Water supply device, abnormality detection system, and water supply device abnormality detection method

Abstract

To provide a feed water supply system capable of detecting an abnormality in a foot valve early.SOLUTION: A feed water supply system comprises: a foot valve that is provided in piping within a water receiving tank; a pump that boosts water flowing into the piping via the foot valve from the water receiving tank; an electric motor for driving the pump; and a controller for controlling the electric motor. The pump has a shaft that is connected to the electric motor and rotated by being driven by the electric motor, and an impeller that is fixed to the shaft. The controller detects a first rotation amount that is a rotation amount of the shaft during an automatic operation stop period of the pump, and detects an abnormality in the foot valve on the basis of the detected first rotation amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water supply device, an abnormality detection system, and an abnormality detection method for a water supply device. [Background technology]

[0002] A known water supply system for supplying water to a facility uses a water pump to draw water from a water tank installed underground or elsewhere into a pipe, and then supplies the water to the facility through the pipe. In such a water supply system, when the water pump stops operating, the water in the pipe may return to the water tank, resulting in a "water fall" in the pipe. If water falls in the pipe, the water pump may not be able to draw water from the water tank even when it resumes operation, resulting in insufficient water being supplied to the facility.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a foot valve is provided near the end of the pipe on the water tank side in order to prevent water from falling inside the pipe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-144943 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, even if a foot valve is provided in the piping, if an abnormality occurs in the foot valve and the foot valve does not close completely, there is a risk of water falling into the piping.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a water supply apparatus, an abnormality detection system, and an abnormality detection method for a water supply apparatus that can detect abnormalities in a foot valve at an early stage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A representative embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration: A water supply device of the embodiment includes a foot valve provided on a pipe in a water receiving tank, a pump that pressurizes water flowing from the water receiving tank into the pipe via the foot valve, an electric motor that drives the pump, and a controller that controls the electric motor, the pump having a shaft connected to the electric motor and rotated by the drive of the electric motor, and an impeller fixed to the shaft, and the controller an initial rotation amount, which is the rotation amount of the shaft during a test run stop period of the pump, is stored; A first rotation amount, which is a rotation amount of the shaft during a period in which the automatic operation of the pump is stopped, is detected, and the detected first rotation amount is and the initial rotation amount An abnormality in the foot valve is detected based on the above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the representative embodiment of the present invention, an abnormality in the foot valve can be detected at an early stage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a water supply device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a pump and an electric motor according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the amount of displacement of the shaft during an automatic operation stop period. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting an abnormality in a foot valve in a water supply apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an anomaly detection system including a water supply device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for registering an initial rotation amount of a pump in a water supply apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting an abnormality in a foot valve in a water supply apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting an abnormality in a foot valve in a water supply apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 9]1 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting an abnormality in a foot valve in a water supply apparatus according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) <Overall configuration of the water supply system> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a water supply device according to one embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a pump and an electric motor.

[0011] 1, a water supply device 10 in one embodiment is a device for supplying water from a water receiving tank 100 installed underground to a target facility 200, and is also called a pressurized water supply pump system. The water supply device 10 has a pipe 20 connecting the water receiving tank 100 and the target facility 200, and a pressurized water supply unit 30 that supplies water from the water receiving tank 100 to the target facility 200 via the pipe 20.

[0012] The piping 20 includes a plurality of inlet pipes 21 drawn out from the water tank 100. In one embodiment, the piping 20 includes a first inlet pipe 21A, a second inlet pipe 21B, and a common pipe 22 to which the first inlet pipe 21A and the second inlet pipe 21B are respectively connected. The common pipe 22 is a pipeline common to the first inlet pipe 21A and the second inlet pipe 21B, and extends to the target facility 200. The first inlet pipe 21A and the second inlet pipe 21B are collectively referred to as the inlet pipes 21.

[0013] A first foot valve 40A is provided at the end of the water intake side (in other words, the primary side) of first inlet pipe 21A. A second foot valve 40B is provided at the end of the water intake side of second inlet pipe 21B. These first foot valve 40A and second foot valve 40B are collectively referred to as foot valve 40. Providing foot valve 40 at the end of the water intake side of inlet pipe 21 prevents the occurrence of a phenomenon known as water dripping, in which water sucked up into inlet pipe 21 returns to water receiving tank 100.

[0014] The pressurized water supply unit 30 includes a plurality of pumps 50 (50A, 50B), a plurality of electric motors 60 (60A, 60B) for driving the plurality of pumps 50, a control panel 80 including a control device 70 for controlling various equipment such as the electric motors 60, and a water level sensor 90 for detecting the water level in the water tank 100.

[0015] The pumps 50 are provided in each inlet pipe 21 of the piping 20 to pressurize the water and send it from the primary side, which is the water tank 100 side, to the secondary side, which is the target facility 200 side. The pumps 50 are provided in each inlet pipe 21 of the piping 20. In one embodiment, a first pump 50A is provided in the first inlet pipe 21A, and a second pump 50B is provided in the second inlet pipe 21B. The electric motors 60 are, for example, three-phase AC permanent magnet synchronous motors, and are provided corresponding to each pump 50. That is, a first electric motor 60A is connected to the first pump 50A, and a second electric motor 60B is connected to the second pump 50B. The first pump 50A and the second pump 50B are collectively referred to as pumps 50, and the first electric motor 60A and the second electric motor 60B are collectively referred to as electric motors 60.

[0016] As shown schematically in Fig. 2, each pump 50 includes a shaft 51 and an impeller 52. The shaft 51 constitutes the main shaft of the pump 50 and also constitutes the rotating shaft of the electric motor 60. In other words, the shaft 51, which is the main shaft of the pump 50, is formed integrally with the rotating shaft of the electric motor 60. The impeller 52 is fixed to the shaft 51 and rotates together with the shaft 51 when driven by the electric motor 60.

