FR2674625A1 - Device for remotely measuring and counting energies of fluids of meters - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device making it possible to pick up, by pulses, the quantities delivered by a meter. These pulses will be sent to a telecommunication circuit, to be read on another meter situated in a central station. It consists of a sensor (8) placed under the measuring disc (4) of the meter, the pulses from the sensor (8), amplified by the amplifier (11), are sent to the telecommunications circuit (12). The device according to the invention is in particular intended for the remote measurement of energies or fluids.

Description

DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to a device for counting energy quantities remotely in a central located at a point very far from the point of use.

 The control and metering of energies (electricity, gas, water ...) is generally located at the place of their use using meters.

 The device according to the invention overcomes this drawback. It comprises, in fact according to a first characteristic, a basic counter with measuring disc driving toothed wheels representing on the periphery the clear inscription of the figures corresponding to consumption.

 A non-magnetic preference sensor detects the number of revolutions of the measuring disc through a hole or a cavity or a hardware mark, and sends its information in the form of pulses to an amplifier.

 The latter connected to an external telephone exchange, sends the necessary information which can then be recorded on the electronic counter of the type commonly used by telecomsunications.

 Depending on the particular embodiment, the counter may be electric in FIG. 1.

 For gas, water and other fluids the device may be according to Figure 2.

 The device elsewhere would be identical in principle if it is energy on different fluids.

 The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

FIG. 1 represents a schematic section according to the device of the invention applied to the metering of electrical energy.

 FIG. 2 represents a schematic section according to the device of the invention applied to the metering of the energy of gases, or fluids such as water, etc.

 With reference to these latter drawings, FIG. 1 represents a schematic section of a single-phase electric meter.

 The principle would be identical for a three-phase or polyphase meter.

 The device, object of the invention, also works if the counter instead of having graduated rollers it displays a digital system.

 The principle remains to capture a number of pulses proportional to the quantity of the physical quantity that we want to measure, and to send, in a telecommunications network, these so-called pulses.

 The latter, like a simple telephone conversation, will be recorded and recorded on an electronic counter located in a central office in a place that may be very far from the distribution point.

 The device can also be connected to a computer terminal that directly establishes consumer bills to subscribers.

 The device according to the invention is particularly intended for the reproducibility of the value of the measurement in a place far from the point served by the physical or fluid quantity supplied.

 We know different types of pulse sensors.

The miniaturization of these and their non-magnetic operation allows them to be placed without difficulty under the measuring disc inside the counters.

 The sensors, without having to change the type and manufacturing method of the meters can therefore be easily placed inside them.

 This thus allows to have the advantage that the sensor placed inside the meter becomes inviolable and offers security for the company supplying the energy source (electricity, gas, water, etc.). there can be no fraud or embezzlement.

 In addition, inserted into the pulse amplifier, a frequency transmitter can be provided. The latter, designed on a time database, allows the billing center to verify that there is at no time, for any reason, a break in the billing link. This thanks to the fact that the unit regularly remains connected, even if the subscriber has, for example during his absence, closed the arrival of the fluid or of the energy.

By varying the value of the electrical frequencies, different information can be sent over the same telephone line. The latter will be captured and decoded, depending on whether the pulses at the start can come from an electric meter for normal hours, or an electric meter for off-peak hours known as nights, and (or)
That of a gas, cold water, hot water meter, etc.

 All these pulses from different energies can be decoded and broken down on arrival, to be separately counted.

 They can also be grouped together later on a computer terminal for a global bill for all these different energies consumed by the same subscriber.

 By always playing on the pulse coding frequencies, all the information thus collected, from these different energy meters used by the subscriber, can be sent to the subscriber's own telephone line.

 The fact of using the subscriber's telephone line to send these pulses does not in any way hamper the telecommunication service, nor alter the quality of the transmissions and telephone tapping.

 The advantage of the device, object of the invention, is that the current counters can, with a slight modification on site, receive the sensor and the pulse amplifier. Their miniaturizations authorize their accommodation in meters.

 The fact that pulse counting uses the existing telephone network can be done free of charge.

This information will thus be able to circulate, by telecommunication, by electric lines, by wired circuits, or by optical fibers, or by airways such as telecommunication satellites.

 Another interest of the device, object of the invention resides in the fact that the company distributing an energy, can instantly make a grouping by geographic sector, and know at any time if it has an abnormal leak or loss online.

 This loss may be due to an accident or fraud and therefore intervene immediately at the scene of the incident.

 The interest of the device, object of the invention lies in the fact that the energy distribution company can, at its discretion, either use the existing telecommunication network, or on the contrary rely on a different private or telecommunication network. , or cabling, or optical cables, or radio or aerial networks.

 Figure 1 shows a schematic section of the device according to the invention and applies to a single-phase electric meter.

 The same principle can be applied to a three-phase electric meter and, or those called polyphase.

 FIG. 2 represents a schematic section of the device according to the invention, and applies more particularly to meters measuring fluids such as gas, cold water, hot water, etc.

 In Figure 2, the mechanical part generally moved by the fluid itself, is not shown so as not to make the presentation cumbersome.

 In the case of so-called digital, quartz or liquid crystal meters or diodes, it suffices to count the emissions of pulses emitted and to transcode them into the pulse amplifier before sending them to the telecommunication network.

In the preferred embodiment according to Figure 1
the current inlet (1) supplies the voltage electromagnet (3) and the intensity electromagnet (2).

 The measuring disc (4) rotates between the two parts of the brake block (5) and its adjusting screw.

 The relay device (6) controls the choice of peak and off-peak hours.

 The measuring disc has a mark (7) which may be either a hole, or a cavity, or even depending on the types of sensors, a materialized index, or a given paint, which can be decoded by the sensor (8).

 The latter being mounted on a non-magnetic support (9).

The sensor (8) is supplied at low voltage using the transformer (10>.

 A variant of the device may be envisaged by supplying the sensor (8) with the direct electric voltage taken from the telecommunications network or a secondary network.

 The output of the sensor can be amplified by an amplifier (11) before joining the telecommunications network in (12).

 The schematic section of Figure 2 shows in general all types of meters for fluids such as gas, cold water, hot water, etc ...

 The current source can come either from a transformer (10), or directly from the power supply of telecommunications circuits or another network.

 This source supplies the sensor (8). The measuring disc (4) comprising either a material index (7), or a hole or a cavity, or an appropriate decodable paint.

 The device for measuring the fluid meter is not shown in FIG. 1 so as not to burden the presentation.

 I1 controls the tree (1). The latter controls a wheel (2) which will control the disc (4).

 Unless the drive shaft (1) directly controls the disc (4).

 The assembly driving the reading wheels (5), the number of which may vary depending on the type of counter.

 The output of the sensor (9) possibly passes through an amplifier (11).

 The amplifier outputs (12) go directly to the telecommunication circuit and will be processed on electronic meters in the appropriate central office.

 The device according to the invention is particularly intended for measuring and counting energies and fluids in a central, therefore distant from the distribution point.

Claims (8)

 1. Device for transmitting and accounting remotely for the quantities of energy or fluid measured by a counter comprising a disc or a wheel driven in rotation during the measurement, characterized in that it comprises a sensor (8) which cooperates with the disc or the wheel (4) provided with a mark (7) for producing pulses during the rotation of the disc or the wheel, and an amplifier (11) by which the pulses of the sensor are amplified and transmitted remotely by a circuit (12).  2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the disc or the wheel (4) has a mark (7) in the form of a hole or a cavity.  3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the disc or the wheel (4) has a mark in the form of a material index or a paint decodable by the sensor.  4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor (8) is placed below the disc (4), inside the counter, protected from possible fraud.  5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, the counter being a disc electricity meter, characterized in that the sensor (8) is a non-magnetic sensor.  6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the sensor (8) is supplied by a secondary transformer (10) incorporated in the meter.  7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the amplifier (11) is a frequency coded amplifier, so that in the case of several counters at the same subscriber, the amplifiers (11) different counters can transmit at different frequencies and transmit the pulses by the same circuit.  8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the pulses coded on different frequencies are, on reception in a central office, decoded and counted on different counters.