G01D2204/12

Water profile used to detect malfunctioning water appliances
11061416 · 2021-07-13 · ·

A system is provided for determining whether a specific water appliance is malfunctioning. The system may comprise at least one processor configured to detect, from at least one sensor in a distributed water infrastructure upstream of the plurality of water appliances, a plurality of normal water usage profiles; associate at least one of the plurality of profiles with each of the plurality of appliances; detect at least one current water usage profile; and compare the at least one current profile with at least one of the stored profiles to determine a corresponding identity of an associated appliance and to determine if a deviation exists between the stored profile for the identified appliance and the at least one current profile. The deviation may be reflective of a potential malfunction in the associated appliance. The system may initiate remedial action if the deviation, reflective of a potential malfunction, is determined.

Meters Having Integrated Pressure Regulators and Related Methods and Systems
20210025733 · 2021-01-28 ·

Gas meters are provided including a housing and a pressure regulator integrated with the housing. The pressure regulator is configured to adjust pressure of gas flowing through the gas meter responsive to a signal from a remote location or automatically based on a predetermined pressure threshold programmed into the gas meter.

INFRASTRUCTURE MONITORING DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS

An infrastructure monitoring assembly includes a nozzle cap defining an internal cavity; an antenna positioned at least partially external to the internal cavity; and the antenna covered with a non-metallic material. An infrastructure monitoring assembly includes a nozzle cap defining a first end and a second end, the first end defining a threaded bore configured to mount on a nozzle of a fire hydrant; a cover coupled to the nozzle cap opposite from the first end; an enclosure positioned at least partially between the cover and the first end, the enclosure at least partially defining a cavity; a monitoring device positioned within the cavity; and an antenna positioned between the cover and the first end of the nozzle cap, the antenna connected in electrical communication with the monitoring device, the antenna covered by a non-metallic material.

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR LOW SAMPLING RATE ELECTRICAL LOAD DISAGGREGATION

This disclosure relates generally to method and system for low sampling rate electrical load disaggregation. At low sampling rates, disaggregation of energy load is challenging due to unavailability of events and signatures of the constituent loads. The disclosed energy disaggregation technique receives aggregated load data from a utility meter and sequentially obtains training data for determining disaggregated energy load at low sampling rate. Dictionaries are used to characterize the different loads in terms of power values and time of operation. The obtained dictionary coefficients are treated as graph signals and graph smoothness is used for propagating the coefficients from the training phase to the test phase by formulating an optimization model. The derivation of the optimization model identifies the load of interest and estimate their power consumption based on optimization model constraints. This method achieves accuracy greater than 70% for the loads of interest at low sampling rates.

Infrastructure monitoring devices, systems, and methods

An infrastructure monitoring assembly includes a nozzle cap, the nozzle cap comprising a metallic material; an antenna cover, the antenna cover attached to the nozzle cap, the antenna cover comprising a plastic material, the antenna cover defining an antenna cavity; and an antenna extending into the antenna cavity. An infrastructure monitoring assembly includes a fire hydrant, the fire hydrant defining a nozzle; a nozzle cap, the nozzle cap comprising a metallic material, the nozzle cap attached to the nozzle and sealing the nozzle; an antenna cover attached to the nozzle cap, the antenna cover comprising a plastic material, the antenna cover defining an antenna cavity; and an antenna disposed within the antenna cavity.

UTILITY METER FOR USE WITH DISTRIBUTED GENERATION DEVICE
20200412129 · 2020-12-31 ·

An integrated metering device allows a resource provider to control the output of a distributed generation device onto a resource distribution network or grid. The integrated metering device may include a communications module, a metrology module, an inverter and regulator device, and a transfer switch. A resource provider may communicate with the integrated metering device via the communications module and may control the inverter and regulator device or the transfer switch. The metrology module may monitor the energy provided by the distributed generation device to the grid and may send information about the generated energy to the resource provider via the communications module.

Infrastructure monitoring devices, systems, and methods

An infrastructure monitoring assembly includes a fire hydrant; a pipe connected in fluid communication with the fire hydrant, a fluid at least partially filling the pipe; a sensor positioned in the fluid, the sensor configured to measure a parameter of the fluid; and a processor connected in communication with the sensor, the processor configured to receive a signal from the sensor.

Abnormal consumption detection during normal usage
10838433 · 2020-11-17 · ·

A system is provided for detecting abnormal consumption in one portion of a distributed water infrastructure while normal water usage occurs in another portion of the distributed water infrastructure. The system may comprise at least one processor. The system may receive from at least one sensor associated with the distributed water infrastructure indications of regular water usage. The system may determine, from a plurality of indications received over a time period, a plurality of baseline water usage profiles. The system may receive from the at least one sensor a current water usage profile. The system may compare the current water usage profile with the plurality of baseline water usage profiles. The system may determine an abnormal water consumption based on the comparison between the current water usage profile and the plurality of baseline water usage profiles. The system may generate an abnormal water consumption signal when abnormal water consumption is determined.

Differentiating between multiple overlapping water events
10838434 · 2020-11-17 · ·

A system is provided for differentiating between overlapping water events in a distributed water infrastructure including a plurality of water appliances. The system may comprise at least one processor. The system may repeatedly measure at least one overall water usage indicator of the distributed water infrastructure, the at least one water usage indicator including at least one of an overall flow rate and an overall flow volume in the distributed water infrastructure. The system may detect, in the repeated measurements, a first sustained increase. The system may store in memory a first indicator of the first sustained increase. The system may attribute in memory the first sustained increase to a first water event in the distributed water infrastructure. The system may, during the first sustained increase, detect in the overall measurements a second sustained increase. The system may store in memory a second indicator of the second sustained increase. The system may attribute, in memory, the second sustained increase to a second water event in the distributed water infrastructure. The system may detect, following initiation of the first sustained increase and the second sustained increase, in the repeated measurements a decrease in the overall water usage indicator. The system may attribute to the decrease a third indicator. The system may compare the third indicator with at least one of the first indicator and the second indicator stored in memory to determine a substantial match and determine a cessation of at least one of the first water event and the second water event. The system may initiate an action based on the cessation determination.

Method and system for managing a power grid
10833532 · 2020-11-10 · ·

A smart grid for improving the management of a power utility grid is provided. The smart grid as presently disclosed includes using sensors in various portions of the power utility grid, using communications and computing technology to upgrade an electric power grid so that it can operate more efficiently and reliably and support additional services to consumers. The smart grid may include distributed intelligence in the power utility grid (separate from the control center intelligence) including devices that generate data in different sections of the grid, analyze the generated data, and automatically modify the operation of a section of the power grid. Further, the intelligent devices in the power utility grid may cooperate together to analyze and/or control the state of the power grid. Finally, the distributed intelligence may further include distributed storage.