Calculator, device and method for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a liquid consumption measurement module

Abstract

The invention relates to a computer (2) for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a liquid consumption measurement module (C). The computer is capable of receiving information (Di) representative of the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measurement module and information (Gi) relating to the presence of gas in the measurement module. The computer is configured to detect, from the information representing the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measurement module and the information relating to the presence of gas in the measurement module during a first given period (P1), the occurrence(s) of one or more situations (Sj) during said first period, from among a set of predetermined situations (Sj). Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Calculator, device and method for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a liquid consumption measurement module

[0001] The invention relates to the field of analyzing the consumption of a liquid-type fluid circulation network. More specifically, the invention relates to a calculator, a device, and a method for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a liquid consumption measurement module.

[0002] In certain sectors, it is necessary to know periodically, for example daily, the consumption of a liquid circulation network. This is the case, for example, for a hydraulic network, for which it is necessary to record the volume of water consumed each day at each of the local distribution points of this network. This can also be the case for a thermal energy network using a liquid such as water or oil, or a domestic water network, or even a liquefied gas transport network.

[0003] Metering devices, or other measuring instruments, are thus installed at the point of consumption of the liquid, for example at a valve controlling the liquid's inflow or at the entrance to a section of the distribution network, in order to carry out periodic consumption readings. The information resulting from these measurements is then transmitted to a manager, who can then use it, for example, to assess whether the consumption situation is normal or requires a specific action or distribution strategy.

[0004] However, data relating to liquid consumption can be compromised in certain situations, at the level of the metering instrument itself. This is particularly the case when a gas is present in the metering instrument and disrupts the flow of liquid within the meter. The gas can thus create instability in the metering instrument's measurement, for example by inhomogeneously disrupting the propagation of an ultrasonic signal intended to perform this measurement.

[0005] It is therefore necessary for the manager, beyond the detection of gas in the meter, to be able to characterize the presence of gas in the meter in order to enable him to identify the causes associated with this presence of gas, and where appropriate to be able to assess the accuracy of the data transmitted to him, the seriousness of the situation and to be able to take appropriate measures, such as optimizing the distribution strategy or alerting the consumer.

[0006] There is therefore a need for a device which makes it possible to characterize different situations related to the presence of gas in a module for measuring the consumption of a liquid.

[0007] The present invention falls within this context and aims to meet this need.

[0008] To this end, the invention relates to a calculator for the characterization of situations associated with the presence of gas in a liquid consumption measurement module, the computer being able to receive information representative of the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measurement module and information relating to the presence of gas in the measurement module.

[0009] The calculator according to the invention is configured to detect, from information representative of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module and information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module during a first given period, the occurrence or occurrences of one or more situations during said first period, among a set of predetermined situations.

[0010] The invention thus proposes to discriminate and characterize different types of situations associated with the total or partial presence of gas within the measuring module, based on different information that can be measured directly or indirectly by one or more sensors of the measuring module, such as the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module and the presence of gas in the measuring module, and possibly other characteristics such as temperature.

[0011] These situations associated with the presence of gas in the measuring module are caused by various phenomena. For example, in the context of a water distribution network, the presence of air in the meter can indicate various phenomena, such as a break in the water supply, particularly in the event of water stress or a circuit placed in frost protection, situations indicated by an open air situation in the meter; or even fraud, damage to the meter or an inability of the meter to measure large flow rates, situations which result in cavitation phenomena in the meter.

[0012] Using the information transmitted by the measurement module, the computer can thus characterize the presence of air and estimate the situation associated with this presence, so that it is possible to alert a liquid network manager who can then assess the accuracy of the transmitted data, the severity of the situation, and take appropriate measures. It should be noted that the invention also has the advantage of utilizing measurements taken by sensors typically found in a liquid flow measurement module, and therefore requires no hardware modifications to the measurement module.

[0013] Preferably, the liquid is water, in particular potable or wastewater, and the gas is air. Alternatively, the liquid is a heat transfer fluid, a coolant, an oil, or a liquefied gas.

[0014] In the context of the present invention, and by way of non-limiting example, the term "computer equipped with memory" means one or more electronic and / or software components designed to perform data calculation, data comparison, and data storage operations in a computer memory. The computer may be equipped with one or more microcontrollers and / or processors, arranged to execute instructions from one or more computer programs in order to implement data detection, storage, and transmission steps.

[0015] In the context of the present invention, and by way of non-limiting example, "information representing the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module" means any time-stamped sequence of information, measurements or data, of an analog and / or digital nature, allowing the absolute or relative, instantaneous or cumulative, evolution of a quantity of a liquid, a flow rate of a liquid or a velocity of a liquid passing through the measuring module during a time period, or any time-stamped, analog and / or digital information, measurement or data, allowing the absolute or relative, instantaneous or cumulative, evolution of a quantity of a liquid, a flow rate of a liquid or a velocity of a liquid passing through the measuring module at a given instant of a time period.This could be a sequence of measurements, each indicating the volume of liquid that has passed through the measurement module since the previous measurement; a sequence of measurements, each indicating the cumulative volume of liquid that has passed through the measurement module since an initial time; or a sequence of measurements, each indicating the liquid flow rate or the liquid flow velocity passing through the measurement module. This information could be transmitted periodically by the measurement module, for example every second, or transmitted on an ad hoc basis by the measurement module, upon request from the computer or another component, or following the validation of a given condition, such as gas detection by the measurement module.

[0016] In the context of the present invention, and by way of non-limiting example, "information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module" means any time sequence of information, measurements, or data, of an analog and / or digital nature, that indicates the presence of gas in the measuring module during a time period. For example, this could be a sequence of binary information indicating the presence or absence of gas in the measurement module at each instant of the period or a sequence of measurements indicating the quantity of gas in the measurement module at each instant of the period.

