Integrated Flow Meter Valve Housing for Low-Power Watertight Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrating a mechanical valve into advanced electronic utility meters, such as water and district heating meters, is challenging due to power consumption limitations and the need for watertight construction to ensure long-term stability, especially in battery-supplied devices.
Innovation Solution
A compact integrated flow meter and control valve design featuring a monolithic meter housing with dual compartments for the metering unit and electrical valve actuator, a self-contained power supply, and wireless communication, allowing for automated production and reduced size through injection molding or casting with polymer materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a mechanical valve is integrated into an advanced electronic utility meter, then the device provides combined metering and control functions with shared processing and communication devices, but power consumption increases and watertight construction becomes more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the meter housing and valve housing into a single integrated housing structure that contains both the metering unit and the flow control valve. This merging eliminates the need for separate housings while maintaining distinct functional compartments, thereby achieving combined metering and control functions within a unified structure that manages power consumption and watertight construction effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated housing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it protects both the metering unit and the flow control valve, provides structural support for both functionalities, enables shared processing and communication devices, and maintains watertight construction. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by achieving versatile operation without proportionally increasing power consumption.
2Ease of operation
If a mechanical valve is integrated into a battery-supplied utility meter, then the device provides on-site flow control capability, but power consumption limitations are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The flow control valve is designed to operate with minimized power consumption from the battery supply, enabling on-site flow control capability while respecting power limitations. The valve actuator and control system are optimized to perform flow regulation functions using efficient actuation mechanisms that reduce energy demand, allowing the battery-supplied integrated meter to provide both metering and active flow control.
3Reliability
If separate meters and valves are installed, then each component can be optimized independently, but installation space requirements increase and manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the meter housing and valve housing into a single unified housing structure, eliminating the need for separate installations. This merging reduces the total installation space while maintaining the functional independence of the metering unit and flow control valve through internal compartmentalization, thereby resolving the contradiction between space efficiency and component optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The metering unit and flow control valve are nested within the same housing structure, with each unit occupying its own designated compartment. This nesting arrangement allows both components to coexist in a compact configuration, reducing overall installation space while preserving the functional independence and optimized design of each component.
4Ease of manufacture
If a monolithic housing is used for automated production, then manufacturing efficiency increases and costs decrease, but assembly precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monolithic housing is designed with distinct, pre-defined compartments for the metering unit and flow control valve that can be independently optimized and assembled. This segmentation allows automated production processes to efficiently form the housing while maintaining precise internal geometries, reducing the complexity of achieving high assembly precision across the entire housing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing design incorporates standardized dimensions, tolerances, and mounting features that optimize the balance between automated manufacturing efficiency and assembly precision. By carefully selecting and controlling critical parameters such as compartment dimensions, sealing surface locations, and component mounting hole positions, the monolithic housing can be produced automatically while maintaining the required precision for reliable assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
Integrated flow meter and control valve (1) including a flow tube (11); a substantially watertight meter housing (12) providing a compartment (121), extending from the flow tube; a metering unit (139 arranged inside the compartment for measuring the flow of a medium flowing though the flow channel, and an electrical valve actuator (18) arranged inside the compartment and adapted to control a flow control element (19) arranged inside the flow channel, wherein that meter housing is formed as an integrated part of the flow tube with the compartment having a primary opening (124) for insertion of the metering unit and a secondary sealable opening (125) for insertion of the electrical valve actuator.