Homeserve Plc

Delphi Technologies Holding S.arl

Leakbot Limited

Delphi International Operations Luxembourg S.a.r.l.

Samuel Bailey

Greer Gray

Philip Yorke

Richard Lawrence

A method for determining whether water contained within a water pipe system in a building is at risk of freezing is disclosed. The method is carried out by a detector device comprising a processor. The method comprises determining a plurality of pipe temperature measurements using a temperature sensor. The processor analyses the pipe temperature measurements to detect whether a water draw has occurred. An exterior building environment temperature is compared to a predetermined freeze alert threshold. If the processor detects that (i) a water draw has not occurred; and (ii) the indicative temperature of the exterior building environment is lower than the predetermined freeze alert threshold, an alert is transmitted.

Frozen pipe alert

A method for testing for a possible water leak in at least a part of a water system, comprising: closing all known water usage taps () within the part of the water system to be tested; closing at least one stop cock () or valve of the water system to isolate the part of the water system from its replacement water source () (or sources), and any external replacement pressure source (or sources); and then a) detecting a first pressure Pwithin the isolated part of the water system at a sensor () connected to the part of the water system, waiting a period of time t and then detecting a second pressure within the isolated part of the water system at that sensor (); and b) releasing a volume of water VR from the water system out of the isolated part of the water system via a vent () in the isolated part of the water system, before then closing the vent (), step b) further comprising detecting the pressures either side of that release at that sensor (); using the pressure drop caused by the approximately known or measured volume of water VR to enable an estimate of the relationship between change in pressure in the system and the volume of water released to be established, and based on the relationship between the change in pressure and the known release volume, calculating an estimate of the actual volume of the unknown water loss volume Vbased upon the recorded pressure loss in the system in the known period of time t.

Leak detection method and apparatus

A flow detector for detecting flow rates of fluid in pipes by measuring the temperature of the pipe and the ambient temperature and determining from the signals whether there is a flow in the pipe, by the shape of the temperature signals without providing any heat input to the pipe or fluid.

Flow detection device

The present application generally relates to fluid flow detection apparatuses and methods for detecting a water leak in a pipe system of a building. A method may: determine that a low flow is present, if absolute values of temperature differences between ambient and pipe temperatures of respective samples of a first monitoring period are above a difference threshold; and perform a high flow test by estimating a temperature profile of water entering the pipe, based on identifying at least one temperature difference maximum of a second monitoring period, wherein each said difference maxima is a maximum temperature difference between ambient and pipe temperatures of a received sample, and determining that a high flow is present by detecting, based on the received pipe temperatures of the second monitoring period, if the pipe temperature is approaching the estimated water temperature profile.

Fluid flow detection apparatus

A method for estimating the composition of a fuel within an engine, comprises performing the following steps under ambient conditions: (a') determining the ambient temperature of the fuel; (a) monitoring the fuel pressure inside a fuel rail of the engine over a period of time; (b) calculating at least one frequency component of the change in fuel pressure; (c) calculating the speed of sound transmission c on the basis of the at least one frequency component; and (d) estimating the composition of the fuel on the basis of the calculated speed of sound transmission at said ambient temperature. Suitably, the speed of sound transmission in the fuel is calculated using the equation: c=f&#x3bb;, where the wavelength &#x3bb; of the standing wave with frequency f is 2L, where L is the length of the fuel rail. Also described are methods for estimating the temperature of the fuel at a non-ambient temperature, and determining a fuels physical properties. Methods for controlling a fuel injection system in an engine according to the determined physical properties of the fuel and the resultant fuel injection system are also described.

Growing community of inventors

London, United Kingdom

Samuel Bailey