[0017] Furthermore, a first check valve 91A and a first gate valve 92A are provided on the discharge side of first pump 50A in first inlet pipe 21A (in other words, on the secondary side). Similarly, a second check valve 91B and a second gate valve 92B are provided on the discharge side of second pump 50B in second inlet pipe 21B. Note that the first check valve 91A and the second check valve 91B are collectively referred to as check valves 91, and the first gate valve 92A and the second gate valve 92B are collectively referred to as gate valves 92.

[0018] A pressure tank 93 is connected to the first inlet pipe 21A and the second inlet pipe 21B, i.e., the common pipe 22 to which the multiple inlet pipes 21 are connected. The pressure tank 93 is provided to maintain the pressure inside the common pipe 22 and suppress the operation frequency of the pump 50. Furthermore, a pressure sensor 94 is provided on the discharge side of the pressure tank 93 in the common pipe 22. The pressure sensor 94 measures the pressure inside the common pipe 22.

[0019] The control panel 80 is provided with the control device 70, which is a controller, an inverter 81 for controlling the rotation speed of the electric motor 60 that operates the pump 50, and an inverter control unit 82 that controls the inverter 81. More specifically, the control panel 80 is provided with a first inverter 81A and a first inverter control unit 82A corresponding to the first electric motor 60A, and a second inverter 81B and a second inverter control unit 82B corresponding to the second electric motor 60B. The first inverter 81A and the second inverter 81B are collectively referred to as the inverter 81, and the first inverter control unit 82A and the second inverter control unit 82B are collectively referred to as the inverter control unit 82.

[0020] The inverter 81 converts the input DC voltage into an AC voltage and outputs it to the electric motor 60. The inverter 81 also has, for example, a current sensor (not shown), and the detection result by the current sensor is input to an inverter control unit 82. The inverter control unit 82 appropriately controls the output frequency, output voltage, etc. output from the inverter 81 based on an operation command and a speed command from the control device 70. Specifically, the inverter control unit 82 estimates, for example, the rotational position (in other words, the phase position) of the shaft 51 that constitutes the rotating shaft of the electric motor 60 from the detection result of the current sensor, and controls the switching of multiple switching elements in the inverter 81 according to the phase position of this shaft 51.

[0021] <Control device configuration> The control device 70 provided on the control panel 80 controls various devices of the water supply device 10, including the electric motor 60. In one embodiment, the control device 70 includes a display unit 71 such as an LCD display, a processing unit 72 configured as an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) including a processor, memory 73, and a sensor interface unit 74. The memory 73 is configured, for example, as RAM (Random Access Memory) and EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The EEPROM stores, for example, control programs and various data. The sensor interface unit 74 is configured to allow various external sensors to be connected. External sensors connected to the sensor interface unit 74 include, for example, a water level sensor 90 that detects the water level in the water tank 100 and a pressure sensor 94 that detects the pressure in the common pipe 22.

[0022] The control device 70 controls, for example, the operation of the electric motor 60 connected to the pump 50 based on information from external sensors such as the water level sensor 90 and the pressure sensor 94. That is, based on the information from the external sensors, the control device 70 transmits operation commands and the like to a predetermined inverter control unit 82 instructing the operation of the electric motor 60. The inverter control unit 82 that receives the operation commands and the like from the control device 70 controls the inverter 81 based on the operation commands and the like to operate the electric motor 60 as appropriate.

[0023] The control panel 80 is also provided with a wireless communication device 83 for wireless communication with external devices. The wireless communication device 83 is connected to an antenna 95 provided in the pressurized water supply unit 30. The pressurized water supply unit 30 is configured to be able to communicate with a management server (described later) via the wireless communication device 83 and antenna 95.

[0024] <An example of pump control by a control device> Next, an example of control of the pumps 50 by the control device 70 will be described. Under normal circumstances, in the water supply device 10, the control device 70 automatically operates the pumps 50 so that the pressure in the common pipe 22 is maintained at an appropriate pressure. Specifically, the control device 70 controls the drive of the electric motors 60 connected to the pumps 50 (automatic operation mode). As described above, when operation in the automatic operation mode starts, each pump 50 is in a stopped state. In this state, when the pressure in the common pipe 22 detected by the pressure sensor 94 falls below a preset start value, the control device 70 starts operation of at least one of the multiple pumps 50 via the inverter control unit 82 and the inverter 81. In one embodiment, the control device 70 starts operation of at least one of the first pump 50A and the second pump 50B. More specifically, the control device 70 starts operation of at least one of the first electric motor 60A connected to the first pump 50A and the second electric motor 60B connected to the second pump 50B.

[0025] When the operation of the pump 50 starts, the control device 70 appropriately controls the output frequency of the AC power output from the inverter 81 to the electric motor 60 via the inverter control unit 82, etc., in accordance with information from the pressure sensor 94, i.e., the pressure in the common pipe 22. If, while the pump 50 is operating, the pressure in the common pipe 22 falls below a first pressure, which is a preset starting value, and the control device 70 detects that the amount of water supplied to the target facility 200 is insufficient, the control device 70 controls the inverter control unit 82 to increase the output frequency of the AC power output from the inverter 81 to the electric motor 60. This increases the internal pressure of the pressure tank 93, and accordingly increases the pressure (water pressure) in the common pipe 22.

