IT201900010494A1 - Method of controlling a water circuit of a building - Google Patents

Description

"Method of controlling a building water circuit"

"Control method of a building water circuit"

DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a building water circuit to monitor abnormal behavior. For example, it is possible to apply the method to a domestic water circuit or to an industrial water circuit, such as in a chemical plant.

STATE OF THE ART

In a water circuit with a single input and at least one manual user, such as a tap, and an automatic user, such as a washing machine, it is important to identify anomalies in water consumption, due for example to excessive consumption by part of a utility or to a leak located on a pipe of the circuit. In this way, water waste is reduced and it is possible to prevent damage from flooding to the premises and to the building, caused for example by water infiltration in a load-bearing structure or on a finish such as plaster, wallpaper or wooden floor.

It is also preferable that the method processes signals from inexpensive and bulky sensors, in order to favor both the first installation when the building is built or renovated and the water circuit replaced in whole or in part, and the installation of the sensors in localized areas of the circuit during the useful life of the circuit itself following localized interventions on the masonry or on the pipes if easily accessible, carried out in particular in the area of the entrance pipe to the apartment or to the rooms served by the circuit, which connects the circuit to a water supply line, for example connected to the aqueduct.

It is known to mount sensors comprising a helical flow meter on an inlet pipe of a sanitary water circuit to measure the water flow rate in a domestic system. The flow meter is coupled to a pressure sensor and the related signals are processed by an electronic control unit to automatically identify any leaks or water anomalies.

It is also known in EP-A1-2440901 to calculate an inlet flow rate in a domestic water circuit by processing two pressure signals. In particular, the proposed calculation method intends to estimate a preconfigured number of anomalies or malfunctions on the basis of a training phase, for example when sensors are installed. However, the training phase is relatively complicated and, moreover, the usage habits are extremely diversified and there is the risk that many of these may therefore not be automatically recognized.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a control method for a valve implemented in a hydraulic circuit with a single water inlet and at least one manual or automatic device that consumes water in an open condition in which the device absorbs flow and a condition in which the device is closed to water and no water flows through the device, comprising the steps of:

- selecting between at least a first mode of use comprising a first series of thresholds or conditions and a second mode of use comprising a second series of thresholds or conditions; the conditions are for example expressed through complex mathematical relations which for example include a combination of several thresholds; - measure the water flow at the water inlet optionally based on signals from a first and a second pressure sensor spaced along a direction of the water flow and on a mathematical model that expresses a water flow rate as a function the differential pressure calculated through the signals of the first and second pressure sensors; however, it is also possible to use other flow sensors, albeit more expensive, such as a vane flowmeter;

- generate an alert message when a possible anomaly is detected based on the signals coming from the first and second pressure sensors and from the first or second set of thresholds;

- send an alert message on a personal smart portable device for viewing by a user;

- receive a control signal from the smart portable device to check a configuration status of the actuated valve.

According to the present invention, in particular through the interaction with the user by means of an intelligent portable device, the personalization of the control method is simplified without requiring the initial intervention of a specialized technician and causing inconvenience to the end user. In fact, if the initial calibration operation is performed in the traditional way by a specialized technician, it requires a high timeframe which bothers the end user as it must be carried out at home and requires the list of periodic or repetitive activities performed with the devices. who consume water. If, on the other hand, the initial calibration operation is carried out in a hasty manner, the end user during use will be able to benefit in a limited way without fully exploiting the versatility that the system would theoretically be able to provide. On the contrary, according to the present invention, the final user according to his own habits which can change after the installation of the actuated valve and of the sensors either periodically or in a programmable way, as for day / night alternation, weekdays / holidays, seasonal, etc. that for unexpected events such as long business trips or the reception of guests for short or long periods, can easily adapt the alarm thresholds on the basis of direct and continuous interaction during current use of the water circuit via an interface simplified. In this regard, a plurality of modes of use are pre-set so as to increase the effectiveness of the signaling since the same condition detected can be anomalous in one mode of use and instead allowed in another mode of use.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user can select whether to store the signaled event as 'allowed' or to allow the current operation after receiving the warning signal without the relative quantitative parameter, for example the pressure value and / or the combination of the absolute or relative pressure value and the flow rate value (calculated using the differential pressure) and / or the combination of the pressure value and / or flow rate and / or the combination of the pressure value and / or flow rate with the time and / or considering the derivative of the pressure and / or flow signal are stored and associated in the selected mode of use. Through the continuous and simplified interaction between the user and the system according to the present invention, the user can recognize an anomalous event as exceptional and prefer to allow its conclusion but be warned every time that a similar condition occurs. On the other hand, when the potentially anomalous event is stored after the user's authorization, the system will automatically recognize this event and allow it to be executed without notifying the user. It is therefore preferable for the user to memorize repetitive events and not impromptu or rare events.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a drain valve 6 is also provided and possibly a pump activated in coordination with the drain valve so as to quickly evacuate the water in the circuit in case a large leak is detected. entity through a relative pre-defined threshold. For example, this is particularly useful in the presence of accumulators which, in the event of internal rupture or leakage, can discharge the water content into the surrounding environment with the relative damage associated with large spills. Through the quick drain function, the drain valve is opened to connect the accumulators and the distribution branch to drain. Optionally, the pump is present and activated, for example when the invention is applied in an industrial plant, to further reduce the drainage time and limit water spills into the environment as much as possible.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are predetermined alarm thresholds corresponding to definitely dangerous or harmful events, so that the user is not required to simulate a large loss of water and subsequently memorize it to be protected against such events. .

