HK40015874A - System and method for leak characterization after shutoff of pressurization source - Google Patents

Description

System and method for leak characterization after shutting down a pressurized source

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application No. 15/344,458 filed on 4/11/2016. U.S. patent application No. 15/344,458 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to characterizing leaks in pressurized systems, and more particularly to leak characterization after a pressurized source is shut down.

Background

The pressurization system provides various types of materials to the site. For example, water supply systems deliver potable water to buildings or locations, such as residential and commercial facilities. Water can be transported from water utilities along industrial strength pipelines at considerable pressures using high pressure pump systems or by well pump systems such as in rural areas. At the interface between the utility and the target building or site, a pressure regulator may be installed to ensure that the utility-supplied water pressure is reduced to a desired level for appliance and/or human activity. When the valve is opened, the water pressure enables the distal and/or elevated water fixtures to deliver water. The water pressure within a building or site varies as water is used or as leaks occur in the pipes or fixtures of the building or site. Leaks in the supply line may reduce the pressure and in many cases may result in loss of water. In other cases, gas may escape from a very small leak where no water escapes.

Drawings

To facilitate further description of the embodiments, the following figures are provided, in which:

fig. 1 illustrates an example of a local area network 100;

FIG. 2 illustrates a system diagram of an exemplary water system;

FIG. 3 illustrates a system diagram of a sensing device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary leak characterization system, according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a graph showing an example of leak characterization of a leak in the water system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 illustrates a graph showing an example of leak characterization of another leak in the water system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 illustrates a graph showing an example of leak characterization of another leak in the water system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 illustrates a graph showing an example of leak characterization of another leak in the water system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 illustrates a pressure graph showing leakage source identification for a leak in the water system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 10 illustrates a pressure graph showing simulated leak characterization tests performed on two identical leaks at different elevation locations in the water system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 11 illustrates a flow diagram of a method according to another embodiment;

FIG. 12 illustrates a computer system, according to an embodiment; and is

Fig. 13 illustrates a representative block diagram of an example of the elements included in the circuit boards within the chassis of the computer of fig. 12.

For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures show a general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. Additionally, elements in the drawings figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprises," "comprising," and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, apparatus, or device that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, apparatus, or device.

The terms "left," "right," "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "above … …," "below … …," and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the apparatus, methods, and/or articles of manufacture described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.

The terms "coupled", and the like are to be construed broadly and refer to mechanically and/or otherwise connecting two or more elements. Two or more electrical elements may be electrically coupled together, but not mechanically or otherwise coupled together. The coupling may last for any length of time, e.g. permanent or semi-permanent or only for a moment. "electrically coupled" and the like are to be understood broadly and include all types of electrically coupled. The absence of the words "removable," "removable," etc. near the words "coupled" etc. does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.

As defined herein, two or more elements are "integral" if they are constructed from the same piece of material. As defined herein, two or more elements are "non-unitary" if they are each comprised of a different sheet of material.

As defined herein, "about" may mean within plus or minus ten percent of the stated value in some embodiments. In other embodiments, "about" may be expressed as within plus or minus five percent of the stated value. In further embodiments, "about" may mean within plus or minus three percent of the stated value. In still other embodiments, "about" may mean within plus or minus one hundredth of the stated value.

Detailed Description

Embodiments include a system. The system may include a sensing device including a pressure sensor configured to measure water pressure in a closed configuration water system during a test interval of a system shut-off valve of the water system. The sensing device may be configured to generate pressure measurement data indicative of the water pressure as measured by the pressure sensor. The system may also include one or more processing units including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage media storing machine-executable instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, are configured to perform: an estimated orifice size of a leak in the water system is estimated based on the pressure measurement data.

Various embodiments include a method. The method may include measuring a water pressure of a closed-structure water system using a pressure sensor of a sensing device during a test interval of a system shut-off valve of the water system to generate pressure measurement data. The method may further include transmitting the pressure measurement data to one or more processing units. The method may additionally include estimating an estimated orifice size of a leak in the water system using the one or more processing units based at least in part on the pressure measurement data.

Systems and methods for using pressure data to characterize leaks in pressurized systems are described. For example, the pressurized system may include a domestic water system in a building or location that is supplied with water from a water supply. A sensing device having a pressure sensor may be coupled to the domestic water system. The sensing device may be a network device with a network connection, as explained further below. In some examples, the sensing device may include a flow meter. The pressure sensor may monitor a pressure within the pressurized system and may generate pressure data indicative of the pressure. A shut-off valve, such as an automatic shut-off valve or a manual shut-off valve, may be closed to isolate the pressurized system from external pressurization. Upon closing the shut-off valve, the sensing device may analyze the pressure data to characterize a leak in the pressurized system after the pressurized source has been shut off. The sensing device may communicate with the cloud computing system to report information about the leak, request verification of the leak, or exchange other communications. The sensing device may be used to detect leaks in other types of pressurized systems, such as natural gas systems.

In some embodiments, a cloud computing system may be provided for communicating with one or more sensing devices. The cloud computing system may analyze pressure data provided from the sensing device, and may determine or verify the occurrence of a leak, and may characterize the leak, such as estimating a leak orifice size, severity of the leak, and/or how to respond to the leak.

The sensing device and/or the cloud computing system may provide information to a graphical interface of the user device. The graphical interface may include a web interface or a mobile device interface. The graphical interface provides notification and interaction functionality for a user of the user device. For example, the graphical interface may communicate or present leak information to a user, and may allow the user to provide input to enable and disable various fixtures in the pressurized system or to enable or disable various settings (e.g., type of notification (such as reporting an alarm), frequency of notification, type of leak reported, or any other suitable setting).

The network may be arranged to provide a user of an access device with access to various devices connected to the network. For example, a network may include one or more network devices that provide a user with the ability to remotely configure or control the network device itself or one or more electronic devices (e.g., appliances) connected to the network device. The electronic device may be located within an environment or venue that may support a network. The environment or location may include, for example, a home, office, business, automobile, park, industrial or commercial plant, etc. The network may include one or more gateways that allow client devices (e.g., network devices, access devices, etc.) to access the network by providing wired and/or wireless connectivity using radio frequency channels in one or more frequency bands. The one or more gateways may also provide the client device with access to one or more external networks, such as a cloud network, the internet, and/or other wide area networks.

A local area network may include a plurality of network devices that provide various functions. The network device may be accessed and controlled using an access device and/or one or more network gateways. Examples of network devices include sensing devices, automation devices that allow remote configuration or control of one or more electronic devices connected to a home automation device, motion sensing devices, or other suitable networking devices. One or more gateways in the local area network may be designated as primary gateways that provide access to external networks for the local area network. The local area network may also extend outside the venue and may include network devices located outside the venue. For example, the local area network may include network devices such as external motion sensors, external lighting (e.g., porch lights, aisle lights, safety lights, etc.), garage door openers, sprinkler systems, or other network devices outside of the venue. It is desirable for a user to be able to access a network device while located within a local area network and also while located remotely from the local area network. For example, a user may use an access device to access a network device within a local area network or at a location remote from the local area network.

A network device within the local area network may pair or connect with the gateway and may obtain credentials from the gateway. For example, when the network device is powered on, a list of gateways detected by the network device may be displayed on the access device (e.g., via an application, program, etc. installed on and executed by the access device). In some embodiments, only a single gateway is included in the local area network (e.g., any other displayed gateway may be part of other local area networks). For example, a single gateway may comprise a router. In such embodiments, only a single gateway may be displayed (e.g., when only a single gateway is detected by the network device). In some embodiments, multiple gateways may be located in a local area network (e.g., a router, a range expansion device, etc.) and may be displayed. For example, the router and the range extender (or range extenders) may be part of a local area network. The user may select one of the gateways as a gateway to which the network device is to be paired and may enter login information for accessing the gateway. The login information may be the same information originally set for accessing the gateway (e.g., a network username and password, a network security key, or any other suitable login information). The access device may send login information to the network device, and the network device may pair with the gateway using the login information. The network device may then obtain the certificate from the gateway. The credentials may include a Service Set Identification (SSID) of the local area network, a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the gateway, and so on. The network device may transmit the credentials to a server of the wide area network, such as a cloud network server. In some embodiments, the network device may also send information related to the network device (e.g., MAC address, serial number, etc.) and/or information related to the access device (e.g., MAC address, serial number, application unique identifier, etc.) to the server.

The server may register the gateway as a logical network and may assign a network Identifier (ID) to the first logical network. The server may further generate a set of security keys, which may include one or more security keys. For example, the server may generate a unique key for the network device and a separate unique key for the access device. The server may associate the network device and the access device with the logical network by storing the network ID and the set of security keys in a record or profile. The server may then transmit the network ID and the set of security keys to the network device. The network device may store the network ID and its unique security key. The network device may also send the network ID and the unique security key of the access device to the access device. In some embodiments, the server may transmit the network ID and the security key of the access device directly to the access device. The network device and the access device may then communicate with the cloud server using the network ID and the unique key generated for each device. Each network device and access device may also be assigned a unique identifier (e.g., a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), a Unique Device Identifier (UDID), a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID), etc.) by the cloud server separate from the network ID and the unique security key of each device. Thus, the access device may perform an account-less authentication to allow a user to remotely access the network device via the cloud network without having to log in each time access is requested. More details regarding the process of authentication without an account are described below. Further, the network device may communicate with the server with respect to the logical network.

Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a local area network 100. The local area network 100 is merely exemplary and is not limited to the embodiments presented herein. A local area network may be used in many different embodiments or examples not specifically depicted or described herein. In some embodiments, the local area network 100 may include a network device 102, a networkNetwork device 104, and network device 106. In some embodiments, any of the network devices 102, 104, 106 may comprise internet of things (IoT) devices. As used herein, an IoT device is a device that includes sensing and/or control functionality and WiFi^TMTransceiver radio or interface, Bluetooth^TMTransceiver radio or interface, Zigbee^TMTransceiver radio or interface, ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver radio or interface, WiFi-Direct transceiver radio or interface, Bluetooth^TMA low power (BLE) transceiver radio or interface, an Infrared (IR) transceiver, and/or any other wireless network transceiver radio or interface that allows the IoT device to communicate with a wide area network and with one or more other devices. In some embodiments, the IoT devices do not include a cellular network transceiver radio or interface, and thus may not be configured for direct communication with a cellular network. In some embodiments, the IoT device may include a cellular transceiver radio and may be configured to communicate with a cellular network using the cellular network transceiver radio. Network devices 102, 104, and 106, which are IoT devices or other devices, may include sensing devices, automation network devices, motion sensors, or other suitable devices. The automation network devices, for example, allow a user to access, control, and/or configure various appliances, devices, or tools located within an environment or a site (e.g., televisions, radios, lights, fans, humidifiers, sensors, microwaves, irons, tools, manufacturing equipment, printers, computers, and/or others) or located outside of the site (e.g., external motion sensors, external lighting, garage door openers, sprinkler systems, etc.). For example, the network device 102 may include a home automation switch that may be coupled with a home appliance.

In some embodiments, network devices 102, 104, and 106 may be used in various environments or locations, such as businesses, schools, institutions, parks, industrial or commercial plants, or anywhere that local area network 100 may be supported to enable communication with network devices 102, 104, and 106. For example, the network device may allow a user to access, control, and/or configure devices, such as appliances (e.g., refrigerator, microwave, sink, or other suitable appliance), office-related devices (e.g., copier, printer, facsimile machine, etc.), audio and/or video-related devices (e.g., receiver, speaker, projector, DVD player, television, etc.), media playing devices (e.g., compact disc player, CD player, etc.), computing devices (e.g., home computer, laptop, tablet, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), computing device, wearable device, etc.), lighting devices (e.g., lights, embedded lighting, etc.), devices associated with a security system, devices associated with an alarm system, devices that may operate in a car (e.g., radio, navigation device), devices, etc, And/or other suitable devices.

The user may use access device 108 to communicate with network devices 102, 104, and 106. The access device 108 may include any human machine interface having network connectivity capabilities that allow access to a network. For example, in some embodiments, the access device 108 may include a standalone interface (e.g., a cellular phone, a smart phone, a home computer, a laptop computer, a tablet, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a computing device, a wearable device such as a smart watch, a wall panel, a keypad, etc.), an interface built into an appliance or other device (e.g., a television, a refrigerator, a security system, a gaming console, a browser, etc.), a voice or gesture interface (e.g., Kinect)^TMSensor, Wiimote^TMEtc.), an IoT device interface (e.g., an internet-enabled device such as a wall switch, a control interface, or other suitable interface), etc. In some embodiments, the access device 108 may include a cellular or other broadband network transceiver radio or interface and may be configured to communicate with a cellular or other broadband network using the cellular or broadband network transceiver radio. In some embodiments, the access device 108 may not include a cellular network transceiver radio or interface. Although only a single access device 108 is shown in fig. 1, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that multiple access devices may communicate with network devices 102, 104, and 106. The user may use applications executed and operated by the access device 108A web browser, a proprietary program, or any other program to interact with network devices 102, 104, and/or 106. In some embodiments, access device 108 may communicate directly with network devices 102, 104, and/or 106 (e.g., via communication signal 116). For example, the access device 108 may use Zigbee^TMSignal, Bluetooth^TMSignal, WiFi^TMSignals, Infrared (IR) signals, UWB signals, WiFi-Direct signals, BLE (bluetooth low energy) signals, sound frequency signals, etc., communicate directly with network devices 102, 104, and/or 106. In some embodiments, access device 108 may communicate with network devices 102, 104, and/or 106 via gateways 110, 112 (e.g., via communication signals 118) and/or via cloud network 114 (e.g., via communication signals 120).

In some embodiments, the local area network 100 may include a wireless network, a wired network, or a combination of wired and wireless networks. The wireless network may include any wireless interface or interfaces (e.g., Zigbee)^TM、Bluetooth^TM、WiFi^TMIR (Infrared, UWB, WiFi-Direct, BLE, cellular, Long Term Evolution (LTE), WiMax^TMEtc.). The wired network may include any wired interface (e.g., fiber optic, ethernet, power line ethernet, ethernet over coaxial cable, Digital Signal Line (DSL), etc.). The wired and/or wireless networks may be implemented using various routers, access points, bridges, gateways, etc. to connect the devices in the local area network 100. For example, local area network 100 may include gateway 110 and/or gateway 112. Gateways 110 and/or 112 may provide communication capabilities via radio signals to network devices 102, 104, 106, and/or access device 108 to provide communication, location, and/or other services to these devices. In some embodiments, gateway 110 may be directly connected to external network 114 and may provide access to external network 114 to other gateways and devices in the local area network. Gateway 110 may be designated as the primary gateway. Although two gateways 110 and 112 are shown in fig. 1, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any number of gateways may be present within the local area network 100.

By gateway 110 and/or gateway 112The network access provided may be any type of network familiar to those skilled in the art that may support data communications using any of a variety of commercially available protocols. For example, gateways 110 and/or 112 may use a particular communication protocol, such as WiFi^TM(e.g., IEEE 802.11 family of standards, or other wireless communication technologies, or any combination thereof) to provide wireless communication capabilities for the local area network 100. Using communication protocol(s), gateways 110 and/or 112 may provide radio frequencies over which wireless-enabled devices in local area network 100 may communicate. A gateway may also be referred to as a base station, access point, node B, evolved node B (eNodeB), access point base station, femtocell, home base station, home node B, home eNodeB, etc.

In many embodiments, gateways 110 and/or 112 may include routers, modems, range expansion devices, and/or any other device that provides network access between one or more computing devices and/or external networks. For example, gateway 110 may include a router or access point, and gateway 112 may include a range expansion device. Examples of range extension devices may include wireless range extenders, wireless repeaters, and the like.

In several embodiments, the router gateway may include access point and router functions, and may further include an ethernet switch and/or modem in various embodiments. For example, a router gateway may receive and forward data packets between different networks. When a data packet is received, the router gateway may read identification information (e.g., a Media Access Control (MAC) address) in the packet to determine the packet's intended destination. The router gateway may then access information in the routing table or routing policy and may direct the packet to the next network or device in the packet's transmission path. Data packets may be forwarded from one gateway to another over a computer network until the packet is received at the intended destination.

In various embodiments, a range extension gateway may be used to improve signal range and strength within a local area network. The range extension gateway may receive an existing signal from a router gateway or other gateway and may rebroadcast the signal to create additional logical networks. For example, a range extension gateway may extend the network coverage of a router gateway when two or more devices on a local area network need to connect to each other but one of the devices is too far from the router gateway to establish a connection using resources from the router gateway. Thus, devices outside the coverage of the router gateway may connect through the duplicate network provided by the range extension gateway. The router gateway and the range extension gateway may exchange information about the destination address using a dynamic routing protocol.

In various embodiments, network devices 102, 104, 106, and/or access device 108 may transmit and receive signals using one or more channels of various frequency bands provided by gateways 110 and/or 112. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any available frequency band (including frequency bands that are currently in use or that may become available at a future date) may be used to transmit and receive communications in accordance with the embodiments described herein. In some examples, the network devices 102, 104, 106, access device 108, and/or gateways 110, 112 may use different WiFi^TMChannels of the frequency band to exchange communications. For example, 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) WiFi spanning 2.412GHz to 2.484GHz may be used^TMDifferent channels available on the frequency band. As another example, different channels available on the 5GHz WiFi band spanning 4.915GHz to 5.825GHz may be used. Other examples of frequency bands that may be used include a 3.6GHz band (e.g., from 3.655GHz to 3.695GHz), a 4.9GHz band (e.g., from 4.940GHz to 4.990GHz), a 5.9GHz band (e.g., from 5.850GHz to 5.925GHz), and so forth. Other examples of frequency bands that may be used include extreme low frequency bands (e.g., less than 3Hz), very low frequency bands (e.g., 3Hz-30Hz), super low frequency bands (e.g., 30Hz-300Hz), ultra low frequency bands (e.g., 300Hz-3000Hz), very low frequency bands (e.g., 3KHz-30KHz), low frequency bands (e.g., 30KHz-300KHz), mid frequency bands (e.g., 300KHz-3000KHz), high frequency bands (e.g., 3MHz-30MHz), very high frequency bands (e.g., 30MHz-300MHz), super high frequency bands (e.g., 3GHz-30GHz, including WiFi bands), super high frequency bands (e.g., 30GHz-300 GHz)) Or terahertz or an extreme high frequency band (e.g., 300GHz-3000 GHz).

Some or all of these channels may be used in the network. For example, channels 1-11 at 2.4GHz frequency may be used in a local area network. As another example, channels 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 132, 136, 140, 149, 153, 157, 161, and 161 of the 5GHz band may be used for a local area network. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any combination of channels available on any of these bands may be used in the network. The channels available may be regulated by the country in which the network is located.

In some embodiments, gateways 110 and/or 112 may provide access to one or more external networks (such as cloud network 114, the internet, and/or other wide area networks) to access device 108 and/or network devices 102, 104, 106. In some embodiments, the network devices 102, 104, 106 may be directly connected to the cloud network 114, for example, using broadband network access (such as a cellular network). The cloud network 114 may include one or more cloud infrastructure systems that provide cloud services. The cloud infrastructure system may be operated by a service provider. In certain embodiments, the services provided by the cloud network 114 may include the hosting of a variety of services made available to users of the cloud infrastructure system as needed, such as registration and access control of the network devices 102, 104, 106. The services provided by the cloud infrastructure system can be dynamically expanded to meet the needs of its users. The cloud network 114 may include one or more computers, servers, and/or systems. In some embodiments, the computers, servers, and/or systems that make up the cloud network 114 are different from the user's own local (on-premises) computers, servers, and/or systems. For example, the cloud network 114 may host an application, and a user may order and use the application on demand over a communication network (such as the internet).