[0026] When the pressure inside the common pipe 22 reaches a preset second pressure (>first pressure), the control device 70 stops the operation of the pump 50. That is, the control device 70 stops the supply of power to the electric motor 60 that operates the pump 50. Note that, since the pressure tank 93 is provided, even if the pump 50 is stopped, the internal pressure of the common pipe 22 is maintained within an appropriate range for a while thereafter.

[0027] If, for example, the pressure in the common pipe 22 falls below the first pressure again after an automatic operation suspension period in which the pump 50 is stopped, the control device 70 starts operating the pump 50 again. If the pressure in the common pipe 22 falls below the first pressure again, the control device 70 starts operating at least one of the first pump 50A or the second pump 50B, for example. In this way, during the automatic operation mode, the control device 70 starts operating the pump 50 as appropriate every time the pressure in the common pipe 22 falls below the first pressure, and stops operating the pump 50 that is currently operating every time the pressure in the common pipe 22 reaches the second pressure. This maintains the pressure in the common pipe 22 within a predetermined range, ensuring a good supply of water to the target facility 200.

[0028] Furthermore, the control device 70 performs leveling control to operate each pump 50 so that the operation times of the multiple pumps 50 are equalized. In one embodiment, the control device 70 alternately operates the first pump 50A and the second pump 50B every time the pressure in the common pipe 22 falls below the first pressure, so that the operation times of the first pump 50A and the second pump 50B are equalized. The control device 70 may also switch the operation state of each pump 50 depending on the drive time of each pump 50, regardless of the pressure in the common pipe 22. Of course, such leveling control is not necessarily required.

[0029] <Method for detecting abnormalities in water supply equipment> As described above, in the water supply device 10, the foot valve 40 provided in the inlet pipe 21 prevents water from falling into the piping 20. However, if the pump 50 is stopped during automatic operation mode by the control device 70 and the foot valve 40 does not close completely due to a malfunction or the like, water will fall into the piping 20 on the upstream side of the check valve 91. When water falls into the piping 20, the shaft 51 of the pump 50 will rotate in the opposite direction to the forward direction, which is the rotation direction when the electric motor 60 is operating.

[0030] The water supply apparatus 10 detects a first rotation amount, which is the amount of rotation of the shaft 51 during this period when the automatic operation of the pump 50 is stopped, and detects an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on this first rotation amount. That is, the water supply apparatus 10 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the detected rotation amount of the pump 50. In one embodiment, the water supply apparatus 10 detects an abnormality in the foot valve 40 using the method described below. Note that causes of an abnormality (failure) in the foot valve 40 include, for example, foreign matter getting caught, deterioration over time, and rust formation.

[0031] As described above, when the pump 50 is operated in the automatic operation mode by the control device 70, the control device 70 appropriately detects the first rotation amount, which is the rotation amount of the shaft 51 during a period when the automatic operation of the pump 50 is stopped. Note that the "automatic operation stopped period" of the pump 50 refers to a period during which the control device 70 stops the operation of the pump 50 based on information from the pressure sensor 94, etc., while the pump 50 is being controlled by the control device 70 in the automatic operation mode.

[0032] The control device 70 detects, as the first rotation amount of the shaft 51, the amount of displacement between a first phase, which is the phase position of the shaft 51 when the automatic operation of the pump 50 is stopped, and a second phase, which is the phase position of the shaft 51 when the automatic operation is subsequently resumed; in other words, the angle difference (also referred to as a phase difference) between the first phase and the second phase. The amount of displacement, which is the first rotation amount of the shaft 51, will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the amount of displacement of the shaft 51 during a period when the automatic operation is stopped.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 3, an XY coordinate system is defined as a shaft coordinate system with the center of rotation O of shaft 51 as its origin. The Y-axis direction is the direction from the center of rotation O toward a set point P1 arbitrarily set on the cross section of shaft 51, and the X-axis direction is the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, the state of the shaft coordinate system when automatic operation of pump 50 is stopped is indicated by Xs-Ys, and the state of the shaft coordinate system when automatic operation of pump 50 is restarted (i.e., the next time automatic operation is restarted after stopping automatic operation) is indicated by Xr-Yr. It is assumed that shaft 51 rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise in Fig. 3) when driven by electric motor 60.

[0034] For example, if water falls in the inlet pipe 21 while the automatic operation is stopped, the shaft 51 of the pump 50 rotates in the opposite direction (clockwise in FIG. 3 ) to the forward direction, which is the rotation direction when the motor 60 is driven. Therefore, if water falls in the inlet pipe 21, the position of the set point P1 will be different when the automatic operation is stopped and when the automatic operation is resumed. In other words, as the shaft 51 rotates, the X-axis and Y-axis rotate by an amount corresponding to the movement of the set point P1. As a result, the Xs-Ys and Xr-Yr axes assume orientations (positions) corresponding to different phases, as shown in the figure. That is, the Xs-axis and the Xr-axis assume different orientations corresponding to the first and second phases. Similarly, the Ys-axis and the Yr-axis assume different orientations corresponding to the first and second phases. Therefore, the control device 70 calculates, for example, the angular difference Δθ between the Ys-axis and the Yr-axis as the displacement of the shaft 51 between the first and second phases.

[0035] When the power supply to the electric motor 60 is stopped during automatic operation shutdown, the rotation speed of the shaft 51 gradually decreases from that point on. The "time when operation is stopped" of the pump 50 does not refer to the timing when the power supply to the electric motor 60 is stopped, but rather the timing when the rotation speed of the shaft 51 subsequently becomes approximately zero. On the other hand, the "time when operation is resumed" of the pump 50 refers to the timing when the shaft 51 starts to rotate, which is approximately the same as the timing when the power supply to the electric motor 60 is resumed.

