GB2275295A

GB2275295A - Monitoring and control system for fluid flow

Info

Publication number: GB2275295A
Application number: GB9403253A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Saunders
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-02-19
Filing date: 1994-02-21
Publication date: 1994-08-24
Also published as: GB9403253D0; GB9303422D0

Abstract

A system for monitoring and controlling the flow of fluids (e.g. water) in a pipe network, includes a number of moisture Sensors (34), locatable beneath and adjacent water storage tanks (10, 18), the outputs of which are fed to a controller (32) which, when it receives an input signal from a sensor (indicating a leak) energises normally OPEN valves (28) to CLOSE (cutting off water supply to the tanks) and, possibly, normally CLOSED valves (36) to OPEN diverting the content of the tanks, sinks (20) or baths (22) to overflows. The tanks may be emptied by pumps energised by the controller. An alarm indication is given visually (42) or audibly (44) to alert people to the fact that the system has operated. The controller may operate valves (28/36) selectively in response to outputs from specific sensors (34) if desired. <IMAGE>

Description

MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to monitoring and control systems, in particular systems for monitoring anc controlling the flow of fluid in pipe networks.

There are many cases in which it is desirable andlor necessary for the integrity of a fluid carrying pipe network to be monitored so that action may speedily be taken to control the flow of fluid in the network, for example on the occurrence of a leak.

A burst water pipe in the loft of a building may cause substantial damage to the building, which can be exacerbated if there is no one present in the building to cut off the mains water supply to the burst pipe. Damage caused by water fed to the pipe network from the mains water supply can be considerable.

Even if someone is present in a building and can turn off the mains water supply to the burst pipe there will still often be a substantial volume of water (e.g. in hot and cold water storage tanks) which may be left to pour into the building, An object of the present invention is to provide a system for alleviating andior overcoming this problem.

In one aspect the present invention provides a system for monitoring the integrity of a fluid carrying pipe network which system comprises one or more fluid monitors for placement adjacent parts of the network, each monitor being operable to provide an output when the level of fluid monitored by it exceeds a pre-determined level indicative of an escape of fluid from the network, the outputs of said monitors being fed to control means responsive to those outputs to control operation of valving in the network so as to prevent further fluid being passed to the network andior divert fluid in the network therefrom.

The system is applicable to any pipe network carrying, for example, liquid or gaseous chemical feedstocks used in the chemical, engineering and food processing industries.

The system is also applicable to pipe networks comprising the hot and cold water storage tanks, sinks, baths and water pipes in buildings.

The valving tay comprise normally open valves in the mains water supply to the building and the outlets af hot and cold water storage tanks, which valves are closed by the control means in response to outputs from said monitors.

The valving may further include normally closed valves coupling water storage tanks in the building to overflow or waste outlets, which valves are opened by the control means in response to signals from said monitors.

Alternatively, the control means may be arranged, in response to outputs of said monitors, to energise electrical pumps operable to pump the contents of hot and cold water tanks therefrom.

The valving may further include normally closed valves coupling sinks, baths and the like to overflow or waste outlets, which valves are opened by the control means in response to signals from said monitors, In a domestic situation the fluid monitors comprise water or moisture sensors preferably locatable beneath and adjacent cold and hot water storage tanks, baths, sinks and other water storage facilities located in the building.

The control means may also be arranged to energise visual and/or audible indications; so that a person in the building at the time of a leak (or who enters thereafter) will know that the system has been operated.

The valving may comprise any suitable electrically drivable valves - e.g. paddle valves.

The above aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following descrption of a system embodying the invention no nade with preference to the accompanying, highly schematic, drawing of a pipe network in a domestic building.

The single Figure of drawing shows a domestic cold water storage tank at 10 fed with water from a rising malts water supply 12 via a ball valve (not shown).

An outlet } of cold water storage tank 10 is fed at 16 as an inlet to a hot water tank le in which the cold water fed thereto is heated (e.g. by means of an immersion heater or an 7noirect water heating system). The outlet of the cold water storage tank 14 is also fed at 16' and 16'' to a sink 20 and a bath 22.

An outlet 24 of f the hot water storage tank 18 is fed at 26 to botch the sink 20 and bath 22.

The rising mains water supply 12, the outlet 14 of the cold water storage tank 10 and the outlet 24 or the hot water storage tank 18 all include normally OPEN electrically operable paddle valves 28.

These valves are electrically drivable from their normally OPEN position to a position in which they CLOSE the rising mains water supply 12 and the tank outlets 14 and 24 in response to an output signal on a line 30 from a controller 32.

Inputs to controller 32 are taken from moisture sensors 34 located beneath and adjacent cold water storage tank 10, the hot water storage tank 18, the sink 20 and the bath 22.

Controller 32 is arranged, if any one or more of the moisture sensors 34 provides it with an input indicating the presence of water at the sensor(s) location, to cause a signal to be placed on line 30 closing the valves 28 and so cutting off the supply of water to and from the cold water storage tank 10 and from the hot water storage tank 18.

