Patents Assigned to Sentec Limited
-
Publication number: 20120266688Abstract: A gas meter comprises a conduit for passage of a gas flow and an ionizer to ionize the gas flow. A modulating electrode structure downstream of the ionizer modulates the ion distribution in the ionized gas flow. A first and a second electrode structure downstream of the modulating electrode structure detect the ion distribution in the ionized gas flow. The modulating electrode structure and the detecting electrode structure can generate an electrical field parallel to the direction of the gas flow. The modulating electrode structure and the detecting electrode structures can each have apertures defined therein for passage of the gas flow. The modulating electrode structure can capture ions of one polarity to generate an ionized gas flow comprising a majority of ions of the opposite polarity. Movement of the ionized gas flow generates a current indicative of the ion distribution between the electrode and the charge source.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2012Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: Sentec LimitedInventors: Edward Grellier Colby, Hans Joachim Steiner, Kimon Roussopoulos, Matthew Emmanuel Milton Storkey, Simon Adam Shakespeare
-
Patent number: 8091433Abstract: A gas meter gas a conduit for passage of a gas flow; an ioniser arranged to ionise the gas flow in the conduit; a modulating electrode structure arranged for modulating the ion distribution in the ionised gas flow; and at least a detecting electrode structure downstream of the modulating electrode structure arranged for detecting the modulated ion distribution in the ionised gas flow. The modulating electrode structure is arranged downstream of the ioniser and is configured to generate an electrical field which is substantial in a parallel to the direction of the gas flow.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2006Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: Sentec LimitedInventors: Edward Grellier Colby, Hans Joachim Steiner, Kimon Sopoulos, Matthew Emmanuel Milton Storkey, Simon Adam Shakepeare
-
Publication number: 20110006756Abstract: The invention provides a system (1) for providing power measurements using a current sensing element (2) located at a supply line and a voltage sensing element (3) located remotely from said supply line location. Power measurement is enabled by using a communications link (4) to correlate current and voltage measurements.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2009Publication date: January 13, 2011Applicant: SENTEC LIMITEDInventors: Neil Alexander Rosewell, Nicholas George Bailey, James Mark Carson England, Edward Grellier Colby
-
Publication number: 20110004421Abstract: A method of inference of appliance usage from a point measurement on a supply line, said supply line being common to multiple appliances and/or components of appliances comprises the steps of: obtaining data from said measurement point; sampling power and reactive power at intervals substantially throughout periods of operation of said appliances or components of appliances corresponding to appliances or components of appliances being in ON and/or OFF modes of use; identifying characteristics of events by assessing power and reactive power change during an event; and by assessing one or more additional characteristics derivable from said power and reactive power to characterise an appliance; grouping events and/or cycles of events into clusters of similar characteristics; and inferring appliance usage based on said grouping.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2009Publication date: January 6, 2011Applicant: SENTEC LIMITEDInventors: Neil Alexander Rosewell, Hans Joachim Steiner, Matthew Emmanuel Milton Storkey, Edward Grellier Colby, Adam Laurence Camilletti, David Healey, Joseph Moorhouse
-
Publication number: 20100199781Abstract: A gas meter comprises a conduit (1) for passage of a gas flow A and an ioniser (2) arranged to ionise the gas flow in the conduit (1). A modulating electrode structure (4) downstream of the ioniser modulates the ion distribution in the ionised gas flow. A first detecting electrode structure (8) and a second electrode structure (9) downstream of the modulating electrode structure 4 detect the modulated ion distribution in the ionised gas flow. The modulating electrode structure (4) and the detecting electrode structures (8, 9) can be configured to generate an electrical field having at least a substantial component parallel to the direction of the gas flow. The modulating electrode structure (4) and the detecting electrode structures (8, 9) can comprise a pair of electrodes (5, 6, 10, 11), each having a plurality of apertures defined therein for passage of the gas flow.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2006Publication date: August 12, 2010Applicant: SENTEC LIMITEDInventors: Edward Grellier Colby, Hans Joachim Steiner, Kimon Sopoulos, Matthew Emmanuel Milton Storkey, Simon Adam Shakepeare
