Flow Sensor and Smart Valve Zoning for Water Leak Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Water leaks in residential and commercial properties can lead to significant damage and increased utility bills, as existing systems lack effective detection and mitigation mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A property monitoring system that utilizes flow rate sensors and smart valves to detect leaks by analyzing sensor data and status information from connected valves, initiating water damage mitigation operations such as shutting off water supply to affected areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flow rate sensors and smart valves are installed to detect and mitigate water leaks, then property damage and utility costs are reduced, but device complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the property's water distribution network into multiple zones with individual smart valves and flow sensors. Each zone can be independently monitored and controlled, allowing precise leak detection without requiring a complete system overhaul. This segmentation reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors flow rate data from sensors and compares it against expected usage patterns. When anomalies are detected, the system automatically triggers mitigation actions through smart valves and notifies users. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enhances leak detection accuracy while using algorithms to minimize false positives.
2Loss of time
If continuous monitoring of water flow is implemented, then leaks are detected earlier, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic sampling of flow rate data at optimized intervals rather than continuous monitoring. During normal operation, sensors take measurements at predetermined time intervals. When a leak is suspected or during high-risk periods, the sampling frequency automatically increases. This approach enables timely leak detection while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses machine learning algorithms that run locally on edge devices to analyze flow patterns and detect anomalies. This distributed intelligence eliminates the need for constant cloud communication and reduces overall energy consumption. The system serves itself by automatically adjusting monitoring intensity based on detected patterns without requiring external intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage device, for detecting water leaks and mitigating the damage caused by the detected leaks. The system may include a processor and a storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations. The operations may include obtaining sensor data that is generated by one or more flow rate sensors located at a property, obtaining status data that is generated by one or more connected water shutoff valves located at the property, determining, based on (i) the obtained sensor data and (ii) the obtained status data whether a water leak has been detected at the property, and in response to determining, based on (i) the obtained sensor data and (ii) the obtained status data, that a water leak has been detected at the property, initiating performance of one or more water damage mitigation operations.