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US 12,564,748 B2Granted
Remote monitoring of water distribution system
AssigneeClow Valve Co. division of McWane, Inc.
InventorKelly Hawkins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid monitoring system includes a remote measurement device located at a location of the fire hydrant that is in contact with water provided by a water main. The remote measurement device has sensors that measure characteristics of the water, energy characteristics and/or acoustic vibrations in the water and a communication interface that transmits measured information to a communication network device that may be located elsewhere on the fire hydrant. The communication network device communicates measurements, including event-related data, with a communication network to a central monitoring system.
Claims27
A method for detecting energy characteristics in a water distribution system, the method comprising:
- continuously sampling water pressure with a pressure sensor in a fire hydrant of the water distribution system, the pressure sensor positioned in contact with water of the water distribution system, and wherein the pressure sensor samples the water pressure at a predetermined sample rate of at least 64 samples per second;
- determining whether a value of the sampled water pressure satisfies a trigger condition for the water distribution system;
- storing the values of the sampled water pressure in a first buffer until an energy pulse event based on the trigger condition is declared, wherein the first buffer is a circular buffer having a predetermined number of cells to store the values of the sampled water pressure, and the individual stored values of sampled water pressure in a corresponding cell of the predetermined number of cells are replaced after a predetermined time period has elapsed, such that a stored value is replaced at least 64 times every second once the predetermined number of cells in the circular buffer have been filled;
- locking the first buffer and storing the values of the post-event sampled water pressure in a second buffer upon the energy pulse event having been declared;
- collecting and storing additional values of sampled water pressure in the second buffer, after the energy pulse event has been declared, until the second buffer has been filled with values of post-event sampled water pressure;
- and
- transmitting the stored values of sampled water pressure in the first buffer and the second buffer to a central monitoring system upon the second buffer being filled with values, wherein the stored values of sampled water pressure in the first buffer and the second buffer are used to provide an energy characteristic profile of the energy pulse event.
4 more elements
A system to monitor energy characteristics of a water distribution system at a fire hydrant, the system comprising:
- a pressure sensor positioned in the fire hydrant to be in contact with the water of the water distribution system, the pressure sensor is configured to continuously output a pressure signal based on a pressure of the water within the water distribution system, wherein the pressure sensor outputs the pressure signal at a predetermined rate of at least 64 outputs per second;
- and
- a monitoring system in communication with the pressure sensor, the monitoring system comprising:
- a processor configured to receive the pressure signal from the pressure sensor and determine a pressure value based on the pressure signal, the processor configured to determine whether the pressure value satisfies a trigger condition for an energy pulse event in the water distribution system;
- a first memory device having a predetermined number of cells and configured to store pressure values until the energy pulse event based on the trigger condition is declared, wherein the individual stored pressure values are replaced after a predetermined time period has elapsed, such that a stored pressure value is replaced at least 64 times every second once the first memory device has been filled, and wherein the first memory device is locked after the energy pulse event is declared;
- a second memory device having a predetermined number of cells and configured to store post event pressure values upon the energy pulse event being declared;
- and
- a wireless communication interface coupled to the processor to transmit, via a wireless communication network, the plurality of pressure values stored in the first memory device and the second memory device to a central monitoring system upon the second memory device being filled with stored pressure values, wherein the stored pressure values in the first memory device and the second memory device are used to provide an energy characteristic profile of the energy pulse event.
5 more elements
A system to monitor energy characteristics of a water distribution system, the system comprising:
- a plurality of fire hydrants located throughout the water distribution system, wherein each fire hydrant of the plurality of fire hydrants includes:
- a pressure sensor positioned in contact with the water of the water distribution system, the pressure sensor is configured to continuously output a pressure signal based on a pressure of the water within the water distribution system, wherein the pressure sensor outputs the pressure signal at a predetermined rate of at least 64 outputs per second;
- and
- a monitoring system in communication with the pressure sensor, the monitoring system comprising:
- a processor configured to receive the pressure signal from the pressure sensor and determine a pressure value based on the pressure signal, the processor further configured to determine whether the pressure value satisfies a trigger condition for an energy pulse event in the water distribution system;
- a first buffer having a predetermined number of cells and configured to store pressure values until the energy pulse event is declared, wherein the individual stored pressure values in a cell of the predetermined number of cells are replaced after a predetermined time period has elapsed, such that a stored pressure value is replaced at least 64 times every second once the first buffer has been filled, and wherein the first memory device is prevented from storing pressure values after the energy pulse event is declared;
- a second buffer having the predetermined number of cells and configured to store post event pressure values upon the energy pulse event being declared;
- and
- a wireless communication interface coupled to the processor to transmit, via a wireless communication network, the plurality of pressure values stored in the first buffer and the second buffer upon the second buffer being filled with stored pressure values, wherein the stored pressure values in the first buffer and the second buffer are used to provide an energy characteristic profile of the energy pulse event;
- and
- a central monitoring system in communication with each monitoring system, wherein the central monitoring system receives, from an individual monitoring system, the plurality of pressure values stored in the first buffer and the second buffer upon the second memory device being filled with stored pressure values and the central monitoring system stores the received plurality of pressure values in a database for subsequent evaluation of the energy characteristic profiles of multiple energy pulse events.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.