Abstract: A capacitive electrical conductivity sensor is integrated into a water meter. The sensor is used to determine water conductivity, which may be used to determine water quality. A model of a capacitor, a flow of water, and a plastic conduit used to conduct the flow of water passing through a water meter is defined. The model may include a circuit having a constant phase element (CPE) connected to a resistor Rb and a capacitor Cb in parallel. An input signal may be applied to the actual capacitor (not the model) over a range of frequencies. Current flow associated with several frequencies may be used to identify values of Q0 and alpha of the CPE of the model. A value for the resistor Rb is identified using values obtained from measurements. A conductivity of the flow of water may be derived using input values comprising Rb, and the values of Q0 and alpha of the CPE of the model.

Abstract: Detection and measurement of transient pressure events in a water (or other fluid) supply system are described herein. A water meter may have upstream and downstream piezo transducers that measure flowrate and overall water consumption. The transducers operate for very short periods (e.g., milliseconds) at intervals (e.g., a second). During the substantial periods during which the piezo transducers are not measuring flowrate, one of the transducers may be used to detect transient pressure events. An output signal of the transducer is compared to a pressure threshold to determine if a transient pressure event has occurred. The comparison may include either a number of times that the threshold was exceeded during a time period, or the time that the threshold was exceeded during the time period. If a transient pressure event was detected, a dedicated transient event sensor can be turned on to better assess the situation.

Abstract: A capacitive electrical conductivity sensor is integrated into a water meter. The sensor is used to determine water conductivity, which may be used to determine water quality. A model of a capacitor, a flow of water, and a plastic conduit used to conduct the flow of water passing through a water meter is defined. The model may include a circuit having a constant phase element (CPE) connected to a resistor Rb and a capacitor Cb in parallel. An input signal may be applied to the actual capacitor (not the model) over a range of frequencies. Current flow associated with several frequencies may be used to identify values of Q0 and alpha of the CPE of the model. A value for the resistor Rb is identified using values obtained from measurements. A conductivity of the flow of water may be derived using input values comprising Rb, and the values of Q0 and alpha of the CPE of the model.

Abstract: A capacitive electrical conductivity sensor is integrated into a water meter. The sensor is used to determine water conductivity, which may be used to determine water quality. A model of a capacitor, a flow of water, and a plastic pipe used to conduct the flow of water passing through a water meter is defined. The model may include a circuit having a constant phase element (CPE) connected to a resistor Rb and a capacitor Cb in parallel. An input signal may be applied to the actual capacitor (not the model) over a range of frequencies. Current flow associated with several frequencies may be used to identify values of Q0 and alpha of the CPE of the model. A value for the resistor Rb is identified using values obtained from measurements. A conductivity of the flow of water may be derived using input values comprising Rb, and the values of Q0 and alpha of the CPE of the model.

Abstract: An example pressure-sensing device includes a pipe or conduit having upstream and downstream connectors for respective upstream and downstream transducers to measure fluid (e.g., water) flow. The conduit may be made at least in part of a resiliently deformable material. A deformable electrode of a capacitor may be mounted in contact with a dry-side surface of an area of the resiliently deformable material. The wet-side surface of the area may define part of a pathway for a flow of the fluid. In operation, the area of the resiliently deformable material changes a location and/or a shape of the deformable electrode in response to changes in fluid pressure. A fixed electrode of the capacitor is separated by a dielectric material (e.g., air or an insulator) from the deformable electrode, and a circuit determines a pressure of the fluid based at least in part on a capacitance between the deformable electrode and the fixed electrode.

Abstract: A capacitive electrical conductivity sensor is integrated into a water meter. The sensor is used to determine water conductivity, which may be used to determine water quality. A model of a capacitor, a flow of water, and a plastic conduit used to conduct the flow of water passing through a water meter is defined. The model may include a circuit having a constant phase element (CPE) connected to a resistor Rb and a capacitor Cb in parallel. An input signal may be applied to the actual capacitor (not the model) over a range of frequencies. Current flow associated with several frequencies may be used to identify values of Q0 and alpha of the CPE of the model. A value for the resistor Rb is identified using values obtained from measurements. A conductivity of the flow of water may be derived using input values comprising Rb, and the values of Q0 and alpha of the CPE of the model.

Abstract: An example pressure-sensing device includes a pipe or conduit having upstream and downstream connectors for respective upstream and downstream transducers to measure fluid (e.g., water) flow. The conduit may be made at least in part of a resiliently deformable material. A deformable electrode of a capacitor may be mounted in contact with a dry-side surface of an area of the resiliently deformable material. The wet-side surface of the area may define part of a pathway for a flow of the fluid. In operation, the area of the resiliently deformable material changes a location and/or a shape of the deformable electrode in response to changes in fluid pressure. A fixed electrode of the capacitor is separated by a dielectric material (e.g., air or an insulator) from the deformable electrode, and a circuit determines a pressure of the fluid based at least in part on a capacitance between the deformable electrode and the fixed electrode.

Abstract: Techniques to provide a unified system for fluid pressure and fluid flowrate measurement are described. Upstream and downstream transducers include piezo devices, and are in contact with a fluid flow, such as in a pipe within a metering device. In an example, a first signal is sent from the upstream transducer to a downstream transducer, and time-of-flight of the first signal is measured. A second signal is sent from the downstream transducer to the upstream transducer, and a time-of-flight of the second signal is measured. A flowrate of the fluid flowing within the passage is calculated, based on the times of flight of the first and second signals. An electrical signal is sent to the first transducer. Upon conclusion of the electrical signal, a pressure of the fluid flowing within the passage is calculated, based at least in part on time of decay of a second electrical signal generated by vibration of the first transducer.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for configuring a bi-material enclosure for an acoustic sensor assembly, such as for use in a water or gas metering applications, or other applications using piezo and/or transducer devices. A plastic housing with mechanical reinforcements (e.g., 40% glass fiber) provides the advantage of strength and resistance to a high-pressure environment encountered during use. Use of a plastic sleeve having less or no reinforcements provides more consistent signal reception and data generation between different transducer assemblies under the same or similar conditions. Accordingly, the bi-material transducer enclosure provides a high resistance to pressure and/or high reproducibility of signal-transmission characteristics between transducer assemblies.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for configuring a bi-material enclosure for an acoustic sensor assembly, such as for use in a water or gas metering applications, or other applications using piezo and/or transducer devices. A plastic housing with mechanical reinforcements (e.g., 40% glass fiber) provides the advantage of strength and resistance to a high-pressure environment encountered during use. Use of a plastic sleeve having less or no reinforcements provides more consistent signal reception and data generation between different transducer assemblies under the same or similar conditions. Accordingly, the bi-material transducer enclosure provides a high resistance to pressure and/or high reproducibility of signal-transmission characteristics between transducer assemblies.

Abstract: In a liquid projection method and a high-resolution printing device in a vibrationally excited continuous ink-jet printer, an ink jet is divided into drops in the vicinity of a charging device for the electrostatic charging of these drops creating an electrical field that is asymmetrical with respect to the axis of the jet. The method comprises a first step of creating a single microdrop at the upstream end of a main drop by the application of a charging voltage V.sub.M higher than the Rayleigh voltage to the charging device when this main drop appears. Then a second step of deflecting the microdrop to be used for the printing by the application, to the following main drop, of a charging voltage V.sub.c, lower than the voltage V.sub.M and lower than the Rayleigh voltage, that can be modulated as a function of the path chosen for the microdrop towards the printing medium. The charging device can take the form of two half-planes intersecting each other in a direction parallel to the axis of the ink jet.