Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

The High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan

Hajime Miyata

Yasuhiro Umekage

Kenichi Kamon

Youichi Itou

Ryuji Iwamoto

Yuji Fujii

Daisuke Bessyo

Aoi Watanabe

Mitsuo Yokohata

Yukio Nagaoka

Shigeru Iwanaga

Kouichi Ueki

Kazutaka Asano

Yukinori Ozaki

Takuhisa Ootani

Makoto Nakano

Yoshinori Inui

Akihisa Adachi

Masato Satou

Yuuji Fujii

An ultrasonic flow meter unit, mounted to a fluid passage through which a measurement target fluid flows, comprises a pair of ultrasonic transducers each including a piezoelectric substrate, and an acoustic matching member; a measuring circuit which measures a flow of a target fluid based on time for which an ultrasonic pulse propagates between the pair of ultrasonic transducers; and an insulating damping member unitarily formed to cover at least a portion of each of a portion of each of the pair of ultrasonic transducers, which portion contacts the fluid passage, the piezoelectric substrate, and the measuring circuit.

Ultrasonic flow meter unit with an insulating damping member covering the ultrasonic transducers, a measuring circuit and lead wires

An ultrasonic flow rate measurement device includes a measurement channel, through which a fluid to be measured flows; and a sensor fixing casing having openings formed in the measurement channel and sensor fixing cavities communicating with the openings. Moreover, the ultrasonic flow rate measurement device includes a pair of ultrasonic sensors contained in the sensor fixing cavities, for measuring the flow rate of the fluid to be measured; and a flow rate measuring unit for detecting the flow rate based on an ultrasonic wave propagation time between the pair of ultrasonic sensors. Furthermore, the ultrasonic flow rate measurement device includes a suppressing member formed at each of the openings, for suppressing the fluid to be measured from intruding into each of the sensor fixing cavities, wherein the suppressing member is molded integrally with the sensor fixing casing.

Ultrasonic flow rate measurement device

An ultrasonic flow-meter of the present invention includes a partition plate which partitions a passage of a target fluid into a measurement passage and a non-measurement passage, a pair of ultrasonic transducers which is disposed in the measurement passage, a measuring unit which measures a propagation time of an ultrasonic wave between the pair of ultrasonic transducers, and a calculating unit which calculates a flow rate of the target fluid. Further, the calculating unit has a computing unit which computes at least one of a flow velocity and a flow rate of the target fluid in the measurement passage based on the propagation time and an estimating unit which estimates the flow rate of the target fluid in the passage based on the flow velocity or the flow rate in the measurement passage. As a result, an ultrasonic flow-meter which highly accurately measures a target fluid by using a simple configuration can be realized.

Ultrasonic flow-meter

Detecting a leak, or the like, with high accuracy on the basis of pressure and a flow volume acquired during use of fluid is made possible. A volume of gas flowing through a flow pathis measured by a flow volume measurement unit, and pressure is measured by a pressure measurement unit. Measured flow data and measured pressure data are input to an analysis unit, to thus analyze following of a pressure change by a flow volume change. An amount of flow volume change responsive to an amount of pressure change of a predetermined level or more is classified into a plurality of ranges by means of a predetermined threshold value, and a following flow value change is determined on the basis of determination conditions of the respective ranges of amounts of flow volume changes.

Flowmeter

A flow rate measuring device simplifies calculation, reduces memory required for calculation, absorbs variations due to manual operation and, depending on the state of ignition, improves the accuracy of appliance identification by extracting features of appliances. The flow rate measuring device includes: a difference value conversion unit that converts into codes difference values of the flow rate measured at constant time intervals by an ultrasonic flowmeter; an appliance feature extraction unit creates an appliance feature code string indicating a feature of each appliance by, for example, making comparison and judgment using a third last code, a second last code, a last code and a current code of the codes obtained at constant time intervals, and by performing code deletion; and an identification unit performs appliance identification by comparing the appliance feature code string with an appliance inherent feature code string indicating the feature code string inherent in each appliance.

Flow rate measuring device

Provided are an ultrasonic fluid-measuring apparatus and an ultrasonic fluid-measuring apparatus that can prevent the disturbance from occurring in the ultrasonic waves due to disturbance of a fluid. An ultrasonic fluid-measuring structure includes an ultrasonic measuring section adjacent to a channel member. The channel member includes a first ultrasonic wave input/output section and a second ultrasonic wave input/output section provided in a first side wall part, and a reflecting surface provided on an inner surface of the second side wall part. Further, it is configured so that the first ultrasonic wave input/output section and the second ultrasonic wave input/output section are adjacent to each other, and an ultrasonic wave transmission membrane through which the ultrasonic waves pass covers together both the first ultrasonic wave input/output section and the second ultrasonic wave input/output section.

Ultrasonic fluid-measuring structure and ultrasonic fluid-measuring apparatus

If determination is erroneous in appliance determination according to the instantaneous flow rate output from a flow rate measurement unit, a flow rate measurement apparatus registers it as an unknown appliance, rechecks the flow rate of the unknown appliance, and makes it possible to enhance the accuracy of the appliance determination. The apparatus has a flow rate measurement unit, a flow rate information storage unitfor storing the flow rate value of the flow rate measurement unit, a computation unitfor finding a difference value between the flow rate values output from the flow rate measurement unit, an appliance registration storage unit, an appliance determination unitfor determining an appliance, and an unknown appliance registration unitfor registering information according to which the appliance cannot be determined.