[0036] Furthermore, since the electric motor 60 is a synchronous motor, the first phase, which is the phase position of the shaft 51 when automatic operation is stopped, and the second phase, which is the phase position of the shaft 51 when automatic operation is resumed, can be acquired or estimated from control data (e.g., output power) of the electric motor 60. Therefore, the angle difference between the first phase and the second phase of the shaft 51 can be calculated relatively easily.

[0037] Of course, the method for detecting the angular difference Δθ as the first rotation amount of the shaft 51 is not particularly limited. For example, the first phase and the second phase may be measured using an encoder, and the angular difference Δθ as the first rotation amount of the shaft 51 may be calculated from the measurement results of the encoder. Furthermore, in this example, the displacement amount of the shaft 51 is detected as the first rotation amount of the shaft 51 during the period when the automatic operation of the pump 50 is stopped. However, the method for detecting the first rotation amount is not particularly limited. For example, the rotation amount of the impeller 52, etc. during the period when the automatic operation of the pump 50 is stopped may be detected as the first rotation amount of the shaft 51. For example, the displacement amount between the phase position of the impeller 52 when the automatic operation of the pump 50 is stopped and the phase position of the impeller 52 when the automatic operation of the pump 50 is resumed may be detected as the first rotation amount of the shaft 51.

[0038] The control device 70 then detects an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the angle difference Δθ as the first rotation amount of the shaft 51. That is, the control device 70 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the magnitude of the angle difference Δθ of the shaft 51. Specifically, the control device 70 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the magnitude of the angle difference Δθ of the shaft 51. Specifically, the control device 70 determines whether or not the angle difference Δθ of the shaft 51 is greater than a threshold value Δθ, which is a preset displacement amount. th1 If the difference is greater than , it is determined that there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40. Detecting an abnormality in the foot valve 40 in this manner allows for early detection of an abnormality in the foot valve 40. This allows for early detection of an abnormality in the foot valve 40. This enables the user to take early action in the event of an abnormality in the foot valve 40. As a result, it becomes possible to avoid a shortage of water being sent from the water receiving tank 100 to the target facility 200.

[0039] Note that this threshold Δθ th1may be set appropriately depending on the installation conditions of the water supply device 10. In one embodiment, the positive or negative angle difference Δθ of the shaft 51 is not taken into consideration, and the presence or absence of an abnormality in the foot valve 40 is determined based only on the magnitude of the angle difference Δθ, i.e., the first rotation amount of the shaft 51 during the period when automatic operation is stopped.

[0040] An example of a method for detecting an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the angle difference of the shaft 51 as the first rotation amount will now be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the method for detecting an abnormality based on the angle difference of the shaft.

[0041] When the control device 70 performs automatic operation of the pump 50, the control device 70 also performs abnormality detection of the foot valve 40. For example, when the user selects the automatic operation mode as the operation mode of the pump 50, automatic operation of the pump 50 using the leveling control is started in step S1, and one of the pumps 50, for example, the first pump 50A, is started, as shown in Fig. 4. Next, when it is time to switch the pump 50 using the leveling control, for example, the operation of the first pump 50A is stopped, and the other pump, the second pump 50B, is started (step S12).

[0042] At this time, the control device 70 detects the first phase, which is the phase position of the shaft 51 of the first pump 50A when automatic operation is stopped (step S13). Then, for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed and the next timing for switching the pumps 50 arrives, the operation of the first pump 50A is resumed and the operation of the other pump 50, the second pump 50B, is stopped (step S14). At this time, the second phase, which is the phase position of the shaft 51 of the first pump 50A when automatic operation starts, is detected. Furthermore, the first phase, which is the phase position of the shaft 51 of the second pump 50B when automatic operation is stopped, is detected (step S15).

[0043] Next, for the first pump 50A, the angular difference Δθ, which is the displacement amount of the shaft 51, is calculated from the first phase and the second phase of the shaft 51 (step S16). Next, for the first pump 50A, the angular difference Δθ, which is the displacement amount of the shaft 51, is calculated based on the first and second phases of the shaft 51 (step S17). th1 Here, it is determined whether the angle difference Δθ of the shaft 51 is greater than the threshold value Δθ th1 If the difference is greater than (Step S17: Yes), the control device 70 determines that there is an abnormality in the first foot valve 40A of the first inlet pipe 21A to which the first pump 50A is provided (Step S18).The water supply device 10 then transmits an alarm to the user to notify them that an abnormality has been detected in the first foot valve 40A (Step S19).

[0044] On the other hand, in step S17, the angle difference Δθ of the shaft 51 is determined to be equal to or smaller than the threshold value Δθ th1 If it is equal to or less than this (step S17: No), the control device 70 determines that there is no abnormality in the first foot valve 40A (step S20). Then, the process returns to step S12, and the water supply device 10 continues to detect an abnormality in the foot valve 40.

[0045] As described above, detecting an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the angle difference Δθ as the first rotation amount of the shaft 51 allows for early detection of the abnormality in the foot valve 40. This allows the user to take early action in response to the abnormality in the foot valve 40. As a result, it becomes possible to avoid a shortage of water supply from the water receiving tank 100 to the target facility 200.

[0046] In the above example, the angular difference Δθ is calculated as the first rotation amount of the shaft 51 for the first pump 50A, and an abnormality in the first foot valve 40A is detected based on the calculation result. However, when the pump 50 is next switched using leveling control, the angular difference Δθ is calculated as the first rotation amount of the shaft 51 for the other pump, the second pump 50B, and an abnormality in the second foot valve 40B is detected based on the calculation result. In other words, an abnormality in the first foot valve 40A and an abnormality in the second foot valve 40B are detected alternately each time the pump 50 is switched.

[0047] In addition, in one embodiment, the piping 20 is configured to include two inlet pipes 21 (first inlet pipe 21A and second inlet pipe 21B), but the configuration of the piping 20 is not limited to this. The piping 20 may include three or more inlet pipes 21. In this case, abnormality detection is performed for each foot valve 40 provided on the multiple inlet pipes 21 each time the pump 50 is switched. In this example, abnormality detection for the foot valves 40 is performed when the pump 50 is switched during leveling control, but the timing for performing abnormality detection for the foot valves 40 is not particularly limited and can be set as desired.

[0048] The method of issuing a warning to the user in step S19 described above is not particularly limited, but for example, as will be described below, a warning email may be sent to the user via a management server of the anomaly detection system.

[0049] <Anomaly detection system> Figure 5 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the anomaly detection system. As shown in Figure 5, the pressurized water supply unit 30 provided in the water supply device 10 is connected to a management server 410, which is a server device that constitutes the anomaly detection system 400, via a communication network (for example, a wide area communication network that is a public communication network) 300. In other words, the pressurized water supply unit 30 is capable of two-way data communication with the management server 410, and constitutes the anomaly detection system 400 together with the management server 410.

[0050] The management server 410 is configured, for example, by a virtual server built on a cloud computing service, and is capable of two-way data communication with the pressurized water supply unit 30. The management server 410 is also capable of communicating with user terminals 500, such as personal computers and smartphones, via the communication network 300. Note that the management server 410 is not limited to a virtual server, and may be configured, for example, by one or more server devices equipped with a processor, memory, etc.

[0051] The pressurized water supply unit 30 equipped with the control device 70 transmits various information about the water supply device 10 to this management server 410 as needed. The pressurized water supply unit 30 sequentially transmits, for example, operation data of the electric motor 60 (frequency, current value, shaft position change, etc.) to the management server 410. The various information transmitted from the pressurized water supply unit 30 is accumulated in the management server 410. This makes it possible to monitor the water supply device 10, which is the monitored equipment, using trend data. Furthermore, when an abnormality in the foot valve 40 is detected by the control device 70 as described above, the pressurized water supply unit 30 also sequentially transmits the detection information to the management server 410.

[0052] In one embodiment, the management server 410 is configured to include a receiving server 411, a system information database 412, an operation information database (storage unit) 413, a calculation unit 414, a mail sending server 415, and a display web server 416.

[0053] The receiving server 411 receives various information transmitted from the pressurized water supply unit 30, such as the above-mentioned operational data and detection information. The system information database 412 stores registration information for the pressurized water supply unit 30, such as the model and product number of the pump 50 and electric motor 60 equipped in the pressurized water supply unit 30. The operation information database 413 stores various information received by the receiving server 411, for example, linked to the registration information of the pressurized water supply unit 30. The calculation unit 414 performs various calculation processes based on the information accumulated in the operation information database 413. For example, the calculation unit 414 performs calculation processes based on the information accumulated in the operation information database 413 and creates trend data for the water supply device 10.

[0054] When the receiving server 411 receives the detection information indicating that an abnormality in the foot valve 40 has been detected, the mail sending server 415 sends a warning mail to the user terminal 500 warning of the abnormality in the foot valve 40 .

[0055] In addition, the display web server 416 provides the user with various information about the water supply apparatus 10 in the form of a web page via the communication network 300. The user can view various information about the water supply apparatus 10, for example, by accessing the web page of the management server 410 from the user terminal 500. Of course, this web page may also provide information warning of an abnormality in the foot valve 40.

[0056] This allows the user to monitor the condition of the foot valve 40 relatively easily and also makes it easier to obtain information about any abnormalities in the foot valve 40. This allows the user to take early maintenance action on the equipment. The user can also constantly monitor various information about the water supply apparatus 10, such as the angle difference Δθ, which is the amount of displacement of the shaft 51. This allows the user to refer to the trend data and determine for themselves whether or not there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40.

[0057] (Embodiment 2) When the automatic operation of the pump 50 is stopped, even if the foot valve 40 is in a normal state, the shaft 51 may rotate in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation while the electric motor 60 is running. Therefore, for example, when a new pump 50 is installed or when the pump 50 is replaced, a trial run of the pump 50 is performed, and at that time, the control device 70 detects the initial rotation amount, which is the amount of rotation of the shaft 51 during the trial run stop period, and stores this in the memory 73. Note that during the trial run of the pump 50, the pump 50 is started and stopped multiple times. The "trial run stop period" refers to the period from when the pump 50 is stopped during the trial run until it is restarted.

[0058] In this embodiment, the control device 70 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the first rotation amount of the shaft 51 and this initial rotation amount.

[0059] An example of a method for detecting an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the first rotation amount and the initial rotation amount of the shaft 51 will be described below with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for storing the initial rotation amount of the shaft. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for detecting an abnormality based on the first rotation amount and the initial rotation amount. Note that the configurations of the water supply device 10 and the abnormality detection system 400 themselves are the same as in embodiment 1, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0060] For example, during a test run of the pumps 50, which is performed when a new pump is installed, a process for storing the initial rotation amount of the shaft 51 of each pump 50 is performed. Specifically, when the test run of the pumps 50 is started, as shown in FIG. 6, a predetermined pump 50, for example, the first pump 50A, is started manually (step S31). That is, the user manually operates the water supply device 10 to start the supply of power to the first electric motor 60A. Next, with the rotation of the shaft 51 constituting the first pump 50A stable, the first pump 50A is stopped manually (step S32). At this time, the control device 70 detects the third phase, which is the phase position of the shaft 51 when the test run is stopped, and temporarily stores this third phase in the memory 73 (step S33).

