or more sensors related to an amount of fluid produced from one or more fluid sources.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising, program instructions to:
receive data related to an amount of energy produced from the one or more turbines from sensors that are associated with the one or more turbines.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , further comprising program instructions to:
determine the amount of energy produced from the one or more turbines.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising program instructions to:
determine how to improve energy production utilizing data related to an amount of energy produced from the one or more turbines from sensors that are associated with the one or more turbines.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions to determine how to improve energy production utilizing data gathered over time includes program instructions to determine a schedule to signal the regulation valve and the bypass valve that allows fluid to flow through fluid connections that lead to the one or more turbines in a continuous manner.

13. A computer system for energy production from fluid, the computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer-readable storage media;
program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to:
receive historical data relating to a first historical fluid flow pattern of fluid flow into a first reservoir of a set of one or more fluid reservoirs;
determine a fluid level in the one or more fluid reservoirs utilizing data received from one or more sensors;
determine a rate, with respect to time, of the fluid level increase within one of the one or more fluid reservoirs utilizing the data received from the sensors;
determine if the rate of the fluid level increase in the one of the one or more fluid reservoirs is larger than a predetermined threshold;
on condition that the rate is larger than the predetermined threshold, send a signal to a bypass valve to open and release fluid through a bypass fluid connection from the one of the one or more fluid reservoirs;
determine a first fluid level threshold for the first fluid reservoir based on the first historical data;
determine if the first fluid level threshold is reached in the first fluid reservoir; and
on condition that the first fluid threshold is reached, send a signal to a regulation valve to open for fluid connection from the first fluid reservoir to one or more turbines.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , further comprising program instructions to:
receive data from the one or more sensors related to an amount of fluid produced from one or more fluid sources.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , further comprising program instructions to:
receive data related to an amount of energy produced from the one or more turbines from sensors that are associated with the one or more turbines.

16. The computer system of claim 15 , further comprising program instructions to:
determine the amount of energy produced from the one or more turbines.

17. The computer system of claim 13 , further comprising program instructions to:
determine how to improve energy production utilizing data related to an amount of energy produced from the one or more turbines from sensors that are associated with the one or more turbines.

18. The computer system of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions to determine how to improve energy production utilizing data gathered over time include

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Longobardi Giuseppe
• Maclellan Scot

Classifications

• Y02E10/226

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02B10/50

  Hydropower in dwellings · CPC title

• F05B2220/60

  making use of surplus or waste energy · CPC title

• F03B15/14 Primary

  by or of water level · CPC title

• Y02E10/20

  Hydro energy · CPC title