Damage will therefore be limited - no further water can be fed to the network from the rising mains water supply 12.

To increase the efficacy of the system further, normally CLOSED electrically operable paddle valves 36 may be provided coupling the cold water storage tank 10 and hot water storage tank 18 to an overflow pipe 38 leading to waste and, if desired, coupling the sink 20 and bath 22 to a further waste outlet 40.

When the valves 36 are provided they are driven to OPEN by the signal on line 30 causing valves 28 to CLOSE thus rapidly emptying the hot water storage tank 10 and cold water storage tank 18 and any sink 20 or bath 22 protected by the system.

Thus consequential damage caused by water in tank 10 or 18, sink 20 or bath 22 will be reduced.

Controller 32 is further arranged to provide outputs to a visual alarm indicator 42 and to an audible alarm indicator or buzzer 34. These alarm indicators are arranged, once tripped by operation of the system, to maintain an alarm indication until they are positively turned off or reset by a user.

Controller 32 may take any suitable form - it may be a simple bridge network which is normally balanced and which is driven out of balance to provide an output on line 30 should it receive an input from any of the sensors 34.

The controller may however be implemented in any suitable way e.g. making use of logical AND, NAND or OR circuitry.

The controller if desired may be replaced by a more complex electronic circuit and be adapted to provide specific outputs to selected valves 28 and 36 in response to inputs received from specific moisture sensors 34.

Zn particular should the moisture sensor 34 associated with cold water storage tank 10 provide an output indicative of a leak in that tank then controller 32 might be arranged to CLOSE the valves 28 in the rising mains water supply 12 and outlet 14 of tank 10 and to OPEN valve 36 coupling tank 10 to overflow 38, whilst leaving the other valves in the condition shown.

Again, should the moisture sensor 34 associated for example with the bath 22 indicate that the bath is leaking, then the controller 32 might be arranged to provide outputs CLOSING the valves 22 in the outlets 14 and 24 of the cold and hot storage tanks 10 and 18 respectively and OPENING valve 36 coupling the bath 22 to the waste pipe 40, whilst leaving the other valves in the condition shown, A further additions which it is envisaged may be applied to the system is that the controller 32 may be arranged to provide an alarm indication outside a building in which it is located - perhaps even by automatically dialling an emergency telephone number.

For safety reasons the controller, the valves 28 and 36 and the visual and alarm indicators 42 and 44 will be powered from a battery or an isolated 12 or 24 V DC power supply.

It will be seen that the system proposed will automatically and rapidly prevent water being fed from a rising mains water supply or tank in which it is stored to a part of the pipe network from which water is escaping.

Furthermore, it will be seen that the system can act to automatically and rapidly pass water stored in a tank in the system, in a sink or in a bath, to a waste outlet thereby reducing the possibility of damage to the fabric of a building from these sources.

The system also provides an indication that it has operated which continues, once initiated, until positive action is taken to turn it off - thus ensuring operation of the system when no one is present cannot be overlooked when a person returns to the building in which the system is located.

It will be appreciated that modifications may be made to the above arrangements without departing from the scope of the present invention and that the invention includes within its scope systems for monitoring the integrity of pipe networks carrying fluids other than water - for examples liquid or gaseous chemical feedstocks as used in the chemical, engineering and food processing industries.

Claims

1. P system for monitoring the integrity of a fluid carrying pipe network which system comprises one or more fluid monitors for placement adjacent parts of the network, each monitor being operable to provide an output when the level of fluid monitored by it exceeds a pre-determined level indicative of an escape of fluid from the network, the outputs of said monitors being fed to control means responsive to those outputs to control operation of valving in the network so as to prevent further fluid being passed to the network and/or divert fluid in the network therefrom.

2. A system as claimed in Claim 1, when applied to hot and cold water storage tanks, sinks, baths and water pipes in a building.

3. A system as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the valving comprises normally OPEN valves in the mains water supply to the building and the outlets of hot and cold water storage tanks, which valves are CLOSED by the control means in response to outputs of said monitors.

. A system as claimed in claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the valving further includes normally CLOSED valves coupling water storage tanks in the building to overflow or waste outlets, which valves are OPENED by the control means in response to outputs of said monitors.

5. A system as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein control means is arranged, in response to outputs of said monitors, to energise electrical pumps operable t9 pump the contents of hot and cold water tanks therefrom.

6. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the valving further includes normally CLOSED valves coupling sinks, baths and the lake to overflow or waste outlets, which valves are OPENED by the control means in response to outputs of said monitors.

7. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the water or moisture sensors locatable beneath and adjacent cold and hot water storage tanks, baths, sinks and other water storage facilities located in the building.

s. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control means is arranged to energise visual and/or audible indications when the system has operated.

9. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the valving comprises electrically drivable paddle valves.

10. A system for monitoring the integrity of a fluid carrying pipe system as claimed in Claim 1, and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.