[0061] After a predetermined time has elapsed, the first pump 50A is restarted manually (step S34). At that time, the control device 70 detects the fourth phase, which is the phase position of the shaft 51 at the time of restarting the test run, and temporarily stores this fourth phase in the memory 73 (step S35). Next, the control device 70 calculates an angle difference Δθ0, which is the displacement of the shaft 51 between the third phase and the fourth phase stored in the memory 73, and sets this angle difference Δθ0 as the initial rotation amount of the shaft 51 during the test run shutdown period (step S36). That is, the control device 70 stores the angle difference Δθ0 in the memory 73 as the initial rotation amount of the first pump 50A. Thereafter, the same procedure is used to store the initial rotation amount of the second pump 50B.

[0062] After the initial rotation speed of the pump 50 is stored, the control device 70 automatically operates the pump 50 and detects an abnormality in the foot valve 40, as in the first embodiment. For example, when automatic operation of the pump 50 under the leveling control is initiated, one of the pumps, for example, the first pump 50A, is started as shown in FIG. 7. Next, when the timing for switching the pump 50 under the leveling control arrives, for example, the operation of the first pump 50A is stopped, and the other pump, the second pump 50B, is started (step S52). At this time, the control device 70 detects the first phase for the first pump 50A (step S53). Then, for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed, when the timing for switching the next pump 50 arrives, the operation of the first pump 50A is resumed, and the operation of the second pump 50B is stopped (step S54). At this time, the second phase for the first pump 50A is detected. The first phase for the second pump 50B is also detected (step S55). Next, for the first pump 50A, the angular difference Δθ, which is the first rotation amount of the shaft 51, is calculated from the first phase and the second phase of the shaft 51 (step S56). Note that steps S51 to S56 are similar to steps S11 to S16 in the first embodiment.

[0063] Next, the angular difference Δθ0 as the initial rotation amount of the shaft 51 is subtracted from the angular difference Δθ as the displacement amount of the shaft 51 calculated for the first pump 50A (step S57). That is, the second rotation amount (Δθ-Δθ0) is obtained by subtracting the angular difference Δθ0 as the initial rotation amount from the angular difference Δθ as the first rotation amount.

[0064] Next, for the first pump 50A, the second rotation amount (Δθ−Δθ0) of the shaft 51 is set to a predetermined threshold value Δθ th2 Here, it is determined whether the second rotation amount (Δθ−Δθ0) of the shaft 51 is greater than the threshold value Δθ th2 If the difference is greater than (Step S58: Yes), the controller 70 determines that there is an abnormality in the first foot valve 40A of the first inlet pipe 21A to which the first pump 50A is provided (Step S59), and then sends an alarm to the user to inform them that an abnormality has been detected in the first foot valve 40A (Step S60).

[0065] On the other hand, in step S58, the second rotation amount (Δθ−Δθ0) of the shaft 51 is determined to be less than the threshold value Δθ th2 If it is equal to or less than this (step S58: No), the control device 70 determines that there is no abnormality in the first foot valve 40A (step S61). Then, the process returns to step S52, and the water supply device 10 continues to detect an abnormality in the foot valve 40.

[0066] Detecting an abnormality in the foot valve 40 using the method described above allows for early detection of the abnormality in the foot valve 40. This allows the user to take early action in response to the abnormality in the foot valve 40. As a result, it becomes possible to avoid a shortage of water supply from the water receiving tank 100 to the target facility 200.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the presence or absence of an abnormality in the foot valve 40 is determined based on the angle difference Δθ, which is the first rotation amount of the shaft 51, and the angle difference Δθ0, which is the initial rotation amount of the shaft 51, thereby enabling more accurate detection of an abnormality in the foot valve 40. When a pump 50 is newly installed, the angle difference Δθ0, which is the initial rotation amount, is expected to be extremely small. However, depending on the specifications of the installed foot valve 40, the timing at which the foot valve 40 closes when the pump 50 stops operating may be delayed, causing initial rotation of the shaft 51 even in a newly installed pump. For this reason, by storing the angle difference Δθ0, which is the initial rotation amount of the shaft 51, and detecting an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the angle difference Δθ of the shaft 51 and the angle difference Δθ0, an abnormality in the foot valve 40 can be detected more accurately.

[0068] The method of issuing a warning to the user in step S60 is not particularly limited, but for example, a warning email may be sent to the user terminal 500 via the management server 410 of the anomaly detection system 400, as in the first embodiment.

[0069] (Embodiment 3) In the above-described first embodiment, an example was described in which the angular difference Δθ, which is the amount of displacement of the shaft 51 during the automatic operation stop period of the pump 50, is calculated, and an abnormality in the foot valve 40 is detected based on the calculation result. In the third embodiment, an example is described in which the displacement speed of the shaft 51 during the automatic stop period, that is, the amount of change in the shaft 51 per unit time, is calculated, and an abnormality in the foot valve 40 is detected based on the calculation result.

[0070] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of an anomaly detection method based on displacement velocity. Note that the configurations of the water supply device 10 and the anomaly detection system 400 themselves are the same as in embodiment 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the processes from step S11 to step S16 are the same as those in embodiment 1, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0071] 8, after calculating the angular difference Δθ, which is the displacement amount of the shaft 51, for the first pump 50A in steps S11 to S16, the process then proceeds to step S71, where the displacement speed V1 of the shaft 51 during the automatic operation suspension period is calculated, in other words, the displacement amount of the shaft 51 per unit time during the automatic operation suspension period. As an example, the automatic suspension time t3=t2−t1 is calculated from the automatic operation suspension time t1 of the pump 50 and the automatic operation resumption time t2 of the pump 50. Furthermore, the displacement speed V1=Δθ / t3 of the shaft 51 is calculated from the calculated automatic suspension time t3 of the pump 50 and the angular difference Δθ of the shaft 51 (step S72).