Flow rate measurement apparatus and gas supply system

An ultrasonic flowmeter that measures flow velocity of a measured fluid by propagating ultrasonic waves through a measuring flow path with a rectangular cross section through which the measured fluid flows and the measured fluid that flows through the measuring flow path. The measuring flow path is provided with partition plates so that they are in parallel with the flow direction of the measured fluid. Simultaneously, the partition plates are placed in parallel with wall surfaces such that flow velocity distribution between opposing wall surfaces of the measuring flow path is more symmetrical with respect to the center of the flow direction of the measured fluid.

Ultrasonic flowmeter

A newly-purchased gas appliance is detected and reported to a gas administrator. There are provided a flow rate detection portion, a flow rate calculation portion, a code extraction portion, an initial code learning portion, a code maintaining portion, a code judging portion, an additional code learning portion, and an external communication portion. The code extraction portion extracts a code pattern E. The initial code learning portion gathers similar code patterns E as a gas appliance code pattern F. The code judging portion judges whether or not the code pattern E matches any of gas appliance code patterns F held by the code maintaining portion within a predetermined range. The code patterns E that have failed to match are subjected to additional identification of a gas appliance in the additional code learning portion. The gas cut-off device can thereby let the additional code learning portion detect whether or not a new gas appliance has emerged and the external communication portion send a report to the gas administrator.

Gas blocking device

A gas meter device is provided which is configured in a manner that even if a user takes an unauthorized action such as the removal of a gas meter device in order to use gas without authorization, since the generation of a particular flow-rate change profile different from a normal flow-rate change profile of a gas appliance is detected, the sign of the tamper of the gas can be detected, whereby the tamper of the gas can be prevented. The gas meter device includes an appliance determining unitfor determining a gas appliance being used and a tamper determining unitwhich determines that the gas is used without authorization in the case where the particular flow-rate change profile different from an appliance determining value registered in a registration storage unitis generated.

Gas meter device and gas supply system using the device

Detecting a leak, or the like, with high accuracy on the basis of pressure and a flow volume acquired during use of fluid is made possible. A volume of gas flowing through a flow pathis measured by a flow volume measurement unit, and pressure is measured by a pressure measurement unit. Measured flow data and measured pressure data are input to an analysis unit, to thus analyze following of a pressure change by a flow volume change. A determination showing that a following flow volume change is present, that a following flow volume change is not present, or that a following flow volume change is uncertain is made according to a magnitude correlation between an amount of pressure change of a predetermined level or more and an amount of flow volume change.

Object of the present invention is to measure the quantity of a gas flowing through a gas meter and accurately calculate, on a per-appliance basis, the quantity of used gas in each time during which a gas appliance connected to a downstream point is used, without involvement of a waveform pattern. A flow rate measuring apparatus () has a flow rate measurement unit that measures a flow rate at given time intervals; an appliance determination unit that calculates a flow difference between flow rates acquired at two arbitrary times by measuring the use of an appliance connected to a downstream point with reference to the flow rate measurement unit, thereby determining an operating appliance; and an appliance flow rate calculation unit that calculates the appliance-specific usage flow rate by switching a calculation method according to the number, types, combinations, and priority levels of currently-operating gas appliances that are results of determination made by the appliance determination unit.

Flow rate measuring apparatus and program thereof

A fluid measurement apparatus capable of accurately determining an activated appliance is provided. A flow measurement apparatushas a flow measurement unitthat measures an amount of fluid flowing through a passageway, a determination zone storage unitthat allocates and stores a flow measured by the flow measurement unitinto determination zones classified by combination of a plurality of conditions; a grouping unitthat groups determination zones according to appliances to be used on the basis of determination-zone-specific storage values stored in the determination zone storage unitand that registers the grouped determination zones; and an integration unitthat integrates a flow value for each of the determination zones registered by the grouping unit. Thus, a flow is integrated for each determination zone grouped according to an appliance. An appliance is determined by reference to a database including the integrated data.

Flow measurement apparatus and program thereof, flow measurement method and fluid supply system

The present invention provides a flow rate measurement device for measuring a volume of gas flowing through a gas supply system in which a plurality of appliances are connected. The flow rate measurement device according to the second embodiment comprises a flow rate sensor configured to detect a gas flow flowing through the gas supply system and a differentiator configured to differentiate the detected gas flow. A memory is provided in which profiles of gas consumption by appliances are storable in relation to identities of the appliances. The flow rate measurement device according to the present invention also comprises a first profile finder which is responsive to the differentiated gas flow to search for a profile from the stored profiles which corresponds to the detected gas flow. The device further comprises a second profile finder which is responsive to a failure by the first profile finder to find the corresponding profile from the stored profiles to analyze the detected gas flow to thereby determine an identity of at least one of the plurality of appliances.

Flow rate measurement device

A flow rate measuring device has a flow rate measurement unit, an appliance registering unit, a calculating unit, a determining unit, a first appliance identifying unit, and a second appliance identifying unit. The appliance registering unit stores at least first gas flow rate variation profiles on activation of respective gas appliances coupled to a flow channel, and second gas flow rate variation profiles based on the control specific to the respective gas appliances. The first appliance identifying unit identifies which gas appliance is activated based on the first gas flow rate variation profiles on activation. When a determining unit detects a stop of any of gas appliances, the second appliance identifying unit identifies a gas appliance in continuous use by using the second gas flow rate variation profiles based on the control specific to the respective gas appliances.

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Nara, Japan

Hajime Miyata