Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F17—STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS
  • F17D—PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES
  • F17D3/00—Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
  • F17D3/01—Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03F—SEWERS; CESSPOOLS
  • E03F7/00—Other installations or implements for operating sewer systems, e.g. for preventing or indicating stoppage; Emptying cesspools
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01P—MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT
  • G01P5/00—Measuring speed of fluids, e.g. of air stream; Measuring speed of bodies relative to fluids, e.g. of ship, of aircraft
  • G01P5/18—Measuring speed of fluids, e.g. of air stream; Measuring speed of bodies relative to fluids, e.g. of ship, of aircraft by measuring the time taken to traverse a fixed distance
  • G01P5/20—Measuring speed of fluids, e.g. of air stream; Measuring speed of bodies relative to fluids, e.g. of ship, of aircraft by measuring the time taken to traverse a fixed distance using particles entrained by a fluid stream

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and a device for controlling at least one liquid flow in at least one pipe, and mainly (but not exclusively) for controlling liquid flows in pipe networks.
• This invention is concerned, more particularly but not exclusively, with controlling the flow of water in drinking water distribution networks. It also applies to the control of water flows in sanitation networks.
• the present invention aims to solve these problems, by providing a simple, economical and harmless method and device, suitable for controlling a liquid flow in a pipeline, or liquid flows in networks of pipelines, such as networks of pipelines. distribution of drinking water.
• the subject of the invention is essentially a method for controlling one or more liquid flows in a pipeline or a network of pipelines, which consists, in a given pipeline or network, of introducing at at least one point of the pipeline or network, at least one or more relatively small detectable bodies, capable of being entrained by the liquid flow towards the various parts of the pipeline or of the network concerned, and of detecting the passage of said one or more detectable bodies in at least one or more predetermined points of the pipeline or of the network considered.
• the principle of the invention consists in introducing, into one or more liquid flows, one or more bodies which are entrained by this or these flows, and which are automatically detected during their passage at one or more predetermined points, which lets you know the route and speed.
• an area in which very few of the said bodies reach, or in which these bodies advance at very low speed, can be identified as a zone of stagnation.
• the method which is the subject of the invention also advantageously comprises the operation consisting in intercepting said detectable body or bodies at at least one point in the pipeline or in the network concerned, and in extracting this or these bodies from the pipeline or network, in particular so as to prevent these bodies from obstructing branches of a small section network, or reaching the end user.
• the recovery of said body or bodies allows their possible reuse.
• the detectable body or bodies are detected electromagnetically.
• the detection of said body or bodies can be done through the walls of the pipe or pipes, in particular in the case of pipes made of synthetic material.
• the detection of said body or bodies can be done inside the pipe or pipes, for example at singular points of a network, in particular at the level valves.
• the detection is done in a "passive" way, that is to say that one simply detects the passage of the detectable body or bodies at a certain number of points, by identifying these bodies which provide a "signature" when they pass a detector.
• the detection is carried out in an "active" manner, that is to say that the detectable body or bodies are designed to receive and store information as they pass at points predetermined in the pipeline or network, and to restore this information when it passes at another point or at other points, or accumulate this information and restore it only after their recovery at the end of the pipeline or network journey.
• the information obtained from the detection of the passage of said body or bodies at one or more predetermined points of the pipeline or of the network can be processed in real time by a computer system, or be stored for processing. ulterior.
• the present invention also relates to a device for controlling a flow or liquid flows in a pipeline or a network of pipelines, with a view to implementing the method defined above.
• the device in question essentially consists, on the one hand, of at least one detectable body, of relatively small dimensions, and on the other hand, of at least one fixed detector placed at a predetermined point of the pipeline or of the network. concerned, and able to cooperate with the aforementioned detectable body.
• the detectable body contains an electronic "chip” with which is associated a transmitting and / or receiving antenna, the fixed detector being able to cooperate with the electronic "chip” and the antenna of said detectable body.
• the detectable body is devoid of any source of energy, such as battery.
• this detectable body comprises an on-board electrical energy source, such as a battery, which allows its detection at a greater distance, which can reach several meters; this latter arrangement is therefore advantageous in the case of a pipe with a large section.
• the detectable body has an average density substantially equal to that of the liquid circulating in the pipe or the network concerned, for example a density of the order of 1 in the case of a water distribution network.
• this detectable body can "float between two waters", so as to be suitably entrained by any flow of liquid.
• the detectable body has, externally, a disc or pellet shape, or a spherical shape, giving it the general appearance of a ball or a small ball.
• this detectable body comprises, externally, fins which stabilize it, which promote its entrainment by the flow of liquid, and which protect its sensitive parts.
• the detectable body may have an essentially hollow configuration, and be delimited by an envelope which is not only waterproof, but also resistant to the pressure of the liquid circulating in the pipeline or the network concerned.
• this detectable body has a solid structure, of density suitable for that of the liquid circulating in the pipe or the network concerned.
• said detectable body is produced, at least on the surface, with a material which is sufficiently soft or elastic to avoid damaging the walls of the pipe or pipes, in the event of an impact.
• the electronic "chip”, included in the detectable body, performs the functions of power supply, identification and coding, according to generally known techniques, and it makes this body individually identifiable.
• this electronic "chip” is placed substantially in the center of said body, while the antenna, necessary for the transmission and reception of signals exchanged with the fixed detector (s) is formed by a plurality of turns of electrically conductive wire, wound in the form of a coil and taking place in the peripheral region of the detectable body.
