US 2019/0356740 A1 · HYBRID WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK ARCHITECTURE FOR FLUID DELIVERY AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a hybrid, wireless sensor network architecture for monitoring, operating, controlling, or maintaining a fluid delivery and distribution system. The architecture includes intelligent fittings locatable at almost any location within the system and that are configured with sensor modules to make measurements of characteristics of a fluid passing therethrough or of component parameters, and with wireless communication modules to wireless communicate the measurements. The intelligent fittings may be used, via strategic location, to convert unintelligent components of the system into intelligent components at a cost lower than that required to replace the unintelligent components with intelligent components. The intelligent fittings may also replace unintelligent fittings to provide supplemental data corresponding to fluid characteristics at desired locations of a fluid delivery and distribution system. The architecture further includes a digital twin of a hybrid, wireless sensor network that may downloaded to controllers for use.

Claims40

Dependent claims

A hybrid, wireless sensor network architecture for a fluid delivery and distribution system, said architecture comprising:

a first component adapted to perform one or more functions on a fluid or in response to receiving a fluid;
a second component adapted to perform one or more functions on the fluid or in response to receiving the fluid;
and
an intelligent fitting connected for fluid communication between said first component and said second component, said intelligent fitting being adapted to communicate the fluid between said first component and said second component, said intelligent fitting having a sensor adapted to perform measurements of a characteristic of the fluid and to wirelessly communicate data representative of the measurements via a communication network.

1 more element

A hybrid, wireless sensor network architecture for a fluid delivery and distribution system, said architecture comprising:

one or more intelligent components each adapted to perform one or more functions on a fluid or in response to receiving a fluid, said one or more intelligent components having a sensor module adapted to perform measurements of a characteristic of the fluid and to wirelessly communicate data representative of the measurements via a communication network;
one or more unintelligent components each adapted to perform one or more functions on the fluid or in response to receiving the fluid;
and
at least one intelligent fitting connected between an intelligent component and an unintelligent component, said at least one intelligent fitting being adapted to communicate the fluid between said intelligent component and said unintelligent component, said at least one intelligent fitting having a sensor module adapted to perform measurements of a characteristic of the fluid and to wirelessly communicate data representative of the measurement via a communication network.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hybrid wireless sensor network architecture for fluid delivery and distribution systems

Life of this patent

Hybrid wireless sensor network architecture for fluid delivery and distribution systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims40