A liquid dosing device for a container includes a dosing chamber having a front end and a back end. An outlet passage is located at the front end. A plunger is located in the dosing chamber, divides it in a front and a back space, and is moveable between a forward position in which the plunger closes off the outlet passage, and a backward position, in which the front space has a maximal volume. An inlet passage provides fluid communication between the front space and the container. A timer passage provides fluid communication between the container and the back space. A release passage, being greater than the timer passage, provides fluid communication between the back space and the container. A valve assembly at the release passage includes a valve seat located at the back end of the dosing chamber.

An apparatus for the delivery of gas to a user of the type suitable to be crossed at least in part by a flow of gas from a supply network includes: a containment casing having at least one gas inlet opening and at least one gas outlet opening, a measurement module of the gas passing through and/or circulates in the apparatus, housed inside the containment casing and fluidically connected to the at least one outlet opening, a regulation module having a device for regulating the pressure of the gas that passes through and/or circulates in the apparatus, an interception module that is placed between the regulation module and the measurement module. The interception module is configured to selectively allow/prevent the passage of the gas flow towards the measuring module, and is electronically connected with said electronic unit to be thus controlled by said electronic unit.

An ultrasonic flow meter system includes a conduit defining a channel, at least one pair of first transducers, at least one second transducer, and a processor. The pair of first transducers is mounted on the conduit and includes a transmitting transducer and a receiving transducer for generating a first responsive signal. The transmitting transducer and the receiving transducer are arranged on a chordal path. The second transducer is mounted on the conduit for generating a second responsive signal. The processor is configured to receive the first responsive signal and the second responsive signal, select one responsive signal according to a relationship of the first responsive signal and noise thereof and a relationship of the second responsive signal and noise thereof, and determine a flow rate of a flow medium according to the selected responsive signal. A method for measuring the flow rate of the fluid medium is also provided.

Methods and systems for providing fluid resources are disclosed. A system or method may comprise developing an accurate fluid resource need that allows for expedited true up of fluid resource deliver from resource suppliers to a utility provider. The system and methods for delivering a fluid resource may include calculating a regression line based on fluid resource usage, and an associated temperature during the usage period, and a forecasted temperature for a future time period when the fluid resource will needed. The regression line may be used to obtain the amount fluid resource needed from resource suppliers for deliver by a utility provider to customers.

There is provided a method of automatically controlling the mass flow rate of a gas through an orifice through which, in use, choked flow is arranged to occur. The method uses an electronic valve located downstream of a gas source, a piezoelectric oscillator in contact with the gas upstream of the orifice and downstream of the electronic valve and a temperature sensor. The method comprises: a) driving the piezoelectric crystal oscillator at a resonant frequency b) measuring the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric oscillator c) measuring the temperature of the gas; and d) controlling the electronic valve in response to the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric oscillator and the temperature of the gas in order to regulate the mass flow rate of gas through said orifice.

There is provided a method of automatically controlling the mass flow rate of a gas through an orifice through which, in use, choked flow is arranged to occur. The method uses an electronic valve located downstream of a gas source, a piezoelectric oscillator in contact with the gas upstream of the orifice and downstream of the electronic valve and a temperature sensor. The method comprises: a) driving the piezoelectric crystal oscillator at a resonant frequency b) measuring the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric oscillator c) measuring the temperature of the gas; and d) controlling the electronic valve in response to the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric oscillator and the temperature of the gas in order to regulate the mass flow rate of gas through said orifice.

A measuring arrangement for determining flow velocity of at least one liquid phase and/or a gas phase of a vapor or a fluid composed of a liquid and a gaseous phase or a supercritical fluid, comprising a measuring tube, on or in which at least one sensor element of at least a first flow measuring device is arranged for measuring the liquid phase or the gas phase, wherein the measuring tube has at least an inflow region and an outflow region, wherein between these two regions a central region is arranged, whose measuring tube cross section has a greater area than the area of the measuring tube cross section of the outflow region or of the inflow region, and method for ascertaining flow of phases of a vapor or of a fluid composed of a liquid and a gaseous phase, or a supercritical fluid.

A valve fully closing part; a calibrating volume calculation part that calculates a calibrating volume on the basis value of an integration of a flow rate measured value outputted from a flow rate sensor in a fluid parameter changing interval; and a calibration part that calibrates a flow rate on the basis of the calculated calibrating volume and a preset reference volume are provided.

A system (10) for pedestrian use includes an accelerometer (110) having multiple electronic sensors; an electronic circuit (100) operable to generate a signal stream representing magnitude of overall acceleration sensed by the accelerometer (110), and to electronically correlate a sliding window (520) of the signal stream with itself to produce peaks at least some of which represent walking steps, and further operable to electronically execute a periodicity check (540) to compare different step periods for similarity, and if sufficiently similar then to update (560) a portion of the circuit substantially representing a walking-step count; and an electronic display (190) responsive to the electronic circuit (100) to display information at least in part based on the step count. Other systems, electronic circuits and processes are disclosed.

An abnormal consumption detection system is provided with remote valve control for a distributed water infrastructure. The system may comprise an electronically controllable valve, a remote communication transmitter, a remote communication receiver, at least one sensor for measuring water flow information associated with the distributed water infrastructure, and at least one processor. The system may determine from the water flow information obtained from the at least one sensor a potential abnormal consumption associated with the distributed water infrastructure. The system may automatically close a valve, without human intervention, when the potential abnormal consumption is determined. The system may transmit, via the remote communication transmitter to a remote administrator, alert information about the potential abnormal consumption to enable an administrator to decide based on the transmitted information whether to reopen the valve. The system may receive from the administrator via the remote communication receiver a control signal to reopen the valve, despite the information about the potential abnormal consumption, and reopen the valve.