[0017] It may be provided indifferently that the information representing the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measuring module and the information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module come from the same sensor, one of these pieces of information being able to be determined from the other of these pieces of information; or alternatively come from separate sensors.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, the computer is configured to detect said occurrence or occurrences of one or more situations when information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module indicates that a gas is present in the measuring module and by comparing said information representative of the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measuring module to one or more predetermined ranges of values, each range being associated with one of the predetermined situations of said assembly.

[0019] In one embodiment, the ranges do not overlap. In this example, each situation is thus distinguished by a unique combination of gas detection and at least one range of values. In other words, in the absence of gas detection and / or when the liquid flow information is located outside of said ranges, the computer does not detect any occurrence of any situation in said set.

[0020] For example, in the context of a water meter, it may be foreseen that a first situation is associated with the presence of air combined with a flow measured as being less than a first given threshold value, that a second situation is associated with the presence of air combined with a flow measured as belonging to a range extending between the first threshold value and a second given threshold value, and that a third situation is associated with the presence of air combined with a flow measured as being greater than said second threshold value.

[0021] In this example, the first situation indicates an outdoor scenario in which the water meter is completely or almost completely filled with air, a situation that could be caused by a break in the water supply; the third situation indicates cavitation at very high flow rates, causing the formation of unstable air bubbles within the meter, a situation that could be caused by the meter's measuring capacity being mismatched to the water flow rate; and the second situation indicates cavitation at normal flow rates, for which cavitation should not occur, a situation caused, for example, by an air pocket delivered to the meter or by fraud. Other segmentations of the flow ranges, particularly with more than three ranges, can be conceived without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0022] In one embodiment of the invention, the computer is capable of receiving information relating to the temperature of the liquid passing through the measuring module and is configured to detect, from information representing the liquid flow rate and the temperature of the liquid passing through the measuring module and information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module during said first period, said occurrence(s) of one or more situations during said first period, from said set of predetermined situations. In this example, it is possible to supplement the discrimination of situations with additional data, namely the temperature within the measuring module.This temperature can notably help distinguish a situation in which air is detected even though the temperature is below a given threshold value, this situation indicating a purging or frost protection situation in the network at the measurement module level, or even an absence of risk to the measurement module in the presence of frost.

[0023] It may be conceivable to add additional sensors in order to discriminate other types of situations, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0024] In one embodiment of the invention, the computer includes a memory and is configured to store, in particular periodically, in said memory, according to each detected situation, data representative of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module and the duration of presence of gas in the measuring module according to a data structure of said memory, said data structure being associated with said detected situation.

[0025] In the context of the present invention, and by way of non-limiting example, the term "data structure associated with a detected situation" means any structure, organization, or method of data management according to which data can be stored in computer memory, and which can be associated with or reference a situation that can be detected by the computer. This may be, interchangeably, an array or matrix, a linked list, a stack, a queue, a tree, or a graph. In other words, said data relating to a given situation is stored in the computer's memory, according to a data structure specific to that situation, only when said situation has been detected, and in locations of said memory specific to that situation.A duration can, for example, be stored according to a data structure in relative form, for example as a time interval from a given instant, such as the instant of appearance of the gas in the period preceding each storage step; or alternatively in absolute form, such as a time provided by a computer clock.

[0026] The information used to characterize each of the situations is thus concatenated in a synthetic manner according to data structures specific to each of these situations. This makes it possible to avoid continuous storage and / or transmission of all the measurements taken by the various sensors of the measurement module, and to ensure the efficiency of the computer and facilitate its integration within existing measurement modules. It may be provided that this data is stored in memory, according to a data structure, either periodically, for example as the computer receives the information, or on an ad hoc basis.

[0027] The data stored in memory according to these data structures can thus be transmitted, periodically or on request, to a liquid network distribution manager, who can then use this data to assess each of the situations detected, in particular with regard to their duration, and benefit from decision elements enabling him to detect and identify an anomaly, for example to define if there is fraud, if a change in local distribution strategy is necessary, such as a physical limitation of flow, and to verify the reliability of the measurement module and, if necessary, to replace this measurement module with a more suitable module, either in its measurement range or in its measurement technology.

[0028] It may be provided that the computer accumulates or increments data of the same type in memory according to the data structure and / or replaces data with new data of the same type in memory according to the data structure. For example, each data structure may define a data organization according to a string or a data matrix. It may be provided that the data structures are identical and define data organizations of the same type for all situations, or that the data structures are distinct from one situation to another.

[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, the computer is configured to detect said occurrence or occurrences of one or more situations from information representing the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module and information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module during the period preceding each storage step, and to store, at the end of said period, said data representing the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module and the duration of presence of gas in the measuring module according to said data structure associated with said detected situation.

[0030] In this embodiment, the information received by the computer is stored, for example in memory, throughout said period, at the end of which the computer implements the detection steps using all or part of this information, and where applicable, stores said data according to the structure of Appropriate data. Advantageously, the calculator can be configured to determine said data from all or part of this information. In particular, it can be stipulated that the said duration of gas presence in the measuring module is a duration measured from the moment the gas appeared in the period preceding each storage stage.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the invention, during the implementation of each storage step, the computer is configured to replace all or part of the data stored according to said data structure associated with the detected situation, with one or more data points determined from all or part of the information representing the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module and the information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module during said period preceding that storage step. This feature allows the computer to obtain a synthetic representation of each of the detected situations by retaining only the relevant data that characterize these situations.

[0032] For example, during the implementation of each storage step, the computer may be configured to replace all or part of the data stored according to said data structure associated with the detected situation, with new data calculated from the data stored during the previous storage step and / or information representative of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module and information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module during said period preceding this storage step.For example, it could be a summation of the durations of all occurrences of the situation detected since the beginning of said first period, or the last flow measurement received by the computer, or the maximum value between a duration stored in the data structure and a new duration calculated from information representing the flow of the liquid passing through the measurement module and information relating to the presence of gas in the measurement module during said period preceding this storage step.

[0033] In one embodiment of the invention, during the implementation of each storage step, the computer is configured to replace a data representative of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module, stored according to said data structure associated with the detected situation, with a data representative of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module during said period preceding this storage step.

[0034] For example, when a situation is detected, the computer systematically stores, according to the data structure associated with that situation, the last flow rate measured before the presence of air in the measuring module during the period preceding the storage step, replacing the value of that flow rate which has been stored This characteristic allows us to obtain a flow rate data that characterizes the meter's operating range before the presence of air, and thus to identify the context of the air detection in relation to this situation. Alternatively, this value could be replaced by the last flow rate measured during the period preceding the storage stage, by the maximum value between this last value and the last measured flow rate, or by the maximum flow rate measured during the period preceding the storage stage before air was present in the measuring module.

[0035] Alternatively or cumulatively, during the implementation of each storage step, the computer is configured to increment an occurrence counter stored according to the data structure associated with the detected situation. This feature thus makes it possible to store, according to each data structure, the number of occurrences of the situation associated with that structure during the first period and / or the number of occurrences of gas presence related to the situation associated with that structure during the first period.

[0036] Alternatively or cumulatively, during the implementation of each storage step, the computer is configured to replace a stored occurrence duration value, according to the data structure associated with the detected situation, with the larger of this stored value and a duration of gas presence in the measuring module during the period preceding this storage step. This duration of presence is estimated from information regarding the presence of gas in the measuring module. For example, this duration of presence could correspond to the duration for which information regarding the presence of gas in the measuring module indicates that gas is present in the measuring module during the period preceding the storage step. In this example, the computer thus stores, according to each data structure, the larger of the occurrence durations of the associated situation during the first period.

[0037] Alternatively or cumulatively, during the implementation of each storage step, the computer is configured to replace a cumulative time value stored according to said data structure associated with the detected situation, with the sum of this stored value and a duration of gas presence in the measuring module during said period preceding this storage step, this duration of presence being estimated from information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module. In this example, the memory contains, according to each data structure, a cumulative duration, since the beginning of the first period, of gas presence in the measuring module, linked to the situation associated with this data structure. Alternatively, the computer may be configured to replace a cumulative time value stored according to said data structure associated with the detected situation, with The sum of the last cumulative duration value stored in one of said data structures, during the storage step following the last detection of a situation in said set, and the duration of gas presence in the measurement module during said period preceding this storage step, this duration of presence being estimated from the detections of the second sensor. In other words, the cumulative duration value corresponds to the sum of all the durations for which gas is detected by the second sensor during the first period.

[0038] Alternatively or cumulatively, during the implementation of each storage step and when the information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module indicates that gas is present in the measuring module at the instant corresponding to the end of the period preceding this storage step, the computer is configured to replace a value of a running duration stored according to said data structure associated with the detected situation, by a duration of presence of gas in the measuring module up to said instant, this duration of presence being estimated from the information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module.Preferably, if the information regarding the presence of gas in the measuring module indicates the absence of gas in the measuring module at the time corresponding to the end of the period preceding this storage step, the computer is configured to replace a running duration value stored according to the data structure associated with the detected situation with a zero value. In other words, according to this characteristic, if the occurrence of the detected situation persists during the storage step, the duration of the gas presence up to this storage step is stored according to the associated data structure, in particular to ensure continuity in the timestamp between the first period and the first subsequent period.

[0039] Advantageously, at the beginning and / or end of the first period, the computer is configured to reset in its memory all or part of the memory locations corresponding to each of the data structures associated with the situations of said set. This ensures that the information stored according to the data structures has small amplitudes and can therefore be stored and transmitted using a limited number of bits, in order to further enhance the frugality of the device.

[0040] The invention also relates to a device for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a liquid consumption measurement module, the device comprising one or more sensors capable of acquiring information representative of the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measurement module and information relating to the presence of gas in the measurement module and a calculator according to the invention.

[0041] In the context of the present invention, and by way of non-limiting example, the term "sensor capable of acquiring information representative of the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measuring module" means any electronic and / or software component or combination of components capable of measuring one or more physical quantities whose value is, directly or indirectly, representative of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module. For example, this could be an ultrasonic sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, a thermal sensor, or any other type of sensor capable of performing a static or mechanical measurement of the liquid flow rate.

[0042] In the context of the present invention, and by way of non-limiting example, the term "sensor capable of acquiring information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module" means any electronic and / or software component or combination of components capable of measuring one or more physical quantities whose value is, directly or indirectly, a function of the presence of a gas in a liquid passing through a pipe of the measuring module. For example, this could be an ultrasonic sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, a thermal sensor, an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor, a capacitive sensor, or any other type of sensor capable of performing static detection of the presence of a gas in a liquid.

[0043] It may also be provided that the sensor capable of acquiring information representative of the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measuring module and the sensor capable of acquiring information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module are formed by the same sensor, equipped with a computing unit configured to determine said information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module from the information representative of the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measuring module.

[0044] In one embodiment of the invention, the device according to the invention and the measuring module are part of the same equipment, in particular a water meter.

[0045] In one embodiment of the invention, the device includes a sensor capable of acquiring information relating to the temperature of the liquid passing through the measuring module.

[0046] In one embodiment of the invention, the device includes a communication interface and the computer is configured to, at the end of the first period, transmit the data stored according to the data structures of its memory to the communication interface.

[0047] In the context of the present invention, and by way of non-limiting example, "communication interface" means one or more electronic components and / or software designed to exchange data with a remote data processing unit of the device according to the invention, either wired or wirelessly.

[0048] Advantageously, the communication interface is configured to transmit a request to the computer and the computer is configured to, upon receiving said request, implement, during the first period and periodically according to a second period shorter than the first period, the steps of detection, data storage and to transmit the data stored according to the data structures of its memory to the communication interface at the end of the first period.

[0049] It may be provided that the communication interface is configured to periodically transmit, according to said first given period, a request to the computer, the computer being configured to transmit the data stored according to the data structures of its memory to the communication interface at the end of each first period.

[0050] Alternatively, the communication interface may be configured to transmit a request to the computer upon receipt of a request issued by a remote terminal.

[0051] In one embodiment of the invention, the communication interface includes a wireless communication module capable of exchanging data with a remote data processing unit of the device.

[0052] For example, the wireless communication module may be capable of transmitting data frames over a low-power telecommunications network, particularly a LoRaWAN type network, to the remote data processing unit. Other wireless communication protocols may be used, such as Near Field Communication (NFC), or even a wired communication module.

[0053] The invention also relates to a system for analyzing the consumption of a liquid from a liquid distribution network, the system comprising a device according to the invention, a module for measuring the consumption of a liquid connected to said network, and a remote data processing unit from the device, the communication interface and the processing unit being capable of exchanging data and the communication interface being configured to transmit to the processing unit the data received from the computer at the end of the first period.

[0054] The invention also relates to a method for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a liquid consumption measurement module, the method comprising the following steps: receiving information representative of the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measurement module and information relating to the presence of gas in the measurement module; detection, based on representative information of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module and information relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module during a first given period, of one or more occurrences of one or more situations during said first period, among a set of predetermined situations.

[0055] In one embodiment of the invention, the method is implemented by a computer according to the invention.

[0056] The invention also relates to a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a processor, lead the latter to implement the steps of the process according to the invention.

[0057] The invention further relates to a computer-readable storage medium comprising portions of code from a computer program intended to be executed by a processor to implement the steps of the process according to the invention.

[0058] The present invention is now described by means of purely illustrative and in no way limiting examples of the scope of the invention, and from the accompanying drawings, in which the various figures represent:

[0059] [Fig-1] represents, schematically and partially, a system for analyzing the consumption of a liquid from a liquid distribution network according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0060] [Fig.2] represents, schematically and partially, a method for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in the consumption measurement module of the [Fig.1] according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0061] [Fig.3] schematically and partially represents air flow and detection measurements within the consumption measurement module of [Fig.1]; and

[0062] [Fig.4] schematically and partially represents the evolution of different data structures stored in the computer memory of [Fig.1] as the process of [Fig.2] is implemented.

[0063] In the following description, identical elements, by structure or by function, appearing on different figures retain, unless otherwise specified, the same references.

[0064] A system 1 for analyzing the consumption of a liquid from a liquid distribution network is shown in [Fig.1].

[0065] The system 1 includes a device 10 for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a liquid consumption measurement module, and a data processing unit 20 located away from the device 10.

[0066] In the example of [Fig. 1], the device 10 according to the invention and the measuring module form a single piece of equipment, for example a water meter C of a hydraulic distribution network. The water meter C is mounted on a pipe T connecting a main water distribution network to a local secondary distribution network.

[0067] The water meter C includes a sensor 11 capable of acquiring information representative of the water flow rate, in the example described a flow rate D, passing through the meter C, this flow rate being representative of the flow rate passing through the pipe T. This sensor 11 may indifferently be an ultrasonic sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, a thermal sensor or any other type of sensor capable of making a static measurement of the water flow rate.

[0068] The meter C thus makes it possible to measure water consumption, i.e. a flow of water passing through the meter C, periodically, for example according to a period on the scale of the second so that the measurement can be considered as a real-time measurement.

[0069] Alternatively, the sensor 11 may periodically measure a volume of water that has passed through the meter C since the last measurement, a cumulative volume of water that has passed through the meter C, or a water flow velocity through the meter C. These measurements, representative of the water flow rate passing through the meter C, allow this water flow rate to be calculated.

[0070] It should be noted that the device 10 can be adapted for other use cases involving other types of measurement modules, and in particular modules for acquiring information representative of the flow rate of another liquid.

[0071] It may also be possible to relocate all or part of the device 10 away from the measuring module. For example, the device 10 may include the computer 2 and a communication module capable of receiving information from another communication module associated with the sensor 11, in order to receive the flow rate information provided by this sensor 11.

[0072] The meter C is also capable of determining, from information representative of the flow rate, in particular from flow rate measurements D;, information relating to the presence of gas in the meter.

[0073] In the example described, the sensor 11 thus indirectly generates a binary measurement G; indicating the presence or absence of air in the counter C. It may be envisaged that the sensor 11 will generate more complex information, in particular indicating the quantity of air in the counter C.

[0074] Alternatively, the meter C may also include another sensor capable of detecting the presence of gas in the measuring module. This could, for example, be an ultrasonic sensor capable of detecting the presence of air in the meter C, or alternatively, an electromagnetic sensor, a thermal sensor, an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor, a capacitive sensor, or any other type of sensor capable of performing static detection of the presence of air or another gas. gas in meter C. As an alternative, it could be provided that meter C includes other sensors, such as an accelerometer.

[0075] The device 10 also includes a computer 2 equipped with memory. In the example described, the computer 2 may be provided with one or more processors capable of manipulating digital data to perform mathematical operations, logical operations, and comparisons. The computer 2 is connected to the sensor 11 to receive representative flow measurements, for example, flow measurements D and measurements relating to the presence of gas G.

[0076] The computer 2 is also configured to read and store data in said memory. The memory may include random access memory or RAM, read-only memory or ROM, flash memory, cache memory, a hard drive or SSD, or even a portable storage unit, such as a USB flash drive.

