Gas Purge Valve Sensor Integration for Pipeline Monitoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Long liquid flow systems, such as water and sewage pipelines, often lack real-time monitoring capabilities, leading to delayed detection and response to issues like leakage, vandalism, and malfunctioning, as they are 'dumb' systems without communication or reporting capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Integration of sensors and a telecommunication system into gas purge valves to monitor fluid flow parameters and transmit signals to a central data system, enabling online monitoring and control of fluid flow systems, including pressure and temperature parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gas purge valves are equipped with sensors and telecommunication systems for real-time monitoring, then the speed and effectiveness of detecting system failures improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple monitoring functions (pressure sensing, temperature sensing, flow sensing) and telecommunication capabilities into a single integrated valve unit. This merging approach enables real-time detection and communication while consolidating components rather than adding separate distributed systems, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas purge valve is designed as a multi-functional device that simultaneously performs flow control, pressure monitoring, temperature monitoring, and wireless communication. By making the valve universal and capable of multiple functions, the patent eliminates the need for separate dedicated monitoring devices, thus improving detection capabilities while managing device complexity through component consolidation.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are integrated into the valve for comprehensive monitoring, then the measurement precision of fluid flow parameters improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and flow sensors within the valve body, combining multiple measurement functions into a single compact unit. This merging allows comprehensive monitoring of fluid parameters with high precision while avoiding the complexity of distributed sensor systems through centralized integration.
3Loss of time
If real-time data transmission to remote control station is implemented, then the response time to system failures improves, but the loss of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telecommunication system in the valve is configured to transmit data periodically or event-triggered rather than continuously. This periodic transmission approach maintains real-time monitoring capabilities and fast response to failures while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous data streaming, as the sensor array and transmitter remain dormant between transmission events.
Data Source
AI summary
A gas purge valve (114A-D) is provided within a fluid system, the valve being configured with one or more sensors (134B) each for sensing and generating one or more signals indicative of parameters associated with the valve. The fluid system further comprises a power source and a transmitting system for transmitting signals from the sensors to a remote control station (130).