[0072] Thereafter, for the first pump 50A, the displacement speed V1 of the shaft 51 is set to a predetermined set speed, i.e., a threshold value V th Here, it is determined whether the displacement velocity V1 of the shaft 51 is greater than the threshold value V th If the difference is greater than (step S73: Yes), the control device 70 determines that there is an abnormality in the first foot valve 40A of the first inlet pipe 21A to which the first pump 50A is provided (step S74), and sends an alert to the user that an abnormality has been detected in the first foot valve 40A (step S75).

[0073] On the other hand, in step S73, the set speed V1 of the shaft 51 is equal to or greater than the threshold value V th If it is equal to or less than this (step S73: No), the controller 70 determines that there is no abnormality in the first foot valve 40A (step S76), and returns to step S12.

[0074] As described above, by determining whether there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the displacement speed V1 of the shaft 51, it becomes easier to determine whether there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40. For example, if the automatic stop period of the pump 50 is extremely short, even if there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40, the angle difference Δθ will not exceed the threshold Δθ. th1 Even in such a situation, by determining whether there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the displacement speed V1, it becomes easier to determine whether there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40 more accurately.

[0075] In the third embodiment, the displacement velocity V1 of the shaft 51 is set to the threshold value V th However, the procedure for determining whether the foot valve 40 is abnormal is not limited to this. For example, as described in the first embodiment, in step S17, the angle difference Δθ of the shaft 51 may be determined to be greater than the threshold value Δθ th1 If the answer is No in step S17, an abnormality determination may be made for the foot valve 40 based on the displacement speed V1. Alternatively, for example, if the automatic operation stop period of the pump 50, i.e., the automatic operation stop time t3, is shorter than a preset time, an abnormality determination may be made for the foot valve 40 based on the displacement speed V1.

[0076] (Other embodiments) The invention made by the inventor has been described in detail above based on each embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. It goes without saying that the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. In other words, the present invention allows for the addition, deletion, or substitution of other configurations for part of the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0077] For example, in one embodiment, the control device 70, which is a controller provided in the water supply apparatus 10, detects an abnormality in the foot valve 40. However, it is not necessary for the control device 70 to detect an abnormality in the foot valve 40. For example, the control device 70 may sequentially transmit information such as the first and second phases, which are the phase positions of the shaft 51 of each pump 50, and the angular difference Δθ, which is the amount of displacement of the shaft 51, to the management server 410 as operation data, and the calculation unit 414 of the management server 410 may then detect an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on this operation data. In other words, the calculation unit 414 of the management server 410 may determine whether or not an abnormality exists in the foot valve 40.

[0078] In addition, as one embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the pressurized water supply unit 30 of the water supply apparatus 10 is connected to the user terminal 500 via the management server 410, but the configuration of the water supply apparatus 10 is not limited to this. For example, the wireless communication device 83 may be configured to have a short-range communication function based on a wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi, and the pressurized water supply unit 30 of the water supply apparatus 10 may be configured to be connectable to the user terminal 500 without going through the management server 410. In other words, the water supply apparatus 10 may be configured to be able to send warning emails, etc. to the user terminal 500 without going through the management server 410.

[0079] In one embodiment, an abnormality in the foot valve 40 is detected based on the first rotation amount of the shaft 51 during the period when automatic operation is stopped, but an abnormality in the foot valve 40 may also be detected based on the rotation direction of the shaft 51. Specifically, the control device 70 may determine that there is an abnormality in the foot valve on the condition that the rotation direction of the shaft 51 during the period when automatic operation of the pump 50 is stopped is opposite to the rotation direction of the shaft 51 during automatic operation of the pump 50.

[0080] When performing the abnormality determination for the foot valve 40 described in the first embodiment, for example, as shown in Fig. 9, the angle difference Δθ is calculated in step S116, and the rotation direction of the shaft 51 is detected from the calculation result. Note that steps S111 to S115 are the same as steps S11 to S15 in the first embodiment, and therefore a description of these steps will be omitted. Next, for the first pump 50A, the angle difference Δθ as the displacement amount of the shaft 51 is calculated based on the threshold Δθ. th1 It is determined whether the rotational direction of the shaft 51 is greater than the rotational direction of the shaft 51 when the electric motor 60 is driven (step S117).

[0081] Here, for the first pump 50A, the angle difference Δθ as the displacement amount of the shaft 51 is equal to or less than the threshold Δθ th1and the direction of rotation of the shaft 51 is opposite to the direction of rotation of the shaft 51 when the motor 60 is driven (step S117: Yes), it is determined that there is an abnormality in the first foot valve 40A (step S118). If there is an abnormality in the foot valve 40 (i.e., if the foot valve 40 is not fully closed), the shaft 51 never rotates in the forward direction, but always in the reverse direction. Therefore, by detecting an abnormality in the foot valve 40 based on the rotation direction of the shaft 51 while automatic operation is stopped in this way, the accuracy of the detection of an abnormality in the foot valve 40 can be improved.