In some embodiments, the cloud network 114 may host a Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal application to establish a secure connection between a service provider of the cloud network 114 and one or more of the network devices 102, 104, 106, and/or the access device 108. Each network device 102, 104, 106 may establish a separate secure connection for communicating between each network device 102, 104, 106 and the cloud network 114. The access device 108 may also establish a secure connection for exchanging communications with the cloud network 114. In some examples, the secure connection may include a secure Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection. The gateway 110 may provide NAT services for mapping ports and private IP addresses of the network devices 102, 104, 106, and the access device 108 to one or more public IP addresses and/or ports. Gateway 110 may provide the public IP address to cloud network 114. The cloud network 114 server may direct communications to the network devices 102, 104, 106, and the access device 108 to a public IP address. In some embodiments, each secure connection may remain open for an indefinite period of time, such that the cloud network 114 may initiate communication with each respective network device 102, 104, 106, or access device 108 at any time. Various protocols may be used to establish secure, indefinite connections between each of network devices 102, 104, and 106, access device 108, and cloud network 114. The protocol may include a NAT Session Traversal Utility (STUN), traversal using relay NAT (turn), Interactive Connectivity Establishment (ICE), a combination thereof, or any other suitable NAT traversal protocol. Using these protocols, a puncture may be created in the NAT of the gateway 110 that allows communications to pass from the cloud network 114 to the network devices 102, 104, 106, and the access device 108.

In some cases, communications between cloud network 114 and network devices 102, 104, 106, and/or access device 108 may be supported using other types of communication protocols, such as the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) protocol, the hypertext transfer protocol secure HTTPs) protocol, and so forth. In some embodiments, communications initiated by the cloud network 114 may be over a TCP connection, and communications initiated by the network device may be over an HTTP or HTTPs connection. In certain embodiments, the cloud network 114 may include a suite of applications, middleware, and database services products that are delivered to customers in a self-service, subscription-based, elastically scalable, reliable, highly available, and secure manner.

It should be understood that the local area network 100 may have other components than those depicted. Further, the embodiment shown in the figures is only one example of a local area network in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be incorporated. In some other embodiments, the local area network 100 may have more or fewer components than shown in the figures, may combine two or more components, or may have a different configuration or arrangement of components. Upon power-up or reset, the network devices (e.g., 102, 104, 106) may register with an external network (e.g., cloud network 114) and associate with a logical network within local area network 100.

As previously mentioned, described herein are systems and methods for using pressure data to characterize leaks in pressurized systems. The sensing device may be coupled or attached to a component of a pressurized system in order to monitor pressure in the system and generate pressure data representative of the sensed pressure. The pressure data may be analyzed by the sensing device and/or the cloud computing system to characterize the leak. The sensing device may comprise a network device, such as one of network devices 102, 104, or 106 shown in fig. 1 and described above. Examples of pressurized systems in which leaks may be detected include domestic water systems in a site that are supplied with water from a water supply, domestic gas systems in a site that are supplied with gas from a gas supply, or any other pressurized system in which the pressure of a substance in the system may be monitored.

Turning forward in the drawings, FIG. 2 illustrates a system diagram of an exemplary water system 200. The water system 200 is merely exemplary and is not limited to the embodiments presented herein. The water system may be used in many different embodiments or examples not specifically depicted or described herein. In some examples, the water system 200 may be part of a domestic water system. In other examples, the water system 200 may be part of a water system of another location, such as a commercial building, an outdoor commercial establishment (e.g., a mall, park, or other commercial establishment), or any other location where a pressurized water system may be present.

In various embodiments, water may be supplied to the water supply system 200 from a water utility system that uses a high pressure pump system to deliver potable water at high pressure to a site along an industrial strength pipeline. The pressure regulator 202 may be installed at the interface between the utility system and the water system 200. The pressure regulator 202 may convert the utility-supplied water pressure (e.g., approximately 100-. As used herein, psi refers to pounds per square inch gauge (psig) measured relative to atmospheric pressure.

In several embodiments, the water system 200 may include a cold water line 232 and a hot water line 234 that supply cold water and hot water, respectively, to various fixtures in the water system 200. In some embodiments, only cold water is supplied from the utility system, and the water heater 204 heats the cold water to provide hot water to fixtures in the water system 200. In some examples, the water heater 204 may include a water tank heater with a reservoir of heated water. In other examples, the water heater 204 may include a tankless water heater that does not include a reservoir. Tankless water heaters may use a heat exchanger to heat the water as it flows through the heater. Any commercially available tank or tankless water heater can be used. Fixtures may include kitchen faucets 206, dishwashers 208, and refrigerators 210 in the kitchen; faucets 236 and toilets 212 in the first, second, and third bathrooms; a shower 216 in the second bathroom; a shower tub 220 in a third bathroom; an outdoor faucet 214; and a washing machine 218. As used herein, "fixture" may refer to an appliance, faucet, or other device attached to the water system 200 that may utilize water delivered by the water system 200. In many embodiments, the pressure regulator 202 is not considered a fixed device in the water system 200.

In many embodiments, the sensing device 224 may be installed in the water system 200 to detect leaks. In several embodiments, the sensing device 224 may be a network device, similar to the network devices 102, 104, or 106 as shown in fig. 1 and described above. In many embodiments, the sensing device 224 may be installed in the water system 200 after the pressure regulator 202 (i.e., downstream of the pressure regulator) and before the first branch of the cold water line 232 (i.e., upstream of the first branch). In some embodiments, sensing device 224 may be installed after (i.e., downstream of) a branch of the irrigation line but before (i.e., upstream of) any other branch of cold water line 232.

Turning forward in the drawings, FIG. 3 illustrates a system diagram of the sensing device 224. The sensing device 224 is merely exemplary and is not limited to the embodiments presented herein. The sensing device may be used in many different embodiments or examples not specifically depicted or described herein. In various embodiments, the sensing device 224 may include a controller 310 and one or more sensors that may be used to collect data used in leak characterization. For example, as shown in fig. 3, the sensors may include a pressure sensor 320 and/or a flow meter 330. In some examples, the sensing device 224 may include the pressure sensor 320 and not the flow meter 330. In various embodiments, the sensing device 224 may include an automatic shut-off valve 340 that may be controlled by the controller 310, such as by sending a control signal via the control line 312.

In some embodiments that include a flow meter 330 in the sensing device 224, the flow meter 330 may include an in-pipe flow turbine sensor. The flow turbine sensor may comprise a rotor that is rotated by a liquid force proportional to the liquid flow in the flow direction 301. For example, the liquid flow of water causes a bladed turbine within the flow meter 330 to rotate at an angular velocity proportional to the velocity of the liquid being monitored. A pulse signal is generated as the blade passes under the magnetic pickup coil in the flow meter 330. For example, a hall effect sensor may be included that provides pulses for digital or analog signal processing. Each pulse may represent a discrete volume of liquid. The frequency of the pulse signal may be proportional to the angular velocity and flow rate of the turbine. A large number of pulses can provide high resolution. In other examples, the flow meter 330 may include an ultrasonic flow meter that determines a time-of-flight measurement, an acoustic (doppler) flow meter, or any other flow meter that can monitor the flow of a substance and acquire flow data indicative of the flow. In various embodiments, the flow data measured by the flow meter 330 may be sent to the controller 310 using the flow data line 313. In various embodiments, the regulated power supply of the sensing device 224 can provide dc power to energize the flow meter 330. In other embodiments, the flow meter 330 may include a plug that may be plugged into an electrical outlet 350 of a home or other location in which the water system 200 (fig. 2) is located. Power receptacle 350 may be a 120 volt power receptacle or other suitable receptacle.

In many embodiments, as described above, the sensing device 224 may use the flow meter 330 to measure water flow (such as water usage by a fixture). In other embodiments, the sensing device 224 may use the pressure sensor 320 to detect the presence of water flow without measuring water flow. In yet other embodiments, the sensing device 224 may be devoid of a flow meter.

In various embodiments, the pressure sensor 320 in the sensing device 224 may measure the pressure in the water system 200 (fig. 2) and generate pressure data representative of the measured pressure. In many embodiments, pressure data measured by the pressure sensor 320 may be sent to the controller 310 using the pressure data line 314. In some embodiments, the controller 310 may provide a gating signal to close an electronic switch (e.g., a field effect transistor switch) to control the sampling of pressure by the pressure sensor 320. In many embodiments, the pressure sensor 320 may sample the pressure at a predetermined rate, such as 1 hertz (Hz), 5Hz, 10Hz, 20Hz, 50Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz, 300Hz, 500Hz, or other suitable sampling rate, such as 244.16 Hz. In various embodiments, the regulated power supply of the sensing device 224 may provide DC power to energize the pressure sensor 320. In other embodiments, the pressure sensor 320 may include a plug that may be plugged into the power outlet 350.

Various types of pressure sensors (e.g., pressure sensor 320) may be used. For example, a pressure sensor having a pressure in the range of 0-50psi may be used. As another example, a pressure sensor having a pressure in the range of 0-100psi may be used. Monitoring the water pressure in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)) having a high supply pressure or when a pressure regulator (e.g., 202 (fig. 2)) is not included in the water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)), a pressure sensor having a higher pressure range may be used. One example of a pressure sensor is the PPT7x series sensor manufactured by Phoenix Sensors (Phoenix Sensors). One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other suitable pressure sensors may be used.

In some embodiments, pressure sensor 320 may include a digital pressure converter that converts pressure into an electrical signal. For example, a pressure sensor may include a diaphragm having a strain gauge connected to a circuit (e.g., a Wheatstone bridge) that may measure resistance. Pressure applied to the pressure sensor 320 (e.g., from water pressure) deflects the diaphragm, which introduces strain into the strain gauge. Strain produces a change in resistance that is proportional to pressure. The analog resistance may be converted to a digital signal using an analog-to-digital converter. The digital signal may be output as pressure data that may be sent to the controller 310 via the pressure data line 314.

In many embodiments, the controller 310 may include a power line 311 that may be plugged into an electrical outlet 350 to provide power to the controller 310, the pressure sensor 320, and/or the flow meter 330. In some embodiments, the automatic shutoff valve 340 may include a power cord 315 that may be plugged into an electrical outlet 350 to provide power to the automatic shutoff valve 340. In other embodiments, the regulated power supply of the sensing device 224 may provide DC power to energize the automatic shutoff valve 340.

In many embodiments of the sensing device 224, the automatic shutoff valve 340 can be opened and/or closed via a remote control (such as an electronic signal sent from the controller 310 via the control line 312). In other embodiments, the sensing device 224 does not include the automatic shut off valve 340. The water system 200 (fig. 2) may include a manual shut-off valve (not shown) that may be manually operated to open or close to allow or close utility water input. For example, the manual shut-off valve may be a ball valve or a gate valve. For example, the manual shut-off valve may be positioned along an exposed pipe segment in a basement or tight void of a building, in a garage of a building, in an instrument well associated with a building, or along an exterior wall of a building. Manual shut-off valves are commonly used to shut off utility water supplies when performing pipe repairs or in the event of scheduled long outages (e.g., vacations). In embodiments where the sensing device 224 does not include the automatic shutoff valve 340, the sensing device 224 may be located anywhere after (i.e., downstream of) the pressure regulator 202 (fig. 2) and the manual shutoff valve (not shown) in the water system 200 (fig. 2).

In many embodiments, the internal pressure in the water system 200 (fig. 2) may remain approximately constant when water is used without a fixture. When the water fixture valve is open, the pressure within the water system 200 (fig. 2) may force water out of the fixture's open pores, which may result in a pressure drop in the water system 200 (fig. 2). The pressure regulator 202 (fig. 2) may sense the pressure drop and may allow pressurized water from the utility system to enter from the utility side to rebalance the pressure of the water system 200 (fig. 2) to its target or set point level.

Leaks may occur in pressurized systems, such as the water system 200 (fig. 2), for various reasons, such as physical damage to the supply lines or fixtures, natural degradation of materials, blockages in the supply lines or fixtures, or other reasons. The water pressure within a pressurized water system (e.g., water system 200 (fig. 2)) varies with the use of water (as discussed above) and when a leak occurs. Gas supply systems that deliver pressurized gas to buildings or sites for use in gas projects can also leak. Leaks can result in the loss of water, gas, or other substances, and can also reduce the pressure below a desired level.

Fig. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an example leak characterization system 400 that may be used to detect and characterize leaks in a pressurized system, such as the water system 200 (fig. 2), using pressure data. Leak characterization system 400 is merely exemplary and is not limited to the embodiments presented herein. The leak characterization system may be used in many different embodiments or examples not specifically depicted or described herein. For example, unintentional water loss through openings (e.g., orifices, holes, punctures, cracks, breaks, fissures, ruptures, etc.) in a pressurized system can be detected and characterized. In many embodiments, leak characterization system 400 may include sensing device 224, cloud computing system 404, and/or graphical interface 406, at least partially illustrating its functional processing components. In other embodiments, some or all of the functions performed by cloud computing system 404 and/or graphics interface 406 may be integrated into sensing device 224.

A conventional approach to leak detection and/or leak characterization is to use a flow meter, such as flow meter 330 (fig. 3). Conventional methods may easily detect leaks of 1.5 liters per minute (L) or more using a flow meter such as an ultrasonic flow meter or a turbine flow meter. Certain flow meters, such as positive displacement flow meters, can provide greater accuracy, such as being able to detect 1 liter/minute or greater leaks in homes having 3/4 inch water pipe diameters. In configurations with larger pipe diameters (such as 1.5 inches or 2 inches in diameter), positive displacement meters can detect flows of 2 liters per minute or more. Volumetric flow meter technology that detects flow rates of 0.5 liters/minute typically requires a very long measurement period (such as 30 days) during which water may not be used in the building, making such testing impractical for most applications.

Unlike techniques that rely on flow measurement data to determine the presence of a leak, the systems and methods described herein may analyze pressure signal data in the time domain to detect and characterize leaks. Advantages of using pressure data to detect leaks include the ability to provide a characterization of the type of leak and the detection of small leaks, such as leaks less than 0.5 liters/minute, such as low as 0.001 liters/minute or less.

In many embodiments, a shut-off valve, such as a manual shut-off valve or an automatic shut-off valve 340 (fig. 3), may be closed to temporarily isolate the water system 200 (fig. 2) from external pressurization. During such an isolation period, the water infrastructure is decoupled from the pressurization provided by the utility and becomes a closed system that can be considered a pressurized reservoir. The pressure of such a closed system may be measured using the pressure sensor 320 (fig. 3) and monitored during a test interval during which no fixture in the water system 200 (fig. 2) is open. If the pressure level decreases during the observation period, there is a high probability of a leak in the water system 200 (FIG. 2). A subsequent review procedure may be performed to further verify the leak. The pressure drop due to leakage during the test interval is referred to as the pressure decay curve. This pressure decay curve may be analyzed to characterize the leak using pressure data in the hydrodynamic model, such as to approximate the leak flow rate and estimate the orifice size of the leak.

Unlike conventional methods for closing a shut-off valve, such as for planned pipeline repairs or long absenteeism, in many embodiments, the shut-off valve may be temporarily closed to disconnect an external pressure source and determine if a leak exists somewhere along the pipeline infrastructure in a pressurized system (e.g., water system 200 (fig. 2)) and characterize the leak. In many embodiments, such as when the sensing device 224 includes the automatic shutoff valve 340 (fig. 3), the sensing device 224 may automatically shut off the automatic shutoff valve 340 to be at a test interval. In other implementations, such as when the sensing device 224 does not include the automatic shut-off valve 340 (fig. 3), a user (e.g., a homeowner or an occupant of a structure) may be prompted to manually close the manual shut-off valve and notify the leak characterization system 400 when the manual shut-off has been completed.

Once the shut-off valve has been closed to isolate the water system 200 (fig. 2) from the external pressurized source, the leak characterization system 400 can monitor the pressure in the water system 200 (fig. 2) during the test interval. The test interval may begin after closing the shut-off valve. In many embodiments, the test interval may be about 10 minutes to about 20 minutes. For example, in some embodiments, the test interval may be 15 minutes. In other embodiments, the test interval may be another suitable time interval.

In many embodiments, such as when the sensing device 224 includes an automatic shut-off valve 340 (fig. 3), the test interval may occur during periods that do not normally involve water use, such as during the night. In other embodiments, such as when the sensing device 224 does not include the automatic shut-off valve 340 (fig. 3), the test interval may occur during a time required by a user or at some time convenient for the user to manually close the manual shut-off valve. Once the test interval is complete, the shut-off valve may be reopened, such as by sending a signal to the automatic shut-off valve 340 (fig. 3) to open the automatic shut-off valve 340 or sending a notification to the user to open the manual shut-off valve.

In various embodiments, certain conditions occurring during the test interval may invalidate the test. For example, if one of the fixtures in the water system 200 (fig. 2) is opened (e.g., using an ice maker or flushing a toilet) during a test interval, the test may be deemed invalid. In many embodiments, the leak characterization system 400 may determine that a fixture in the water system has been opened based on a rapid pressure drop in pressure (e.g., faster than a previously measured pressure decay curve) by: the flow rate is measured using the flow meter 330 (fig. 3), the pressure frequency signature is matched to a frequency signature previously determined to belong to one of the fixtures, or by another suitable method. In several embodiments, such as when the sensing device 224 includes an automatic shut-off valve 340 (FIG. 3), once the leak characterization system 400 detects that the fixture has been opened, the leak characterization system 400 may open the automatic shut-off valve 340 (FIG. 3) to allow continued use of the fixture. Other invalid conditions include power loss that occurs during a test interval or during incomplete closure of a shut-off valve. In many embodiments, if an invalid condition occurs, the test may be performed again after the invalid condition ends.

In many embodiments, the leak characterization system 400 may determine whether water is being used in the water system 200 (fig. 2) before closing the shut-off valve to begin the test interval. For example, the leak characterization system 400 may determine whether a fixture is open using the same techniques described above (such as a rapid drop in pressure) by: the flow rate is measured using the flow meter 330 (fig. 3), the pressure frequency signature is matched to a frequency signature previously determined to belong to one of the fixtures, or by another suitable method. In many embodiments, if the leak characterization system 400 determines that water is being used (e.g., there is a user demand or automatic appliance use), the leak characterization system 400 may wait a predetermined period of time (such as 10 minutes or another suitable period of time) to again determine whether water is being used.

In some embodiments, if a leak of an authorization notification is detected (as described below), a review may optionally be performed to verify the leak. In some embodiments, the review may involve opening the shut-off valve for a predetermined period of time (such as 10 minutes or more) and then repeating the procedure of closing the shut-off valve (e.g., the automatic shut-off valve 340 (fig. 3) or the manual shut-off valve) and observing the pressure data. In many embodiments, the time interval of the review cycle may be extended to a longer period of time, such as 30 minutes. In other embodiments, the time interval may remain the same. In some embodiments, both the automatic shut-off valve 340 (fig. 3) and the manual shut-off valve may be closed during the review process to minimize the possibility that the valves will not close completely. In various embodiments, shut-off valves on individual fixtures (e.g., recirculation pump, humidifier, ice maker, etc.) in the water system 200 (fig. 2) as well as manual shut-off valves may be shut off to eliminate the source of pressure decay caused by water-consuming fixtures.

Referring again to fig. 4, in many embodiments, the sensing device 224 may be a network device, similar to the network devices 102, 104, or 106 as shown in fig. 1 and described above. As described above, the sensing device 224 may monitor pressure data to detect and/or characterize a leak. In some embodiments, the sensing device 224 may monitor flow data and may supplement the pressure analysis with flow analysis. In several embodiments, the sensing device 224 may be installed in a pressurized system, such as the water system 200 (fig. 2). For example, the sensing device 224 may be installed in the water system 200 (fig. 2), as shown in fig. 2.

In various embodiments, sensing device 224 may include a connection component that may allow sensing device 224 to communicate with cloud computing system 404 and, in some cases, with a user device (e.g., a user mobile device) that executes graphical interface 406 and presents it to a user. In other embodiments, the cloud computing system 404 may communicate with a user device and present the graphical interface 406 to the user. In various embodiments, the user device may be similar to or identical to access device 108 (FIG. 1).

In several embodiments, the sensing device 224 may include a connection component 410, which may include one or more radio components 411, such as a wireless transceiver radio or interface, such as WiFi^TMTransceiver radio or interface, Bluetooth^TMTransceiver radio or interface, Zigbee^TMA transceiver radio or interface, a UWB transceiver radio or interface, a WiFi-Direct transceiver radio or interface, a BLE transceiver radio or interface, an IR transceiver, and/or any other wireless network transceiver radio or interface that allows the sensing device 224 to communicate with the cloud computing system 404 or user device over a wired or wireless network. In some cases, a radio component 411 (e.g., a wireless transceiver) may allow the sensing device 224 to communicate with the cloud computing system 404. Radio component 411 may transmit the pressure data to cloud computing system 404, which may also analyze the pressure data. In some cases, connection component 410 may include a cloud endpoint component 412, which may be configured to interface with cloud computing system 404. For example, cloud endpoint component 412 can stream data to cloud computing system 404. In some cases, connected component 410 may include a credential and encryption component 413, which may allow sensing device 224 to securely access cloud computing system 404. For example, sensing device 224 may have a signature for accessing cloud computing system 404. The cloud computing system 404 may process the signature to authenticate the sensing device 224.

In several embodiments, the sensing device 224 may include one or more sensors 420, such as a pressure sensor 320 and/or a flow meter 330, as described in more detail above.

In many embodiments, sensing device 224 may include firmware 415. In some embodiments, firmware 415 may include a data acquisition component 416 that may receive and/or convert signals received from sensor 420. For example, when one or more of the sensors 420 provide an analog signal, the data acquisition component 416 can include one or more analog-to-digital converters to convert the analog signal to digital data. In other embodiments, the analog signal may be converted to a digital signal in the sensor. In many embodiments, the data acquisition component 416 may store and/or access data that has been recently acquired, such as data sensed within a previous test interval or within a previous 2 hours in other embodiments. In many embodiments, the acquired data may be uploaded to a cloud computing system 404, which may store long-term data to cover a longer duration of time than short-term data stored in the sensing device 224. In several embodiments, the firmware 415 may include a close control component 417 that may send a signal to the automatic close valve 340 (FIG. 3) to close or open the automatic close valve 340 (FIG. 3). In various embodiments, the firmware 415 may include a usage detection component 418 that may detect whether a fixture in the water system 200 (fig. 2) was opened before or during a test interval. As described above, the leak characterization system 400 may wait to perform the test if there is water usage in the water system 200 (fig. 2), or may immediately open a shut-off valve and wait to restart the test if already in process or performing the test. In many embodiments, the connection component and/or firmware component 415 may be part of the controller 310 (fig. 3).

Cloud computing system 404 may communicate with one or more sensing devices (e.g., sensing device 224), such as sensing devices installed in many different water systems (e.g., water system 200 (fig. 2)). In some embodiments, cloud computing system 404 may be implemented in a dedicated cloud computing platform, a physical and/or virtual partition of a cloud computing platform, limited access (e.g., subscription access) to a cloud computing platform, and/or other suitable cloud computing implementations. In other embodiments, cloud computing system 404 may be a computing system, such as computer system 1200 (fig. 12) described below, that is not part of a cloud computing platform. In many embodiments, cloud computing system 404 may include cloud pipeline component 425. In many embodiments, cloud pipeline component 425 may include a streaming gateway 426 that may acquire data from one or more sensing devices (e.g., sensing device 224), such as on a streaming and/or continuous basis. In several embodiments, cloud pipeline component 425 may include a long-term storage component 427 that may store and/or access data that has been streamed from one or more sensing devices (e.g., sensing device 224) to cloud computing system 404. In various embodiments, cloud pipeline component 425 may include a notification queue 428. When one of the one or more sensing devices (e.g., 224) detects a potential leak that satisfies the notification threshold, the sensing device (e.g., 224) may send a notification to cloud computing system 404. The cloud computing system 404 may add the received notification to the notification queue 428 to process the notification when sufficient resources are present on the cloud computing system 404.

In various embodiments, cloud computing system 404 may include a leak characterization component 430 that may be used to detect and characterize leaks. In some embodiments, the leak characterization component 430 may include a pressure calculation component 431 that may process the received pressure data to determine pressure loss over time. For example, once a home is isolated from a pressurized water input, it resembles a pressurized reservoir. Such pressurized reservoir systems should maintain their pressure levels unless a leak occurs that allows fluid and/or vapor to escape. The pressure loss within such a reservoir system can be modeled using Bernoulli's energy principle, where the potential energy of the system can be the initial pressure ("hydraulic head") and the kinetic energy can be described by the flow of water exiting the system.

To determine the size of the leak, a method is used to solve for the pressure in a single time step and the predicted pressure in the next time step. This method is considered approximate, since a pressure decay is observed, but a number of possible free parameters can be inferred. In addition, the following assumptions can be made:

the closed system may be supplied from the outside of the pressurized water via an automatic shut-off valve 340 (fig. 3) or a manual shut-off valve.

The temperature and density of the fluid within the system may be approximately constant, and the system itself may be insulated so that processes occurring within the system may be considered adiabatic.

Regardless of the leak geometry (crevice, slit, circular hole, etc.), the cross-sectional area of the leak can be approximated as a circular area whose area matches the actual leak surface area.

The rate of change of the flow rate out of the orifice may be constant. This assumption equivalently indicates that there may be a transient change in flow at the leak location at the time of rupture.

There is no consideration of any frictional losses that the system may accumulate during the presence of a leak, since it can be assumed that the pipe is not very thick.

Pressure changes in the system can be determined by energy changes within the home. By converting the steady pressure into an amount of energy that can be delivered by the pressure, a simulation model of the pressure decay can be made. The pressure can be captured as potential energy by dividing the steady pressure by the specific gravity of the fluid in the system. This calculation may yield the height of the equivalent static column, as shown in equation a, where H is the height of the column, P is the pressure, γ is the specific gravity, ρ is the density of the fluid (which is a constant for fluids such as water), and g is the gravitational acceleration (which is a constant).

This height H may be used as an initial condition for the system and may inform the simulation of an abort when it equals zero.

As mentioned before, the evolution of the system will be marked by changes in energy (mainly changes in kinetic energy). Kinetic energy is captured by the flow out of the system outlet, which in this model is a leak. The volumetric flow rate Q may be found using bernoulli's equation, as shown in equation B, where d is the diameter of the leak orifice (assuming a circular shape) and the parameter k is a dimensionless flow coefficient (which may be assumed to be 1) that may represent the geometric factor of the overall shape of the leak orifice and any possible losses that occur from the pipe material or fluid temperature.

Assuming that the volume flow out of the leak is constant, the change in the height of the water column can be found by integrating the flow rate over a desired period of time and then multiplying the result by the leak area, as shown in equation C, where H' is the new height, Δ t is the time interval and a is the cross-sectional area of the conduit.

Once the new state of the water column has been determined, the current system pressure can be found by using the previously found original height of the water column, as shown in equation D.

P-hx ρ × g equation D

This iterative process may continue until the height of the water column equals zero.

In several embodiments, the leak characterization component 430 may include an orifice estimation component 432 that may estimate a leak orifice size. For example, equation E may be used to determine the difference between every two consecutive pressure samples P_t-1And P_tEquation E is derived using algebraic operation isolation d using equations A, B and C above, where the absolute operator is applied before the final square root to prevent imaginary values with no physical basis.

Since there is a change in the reported pressure data over the entire test interval, the reported value may be an intermediate value between 80 percent and 100 percent of the instantaneous orifice estimate d over the entire observation period. Larger orifice sizes generally correspond to larger leak rates of leakage. This estimation of the orifice size is not independent of the height position of the leak in the structure, as shown in fig. 10 and described in further detail below.

In many embodiments, the leak characterization component 430 may include a threshold determination component 433 that may determine how to respond based on a leak threshold (as represented by diameter d) of the leak orifice size. For example, if the orifice diameter d is less than about 0.001 inches (in) (i.e., the orifice area is less than about 7.85 x 10)^-7Square inches), then a low risk or no risk leak threshold may occur where no notification is authorized. If the orifice diameter d is between about 0.01 inch and about 0.001 inch (i.e., the orifice area is about 7.85 x 10)^-5Square inch and about 7.85 x 10^-7Between square inches), an intermediate risk leak threshold may be triggered, where notification to the plumber may be authorized for further investigation when convenient. If the orifice diameter d is greater than about 0.01 inch (i.e., the orifice area is greater than about 7.85 x 10)^-5Square inches), a high risk leak threshold may be triggered, wherein an emergency notification to the homeowner or user may be authorized. In other embodiments, the threshold may be other suitable values and/or ranges and the notification may be other suitable notification types. Further testing may help to further refine the notification threshold.

In many embodiments, the cloud computing system 404 may provide analysis and storage and elements for notifying the user of leaks through a graphical interface 406 (which may include a mobile or web interface) or other suitable interface. In many embodiments, for example, the graphical interface 406 may include a dashboard component 445 that may provide a report view 446 (such as a report of test results and/or leaks over a period of time), an aggregate statistics 447, and/or a real-time display 448 (such as the current status of the water system 200 (fig. 2) (e.g., whether there are any current leaks detected, pressure readings, etc.)).

In various embodiments, the graphical interface 406 may provide a movement alert 450. For example, mobile alert 450 may include a leak notification 451 that alerts a user and/or plumber when threshold determination component 433 determines that the leak is of sufficient magnitude to authorize the notification.

In various embodiments, the graphical interface 406 may include an editable settings component 455 that may allow a user to input user preferences 456, adjust notification thresholds 457, and/or enable or disable alerts 458.

Turning forward in the drawings, fig. 5 illustrates a graph 500 showing an example of leak characterization of a leak in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)). Specifically, the graph 500 includes a pressure graph 510 in the top graph and an orifice estimation graph 550 in the bottom graph. Pressure graph 510 may show a plot of pressure time domain signal 520 in psi as sampled by pressure sensor 320 (fig. 3). The pressure time domain signal 520 includes regions 521 through 525 corresponding to various characteristics of pressure during observation. For example, region 521 shows a constant pressure marked at about 31psi when the shut-off valve is closed up to about 1 minute at region 522. After region 522, the pressure drops rapidly (as shown at region 523) until the pressure approaches 0psi at about the 1.5 minute mark (as shown at region 524), after which the pressure remains at 0psi for the remainder of the time interval (as shown at region 525). The pressure profile 510 may also include an expected pressure loss curve 530, which may be based on expected pressure drop history data after closing a shut-off valve in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)). The expected pressure loss may represent a pressure loss due to gas escaping through an extremely small leak (e.g., a warning gasket that allows some gas to escape but not water) present in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)).

The orifice estimation map 550 may show a map of estimated orifice sizes calculated at each subsequent pressure sampling. The estimated orifice size in the orifice estimation map 550 may represent the diameter d of the leak orifice as calculated at each subsequent pressure sampling. As shown in orifice estimation plot 550, the orifice size can be estimated to be about 0.11266 inches from the about 1 minute mark when the shut-off valve is closed to the 1.5 minute mark when the pressure approaches 0psi, with a standard deviation of 0.06345. Once the pressure approaches 0psi, the orifice size estimate is no longer valid. An estimated orifice size of 0.11266 inches is greater than about 0.01 inches and may trigger a high risk leak notification, which may result in an emergency notification to the homeowner or user of this significant leak.

Turning forward in the drawings, fig. 6 illustrates a graph 600 showing an example of leak characterization of another leak in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)). Specifically, the graph 600 includes a pressure graph 610 in the top graph and an orifice estimation graph 650 in the bottom graph. Pressure plot 610 may show a plot of a pressure time domain signal 620 in psi as sampled by pressure sensor 320 (fig. 3). The pressure time domain signal 620 includes regions 621-623 corresponding to various characteristics of pressure during observation. For example, region 621 shows a constant pressure marked at about 31psi when the shut-off valve is closed up to about 1 minute at region 622. After region 622, the pressure drops fairly quickly (as shown at region 623) until the pressure approaches 0psi at the approximately 16 minute mark. The pressure profile 610 may also include an expected pressure loss curve 630, which may be based on expected pressure drop history data after closing a shut-off valve in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)), as described above.

The orifice estimate map 650 may show a map of estimated orifice sizes calculated at each subsequent pressure sampling. The estimated orifice size in the orifice estimation map 650 may represent the diameter d of the leak orifice as calculated at each subsequent pressure sampling. As shown in the orifice estimation plot 650, the orifice size can be estimated to be about 0.0198 inches from about the 1 minute mark when the shut-off valve is closed to the 16 minute mark when the pressure approaches 0psi, with a standard deviation of 0.00033. An estimated orifice size of 0.0198 inches is greater than about 0.01 inches and may trigger a high risk leak notification, which may result in an emergency notification to the homeowner or user of this small but still significant leak.

Turning forward in the drawings, fig. 7 illustrates a graph 700 showing an example of leak characterization for another leak in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)). Specifically, graph 700 includes a pressure graph 710 in the top graph and an orifice estimation graph 750 in the bottom graph. Pressure plot 710 may show a plot of a pressure time domain signal 720 in psi as sampled by pressure sensor 320 (fig. 3). The pressure time domain signal 720 includes regions 721 through 723 corresponding to various characteristics of pressure during observation. For example, region 721 shows the constant pressure at about 28.3psi when the shut-off valve is closed up to the mark of about 1 minute at region 722. After zone 722, the pressure slowly drops (as shown at zone 723), to about 26.9psi at the about 16 minute mark. The pressure profile 710 may also include an expected pressure loss curve 730, which may be based on expected pressure drop history data after closing a shut-off valve in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)), as described above.

The orifice estimation map 750 may show a map of estimated orifice sizes calculated at each subsequent pressure sampling. The estimated orifice size in the orifice estimation map 750 may represent the diameter d of the leak orifice as calculated at each subsequent pressure sampling. As shown in the orifice estimation plot 750, the orifice size can be estimated to be about 0.00231 inches from about the 1 minute mark up to the 16 minute mark when the shut-off valve is closed, with a standard deviation of 4 × 10^-5. An orifice size of 0.00231 inches is estimated to be less than about 0.01 inches but greater than about 0.001 inches and may trigger a medium risk leak notification, which may result in a non-emergency notification to the plumber of this very small leak.

Turning forward in the drawings, fig. 8 illustrates a graph 800 showing an example of leak characterization for another leak in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)). Specifically, the graph 800 includes a pressure graph 810 in the top graph and an orifice estimation graph 850 in the bottom graph. Pressure plot 810 may show a plot of a pressure time domain signal 820 in psi as sampled by pressure sensor 320 (fig. 3). The pressure time domain signal 820 includes regions 821 to 823 corresponding to respective characteristics of pressure during observation. For example, region 821 shows a constant pressure marked at about 32.7psi when the shut-off valve is closed up to about 1 minute at region 822. After zone 822, the pressure drops extremely slowly (as shown at zone 823), down to about 32.4psi at the about 16 minute mark. The pressure profile 810 may also include an expected pressure loss profile 830, which may be based on expected pressure drop history data after closing a shut-off valve in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)), as described above.

The orifice estimation map 850 may show a map of estimated orifice sizes calculated at each subsequent pressure sampling. The estimated orifice size in the orifice estimation map 850 may represent the diameter d of the leak orifice as calculated at each subsequent pressure sampling. As shown in the orifice estimation plot 850, the orifice size can be estimated to be about 0.0 inches from about the 1 minute mark up to the 16 minute mark when the shut-off valve is closed, with a standard deviation of 0.0. The orifice size is estimated to be 0.0 inches less than about 0.001 inches and therefore may be considered to fall within a low risk or risk free leak notification threshold range, which may result in no notification being authorized.

Turning forward in the drawings, fig. 9 illustrates a pressure graph 900 showing leakage source identification for a leak in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)). Pressure graph 900 shows a plot of a pressure time domain signal in psi as sampled by pressure sensor 320 (fig. 3). The pressure time domain signal 900 includes regions 901-905 corresponding to various characteristics of the pressure during the leakage source identification procedure.

In several embodiments, after a leak has been identified, such as by using the leak characterization described above, a leak source identification program may be used to locate a location in a house or structure where the leak is occurring. In many embodiments, a separate shut-off valve on each of the separate fixtures in the house or structure may be closed, and then the shut-off valves to the house or structure may be closed. If the pressure time domain signal has a significant attenuation curve similar to the attenuation curve identified in the leak characterization procedure, the leak may not be in one of the fixtures that have been shut down to the pressurized water system but in another portion of the piping infrastructure of the house or structure. If the pressure time domain signal does not have a significant decay profile similar to the decay profile identified in the leak characterization procedure, a leak may be in one of the fixtures that has been shut down to the pressurized water system. To identify which fixture has a leak, an independent shut-off valve can be opened one at a time to see if the pressure time domain signal has a significant decay profile similar to the decay profile identified in the leak characterization routine.

As shown in fig. 9 at region 901, an independent shut-off valve of a downstairs cold water sink (DSC) fixture may be opened, and it may be observed that the pressure time domain signal does not have a significant decay curve similar to the decay curve identified in the leak characterization procedure, such that the leak may not be in the DSC fixture.

Next, at region 902, the independent shut-off valve of the upstairs cold water sink (USC) fixture may be opened, and the pressure time domain signal may be observed to not have a significant decay curve similar to the decay curve identified in the leak characterization procedure, such that the leak may not be in the USC fixture. When it has been determined that the DSC fixture is not a source of leakage, the independent shut-off valve of the DSC fixture may remain open while the independent shut-off valve of the USC fixture is opened. Alternatively, the separate shut-off valve of the DSC fixture may be closed before the separate shut-off valve of the USC fixture is opened.

Next, at region 903, the independent shut-off valve of the tub cold fixture may be opened, and it may be observed that the pressure time domain signal does not have a significant decay curve similar to the decay curve identified in the leak characterization procedure, such that the leak may not be in the tub cold fixture.

Next, at region 904, the individual shut-off valves of the upstairs toilet may be opened, and it may be observed that the pressure time domain signal does not have a significant decay curve similar to the decay curve identified in the leak characterization procedure, such that the leak may not be in the upstairs toilet.

Next, at region 905, the independent shut-off valve of the downstairs toilet may be opened, and it may be observed that the pressure time domain signal actually has a significant decay curve similar to the decay curve identified in the leak characterization procedure, such that a leak may be in the downstairs toilet. A leakage source identification program can thus be used to identify leaks in downstairs toilets. In the same or other embodiments, the orifice size may be calculated during a leak source identification procedure to determine whether the estimated orifice size after opening each individual shut-off valve of an individual fixture is approximately equal to the estimated orifice size calculated during the leak characterization procedure.

Turning forward in the drawings, fig. 10 illustrates a pressure plot 1000 showing simulated leak characterization tests performed on two identical leaks in different elevation positions in a water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)). Specifically, the graph 1000 includes a first pressure time-domain signal 1010 corresponding to a first leak and a second pressure time-domain signal 1020 corresponding to a second leak, both plotted on the same graph 1000 to show the difference in pressure decay curves. Specifically, the first leak and the second leak are identical simulated small fogging leaks, but the first leak is located on the first floor of the house and the second leak is located at a higher elevation on the second floor of the house. During the first leak characterization observation, a first leak (downstairs) but no second leak (upstairs) is present in the water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)), and a first pressure time domain signal 1010 is observed. During the second leak characterization observation, a second leak (upstairs) but not a first leak (downstairs) is present in the water system (e.g., 200 (fig. 2)), and a second pressure time domain signal 1020 is observed. Although the fogging leak is identical, with the same actual orifice size, for both the first leak and the second leak, the first pressure time domain signal 1010 has a slightly faster pressure decay curve than the pressure decay curve of the second pressure time domain signal 1020. In other words, the leak characterization routine estimates the leak orifice size of the first leak to be slightly larger than the estimated orifice size of the second leak. This simulation shows that the estimated orifice size calculated depends to some extent on the location of the leak along the water column. Thus, a smaller leak on the first floor of the building may produce the same pressure decay curve as a larger leak on a higher floor.

In many embodiments, the leak characterization procedure described above may facilitate performing periodic leak detection and characterization tests to ensure the integrity of the building's plumbing infrastructure, such as water system 200 (fig. 2). For example, the test interval may occur once per day (over a 24 hour period) at a time when no water use is expected (e.g., 3 am). In other embodiments, the test interval may occur hourly, weekly, or at another suitable interval. In the same or other embodiments, the leak characterization procedure may be triggered by the user (homeowner) as needed.

In many embodiments, the leak characterization procedure may be advantageously performed without external additional pressurization, unlike manual pressurization tests performed by plumbers on the pipeline infrastructure, in which plumbers manually pressurize the system and see if the pressure readings change over time. In addition, the leak characterization program may provide additional detailed pressure and orifice size estimation information for the entire test interval, rather than merely providing pressure readings at the beginning and end of a manual pressurization test that involves a binary decision to determine whether a leak is present based on the difference of the beginning pressure reading and the ending pressure reading. For example, in many embodiments, the pressure time domain signal may be analyzed to determine decay rates, characteristics, and other information. Further, the estimated orifice size may be evaluated at each point in time to determine the characteristics of the leak.

In several embodiments, the leak characterization procedure may advantageously distinguish between normal water use and leaks, and may detect when water is used by the fixture before or during a test interval. By detecting normal use, the leak characterization procedure can avoid closing a shut-off valve for testing while using water, and if the fixture is opened during a test interval, the shut-off valve can be easily opened during the test so that the water meter routine beneficially does not disrupt normal activities in the house or structure.

In various embodiments, the leak characterization procedure may beneficially detect leaks where there is a loss of gas (e.g., air) but no loss of water through a leak, such as a very small leak in a rubber gasket or shim. Since there is no water flow in such leaks, the flow meter will not be able to detect these leaks even if they become more accurate. These very small leaks may be predictive of potentially larger or even catastrophic leaks in the future, and therefore detecting and characterizing these very small leaks may advantageously help users and/or plumbers to resolve the problem before they become larger leaks.

Turning ahead in the drawings, FIG. 11 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 1100 according to an embodiment. In some embodiments, method 1100 may be a method of leak characterization (such as water leak characterization). The method 1100 is merely exemplary and is not limited to the embodiments presented herein. Method 1100 may be used in many different embodiments or examples not specifically depicted or described herein. In some embodiments, the procedures, processes, and/or activities of method 1100 may be performed in the order presented. In other embodiments, the procedures, processes, and/or activities of method 1100 may be performed in any suitable order. In still other embodiments, one or more of the procedures, processes, and/or activities of method 1100 may be combined or skipped.

Referring to fig. 11, in some embodiments, the method 1100 may optionally include block 1101 of sending a control signal from the one or more processing units to the system shut-off valve to close the system shut-off valve. The one or more processing units may be similar or identical to controller 310 (fig. 3) and/or cloud computing system 404 (fig. 4). The system shut-off valve may be an automatic shut-off valve. The automatic shutoff valve may be similar to or identical to automatic shutoff valve 340 (fig. 3). In other embodiments, the system shut-off valve may be a manual shut-off valve (such as a globe valve or gate valve) that may be manually closed and opened. In many embodiments, block 1101 may be performed by the controller 310 (fig. 3) and/or the shutdown control component 417 (fig. 4).

In various embodiments, the method 1100 may include block 1102 of measuring a water pressure of a water system using a pressure sensor of a sensing device to generate pressure measurement data during a test interval of a system shut-off valve of the water system of a closed structure. The water system may be similar to or identical to water system 200 (fig. 2). The pressure sensor may be similar to or identical to pressure sensor 320 (fig. 3). The sensing device may be similar to or identical to sensing device 224 (fig. 2-4). In some embodiments, the test interval is about 10 minutes to about 20 minutes. In various embodiments, the test intervals occur repeatedly at predetermined periodic intervals. For example, the predetermined periodic interval may be hourly, daily, weekly, or another suitable interval.

In various embodiments, the method 1100 may further include a block 1103 of transmitting the pressure measurement data to the one or more processing units. For example, pressure measurement data may be communicated from pressure sensor 320 (fig. 3) to controller 310 (fig. 3) using pressure data line 314 (fig. 3), and may be communicated to cloud computing system 404 (fig. 4) using connection assembly 410 (fig. 4) and cloud line assembly 425 (fig. 4).

In several embodiments, method 1100 may additionally include estimating an estimated orifice size of a leak in the water system using the one or more processing units based at least in part on the pressure measurement data block 1104. In many embodiments, the estimated orifice size may be an orifice diameter, such as the orifice diameter d described above. In other embodiments, the orifice size may be the area of the leak orifice. In many embodiments, block 1104 may be performed by controller 310 (fig. 3), data acquisition component 416 (fig. 4), pressure calculation component 431 (fig. 4), and/or orifice estimation component 432 (fig. 4).

In many embodiments, block 1104 may include repeatedly estimating an estimated orifice size of the leak throughout the test interval. For example, the orifice size may be calculated at each subsequent sampling of the pressure measurement, as described above. In various embodiments, block 1104 may include estimating an estimated orifice size of a leak in a water system when the leak includes gas escaping from the water system and no water leaks from the water system. In many embodiments, block 1104 may include estimating an estimated orifice size of the leak when the leak in the water system includes water leaking from the water system at: less than about 0.25 liters/minute, less than about 0.20 liters/minute, less than about 0.15 liters/minute, less than about 0.10 liters/minute, less than about 0.05 liters/minute, less than about 0.02 liters/minute, less than about 0.01 liters/minute, less than about 0.005 liters/minute, less than about 0.001 liters/minute, or even smaller air/gas leaks where no water leaks from the leak.

In various embodiments, the method 1100 may optionally include detecting, by a fixture connected to the water system, use of water in the water system during the test interval block 1105. In many embodiments, block 1105 can be performed by usage detection component 418 (fig. 4).

In several embodiments, the method 1100 may additionally include a block 1106 of sending control signals from the one or more processing units to the system shut-off valve to open the system shut-off valve. In many embodiments, block 1106 may be performed by shutdown control component 417 (FIG. 4).

In various embodiments, method 1100 may optionally include block 1107 which determines whether to perform a review test based on the estimated aperture size. For example, if the orifice size is determined to exceed a certain size, a review test may be performed to verify the results, as described above. In many embodiments, block 1107 may be performed by sensing device 224 (fig. 2-4) and/or cloud computing system 404 (fig. 4).

In several embodiments, method 1100 may optionally include block 1108 of determining a notification type based on the estimated aperture size. The notification type may be similar or identical to the notification types described above, such as a low risk or no risk leakage threshold, a medium risk leakage threshold, and/or a high risk leakage threshold or other suitable threshold. In many embodiments, block 1108 may be performed by threshold determining component 433 (fig. 4).

In various embodiments, method 1100 may further include block 1109 of sending a message based on the notification type. For example, the message may be an urgent message to the user/homeowner based on meeting a high risk leak threshold, or a message to the plumber based on meeting a medium leak threshold. In many embodiments, block 1109 may be performed by leak notification component 451 (FIG. 4).

Turning ahead in the drawings, fig. 12 illustrates a computer system 1200, all or portions of which may be suitable for implementing embodiments of at least a portion of network devices 102, 104, and 106, access device 108, sensing device 224 (fig. 2-4), controller 310 (fig. 3), cloud computing system 404 (fig. 4), and/or a user device (e.g., access device 108) providing graphical interface 406 (fig. 4), and/or method 1100 (fig. 11). Computer system 1200 includes a chassis 1202 containing one or more circuit boards (not shown), a USB (universal serial bus) port 1212, a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) and/or Digital Video Disc (DVD) drive 1216, and a hard disk drive 1214. A representative block diagram of the components included on the circuit board within the chassis 1202 is shown in fig. 13. The Central Processing Unit (CPU)1310 in fig. 13 is coupled to the system bus 1314 in fig. 13. In various embodiments, the architecture of CPU1310 may conform to any of a variety of commercial distribution architectures.

Continuing with FIG. 13, the system bus 1314 is also coupled to memory 1308 that includes both read-only memory (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM). The non-volatile portion or ROM of memory storage unit 1308 may be encoded with a boot code sequence suitable for restoring computer system 1200 (FIG. 12) to a functional state after a system reset. Additionally, memory 1308 may include microcode, such as a basic input-output system (BIOS). In some examples, the one or more memory storage units of embodiments disclosed herein can include memory storage unit 1308, i.e., a USB equipped electronic device, such as an external memory storage unit (not shown) coupled to Universal Serial Bus (USB) port 1212 (FIGS. 12-13), hard disk drive 1214 (FIGS. 12-13), and/or CD-ROM or DVD drive 1216 (FIGS. 12-13). In the same or different examples, one or more memory storage units of the embodiments disclosed herein may include an operating system, which may be a software program that manages hardware and software resources of a computer and/or a network of computers. An operating system may perform basic tasks such as, for example, controlling and allocating memory, prioritizing the processing of instructions, controlling input and output devices, facilitating networking, and managing files. Some examples of common operating systems may beComprises thatAn Operating System (OS),OS、OS, andOS。

as used herein, "processor" and/or "processing module" refers to any type of computational circuit, such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a controller, a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) microprocessor, a Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) microprocessor, a Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) microprocessor, a graphics processor, a digital signal processor, or any other type of processor or processing circuit capable of performing a desired function. In some examples, one or more processors of the embodiments disclosed herein may include CPU 1310.

In the depicted embodiment of FIG. 13, various I/O devices (such as disk controller 1304, graphics adapter 1324, video controller 1302, keyboard adapter 1326, mouse adapter 1306, network adapter 1320, and other I/O devices 1322) can be coupled to the system bus 1314. The keyboard adapter 1326 and the mouse adapter 1306 are coupled to a keyboard 1204 (fig. 12 and 13) and a mouse 1210 (fig. 12 and 13), respectively, of the computer system 1200 (fig. 12). Although graphics adapter 1324 and video controller 1302 are indicated in FIG. 13 as distinct elements, in other embodiments video controller 1302 may be integrated into graphics adapter 1324 and vice versa. Video controller 1302 is adapted to refresh monitor 1206 (fig. 12 and 13) to display an image on screen 1208 (fig. 12) of computer system 1200 (fig. 12). Disk controller 1304 may control hard disk drive 1214 (fig. 12 and 13), USB port 1212 (fig. 12 and 13), and CD-ROM or DVD drive 1216 (fig. 12 and 13). In other embodiments, different units may be used to control each of these devices separately.

In some embodiments, network adapter 1320 may include and/or be implemented as a WNIC (wireless network interface controller) card (not shown) that is inserted into or coupled to an expansion port (not shown) in computer system 1200 (FIG. 12). In other embodiments, the WNIC card may be a wireless network card built into the computer system 1200 (FIG. 12). The wireless network adapter may be built into computer system 1200 (FIG. 12) by integrating wireless communication capabilities into a motherboard chipset (not shown) or it may be implemented via one or more dedicated wireless communication chips (not shown) connected through a PCI (peripheral component interconnect) or PCI express bus of computer system 1200 (FIG. 12) or USB port 1212 (FIG. 12). In other embodiments, the network adapter 1320 may include and/or be implemented as a wired network interface controller card (not shown).

Although many other components of computer system 1200 (FIG. 12) are not shown, these components and their interconnections are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, further details regarding the construction and composition of the circuit boards inside computer system 1200 (FIG. 12) and chassis 1202 (FIG. 12) need not be discussed herein.

When computer system 1200 in FIG. 12 is running, program instructions stored on a USB drive in USB port 1212, on a CD-ROM or DVD in CD-ROM and/or DVD drive 1216, on hard disk drive 1214, or in memory 1308 (FIG. 13) are executed by CPU1310 (FIG. 13). Some portions of the program instructions stored on these devices may be adapted to carry out all or at least some of the techniques described herein. In various embodiments, computer system 1200 may be reprogrammed with one or more modules, applications, and/or databases (such as those described herein) to convert a general-purpose computer to a special-purpose computer. For purposes of illustration, programs and other executable program components are illustrated herein as discrete systems, but it is understood that such programs and components may reside at various times in different storage components of computer system 1200, and are executed by CPU 1310. Alternatively or in addition, the systems and procedures described herein may be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. For example, one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) can be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and procedures described herein. For example, one or more of the programs and/or executable program components described herein may be implemented in one or more ASICs.

Although computer system 1200 is illustrated in fig. 12 as a desktop computer, the following examples may exist: computer system 1200 can take a different form factor while still having similar functional elements as described for computer system 1200. In some embodiments, computer system 1200 may include a single computer, a single server, or a cluster or collection of computers or servers, or a cloud of computers or servers. In general, a cluster or set of servers can be used when demand on the computer system 1200 exceeds the reasonable capacity of a single server or computer. In some embodiments, computer system 1200 may comprise a portable computer, such as a laptop computer. In certain other embodiments, computer system 1200 may comprise a mobile device, such as a smartphone. In certain additional embodiments, computer system 1200 may include an embedded system. For example, sensing device 224 (fig. 2-4) and/or controller 310 (fig. 3) may include similar or identical elements to at least a portion of the elements of computer system 1200, such as to provide storage, processing, and/or communication computing capabilities.

While the system and method for leak characterization has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the disclosure of embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative of the scope of the invention and is not intended to be limiting. It is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims. For example, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications may be made to any of the elements of fig. 1-13, and the foregoing discussion of certain of these embodiments does not necessarily represent a complete description of all possible embodiments. For example, one or more of the procedures, processes, or activities of fig. 11 may comprise different procedures, processes, and/or activities and may be performed by many different modules in many different sequences.

Replacing one or more claimed elements constitutes reconstruction rather than repair. Additionally, benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element or elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims unless such benefits, advantages, solutions, or elements are set forth in such claims.

In addition, if examples and/or limitations are as follows: the embodiments and limitations disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as exclusive of the ordinary skill in the art: (1) are not explicitly claimed in the claims; and (2) is or is under the doctrine of equivalents a potential equivalent to the stated elements and/or limitations in the claims.

Claims (20)

1. A system, comprising:

a sensing device comprising a pressure sensor configured for measuring water pressure in a closed structure water system during a test interval of a system shut-off valve of the water system, wherein the sensing device is configured for generating pressure measurement data representing water pressure as measured by the pressure sensor; and

one or more processing units comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage media storing machine-executable instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, are configured to perform:

an estimated orifice size of a leak in the water system is estimated based on the pressure measurement data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system shut-off valve is an automatic shut-off valve; and is

The machine-executable instructions are further configured to perform:

a first control signal is sent to close the system shut-off valve.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the machine executable instructions are further configured to perform:

detecting, by a fixture or appliance connected to the water system, usage of water in the water system during the test interval; and is

Sending a second control signal from the one or more processing units to the system shut-off valve to open the system shut-off valve.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

estimating the estimated orifice size of the leak in the water system further comprises:

the estimated orifice size of the leak is repeatedly estimated throughout the test interval.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the test interval is from about 10 minutes to about 20 minutes.

6. The system of any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein:

estimating the estimated orifice size of the leak in the water system further comprises:

the leak in the water system includes the estimated orifice size at which the leak is estimated when gas escapes from the water system and no water leaks from the water system.

7. The system of any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein:

estimating the estimated orifice size of the leak in the water system further comprises:

estimating an estimated orifice size of the leak when the leak in the water system comprises water leaking from the water system at a rate of less than about 0.25 liters/minute.

8. The system of any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein:

the test interval occurs repeatedly at predetermined periodic intervals.

9. The system of any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein the machine executable instructions are further configured to perform:

a determination is made whether to perform a review test based on the estimated aperture size.

10. The system of any of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein the machine executable instructions are further configured to perform:

determining a notification type based on the estimated orifice size; and is

A message is sent based on the notification type.

11. A method, comprising:

measuring a water pressure of a closed structure water system using a pressure sensor of a sensing device during a test interval of a system shut-off valve of the water system to generate pressure measurement data;

transmitting the pressure measurement data to one or more processing units; and

estimating an estimated orifice size of a leak in the water system using the one or more processing units based at least in part on the pressure measurement data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the system shut-off valve is an automatic shut-off valve; and is

The method further comprises prior to measuring water pressure in the water system of the structure during the test interval:

a first control signal from the one or more processing units is sent to the system shut-off valve to close the system shut-off valve.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting, by a fixture or appliance connected to the water system, usage of water in the water system during the test interval; and is

Sending a second control signal from the one or more processing units to the system shut-off valve to open the system shut-off valve.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

estimating the estimated orifice size of the leak in the water system further comprises:

the estimated orifice size of the leak is repeatedly estimated throughout the test interval.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the test interval is from about 10 minutes to about 20 minutes.

16. The method of any one of claims 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15, wherein:

estimating the estimated orifice size of the leak in the water system further comprises:

the leak in the water system includes the estimated orifice size at which the leak is estimated when gas escapes from the water system and no water leaks from the water system.

17. The method of any one of claims 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15, wherein:

estimating the estimated orifice size of the leak in the water system further comprises:

estimating an estimated orifice size of the leak when the leak in the water system comprises water leaking from the water system at a rate of less than about 0.25 liters/minute.

18. The method of any one of claims 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15, wherein:

the test interval occurs repeatedly at predetermined periodic intervals.

19. The method of any of claims 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15, further comprising:

a determination is made whether to perform a review test based on the estimated aperture size.

20. The method of any of claims 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15, further comprising:

determining a notification type based on the estimated orifice size; and is

A message is sent based on the notification type.