[0077] In the example described, the memory is organized according to several data structures Mj, each associated with a given situation from among a set of predetermined situations Sj. In other words, data relating to a given situation can be stored in the memory of the computer 2, according to a data structure Mj specific to that situation Sj, in locations of said memory specific to that situation Sj. The computer 2 can thus store and modify data in the memory according to each of these structures Mj, in particular by replacing or incrementing data in a memory location defined according to that structure Mj with other data of the same type.

[0078] In the example described, each data structure Mj defines a data organization according to a table or a data vector Mj comprising five rows, including a first row indicating the number of occurrences Nb, during a given period, of presence of gas linked to the situation Sj associated with the structure Mj, a second row indicating an ongoing duration Tec of presence of gas linked to the situation Sj associated with the structure Mj, a third row indicating the greatest value Tm of duration of presence of gas, during a given period, linked to the situation Sj associated with the structure Mj, a fourth row indicating a value of fluid flow Dd, in particular the last value of fluid flow, measured before the presence of gas, during a given period, linked to the situation Sj associated with the structure Mj and a fifth row indicating a cumulative duration Te of presence of gas, during a given period, linked to the situation Sj associated with the structure Mj.

[0079] In this example, the structures Mj are thus similar for all situations Sj, so that memory locations corresponding to two lines of the same rank of two structures Mj and Mj- contain data of the same nature.

[0080] It may be foreseen that the data structures Mj define distinct data organizations, and in particular that the data structures Mj are distinct from one situation to another or that they require other information than that which has been listed.

[0081] In the example described, the device 10 also includes a wireless communication module 3 connected to the computer 2 to exchange information with this computer 2, and in particular to receive data stored in memory according to the data structures Mj.

[0082] In the example described, the wireless communication module 3 is capable of exchanging data, for example via a low-power telecommunications network of the LoRaWan type, with the data processing unit 20. The data processing unit 20 can, for example, be a data processing unit of a service operator or a fleet manager.

[0083] It may be possible to use wireless communication modules operating according to other wireless communication protocols, in particular of the type near field communication or NFC (from the English "Near Field Communication"), or even to use a wired or cabled communication module.

[0084] The calculator 2 of the device 10 is thus arranged to implement a method for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a liquid consumption measurement module. An example of an embodiment of this method according to the invention will be described in connection with [Fig. 2].

[0085] Autonomously, the computer 2 implements, periodically according to a period P2, steps of detecting situations El and storing data E2, as well as a step of transmitting data E3 to the wireless communication module 3 at the end of a period Pi during which several iterations of the steps El and E2 have taken place.

[0086] As will be described, the detection El and storage E2 steps are thus repeated periodically according to the second period P2 less than the first period Pi, and the transmission step E3 is implemented at the end of the first period Pp. The periods Pi and P2 can be defined by the same clock of the device 10 or by two separate clocks of the wireless communication module 3 and the computer 2, so that they can be either synchronous or asynchronous.

[0087] During each second period P2, the data D; and G; measured by the sensor 11 are transmitted to the computer 2 and stored, for example in memory, throughout said period P2. [Fig. 3] thus represents a sequence of data D; and G; recorded by the sensor 11 during several periods P2.

[0088] Alternatively, it may be provided that the data D; and G; measured by the sensor 11 are transmitted to the computer 2 only in the event of gas detection, for example when the measurement G; is at a value “1”, or even only on a one-off basis, at the request of the computer 2.

[0089] At the end of each second period P2, in a step El, the computer 2 detects, from the data D and G measured during this period P2, the occurrence during this period P2 of a situation Sj among the set of predetermined situations Sj. In order to characterize these situations, each situation Sj is associated with a flow range PDj to which the flow D measured by the first sensor 11 is compared. The occurrence of a situation Sj is thus detected by the computer 2 if the flow Di is, at a given instant of the period P2, in the range PDj and if the measurement Gi indicates that air is present in the pipe T, in the period P2, or even at the same instant.

[0090] On the other hand, if the measurements G; indicate the absence of gas throughout the period P2, the computer 2 does not detect any occurrence of any situation Sj of said assembly during this period P2, so that no further operation of the process is carried out for this period P2.

[0091] In the example of [Fig. 3], said set comprises three predetermined situations Si, S2, and S3. The first situation Si is associated with a PDi range of strictly positive flow rate strictly less than a value DA; DA being a first threshold value configurable at the level of the computer 2. The second situation S2 is associated with a PD2 range: [DA DB[; where DB is a second threshold value configurable at the level of the computer 2, greater than the first threshold value DA. The third situation S3 is associated with a PD3 range of flow rate greater than or equal to the value DB.

[0092] Combined with the presence of gas, these ranges make it possible to detect each of the situations Si, S2 and S3, which makes it possible to characterize the situation of presence of air.

[0093] In the case of air presence, situation S1 indicates an open-air situation in which the water meter is completely or almost completely filled with air, a situation that could be caused by a break in the water supply. Situation S2 indicates a situation in which there should be no cavitation for the PD2 flow rate range considered, given the design of meter C, unless one considers an unintentional gas release by the water distributor, fraud by a user, or an appliance on the network causing unintentional cavitation. Finally, situation S3 indicates a situation in which the design of meter C is not suitable for operation, i.e., beyond the maximums expected for optimal performance, and in which a gas leak could be linked, for example, to cavitation, independently of a gas supply via the water network.

[0094] It will be possible to provide a different number of flow ranges PDj and / or to discriminate situations Sj with additional information delivered by other sensors of the device 10, such as a temperature sensor within the pipe T.