[0082] If an abnormality in the first foot valve 40A is detected in step S118, then, similar to step S19 described above, the water supply apparatus 10 sends an alarm to the user informing them that an abnormality in the first foot valve 40A has been detected (step S119). th1 If the rotation direction of the shaft 51 is equal to or less than the rotation direction of the shaft 51 when the electric motor 60 is driven (step S117: No), the control device 70 determines that there is no abnormality in the first foot valve 40A (step S120). Then, the process returns to step S112, and the water supply device 10 continues to detect an abnormality in the foot valve 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 10...water supply device, 20...piping, 21...inlet pipe, 22...common pipe, 30...pressurized water supply unit, 40...foot valve, 50...pump, 51...shaft, 52...impeller, 60...electric motor, 70...controller, 71...display unit, 72...processing unit, 73...memory (storage unit), 74...sensor interface unit, 80...control panel, 81...inverter, 82...inverter control unit, 83...wireless communication equipment, 90...water level sensor, 91...check valve, 92...gate valve, 93...pressure tank, 94...pressure sensor, 95...antenna, 100...water receiving tank, 300...communication network, 400...abnormality detection system, 410...management server (server device), 411...receiving server, 412...system information database, 413...operation information database, 414...arithmetic unit, 415...mail transmission server, 416...display web server, 500...user terminal

Claims

1. a foot valve provided on a pipe in the water receiving tank; a pump that pressurizes water flowing from the water receiving tank into the piping via the foot valve; an electric motor that drives the pump; a controller for controlling the electric motor, The pump includes a shaft connected to the electric motor and rotated by being driven by the electric motor, and an impeller fixed to the shaft, The controller an initial rotation amount, which is the rotation amount of the shaft during a test operation stop period of the pump, is stored; a first rotation amount, which is the rotation amount of the shaft during a test operation stop period of the pump, is detected; and an abnormality of the foot valve is detected based on the detected first rotation amount and the initial rotation amount. Water supply device.

2. The water supply device according to claim 1, the controller detects, as the first rotation amount, a displacement amount between a first phase, which is a phase position of the shaft when automatic operation of the pump is stopped, and a second phase, which is a phase position of the shaft when automatic operation of the pump is resumed; Water supply device.

3. The water supply device according to claim 2, The controller determines that there is an abnormality in the foot valve when the displacement amount of the shaft is greater than a preset displacement amount. Water supply device.

4. The water supply device according to claim 1, the controller detects a displacement speed of the shaft during a period in which the automatic operation of the pump is stopped from the first rotation amount of the shaft, and determines that an abnormality exists in the foot valve when the displacement speed of the shaft is greater than a preset set speed. Water supply device.

5. The water supply device according to claim 1, the controller determines that an abnormality exists in the foot valve when a second rotation amount obtained by subtracting the initial rotation amount from the first rotation amount is greater than a preset set rotation amount. Water supply device.

6. The water supply device according to claim 1, the controller detects a rotation direction of the shaft during a period when the automatic operation of the pump is stopped, and detects an abnormality in the foot valve based on the first rotation amount and the rotation direction of the shaft. Water supply device.

7. The water supply device according to claim 6, the controller determines that there is an abnormality in the foot valve on the condition that the rotation direction of the shaft during a period when the automatic operation of the pump is stopped is opposite to the rotation direction of the shaft during the automatic operation of the pump. Water supply device.

8. The water supply device according to claim 1, A plurality of the pumps are provided, the controller performs leveling control to drive the pumps so that operation times of the plurality of pumps are leveled; The automatic operation suspension period of the pump is a period during which the operation of the pump is suspended due to the leveling control. Water supply device.

9. a foot valve provided on a pipe in the water receiving tank; a pump that pressurizes water flowing from the water receiving tank into the piping via the foot valve; an electric motor that drives the pump; A water supply device including a controller that controls the electric motor; a server device connected to the water supply device via a communication network, The pump includes a shaft connected to the electric motor and rotated by being driven by the electric motor, and an impeller fixed to the shaft, The controller an initial rotation amount, which is the rotation amount of the shaft during a test operation stop period of the pump, is stored, a first rotation amount, which is the rotation amount of the shaft during an automatic operation stop period of the pump, is detected, and the detected first rotation amount and the initial rotation amount are output to the server device; the server device determines whether there is an abnormality in the foot valve based on the first rotation amount and the initial rotation amount. Anomaly detection system.

10. a foot valve provided on a pipe in the water receiving tank; a pump that pressurizes water flowing from the water receiving tank into the piping via the foot valve; an electric motor that drives the pump; A method for detecting an abnormality in a water supply apparatus, wherein the pump has a shaft connected to the electric motor and rotated by the drive of the electric motor, and an impeller fixed to the shaft, an initial rotation amount, which is the rotation amount of the shaft during a test operation stop period of the pump, is stored, a first rotation amount, which is the rotation amount of the shaft during a test operation stop period of the pump, is detected, and an abnormality of the foot valve is detected based on the detected first rotation amount and the initial rotation amount. A method for detecting abnormalities in a water supply device.

11. The method for detecting an abnormality in a water supply device according to claim 10, detecting, as the first rotation amount, a displacement amount between a first phase, which is a phase position of the shaft when the automatic operation of the pump is stopped, and a second phase, which is a phase position of the shaft when the automatic operation of the pump is resumed; A method for detecting abnormalities in a water supply device.

12. The method for detecting an abnormality in a water supply device according to claim 11, If the displacement amount of the shaft is greater than a preset displacement amount, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the foot valve. A method for detecting abnormalities in a water supply device.

13. The method for detecting an abnormality in a water supply device according to claim 10, an initial rotation amount, which is the rotation amount of the shaft during a test run stop period of the pump, is stored, and if a second rotation amount obtained by subtracting the initial rotation amount from the first rotation amount is greater than a preset rotation amount, it is determined that an abnormality exists in the foot valve. A method for detecting abnormalities in a water supply device.

14. The method for detecting an abnormality in a water supply device according to claim 10, detecting a rotation direction of the shaft during a period when the automatic operation of the pump is stopped, and determining whether or not there is an abnormality in the foot valve based on the first rotation amount and the rotation direction of the shaft; A method for detecting abnormalities in a water supply device.

Images