Detection and quantification of domestic hot water use

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for detecting domestic hot water use by a sanitary fitting during an observation period by analysing data relative to volumes of water passing through a water meter, the method including: receiving a first item of data, noted V1, representing the maximum volume of fluid measured over a predetermined period, preferably equal to 5 minutes; receiving a second item of data, noted V2, representing the maximum volume of fluid measured by the meter during another predetermined period, preferably equal to 15 minutes; and detecting that domestic hot water has been used when V1>15 litres and V220 litres.

Claims

1. A method (P) for detecting use of domestic hot water by an equipment (200) using water during a reference duration by analyzing data related to water volumes passing through a water meter (400) disposed upstream of a water distribution system (300) feeding said equipment, said method comprising: a first step of receiving (E1) a first datum, noted V1, representing the maximum fluid volume measured by the water meter during a first predetermined duration, called a short duration, noted 1, during the reference duration, a second step of receiving (E1) a second datum, noted V2, representing the maximum fluid volume measured by the water meter during a second predetermined duration, called a long duration, noted 2, during the reference duration, a step of detecting (E2) a use of domestic hot water, a use of domestic hot water being said detected when: on the one hand, a first condition is fulfilled, according to which the first datum V1 is higher than or equal to a first characteristic threshold chosen between 10 and 20 litres, and on the other hand, a second condition is fulfilled, according to which the second datum V2 is higher than or equal to a second characteristic threshold, said second characteristic threshold being higher than or equal to the first characteristic threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first characteristic threshold is between 4+21 and 8+21.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second characteristic threshold is comprised between 15 and 25 litres.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the short duration is between 2.0 and 7.0 minutes, and preferably substantially equal to 5 minutes, and the long duration is comprised between 10.0 and 30.0 minutes, and preferably equal to 15 minutes.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of detecting (E2) a use of domestic hot water further includes verifying a third condition according to which a use of domestic hot water is detected when the ratio (V21)/(V12) is substantially lower than 1.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the ratio (V21)/(V12) is lower than a threshold between 0.8 and 0.9.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including a step of determining (E3) the flow rate of domestic hot water and the volume of domestic hot water used by the equipment during the reference duration from the first and second data, the flow rate of domestic hot water being determined by the ratio of the maximum fluid volume V1 to the duration 1, the volume of domestic hot water being determined by the maximum fluid volume V2.

8. A method comprising iterating a method (P) according to claim 7 and statistically processing the data of domestic flow rates and volumes of water determined to determine an estimator of the rate and volume of domestic hot water flow consumed by the equipment during a mean use of the equipment.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second characteristic threshold is substantially equal to 20 litres.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the short duration is substantially equal to 5 minutes.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the long duration is equal to 15 minutes.

12. A device (700) for detecting use of domestic hot water by an equipment using water during a reference duration by analyzing data related to water volumes passing through a water meter disposed upstream of a water distribution system feeding said equipment, said device comprising: a reception module (508) configured to receive a first datum, noted V1, representing the maximum fluid volume measured by the water meter for a predetermined duration, called a short duration, during the reference duration, a reception module (508) configured to receive a second datum, noted V2, representing the maximum fluid volume measured by the water meter for another predetermined duration, called a long duration, during the reference duration, a detection module (506) for detecting a use of domestic hot water configured to detect a use of domestic hot water when: on the one hand, a first condition is fulfilled, according to which the first datum V1 is higher than or equal to a first characteristic threshold chosen between 10 and 20 litres, and on the other hand, a second condition is fulfilled, according to which the second datum V2 is higher than or equal to a second characteristic threshold, said second characteristic threshold being higher than or equal to the first characteristic threshold.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the first characteristic threshold is between 4+21 and 8+21.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the second characteristic threshold is between 15 and 25 litres.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein the short duration is between 2.0 and 7.0 minutes, and the long duration is between 10.0 and 30.0 minutes.

16. The device according to claim 12, wherein the detection module for detecting use of domestic hot water is further configured to verify a third condition according to which a use of domestic hot water is detected when the ratio (V21)/(V12) is substantially lower than 1.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the ratio (V21)/(V12) is lower than a threshold comprised between 0.8 and 0.9.

18. The device according to claim 12, further including a determination module for determining the domestic hot water flow rate and the domestic hot water volume used by the equipment during the reference duration configured to determine said flow rate and volume from the first and second data, the domestic hot water flow rate being determined by the ratio of the maximum fluid volume V1 to the duration 1, the volume of domestic hot water being determined by the maximum fluid volume V2.