[0095] As shown in [Fig.3], the flow rate D; measured by the first sensor 11 thus varies between a value DH within the range [DA DB[, a value D2 greater than the value DB and a value DM of maximum flow rate that can be measured by the first sensor 11. The computer 2 thus successively detects, at the end of each period P2, materialized in [Fig.3] by periods P2[ to P27, occurrences of situations S2 and S3, with the exception of period P23 where no occurrence is detected.

[0096] In a step E2, at the end of each period P2, the computer 2 then stores, according to the data structure Mj associated with the situation Sj of which an occurrence was detected during that period P2, data representative of the water flow rate passing through the meter C and the duration of gas presence in the meter C, this data characterizing the occurrence of this situation Sj. This data is determined by the computer 2 from the data D and G stored during that period P2.

[0097] More specifically, for each period P2, in a substep E21, the computer 2 increments the gas presence occurrence counter Nb stored according to the data structure Mj associated with the situation Sj, an occurrence of which was detected during that period P2. In the example described, in the case of continuous air presence between period P2 and the preceding period P2, particularly as indicated by the value Tec, the computer 2 does not increment the counter Nb. At the end of period Pb, a memory location defined by each data structure Mj thus contains a counter Nb indicating the number of occurrences of situation Sj since the beginning of period Pb.

[0098] Sequentially or simultaneously, for each period P2, in a substep E22, the computer 2 increments the stored value Tec, according to the data structure Mj associated with the situation Sj whose occurrence was detected during that period P2, with the duration of air presence associated with the situation Sj during the period P2, in the case where the measurement G indicates the presence of air at the instant corresponding to the end of that period P2, or replaces it with a zero value otherwise. This value Tec corresponds to the duration of air presence associated with the situation Sj from the appearance of air in the meter C until that instant corresponding to the end of that period P2, and can be estimated by the computer 2 by determining the duration during which the measurement G has a value of 1 and the flow rate D is within the range PDj associated with the situation Sj.At the end of period Pb, a memory location defined by each data structure Mj thus contains a value Tec indicating whether a situation Sj is in progress and . for how long, in particular to ensure continuity in the timestamp between this period Pi and a subsequent period Pi.

[0099] Sequentially or simultaneously, for each period P2, in a substep E23, the computer 2 determines the greater of the value Tm stored according to the data structure Mj associated with the situation Sj, an occurrence of which was detected during the current period Pi, and the duration of air presence associated with this occurrence of situation Sj during that period P2. In other words, the computer 2 determines the longest continuous duration of air presence in the counter C during the period Pi, notably taking into account continuities of air presence between two consecutive periods P2. This duration of air presence during period P2 can be estimated in the same way as for substep E22, taking into account a continuity of air presence between period P2 and the preceding period P2, notably as indicated by the value Tec. The computer 2 then replaces the value Tm stored according to the data structure Mj with this value.At the end of period Pb, a memory location defined by each data structure Mj thus contains a value Tm indicating the maximum duration of air presence for all occurrences of the situation Sj associated during this period Pb.

[0100] Sequentially or simultaneously, for each period P2, in a substep E24, the computer 2 replaces the value Dd stored according to the data structure Mj associated with the situation Sj, an occurrence of which was detected during this period P2, with the last value D of fluid flow measured by the first sensor 11 before the appearance of air in the meter C and whose presence is linked to the situation Sj. The time interval in which this last value is selected is determined by the computer 2 by selecting the interval of the period P2 in which the measurement G has a value of 1. At the end of the period P1, a memory location defined by each data structure Mj thus contains a value Dd indicating the last value of the flow rates measured during this period P2 before each occurrence of the presence of air in the meter C, linked to the associated situation Sj.

[0101] Sequentially or simultaneously, for each period P2, in a substep E25, the computer 2 determines the sum of the value Te stored according to the data structure Mj associated with the situation Sj, an occurrence of which was detected during the current period P1, and the duration of air presence associated with this situation Sj during this period P2. Said duration of air presence during period P2 can be estimated in the same way as for substep E22. The computer 2 then replaces the value Te stored according to the data structure Mj associated with the situation Sj, an occurrence of which was detected during this period P2, with the result of this sum. At the end of period Pb, a memory location defined by each data structure Mj thus contains a value Te indicating the sum of all the durations of air presence linked to the associated situation Sj during the first period Pb

[0102] Figure 4 represents the evolution of each of the data structures Mb, M2 and M3. with regard to the measurements D; and G; recorded by sensors 11 and 12 and the detections of occurrences of situations Sb S2 and S3, as represented in [Fig.3].

[0103] It is assumed that prior to the first period P2b at the beginning of period Pb the memory locations defined by each of the data structures Mb M2 and M3 are initialized with null values, except for the data Tec depending on whether or not there is a continuous presence of air between a previous period and period Pb In the example described, the data Tec is initialized with a null value, due to the absence of continuity of presence of air.

[0104] Following the detection of the first occurrence of situation S2, at the end of period P2 b, the calculator 2: a. increments the Nb counter by 1 according to the structure M2; b. stores in the Tec data according to M2 the duration To corresponding to the duration in air presence course related to situation S2 at the end of this period P21; c. stores in the data Tm according to M2 the duration To corresponding to the duration of air presence linked to the situation S2 during this period P21; d. stores in the data Dd according to M2 the last value Di of fluid flow measured by the first sensor 11 before the appearance of air related to the situation S2 during this period P21; e. stores in the data Te according to M2 the duration To corresponding to the sum of the durations of all air presences related to the situation S2 during the period Pi

[0105] The memory locations defined by the other structures Mi and M3 remain unchanged.

