Systems and methods for determining leaks in a water distribution system using water devices within buildings. Pressure readings over time from two or more water devices. Egress readings and possibly other noise are removed from the pressure readings to isolate signals for leaks from outside of the buildings. Using the isolated signals, the location of the leak in the water distribution system can be approximated.
G01M 3/28 - Examen de l'étanchéité des structures ou ouvrages vis-à-vis d'un fluide par utilisation d'un fluide ou en faisant le vide par mesure du taux de perte ou de gain d'un fluide, p.ex. avec des dispositifs réagissant à la pression, avec des indicateurs de débit pour soupapes
E03B 7/07 - Disposition des appareils, p.ex. filtres, commandes du débit, dispositifs de mesure, siphons, valves, dans les réseaux de canalisations
G01F 1/708 - Mesure du temps de parcours d'une distance déterminée
G01M 3/02 - Examen de l'étanchéité des structures ou ouvrages vis-à-vis d'un fluide par utilisation d'un fluide ou en faisant le vide
Systems and methods for predicting, detecting, and/or mitigating a pipe freeze are provided. A system for analyzing water in a plumbing system includes a sensor that is configured to measure pressure within a pipe in the plumbing system as a function of time, and a processor that is configured to determine a state of water within the pipe by analyzing the pressure within the pipe as a function of time. The state of the water includes a prediction that the water within the pipe will freeze and/or a determination that the water within the pipe has frozen. The sensor is arranged at a first location within the plumbing system that is remote from a second location within the plumbing system that corresponds to the state of the water.
A method of identifying a type of plumbing system of a building is provided. The method includes determining a spectral energy ratio as a function of first pressure data acquired during a first time period in which a water flow through a plumbing system of a building is below a threshold. The method also includes determining a multimodal test value as a function of second pressure data acquired during a second time period that includes at least some time during which the water flow through the plumbing system is greater than or equal to the threshold. Further, the method includes identifying a type of the plumbing system of the building as a function of the spectral energy ratio and the multimodal test value.
G01M 3/24 - Examen de l'étanchéité des structures ou ouvrages vis-à-vis d'un fluide par utilisation d'un fluide ou en faisant le vide par détection de la présence du fluide à l'emplacement de la fuite en utilisant des vibrations infrasonores, sonores ou ultrasonores
E03B 7/07 - Disposition des appareils, p.ex. filtres, commandes du débit, dispositifs de mesure, siphons, valves, dans les réseaux de canalisations
G01V 1/00 - Séismologie; Prospection ou détection sismique ou acoustique
A system for determining a location of an egress point in a plumbing system that includes a branched system of pipes within a building is provided. The system includes a first sensor that is configured to measure a first pressure signal as a function of time at a first location within the plumbing system, and a second sensor that is configured to measure a second pressure signal as a function of time at a second location within the plumbing system. The plumbing system includes multiple branch points between the first location and the second location. The system also includes a processor that is configured to determine a temporal difference between a first pressure drop in the first pressure signal and a second pressure drop in the second pressure signal, and use the temporal difference to determine an estimated location of the egress point in the plumbing system.
A method and system for detecting small leaks in a plumbing system is disclosed. A temperature sensor coupled to the water in the plumbing system is used to determine if there is a leak. During times of inactivity for fixtures in the plumbing systems, a flow sensor might measure usage of water that would indicate a leak. For very small leaks, the flow is below a minimum measurable flow of the flow sensor. Embodiments of the invention measure temperature of water within a pipe coupled to the plumbing system. Temperature will generally decay in a particular predicable way when there is flow as the temperature of water upon entry to the building is lower than the air temperature within the building. Signal processing, machine learning and/or statistical approaches are used to analyze the temperature and optionally flow and/or pressure over time to determine when a leak is likely.
G01M 3/28 - Examen de l'étanchéité des structures ou ouvrages vis-à-vis d'un fluide par utilisation d'un fluide ou en faisant le vide par mesure du taux de perte ou de gain d'un fluide, p.ex. avec des dispositifs réagissant à la pression, avec des indicateurs de débit pour soupapes
6.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LEAK CHARACTERIZATION AFTER SHUTOFF OF PRESSURIZATION SOURCE
The system including a sensing device including a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure of water in a water system of a structure during a testing interval when a system shutoff valve of the water system is closed. The sensing device can be configured to generate pressure measurement data representing the pressure of the water as measured by the pressure sensor. The system also can include one or more processing units comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage media storing machine-executable instructions configured when run on the one or more processors to perform estimating an estimated orifice size of a leak in the water system based on the pressure measurement data. Other embodiments are provided.
G01M 3/28 - Examen de l'étanchéité des structures ou ouvrages vis-à-vis d'un fluide par utilisation d'un fluide ou en faisant le vide par mesure du taux de perte ou de gain d'un fluide, p.ex. avec des dispositifs réagissant à la pression, avec des indicateurs de débit pour soupapes
G01L 9/00 - Mesure de la pression permanente, ou quasi permanente d’un fluide ou d’un matériau solide fluent par des éléments électriques ou magnétiques sensibles à la pression; Transmission ou indication par des moyens électriques ou magnétiques du déplacement des éléments mécaniques sensibles à la pression, utilisés pour mesurer la pression permanente ou quasi permanente d’un fluide ou d’un matériau solide fluent
G01D 1/18 - Dispositions pour la mesure donnant des résultats autres que la valeur instantanée d'une variable, d'application générale avec dispositions pour signaler le dépassement d'une valeur prédéterminée d'un paramètre non spécifié
A system including a sensing device including a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure of water in a water system of a structure. The sensing device can be configured to generate pressure measurement data representing the pressure of the water as measured by the pressure sensor. The system also can include one or more processing units including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage media storing machine executable instructions configured when run on the one or more processors to perform detecting a non-cyclical pressure event corresponding to a water leak in the water system of the structure during a first time period based on an analysis of information including the pressure measurement data. The information analyzed in the analysis does not include any flow measurement data that represents a total amount of flow of the water in the water system of the structure during the first time period. The pressure sensor can be coupled to the water system of the structure at a single location of the water system of the structure when measuring the pressure of the water in the water system of the structure. Other embodiments are provided.
G01M 3/28 - Examen de l'étanchéité des structures ou ouvrages vis-à-vis d'un fluide par utilisation d'un fluide ou en faisant le vide par mesure du taux de perte ou de gain d'un fluide, p.ex. avec des dispositifs réagissant à la pression, avec des indicateurs de débit pour soupapes
G01M 3/00 - Examen de l'étanchéité des structures ou ouvrages vis-à-vis d'un fluide
G01L 9/00 - Mesure de la pression permanente, ou quasi permanente d’un fluide ou d’un matériau solide fluent par des éléments électriques ou magnétiques sensibles à la pression; Transmission ou indication par des moyens électriques ou magnétiques du déplacement des éléments mécaniques sensibles à la pression, utilisés pour mesurer la pression permanente ou quasi permanente d’un fluide ou d’un matériau solide fluent
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