Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage device, for performing leak detection. In one aspect, the method includes actions of obtaining water consumption data that is based on first sensor data generated by a connected water meter that is installed at a property, determining, based on the obtained water consumption data, (i) that a water leak is occurring at the property and (ii) a type of water leak that is occurring at the property, in response to determining (i) that a water leak is occurring at the property and (ii) a type of water leak that is occurring at the property, determining, based on a type of water leak that is determined to be occurring at the property, an operation to mitigate potential damages caused by the water leak, and initiating performance of the operation in order to mitigate potential damages caused by the water leak.

Water meter, configured to supply water at a customer site, including: a water flow regulating valve configured to assume at least three predetermined positions including a fully open position configured to let a maximum water flow to be supplied at said customer site, a closed position configured to prevent water flow to be supplied at said customer site, and at least one intermediate position configured to let at least one respective intermediate water flow, lower than the maximum water flow, to be supplied at said customer site; an actuator operatively coupled to the water flow regulating valve and configured to automatically set a current position of the water flow regulating valve selected out of said at least three predetermined positions; a pressure sensor configured to detect water pressure upstream of the water flow regulating valve; a processing and communicating unit, operatively connected to the actuator, that is configured to communicate with a remote water provider centre to receive water flow regulating valve setting data, wherein said processing and communicating unit is further operatively connected to said pressure sensor to receive water pressure data sensed by said pressure sensor;
wherein said processing and communicating unit is configured to control the actuator to cause the water flow regulating valve to assume said current position corresponding to valve position setting data that are correlated to said water flow regulating valve setting data and to said water pressure upstream of said water flow regulating valve detected by said pressure sensor, wherein said water flow regulating valve setting data are in turn correlated to a customer profile.

A system for providing continuous cooling to a storage rack, including a storage rack, including a first storage node and a second storage node; a first cooling loop including a first cooling distribution unit (CDU); a second cooling loop including a second cooling distribution unit (CDU); a first inlet switching valve coupled between the first storage node and each of the first and the second CDUs; a second inlet switching valve coupled between the second storage node and each of the first and the second CDUs; wherein, when the first cooling loop experiences a failure, a state of the first inlet switch and a state of the second inlet switch is adjusted to i) prevent the first CDU from providing cooling of the first storage node and the second storage node, ii) allow only the second CDU to provide cooling of the first storage node and the second storage node.

System for diagnosing pneumatic control valve online include a sensor set having sensors, attached to a pneumatic control valve, for measuring the state of the pneumatic control valve, a smart data analyzer for processing sensor signal acquired in real time from the sensor set and generating pneumatic control valve state information for online automatic diagnosis of the pneumatic control valve, a data server for transmitting, to an online analysis server, the pneumatic control valve state information received in real time from the smart data analyzer and storing the pneumatic control valve state information for predetermined time period, the online diagnostic server for, by comparing the pneumatic control valve state information with pre-stored normal state data of the pneumatic control valve, determining whether the pneumatic control valve is in abnormal state and generating diagnostic information, and a client computer for displaying the diagnostic information received from the online diagnostic server.

A method is described and shown for operating a filling device with a filling valve for controlling a medium flow, with a discrete-time sampling flow sensor for measurement-based capture of the medium flow discharged by the filling valve and with a controller for actuating the filling valve, wherein the control unit controls the filling valve to perform a filling process with a defined target filling quantity, taking into account the measured actual filling quantity, which is determined with the aid of the flow measurement values captured by the flow sensor. A measurement error caused by the discrete-time sampling of the flow measurement is reduced by synchronizing the start of the filling process between the filling valve and the flow sensor so that the first sampled flow measurement value of the flow sensor has a defined time relationship to the initial opening of the filling valve during the filling process.

One aspect of the invention provides a computer-implemented method including: monitoring a current flow to a valve actuator; determining a previous position of the valve actuator; and determining a direction of movement of the valve actuator from the current flow and the determined previous position. Another aspect of the invention provides a control system including: memory; one or more processors; and a set of instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the one or processors, cause the control system to perform a computer-implemented method as described herein.

An apparatus, method and computer program is described for: receiving, over a period of time, a signal indicative of a pressure measured by a pressure sensor of an earpiece, the earpiece comprising an ear tip configured for insertion into an ear canal of a user, wherein the pressure sensor is arranged to measure a pressure within the ear canal whilst the ear tip is inserted into the ear canal; determining one or more characteristics of the signal; and determining a measure of a quality of a seal between the earpiece and the ear canal based on the one or more characteristics.

An actuator (1) comprises an electric motor (11) for moving an actuated part (2) to an actuated position. The actuator (1) further comprises a controller (10) connected to the electric motor (11) and configured to determine a motor current of the electric motor (11) and to detect motor rotations. The controller (10) is further configured to determine the actuated position by counting the motor rotations detected while the motor current is at or above a current threshold indicative of a load torque, and by not counting motor rotations detected while the motor current is below said current threshold.

Method for diagnosing a pneumatic control valve by using a positioner model includes: establishing relational expression for outputting valve stem displacement according to control pressure, the relational expression including parameters for the characteristics of a positioner, an actuator, and a valve, determining initial parameter value by adjusting the values of the parameters until the difference between a measured value for a normal operation of the pneumatic control valve and output value obtained by the relational expression is smaller than predetermined error limit, determining diagnostic parameter value by adjusting the values of the parameters until the difference between a measured value for a diagnostic operation of the pneumatic control valve and an output value obtained by the relational expression is smaller than a predetermined error limit, and comparing the initial parameter value and the diagnostic parameter value so as to determine whether the pneumatic control valve has abnormality.

An actuator of a process control device continuously monitors actuator force and records high force values at each position point by continuously executing a routine in a processor of the actuator. The routine includes receiving from a position sensor a current position value indicating a position of a valve element in the valve, and from a force sensor a current force value indicating a force applied by the actuator. The routine also includes retrieving, from a memory device coupled to the processor, a previous force value measured at the current position, and comparing the current force values for the current position with the previous force value for the current position. If the current force value for the current position exceeds the previous force value for the current position, the routine replaces the previous force value for the current position with the current force value for the current position in memory.