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second modes of use are periodic with reference to the alternation of day / night, days of the week / weekend, seasonal. By means of a relatively high number of conditions of use it is possible to make, in combination with the simplicity of calibration, the system of the present invention particularly flexible and suitable for the user's habits. In particular, it is important to note that an allowed condition of use during one use mode may be suspicious of an abnormal event in another use mode. In fact, during the day the various water users are normally more active than during the night and therefore, for example, the thresholds for automatically signaling an anomalous event in the night mode are lower than those in the day mode. Similarly, some utilities are independent of the user's presence in the home, such as an irrigation system, while others have a higher correlation: any flow rate detected by a shower during an 'away from home' mode of use must be reported to the 'user. According to a preferred embodiment, the control unit also identifies an alarm condition, different from the anomaly condition, on the basis of the detected signals and the pressure and / or flow thresholds and automatically closes the actuated valve inlet to the pressurized branch. distribution. Preferably, a notification is sent to the user on the related personal intelligent portable device and even more preferably, the user can send through the same device a control message to open the actuated inlet valve. This allows further flexibility and customization for the user, who can identify an absence of real danger in the pre-set alarm condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will be described hereinafter by means of some preferred embodiments, provided by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings. These drawings illustrate different aspects and examples of the present invention and, where appropriate, similar structures, components, materials and / or elements in different figures are indicated by similar reference numerals.

Figure 1 is a diagram of a distribution branch of a domestic hydraulic circuit comprising a device programmed to adopt the method of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sketch showing the device of Figure 1 in data exchange with a mobile intelligent personal device;

Figure 3 is an example of a pressure signal processed to obtain information from the user devices connected to the distribution branch; And

Figure 4 is an example of a complete domestic system to which the device of Figure 1 is applied.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 illustrates as a whole a hydraulic circuit diagram for a building with particular reference to a house, where the utilities that consume domestic water are devices in the kitchen, such as a sink tap, or an appliance such as a dishwasher. . Further utilities are for example in the bathroom, where there is again a sink in addition to a bathtub and a toilet.

These devices draw water from a pressurized distribution branch 1 connected by means of a tap to a sanitary water delivery line of the building, which is in turn connected to the aqueduct.

On the distribution line upstream of each water withdrawal device there is an actuated valve unit 2 comprising a shutter (not shown) to close the water flow to the distribution branch by means of an actuator and a flow meter, preferably a flow meter which calculates the latter on the basis of a differential pressure measurement carried out by a pressure sensor unit 3 for example provided with a pair of pressure sensors spaced apart by a known distance. This can be achieved, for example, by including a Venturi tube upstream and downstream of the pressure sensors or by means of a calibration look-up table capable of providing, even through interpolations, calculated flow rates for each measured differential pressure value.

Figure 2 illustrates a control unit or microcontroller 4 connected to the differential pressure sensors and to the actuated valve 2 and programmed to process a time history of the differential pressure signals in order to classify various types of leaks.

According to the particular example described in EP-A1-2440901, it is possible to automatically determine a flow rate as a function of a predefined flow resistance for the distribution branch. If the distribution branch includes a plurality of valves disposed at different points, a method may comprise the steps of empirically measuring the volumetric flow rate at each valve at different points on the distribution branch which are at varying distances from an inlet of the distribution branch. distribution; and, determining the predefined flow resistance for the distribution branch at each of the plurality of different points, based on a pressure change indicated by the pressure signal while the volume flow is measured. The predefined flow resistance can then be estimated for other points where the utilization of liquids in the dispensing system may occur, based on the predefined flow resistance measured at the plurality of different points.