• the fixed detector (s) which can be arranged in particular at the level of the valve (s) of the pipeline or of the network concerned, are advantageously connected to a central management computer system.
• the device can also include, to form a complete set:
• At least one piece of equipment for distributing the detectable bodies provided for introducing these bodies into the pipeline or the network, and located at a point close to the primary source of drawing water from the pipeline or the network, and / or
• At least one equipment for intercepting and extracting said detectable bodies located for example at a point in the pipeline or in the network close to an end user.
• Figure 1 is an overall view, very schematic, of a network of pipes equipped with the device object of the present invention
• Figure 2 is a detail view showing equipment for intercepting and extracting detectable bodies
• Figure 3 illustrates the application of the device object of the invention to a sewerage network
• Figure 4 is a detail view, in section, of a detectable body.
• Figure 1 shows, very schematically, a network of pipes, designated as a whole by the reference 1, such as a drinking water distribution network.
• the network 1 comprises a primary source 2 of drawing, and main and secondary pipes 3, in loops and / or branched, leading to a certain number of end users 4 located within a certain perimeter, for example in an urban area.
• the invention provides for introducing into this network 1 detectable bodies 6, and detecting the passage of said bodies 6 at predetermined points in the network 1.
• the device shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 comprises:
• each detectable body 6 has, in the example considered, a generally hollow spherical shape.
• the body 6 thus has a cavity 11, delimited by a spherical envelope 12 which is waterproof and resistant to the pressure of water, provided externally with several stabilization fins 13.
• a "chip" electronic 14 In the center of the cavity 11 of the body 6 is arranged a "chip" electronic 14, performing the functions power supply, identification and coding.
• an antenna 15 formed by several turns of wire wound in an annular coil, which take place just under the spherical envelope 12 of the body 6.
• the average density of the detectable bodies 6 is substantially equal to 1, therefore to the density of the water, so that these bodies 6 can remain in lift in the network water 1.
• the detectable bodies 6, thus formed are introduced one by one into the network 1, by means of the distribution equipment 7, and are entrained by the water flows 5 in the pipes 3.
• the passage of these bodies 6 at the level of the various detectors 8 is detected by electromagnetic path, the information relating to the passage of a body 6 in front of a detector 8 can be immediately transmitted to the central computer system 9.
• detectable bodies 6 are identifiable, and where the instants of passage of these bodies 6 in front the detectors 8 are determined, it is possible to know the water flows 5 from the point of view of their path and their speed, and thus to identify any undesirable zones of water stagnation in the res water 1.
• the interception and extraction of detectable bodies 6 by equipment 10 prevents these bodies 6 from reaching the end user 4, and makes it possible to recover these bodies 6, in particular in the case where their "chip" 14 is used to record, on its route, information to be restored only at the end of the journey.
• the characteristics of the recovery and extraction grid must be adapted to the size and quantity of the detachable bodies 6 used.
• FIG. 3 illustrates the application of the invention to a sewerage network 1, of which only one line 3 (which may also be referred to as a "sewer") is partially shown.
• the waste water passing through this pipe 3 does not fill its entire section, and can reach various levels as indicated in I, II and III. Sludge can also accumulate at the bottom of the pipe 3, for example up to level I.
• a support 16 which is able to receive, and keep waiting, several bodies detectable 6 (as previously described) placed at different heights from each other, each body 6 being individually identifiable.
• the detectable bodies 6 will be selectively released from the support 16 and entrained by the flow 5, and may be identified as they pass in front of at least one detector 8 placed on the pipe 3, downstream of the support 16.
• On this pipe 3 can also be arranged at least one olfactory sensor 17, connected to a central monitoring station.
• the olfactory sensor 17 disposed on the pipe 3 is provided for detecting possible pollution in the sanitation network 1, and for triggering, in the case of such detection, the release of at least one detectable body 6, in order to monitor the progress of pollution and / or channel it.
• the pollution thus detected and monitored can be channeled to a preferential channel, by the appropriate control of the valves of the network.
• detectable bodies 6 in the context of the application to a sewerage network, it may be advantageous to use detectable bodies 6 more or less weighted or on the contrary floating.
• detectable bodies 6 having a density of the order of 1.1 which will be entrained by the sludge, and other detectable bodies 6 having a density of the order of 0.9 which, on the contrary, will accompany the surface flow, which makes it possible to differentiate the flows at the various levels as indicated in I, II and III
• pipes designating both pipes and conduits open to the open air, such as channels and gutters.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Pipeline Systems (AREA)
• Sewage (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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• 1997
  • 1997-03-28 FR FR9704171A patent/FR2761455B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1998
  • 1998-03-27 AU AU70530/98A patent/AU729636B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-03-27 KR KR1019980709656A patent/KR20000016089A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-03-27 EP EP98917265A patent/EP0904509A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-03-27 BR BR9804834A patent/BR9804834A/pt active Search and Examination
  • 1998-03-27 CA CA002254090A patent/CA2254090A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-03-27 JP JP10541246A patent/JP2000511622A/ja active Pending
  • 1998-03-27 US US09/180,926 patent/US6216543B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-03-27 IL IL12720298A patent/IL127202A/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1998-03-27 WO PCT/FR1998/000638 patent/WO1998044290A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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