A vortex flowmeter includes a housing having an interior cavity, a vortex shedder supported by the housing and extending into the interior cavity, an ultrasonic sensor, a bending moment sensor and a controller. The ultrasonic sensor is configured to produce an ultrasonic flow rate output that is indicative of the flow rate of a fluid flow through the interior cavity. The bending moment sensor is configured to produce a bending moment flow rate output that is indicative of the flow rate of the fluid flow through the interior cavity. The controller is configured to generate a flow rate measurement that is indicative of the flow rate based on the ultrasonic flow rate output and/or the bending moment flow rate output.

A vortex flowmeter includes a housing having an interior cavity, a vortex shedder supported by the housing and extending into the interior cavity, an ultrasonic sensor, a bending moment sensor and a controller. The ultrasonic sensor is configured to produce an ultrasonic flow rate output that is indicative of the flow rate of a fluid flow through the interior cavity. The bending moment sensor is configured to produce a bending moment flow rate output that is indicative of the flow rate of the fluid flow through the interior cavity. The controller is configured to generate a flow rate measurement that is indicative of the flow rate based on the ultrasonic flow rate output and/or the bending moment flow rate output.

An electronic sensing and allocation system is provided for a distributed water infrastructure containing a plurality of differing appliances. The system may receive, from at least one sensor upstream of the plurality of differing appliances, a plurality of signals indicative of water usage within the distributed water infrastructure. The system may output a first indication of a first volume of water together with an indicator attributing the first volume of water to a first rate schedule, and output a second indication of a second volume of water together with an indicator attributing the second volume of water to a second rate schedule. The system may enable billing of the first and second volumes of water to a consumer at differing rates based on differing uses.

An electronic sensing and allocation system is provided for a distributed water infrastructure containing a plurality of differing appliances. The system may receive, from at least one sensor upstream of the plurality of differing appliances, a plurality of signals indicative of water usage within the distributed water infrastructure. The system may output a first indication of a first volume of water together with an indicator attributing the first volume of water to a first rate schedule, and output a second indication of a second volume of water together with an indicator attributing the second volume of water to a second rate schedule. The system may enable billing of the first and second volumes of water to a consumer at differing rates based on differing uses.

A flowmeter (200) is provided having a flow inlet (210) and a flow outlet (210′). A first conduit (208A) has an inlet leg (212A) fluidly coupled to a central conduit portion (212C), wherein the central conduit portion (212C) is further fluidly coupled to an outlet leg (212′A). A second conduit (208B) has an inlet leg (212B) fluidly coupled to a central conduit portion (212′C), wherein the central conduit portion (212′C) is further fluidly coupled to an outlet leg (212′B). The flow inlet (210) is fluidly coupled to a first end of the first conduit (208A) and a first end of the second conduit (208B), and the flow outlet (210′) is fluidly coupled to a second end of the first conduit (208A) and a second end of the second conduit (208B). A manifold (206) is fluidly coupled to the inlet legs (212A, 212B) and the outlet legs (212′A, 212′B). A driver (214) is at least partially coupled to the manifold, wherein the driver (214) is operable to vibrate the first and second conduits (208A, 208B).

A U-shaped tube is used to measure the mass flow rate of the fluid using both thermal method and the Coriolis principle simultaneously. Two resistant coils are wound on the tube to do the thermal measurement and an excitation coil and two optical sensors are used to do the Coriolis flow measurement. It takes the advantages of both technologies and create a flow sensor which is super accurate, gas type insensitive, long-term stable and fast responsive without too much pressure drop.

A flow measurement probe includes an elongate probe having an averaging pitot tube with a plurality of upstream and downstream openings arranged along a length of the elongate probe, and a thermal flow measurement sensor coupled to the elongate probe. A method of measuring fluid flow rate in a process includes calculating a flow rate of the fluid using differential pressure in upstream and downstream openings of an averaging pitot tube in an elongate probe when the differential pressure is at least a defined measurement threshold, and calculating the flow rate of the fluid with a thermal mass flow sensor coupled to the flow measurement probe when the differential pressure is less than the defined measurement threshold.

A flow measurement probe includes an elongate probe having an averaging pitot tube with a plurality of upstream and downstream openings arranged along a length of the elongate probe, and a thermal flow measurement sensor coupled to the elongate probe. A method of measuring fluid flow rate in a process includes calculating a flow rate of the fluid using differential pressure in upstream and downstream openings of an averaging pitot tube in an elongate probe when the differential pressure is at least a defined measurement threshold, and calculating the flow rate of the fluid with a thermal mass flow sensor coupled to the flow measurement probe when the differential pressure is less than the defined measurement threshold.

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.

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.