In addition, when a valve is opened or closed (whether it is a kitchen or kitchen faucet or an electromechanical solenoid valve in a dishwasher or washing machine), a pressure change occurs and a pressure pulse is generated in the distribution branch. transient pressure wave. Transient pressure is a wave phenomenon that results from a rapid change in the speed of water in a pipe (similar to electrical transients on a power line). The transient pressure wave that occurs when a valve is quickly opened or closed is often referred to as a water hammer and can sometimes generate a loud pounding or audible noise as the pressure shock wave passes through the pipes. The magnitude of the transient overpressure is both independent and much greater than the operating pressure. The transient pressure pulse can be positive or negative, depending on the positive or negative rate of the pressure change (i.e., whether a valve is opened or closed in the water system). Appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines control their electromechanical solenoid valves so that they change state rapidly and so often create the most pronounced water hammer. Conversely, a faucet valve that is opened or closed rather slowly produces fewer water hammer pulses. Such differences can be detected and used to classify differential pressure signals, in particular to identify the device from which the signal is coming. According to a preferred embodiment, the control unit is calibrated after assembly by recording the differential pressure signals for each of the individually activated and deactivated domestic water users.

According to the present invention, the control unit is also connected in wireless data exchange with a portable smart device such as a mobile phone or a smart watch to send a warning signal to a user when an abnormal operating condition of the branch is detected. distribution, such as a leak or excessive water consumption. For example, the abnormal operating condition is defined by means of thresholds that can be associated with each domestic hot water user and / or at time intervals such as day / night, day of the week / weekend, season etc.

When the portable smart device receives the warning signal, which can be a more or less complex combination of a light signal, a sound signal, and a tactile signal - haptic like a vibration, a user uses the device as a communication interface to interact with the control unit. In particular, the user can allow the water consumption status signaled by an ok signal or send a closing signal to switch the solenoid valve. Furthermore, the remote user through the smart portable device can memorize the anomaly reported as allowed so that in the future the operating condition is automatically allowed and no longer reported as anomalous. Otherwise the control unit will continue to report the anomaly to the user. Preferably, the control unit is programmed to associate the pressure signal that exceeds the threshold with one of the time intervals indicated above, in fact it is possible that a certain water consumption is allowed during the day and prevented at night, etc.

Figure 3 shows an example of operation of the algorithm that regulates the operation of the device, it is possible to highlight the following operating phases:

• Fasel: alarm condition, presence of a leak, conditions changed with respect to the calibration made at the beginning, the detected pressure jump is beyond the calibration range indicated by the green dotted lines;

• Phase 2 (highlighted by the yellow area): the pressure jump measurement returns to a condition of normal use, it is necessary to wait for a time interval equal to time_holding_nominal, before changing the system status;

Phase3: nominal conditions, alarm cleared;

• Phase 4: Tap opening, the pressure jump is compatible with the measurements acquired during the calibration phase and the system recognizes the opening of a user, if the measurement does not fall within the nominal operating range within a fixed time, the device detects an anomaly and sends the related alert message to the user; optionally, in the alert message there are some quantifiers such as e.g. pressure, flow rate, estimate of the user device to which the anomalous condition is linked, etc. to allow the user to identify the abnormal condition.

• Phase5: Tap closed, in this case the system does not carry out any checks; • Phase6: the measurement of the pressure jump exceeds the normal use range and for a time equal to time_holding_leak the system remains in a waiting state without sending the warning message and / or closing the actuated inlet valve;

• Phase 7: once the time equal to time_holding_leak has passed, the system goes into alarm indicating the presence of a leak, if the measurement remains outside the nominal operating range; an alarm condition is different from the alert condition and provides for the automatic closing of the valve actuated inlet. Preferably the user is also notified by means of a message sent on the personal intelligent portable device 5 and even more preferably the user can send a control message to open the actuated inlet valve if he considers that the alarm condition is unjustified. According to a preferred embodiment, contrary to what happens for the control message following an alert message, the alarm condition cannot be changed by receiving the control message but only by acting directly on the control unit. The alarm condition is different from the anomalous one in the sense that the former generates a notification signal that enables the user to open the valve remotely but not to remotely change the classification as permitted use. In the case of the warning signal, however, the user receives a message that contains the explicit opposition to classify as allowed the condition initially reported as anomalous. Optionally, some quantifiers are also present in the alarm message such as e.g. pressure, flow rate, estimate of the user device to which the anomalous condition is linked, etc. to allow the user to identify the alarm condition.