[0106] Following the detection of the second occurrence of situation S2, at the end of the following period P2 2, the calculator 2: a. maintains the Nb counter at the same value according to the M2 structure, the presence of gas being continuous between period P2i and period P2i; b. stores a null value in the Tec data according to M2, no occurrence of the situation S2 being in progress at the end of this period P2 2; c. adds to the data Tm according to M2 the duration Tb the presence of gas being continuous between the period P21 and the period P21; d. maintains in the data Dd according to M2 the value Di of fluid flow rate; e. stores in the data Te according to M2 the duration T0+Ti corresponding to the sum of the durations of all air presences related to situation S2 during period Pb

[0107] Furthermore, following the detection of the first occurrence of situation S3, at the end of this period P2 2, the calculator 2: a. increments the Nb counter by 1 according to the M3 structure; b. stores a null value in the Tec data according to M3, no occurrence of situation S3 not being ongoing at the end of this period P2 2; c. stores in the data Tm according to M3 the duration T2 corresponding to the duration of presence of air linked to the situation S3 during this period P2 2; d. stores in the data Dd according to M3 the last value DM of fluid flow measured by the first sensor 11 before the appearance of air related to the situation S3 during this period P2 2; e. stores in the data Te according to M3 the duration T2 corresponding to the sum of the durations of all air presences related to the situation S3 during the period Pi

[0108] The memory locations defined by the Mi structure remain unchanged.

[0109] At the end of the following period P2 3, no occurrence of any of the situations Si, S2 and S3 was detected. The memory locations defined by the structures Mb M2 and M3 remain unchanged.

[0110] Following the detection of the second occurrence of situation S3, at the end of the following period P2 4, the calculator 2: a. increments the Nb counter by 1 according to the M3 structure; b. replaces the zero value of the data Tec according to M3 with the duration T3 corresponding to the current duration of air presence linked to the situation S3 at the end of this period P2 4; c. replaces the value T2 in the data Tm according to M3 with the duration T3 corresponding to the duration of presence of air linked to the situation S3 during this period P2 4, the duration T3 being greater than the duration T2; d. replaces the DM value of the data Dd according to M3 with the last D2 value of fluid flow measured during period P2 4 by the first sensor 11 before the appearance of air related to situation S3 e. stores in the data Tm according to M3 the duration T2 + T3 corresponding to the sum of the durations of all air presences related to situation S3 during period Pb

[0111] The memory locations defined by the other structures Mi and M2 remain unchanged.

[0112] Following the detection of the third occurrence of situation S3, at the end of the following period P2 5, the calculator 2: a. maintains the Nb counter at the same value according to the M3 structure, the presence of gas being continuous between period P2 5 and period P2 4; b. replaces the T3 value of the Tec data according to M3 with a zero value, no occurrence of the situation S3 being in progress at the end of this period P25; c. adds to the value T3 in the data Tm according to M3, the duration T4 corresponding to the duration of presence of air linked to the situation S3 during this period P2 5, the presence of gas being continuous between the period P2 5 and the period P2 4; d. maintains the value D2 of the data Dd according to M3, ; e. stores in the data Tm according to M3 the duration T2 + T3 + T4 corresponding to the cumulative duration of all air presences related to situation S3 during period Pp

[0113] The memory locations defined by the other structures Mi and M2 remain unchanged.

[0114] Following the detection of the fourth occurrence of situation S3, at the end of the following period P2 6, the calculator 2: a. increments the Nb counter by 1 according to the M3 structure; b. replaces the zero value of the data Tec according to M3 with the duration T5 corresponding to the current duration of air presence linked to the situation S3 at the end of this period P2 6; c. maintains the value T3+T4 in the data Tm according to M3, the duration T5 corresponding to the duration of presence of air linked to the situation S3 during this period P2 6 being less than this duration T3+T4; d. maintains the value D2 of the data Dd according to M3; e. stores in the data Tm according to M3 the corresponding duration T2 + T3 + T4 + T5 the cumulative duration of all air presences related to situation S3 during period Pb

[0115] The memory locations defined by the other structures Mi and M2 remain unchanged.

[0116] At the end of the first PH period in an E0 step, the wireless communication module 3 transmits an RT request to the computer 2.

[0117] The reception of this RT request by the computer 2 leads, on the one hand, in a step E3, to the transmission of the data Nb, Tec, Tm, Dd and Te stored in memory according to the data structures Mj by the computer 2 throughout this period Ph to the wireless communication module 3.

[0118] The reception of this RT request by the computer 2 also results in the resetting in its memory of the memory locations corresponding to the data Nb, Tm, Dd, and Te defined by all the data structures Mj with zero values. The data Tec, however, is not reset due to the continuous presence of air between the end of period Pi and the start of the following period Pi.

[0119] It will be noted that at the end of the following iteration, for period P27, the calculator 2 will continue writing the data Nb, Tec, Tm, Dd and Te into memory while maintaining the continuity of the situations of the previous period Pi.

[0120] It is thus understood that the steps El, E2 are repeated periodically, according to the period P2, starting from memory locations defined by the empty structures Mj, except for the data Tec depending on whether or not there is continuity of presence of air between two consecutive periods Pi, as shown in [Fig.3] and [Fig.4].

[0121] Each reception of a new RT request issued by module 3 to computer 2 therefore triggers a reading of the memory locations defined by the data structures Mj followed by a reset of all or part of these memory locations to be filled again by computer 2 for a new period Pb In the example described, the RT requests are thus issued periodically by module 3.

[0122] Alternatively, it may be provided that all memory locations are reset or that memory locations are reset only in the absence of air during the entire period Pb. In the latter case, the computer 2 continues to write to memory according to the data structures Mj from one period Pi to another.

[0123] In a step E4, the wireless communication module 3 transmits the data Nb, Tec, Tm, Dd and Te to the data processing unit 20.

[0124] It may be envisaged that the computer 2 determines other types of data allowing the occurrence of a situation Sj to be characterized, from the measurements taken by the different sensors of the device 10 during each period P2, in order to replace, accumulate, modify or combine the information stored according to the structure Mj associated with this situation Sj using these data.

