Water Management System with Sub-meter Segmentation for Leak Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water management systems struggle to provide precise insights and control over specific subsets of water use within premises, leading to inefficiencies and undetected leaks due to the general nature of municipal water meters.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a water management system that includes strategically positioned water meters and a controller, which collects data to provide detailed insights into water usage and allows for precise control of specific subsets of water use, including the use of irrigation controllers and water quality sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a municipal water meter is used to measure total premises water use, then water use measurement is provided, but the measurement is too general to allow for managing specific subsets of water use and leaks go undetected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the premises water system into multiple measurement zones by installing sub-meters at different locations (e.g., irrigation meter, pool/spa meter, landscape meter). Each sub-meter measures water consumption for a specific subset of premises, enabling precise identification of water use patterns and leakage sources without requiring changes to the main municipal water meter.
2Measurement precision
If a municipal water meter is positioned outside the premises at the water inlet line, then total water use is measured, but the meter is inconvenient to access and difficult to read
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from the municipal water meter located outside the premises and implements separate sub-meters positioned at convenient locations within the premises. These sub-meters are strategically placed near the areas they measure (e.g., irrigation meter near irrigation system, pool meter near pool equipment), making them easily accessible and readable by occupants without requiring external access.
3Duration of action of moving object
If total premises water use is measured over long-term periods, then overall water consumption is tracked, but it is difficult to discern and manage specific subsets of water use in a timely manner
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where sub-meters continuously or periodically report water consumption data for specific premises subsets to occupants or building management systems. This real-time or near-real-time feedback enables timely detection of abnormal water use patterns, leakage events, or inefficient consumption in specific areas, allowing immediate corrective action without waiting for long-term aggregate data analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A water management system (100) includes a water management controller (112) at a premises (105) and first and second water meters (130, 135) in communication with the controller (112). The first water meter (130) is positioned at a water ingress line (131) of the premises (105) and configured to measure an amount of water supplied to the premises (105) via the water ingress line (131). The second water meter (135) is positioned at a first water egress line (136) of the premises (105) and configured to measure an amount of water supplied from the premises (105) to a first exterior water consuming object (141) via the first water egress line (136). The controller (112) is configured to determine an amount of water used within the premises (105) using at least (i) the measured amount of water supplied to the premises (105) via the water ingress line (131), and (ii) the measured amount of water supplied from the premises (105) to the first exterior water consuming object (141) via the first water egress line (136).