Method for monitoring a water supply network in an infrastructure object, a control component for a water supply network and a computer program product

Abstract

Method for monitoring a water supply network (1) in an infrastructure object (2) having water pipes (3) and at least one measuring device (4) for monitoring the water supply network (1) that contains at least the following steps: a) determining at least one structure parameter (5) which characterizes at least one structure of the infrastructure object (2) or the water supply network (1); b) determining at least one water parameter (6) using the at least one measuring device (4), and c) determining at least one probability value (7) for water damage, wherein at least one structure parameter (5) and the at least one water parameter (6) are taken into consideration.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a water supply network in an infrastructure object having water pipes and at least one measuring device for monitoring the water supply network, comprising at least the following steps: a) determining at least one structure parameter that characterizes at least one structure of the infrastructure object or the water supply network; b) determining at least one water parameter using the at least one measuring device, c) determining at least one probability value for water damage to the infrastructure object, wherein the at least one structure parameter and the at least one water parameter are taken into consideration, and d) comparing the at least one probability value with at least one threshold value and introducing at least one protective measure as a function of a result of the comparison, wherein the protective measure serves at least to reduce or even to avoid the consequence of water damage or the risk of water damage to the infrastructure object.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein as a function of the probability value, a control command is transmitted to a valve of the water supply network as a protective measure, wherein the valve is actuated by the control command in such a way that water damage, the consequence of water damage, or the risk of water damage is at least reduced or even avoided.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least method step c) is carried out on a server, wherein the server is arranged outside of the infrastructure object and is connected to the control component of the water supply network by way of data connections, wherein the control component is configured to transmit water parameters obtained with the measuring device to the server and to transmit control commands from the server to at least one valve of the water supply network by way of the data connection.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the water parameter is at least one selected from the group consisting of pressure, flow rate, temperature, pH level, hardness, change in pressure, change in flow rate, and change in temperature.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the at least one water parameter is performed with a historical model, wherein, in the historical model, temporary water parameters are taken into consideration that were determined in the past in the water supply network.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one structure parameter characterizes properties of inhabitants of the infrastructure object.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one structure parameter characterizes at least properties of the water supply network of the infrastructure object or consumer components connected to the water supply network.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one structure parameter characterizes infrastructure properties of the infrastructure object.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the at least one structure parameter is performed with a historical model, wherein, in the historical model, events are taken into consideration that affected the infrastructure object or the water supply network in the past.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein at least one historical event is taken into consideration in the historical model that is selected from the group consisting of time of creation of the infrastructure object; time of creation of the water supply network; age of the infrastructure object; age of the water supply network; and damage to the water supply network that occurred in the past.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a self-learning algorithm is used in the determination of the at least one probability value in step c), the self-learning algorithm being trained using input data, wherein the input data is obtained from a large number of additional infrastructure objects with water supply networks that are monitored using the described method.

12. A control component for a water supply network that includes a control device configured to perform the method according to claim 1.

13. A computer program for performing a method according to claim 1.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the infrastructure object is a building having the water supply network fixedly installed therein to supply water within the building.

Description

(1) The invention and the technical environment are explained in more detail with reference to the illustration. The drawing shows a preferred embodiment, to which, however, the invention is not limited.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an infrastructure object having a described water supply network and means for carrying out the described method.

(3) Shown schematically is an infrastructure object 2 having a water supply network 1 arranged therein which receives water by way of a water source 17 and supplies further to different consumer components 14. The water supply network 1 has water pipes 3 for this purpose, which possibly are also branched at branches 19.

(4) A measuring device 4 with which measurement data may be determined is arranged on the water supply network 1. Such measurement data may be used to determine water parameters 6. The water supply network 1 preferably has at least one controllable valve 10, with which a flow of water through the water supply network 1 or through a pipe of the water supply system 1 may be controlled. A control component 13 of the water supply network 1 particularly preferably exists which is configured to carry out monitoring tasks and control tasks on the water supply system 1 and in particular to control the at least one valve 10 described, and possibly to receive results from the measuring device 4. The control component 13, and measuring device 4, and a valve 10 are particularly preferably arranged in a unit or a module. The control component 13 preferably has a control device 16 in which the described method is saved in whole or in part as a computer program product and with which the described method may be carried out. The control device 16 particularly preferably also has interfaces for establishing data connections 12 to a server 11, which control device is preferably arranged outside the infrastructure object 2. The water parameter 6 is transmitted to the server 11 by way of such a data connection 12.

(5) In addition to the water parameter 6, there also exists at least one structure parameter 5, which is possibly also transmitted to the server 11 by the control component 13 or by the infrastructure object 2 by way of the data connection 12. Embodiments are also possible, however, in which the structure parameter 5 and the water parameter 6 are not transmitted by the control component 13 or the infrastructure object 2 by way of data connections 12, but rather are saved directly on the server 11, for example as part of an initial installation. A probability calculator 20 is used on the server 11 with which a probability value 7 is determined from the available parameters, with which the probability of water damage may be determined. The probability calculator 20 may possibly also comprise an historical model 18, with which temporary parameters may be processed. The probability calculator 20 is preferably a self-learning system, with which input data 15 from a large number of additional infrastructure objects 2 with water supply networks 1 may be taken into account.

(6) The probability value 7 is preferably compared to a threshold value 8. As a function of this comparison, at least one control command 9 is transmitted by the server 11 to the control component 13 or the valve 10 by way of a data connection 12, in order to carry out a measure for reducing the risk of water damage.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(7) 1 Water supply network 2 Infrastructure object 3 Water pipe 4 Measuring device 5 Structure parameter 6 Water parameter 7 Probability value 8 Threshold value 9 Control command 10 Valve 11 Server 12 Data connection 13 Control component 14 Consumer component 15 Input data 16 Control device 17 Water source 18 Historical model 19 Branch 20 Probability calculator