• Phase 8: alarm momentarily cleared for return to nominal conditions.

The following conditions detected as anomalies are also possible:

• Phase 4: high pressure jump that lasts an "excessive" time, e.g. beyond a predefined and settable time threshold:

o Possible loss of similar behavior to a user;

o The user has been forgotten open.

In both cases the user can decide whether to consider normal or not the functioning identified and signaled by an alert message;

• Pressure jump higher than the maximum value identified during calibration, possible breakage of a pipe, in this case the system intervenes by closing the water supply valve, this for safety reasons. In this case the actuated supply valve is closed without asking the user for consent;

• Fasel and Phase7: permanence in a calibration band considered anomalous for an "excessive" time, e.g. beyond a predefined and settable time threshold, this time is obtained in the calibration phase and can be customized by the user himself, even in these conditions the user can decide whether it is a normal condition or not, opening a tap with a wire water (condition not captured during device calibration).

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the distribution branch is provided with a pump that can be activated to discharge, for example in a discharge branch of the circuit, as quickly as possible any water accumulators or the water present in the discharge branch. distribution itself regardless of whether the actuated inlet valve is open or closed. In this way, the spills in the event of leaks or ruptures are reduced compared to the closing condition of the actuated inlet valve. Preferably, as illustrated in the figure, the pump is connected in parallel to an actuated valve with respect to a discharge port of the connected discharge branch e.g. to the sewer. In particular, when the pump is active, the actuated valve is closed so as to prevent the pump emptying action from being bypassed towards the sewer and therefore ineffective towards the water contained in the distribution branch.

Figure 4 illustrates a particular embodiment in which the domestic water circuit is of a certain complication and does not have a plurality of drain valves, one for each pressurized water distribution branch.

Claims (9)

CLAIMS 1. Method of controlling a valve actuated of a hydraulic circuit with at least one device that consumes water in an open condition in which the water from the water inlet is absorbed and a closed condition in which the device is sealed to water and water does not pass through the device, including the steps of: - providing an electronic microcontroller for the actuated valve; - selecting by means of the microcontroller between at least a first mode of use comprising a first series of thresholds or conditions and a second mode of use comprising a second series of thresholds or conditions for the pressure and / or flow rate; - Generate through the microcontroller an alert message when an anomalous condition is detected based at least on the signals of a pressure sensor unit and on the first or second set of pressure and / or flow thresholds; - Send the alert message to a personal smart portable device for a user to view. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of receiving a control signal from the personal smart portable device as a response to the alert message for: Store the condition in the alert message as a permitted use condition of the circuit so that no further alerts for that condition are generated in the future; and / or Keep the operated valve open and ignore the warning message; and / or Open the actuated valve when the microcontroller is programmed to automatically close the actuated valve if the fault condition is detected and the alert message is generated. The method according to claim 2, wherein the condition is stored as permitted and associated with the current use mode between the first and second use mode. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first and second use mode are at least one of the night use mode, day use mode, working day use mode, weekday or holiday use mode, winter / spring / summer / autumn how to use, how to use 'at home', how to use 'away from home'. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of providing an exhaust valve actuated to be connected to a pressurized distribution branch of the circuit, operable by the microcontroller to open a fluidic connection of the distribution branch to a discharge port of the water in the pressurized distribution branch. The method of claim 5, wherein the microcontroller is programmed to close the operated inlet valve and open the dump valve based on the determination of a single alert or alarm condition. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the microcontroller is programmed to determine an alarm condition, different from the anomaly condition, and close the actuated valve based on the detected alarm condition. Method according to claim 7, wherein the microcontroller is programmed to send an alarm message, other than the alert message, to inform the user about the personal smart portable device and to receive a possible control signal from the personal smart portable device due to user intervention to open the actuated control valve. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of calculating via the microcontroller water flow at the water inlet based on signals from a first and second pressure sensor of the spaced apart pressure sensor unit along a direction of water flow and on a mathematical model that expresses a water flow rate as a function of the differential pressure calculated through the signals of the first and second pressure sensors.