-
Patent number: 7735379Abstract: There is described a fluid flow sensor (10)for sensing a flow (F) of a fluid (120) through a region. The sensor (10) comprises a magnetic circuit (50, 60a, 60b) for applying a magnetic field (70) to the region, and electrodes (40a, 40b) for sensing a potential (V) generated in operation between the electrodes (40a, 40b) in response to the fluid (120) flowing through the magnetic field (70). Each electrode (40) includes a metal element (130; 300; 400; 500), a metal halide element (110; 310; 320; 410; 520), and an electrically conductive porous element (100; 330; 420; 530). The porous element (100; 330; 420; 530), hinders progressive loss of the metal halide element (110; 310, 320; 410; 520), to the flow (F) and provides an electrically conductive path between the flow (F) and the metal halide element (110; 310; 320; 410; 520), and thereby to the metal element (130; 300; 400; 500).Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2005Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: Sentec LimitedInventor: Anthony Robert Glauser
-
Publication number: 20100109643Abstract: The present invention is a current sensor architecture using a planar coils in close proximity to a current conductor to detect the rate of change of current in the conductor (and hence, by using an integrator, to recover the AC current). The current sensor is optimised to reject uniform external magnetic fields, gradient external magnetic fields, and fields from one or more conductor assemblies in fixed locations in close proximity to the current sensor, such as might be found in a polyphase electric meter with multiple current sensors.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2006Publication date: May 6, 2010Applicant: SENTEC LIMITEDInventor: Matthew Emmanuel Milton Storkey
-
Patent number: 7472605Abstract: A magnetic transducer (109) for measuring the flow of a fluid (108) has electrodes (102) and an alternating magnetic field (107), an electrode (102) having lower noise energy at frequencies below 5 Hz than an electrode comprising carbon or corrosion-resistant metal alloy. The noise characteristic of the electrode (102) at magnetic field frequencies around 1 Hz is lower than that of an electrode comprising carbon or corrosion-resistant metal alloy.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2004Date of Patent: January 6, 2009Assignee: Sentec LimitedInventors: Alexander Charles Knill, Anthony Robert Glauser
-
Publication number: 20070227248Abstract: There is described a fluid flow sensor (10) for sensing a flow (F) of a fluid (120) through a region. The sensor (10) comprises a magnetic circuit (50, 60a, 60b) for applying a magnetic field (70) to the region, and electrodes (40a, 40b) for sensing a potential (V) generated in operation between the electrodes (40a, 40b) in response to the fluid (120) flowing through the magnetic field (70). Each electrode (40) includes a metal element (130; 300; 400; 500), a metal halide element (110; 310, 320; 410; 520), and an electrically conductive porous element (100; 330; 420; 530). The porous element (100; 330; 420; 530) hinders progressive loss of the metal halide element (110; 310, 320; 410; 520) to the flow (F) and provides an electrically conductive path between the flow (F) and the metal halide element (110; 310, 320; 410; 520) and thereby to the metal element (130; 300; 400; 500).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2005Publication date: October 4, 2007Applicant: SENTEC LIMITEDInventor: Antony Glauser
-
Patent number: 6734661Abstract: A current sensor for measuring the load in a fiscal power meter has conductive paths connected between an inlet and an outlet for guiding the load currents through the sensor, and operates by sensing local magnetic fields generated around the conductive paths by the current flowing there through, thereby providing a current measure indicative of the magnitude of a given load. The sensor is distinguished by plural current coil elements arranged in a substantially common plane so as to be substantially insensitive to remotely generated magnetic fields but responsive to local magnetic fields for generating the current measure. The coil elements are disposed in zones having more than two effective centres and exhibiting mutually opposing responses to the remote field.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2002Date of Patent: May 11, 2004Assignee: Sentec LimitedInventors: Edward Grellier Colby, Matthew Emmanuel Milton Storkey
-
Publication number: 20020180417Abstract: A current sensor for measuring one or more currents supplied from a power source to a load, the sensor comprising:Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2002Publication date: December 5, 2002Applicant: Sentec Limited, A Great Britain corporationInventors: Edward Grellier Colby, Matthew Emmanuel Milton Storkey