[0125] The preceding description clearly explains how the invention achieves its objectives, namely, to obtain and characterize different situations related to the presence of gas in a fluid consumption measurement module and to the fluid flow rate, while controlling the amount of data transmitted by the measurement module. These objectives are achieved by discriminating these different situations at the level of the fluid consumption measurement module, and then by characterizing them in dedicated synthetic data structures that can be provided to a remote processing unit for use by a manager.

[0126] In any event, the invention cannot be limited to the embodiments specifically described in this document, and extends in particular to all equivalent means and to any technically operative combination of these means.

Claims

Demands

1. A calculator (2) for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a liquid consumption measurement module (C), the calculator being capable of receiving information (D) representative of the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measurement module and information (G) relating to the presence of gas in the measurement module; the calculator being configured to detect, from the information representative of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measurement module and the information relating to the presence of gas in the measurement module during a first given period (Pi), the occurrence(s) of one or more situations (Sj) during said first period, from among a set of predetermined situations (Sj

2. )■ Calculator (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it is configured to detect said occurrence or occurrences of one or more situations (Sj) when the information (G;) relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module (C) indicates that a gas is present in the measuring module and by comparison of the information (D;) representing the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module to one or more predetermined value ranges (PDj), each range being associated with one of the predetermined situations (Sj) of said assembly.

3. Calculator (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is capable of receiving information relating to the temperature of the liquid passing through the measuring module (C), and in that it is configured to detect, from the information (D;) representative of the flow rate of the liquid and the temperature of the liquid passing through the measuring module and the information (G;) relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module during said first period (PJ, said or said occurrences of one or more situations (Sj) during said first period, among said set of predetermined situations (Sj).

4. Calculator (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a memory and is configured to store, depending on each detected situation (Sj), data (Nb, Tec, Tm, Dd, Te) representative of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measurement module (C) and the duration of presence of gas in the measurement module according to a data structure (Mj) of said memory, said data structure being associated with said detected situation.

5. Calculator (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it is configured to detect said occurrence or occurrences of one or more situations (Sj) from the information (D;) representing the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module (C) and the information (G;) relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module during the period preceding each storage step, and to store, at the end of said period, said data (Nb, Tec, Tm, Dd, Te) representing the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module and the duration of presence of gas in the measuring module according to said data structure (Mj) associated with said detected situation.

6. Calculator (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it is configured, during the implementation of each storage step, to replace all or part of the data (Nb, Tec, Tm, Dd, Te) stored according to said data structure (Mj) associated with the detected situation (Sj), by one or more data determined from all or part of the information (D;) representing the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module (C) and the information (G;) relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module during said period preceding this storage step.

7. Calculator (2) according to claim 6, characterized in that it is configured, during the implementation of each storage step, to replace a data (Dd) representative of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module (C), stored according to said data structure (Mj) associated with the detected situation (Sj), by a data representative of the flow rate of the liquid passing through the measuring module during said period preceding this storage step.

8. Calculator (2) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that it is configured, during the implementation of each storage step, to increment a stored occurrence counter (Nb) according to said data structure (Mj) associated with the detected situation (Sj).

9. Calculator (2) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that it is configured, during the implementation of each storage step, to replace a value (Tm) of an occurrence duration stored according to said data structure (Mj) associated with the detected situation (Sj), by the greater of the values ​​of this stored value and a duration of presence of gas in the measuring module (C) during said period preceding this storage step, this duration of presence being estimated from the information (G;) relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module.

10. Calculator (2) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that it is configured, during the implementation of each storage step, to replace a value of a cumulative duration (Te) stored according to said data structure (Mj) associated with the detected situation (Sj), by the sum of this stored value and a duration of presence of gas in the measuring module (C) during said period preceding this storage step, this duration of presence being estimated from the information (G;) relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module.

11. Calculator (2) according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that it is configured, during the implementation of each storage step and when the information (Gi) relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module (C) indicates that a gas is present in the measuring module at the instant corresponding to the end of the period preceding this storage step, to replace a value (Tec) of an ongoing duration stored according to said data structure (Mj) associated with the detected situation (Sj), by a duration of presence of gas in the measuring module up to said instant, this duration of presence being estimated from the information (Gi) relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module.

12. Calculator (2) according to any one of claims 4 to 11, characterized in that it is configured to, at the beginning and / or at the end of the first period (Pi), reset all or part of the memory locations corresponding to each of the data structures (Mj) associated with the situations of said set (Sj).

13. Device (10) for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a measuring module (C) of the consumption of a liquid, comprising: a. one or more sensors (11) capable of acquiring information (D;) representative of the flow rate of a liquid passing through the measuring module and information (G;) relating to the presence of gas in the measuring module; b. a computer (2) according to one of the preceding claims.

14. Device (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the computer (2) is a computer according to any one of claims 4 to 12, characterized in that it comprises a communication interface (3); and in that the computer is configured to, at the end of the first period (Pi), transmit the data (Nb, Tec, Tm, Dd, Te) stored according to the data structures (Mj) of its memory to the communication interface.

15. Analysis system (1) for the consumption of a liquid from a liquid distribution network, the system comprising a device (10) according to claim 14, a measurement module (C) for the consumption of a liquid connected to said network, and a remote data processing unit (20) for the device, the communication interface (3) and the processing unit being capable of exchanging data and the communication interface being configured to transmit to the processing unit the data (Nb, Tec, Tm, Dd, Te) received from the computer (2) at the end of the first period (Pi).

16. Method for characterizing situations associated with the presence of gas in a measuring module (C) of the consumption of a liquid, the method being implemented by a computer (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images