19. A system comprising: at least one equipment (200) using water during a reference duration; a water meter (400) disposed upstream of a water distribution system (300) feeding said equipment; a server (700) configured to receive data emitted by said water meter; a device (700) according to claim 12.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program directly loadable in the internal memory of a computer, comprising software code portions for running the steps of the method according to claim 1, when said program is run on a computer.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Further features and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the detailed description of implementations and embodiments in no way limiting, with regard to the appended figures in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a system according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a method according to the invention implemented in the system represented in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) Since these embodiments are in no way limiting, alternatives of the invention could in particular be made, which alternatives only comprise a selection of characteristics described in the following, as described or generalised, isolated from the other characteristics described, if this selection of characteristics is sufficient to provide a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention with respect to the state of the art.

(5) In the example represented in FIG. 1, a system 100 according to the invention is illustrated, comprising: an equipment 200 using domestic hot water, here a bathtub, fed by a water distribution system 300; a water meter 400 disposed upstream of the water distribution system 300 feeding the bathtub 200; a server 500 configured to receive data emitted by the water meter 400 by means of a network 600; a device for detecting use of domestic hot water 700 integrated to the server in this exemplary embodiment. The device 700 can be housed anywhere else than in the server.

(6) The reference duration is, in the example represented, 24 hours.

(7) The network 600 is typically a radio network. In this case, not further represented, the water meter 400 includes a transducer capable of converting a mechanical signal generated by the fluid movement into an electrical signal emitted by a radio emitter disposed within the water meter.

(8) The signal emitted by the water meter is then propagated by the network 600 and received by the server 500 by means of a radio receiver.

(9) Usually, the water meter 400 generates a data frame including two maximum consumption volumes, respectively within 5 and 15 minutes during the reference duration. This frame is received by a reception unit 502 of the server 500, such as a network interface card 502.

(10) The server comprises a reception module 504 which is configured to receive the data emitted by the water meter 400.

(11) The server further comprises a microprocessor 506 which is configured to process data emitted by the water meter 400 and received via the reception module 504.

(12) In the example represented, the device 700 comprises a reception module 508 configured to: receive a first datum representing the maximum fluid volume, noted V1, measured by the water meter 400 for the duration of 5 minutes, receive a second datum representing the maximum fluid volume, noted V2, measured by the water meter 400 for the duration of 15 minutes.

(13) The microprocessor 506 is further configured to process the first and second data received from the reception module 508. The microprocessor 506 is part of the device 700 in the embodiment illustrated.

(14) In reference to FIG. 2, a method according to the invention implemented by the system according to the invention is illustrated.

(15) According to this method, it is implemented an iteration, for forty days, of a method P for determining flow rate and volume of domestic hot water which will be described hereinafter and a statistical processing of the data of flow rates and volumes of domestic hot water determined to determine an estimator of the flow rate and volume of domestic hot water consumed by the equipment during the reference duration of 24 hours.

(16) The method P for determining flow rate and volume of domestic hot water comprises: receiving E1 and E1 the first and second data by the reception module 508, detecting E2 use of domestic hot water, if a detection E2 is positive, determining E3 the flow rate and volume of domestic hot water consumed, otherwise returning to the reception step E1.

(17) The processing unit 506 configured to perform the detection E2 comprises, in the example represented, the following three tests: test 1: V115; test 2: V220; and test 3: 5V2/15V112/15.

(18) The first test has the purpose of verifying that the flow rate is sufficient to characterise a use of domestic hot water. The second test has the purpose of verifying that the water volume consumed is sufficient to characterise a use of domestic hot water. The third test has the purpose of verifying that the duration of the use is lower than 12 minutes, which corresponds, according to the invention, to a maximum duration of use of domestic hot water.

(19) The processing unit 506 is configured to perform step E3, according to which the flow rate of domestic hot water is determined by the ratio of the maximum fluid volume V1 to the duration 1, the volume of domestic hot water being determined by the maximum fluid volume V2.

(20) The statistical processing of the data of flow rates and volumes of domestic hot water determined is made by the processing unit 506 and enables an estimator of the mean of the flow rate and volume of domestic hot water consumed by the equipment during a mean usage to be determined.

(21) According to the method P just described, step E1 is implemented as soon as the server receives new data via the reception module 504, itself connected to the network interface card 502. Thereby, this is a method which is implemented in real time.

(22) However, the method described can be easily adapted, without departing from the scope of the invention, by considering a reception module 504 connected to a database which would include first and second values recorded beforehand.

(23) According to one embodiment of the invention, it is provided a computer program product directly loadable in the internal memory of a computer, comprising software code portions for running the steps of the method according to one of the preceding claims, when the program is run on a computer.

(24) Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples just described and many modifications could be provided to those examples without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, the different characteristics, forms, alternatives and embodiments of the invention can be associated to each other according to various combinations insofar as they are not incompatible or exclusive to each other.