Method and apparatus for determining resource consumption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for monitoring water and energy consumption lack mechanisms for recognizing related extraction processes, fail to assign consumption information to individual activities, and do not account for greenhouse gas emissions, making it difficult for consumers to evaluate and reduce their resource usage effectively.
Innovation Solution
A device that measures flow rate and temperature using a turbine wheel and microcontroller, generating power from the flow and estimating heat energy usage, displays resource consumption information at the point of use, including costs and emissions, without an external power supply or sensors, and groups individual withdrawals into related processes for aggregated display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing systems use external power supply or battery, then the device can operate continuously, but installation in wet areas becomes difficult and environmental impact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device generates its own power through a turbine wheel that is driven by the water flow itself. The kinetic energy of the flowing water rotates the turbine, which drives a generator to produce electrical power for the electronics, eliminating the need for external power supplies or batteries and enabling easy installation in wet areas
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the hydraulic energy of the flowing water to drive the turbine wheel. The water flow directly powers the turbine, which converts the hydraulic energy into mechanical rotation and subsequently into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction, creating a self-powered measurement system
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are installed to measure flow rate and temperature, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The turbine wheel serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a flow rate sensor by measuring rotational speed, generates electrical power through its rotation, and its mechanical design provides both measurement capability and power generation in a single integrated component, reducing the total number of sensors needed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the flow measurement function and power generation function into a single turbine wheel assembly. The same rotating component that measures flow rate also drives the generator, merging two separate functions into one integrated device that reduces complexity
3Quantity of substance
If consumption information is provided at monthly or annual billing cycles, then infrastructure costs are reduced, but consumers cannot evaluate individual removal processes
Solution Approach 1:
The device provides real-time feedback to consumers through a display that shows flow rate, temperature, and calculated energy consumption as water is being used. This immediate feedback enables consumers to evaluate their individual removal processes and make behavioral changes to reduce resource consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculation and display of energy consumption information at the point of use before the consumer completes their activity. By showing real-time consumption data during the water removal process, consumers can make informed decisions about their usage behavior
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables consumers to visualize and understand their resource consumption, promoting environmentally friendly and cost-saving behavior by providing detailed, real-time information on water and energy usage, including emissions, directly at the point of use, without the need for complex installations or external power sources.
Implementation Method 1
a turbine wheel (111) made of magnetized material or mechanically connected to one or more permanent magnets is used to determine the flow rate. When water is drawn off, the turbine wheel is set in rotation
Implementation Method 2
generating an alternating magnetic field in one or more coils. The characteristic course of the resulting voltage serves as an indicator for the rotational frequency and, after a conversion, for the flow rate. Furthermore, the induced voltage can be used as a power source for the device
Implementation Method 3
The device measures the flow rate and the temperature of the fluid
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for determining the resource consumption during use of a fluid withdrawn from a point of withdrawal, in particular water, determines the amount of fluid withdrawn from the point of withdrawal during a withdrawal unit. In the process, the withdrawal unit is based either on the fluid amount of an individual withdrawal or the fluid amount of an overall withdrawal made up of a plurality of individual withdrawals. The overall withdrawal is used when the individual withdrawals are performed in a time interval that is smaller than a predefined time window.