COMPACT SELF POWERED AND AUTOMATED ATTACHMENT TO A FLUID SYSTEM
An attachment mechanism to a fluid system is provided herein. The mechanism may include: a turbine positioned in a cavity within said mechanism, configured to be rotated by a fluid of the fluid system flowing through the cavity; at least one magnet and at least one power solenoid wherein the at least one magnet or the at least one power solenoid is coupled to the turbine, wherein a relative rotational movement of the at least one magnet over the at least one power solenoid generates an alternating electrical current; a current rectifier configured to rectify the generated alternating electrical current; a capacitor configured to be charged by the rectified current; a control unit configured to discharge the capacitor via at least one actuating solenoid having an actuating magnet located therethrough, responsive to a control signal; and at least one valve plunger each coupled to the respective at least one actuating solenoid or to the at least one actuating magnet and configured to close or open a valve of the fluid system responsive to displacement of the actuating solenoid or the actuating magnet due to the control signal.
This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/310,820, filed Dec. 5, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention generally relates to fluid systems, more particularly to a self-powered and automated mechanism attachable to a fluid system for controlling same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONRecent growing awareness of the environment and of conservation of natural resources, such as fluid and energy, has led to the development and spread of alternative technologies and methods for minimizing harm to the environment while maximizing production of energy for widespread use. Indeed, methods used in renewable energies and other green technologies have taken center stage in the last decade or so for addressing the growing need throughout the globe for conserving natural resources. Particularly, such technologies include hydroelectric power produced and harnessed mainly through the large scale use of dams and wind turbine farms, most of which require a substantial logistical infrastructure and the availability of large areas of land.
Nevertheless, with growing populations, the wide use of energy and fluid, as well as the growing need for conserving resources appears to currently outweigh the pace at which conservation methods are developing. For example, water, as a natural resource and as a fundamental necessity, is obliviously consumed by every society to the extent that it is consumed without any attention paid to the quantity or the frequency of its use. Undoubtedly, the over use of water in certain settings such as homes, offices, industrial institutions, gardens, public institutions and other facilities may typically be due to a lack of judgment, absent mindedness or otherwise to the inability of monitoring and/or regulation of its use. Accordingly, without alleviating such shortcomings, continued waste of water and similar resources is likely to grow, thereby leading to unnecessary waste of valuable resources.
Some known automatic faucets operate upon detection of presence under the faucet opening, thus obviating the need to touch the faucet and operate it manually. These automatic faucets may be more hygienic by preventing infection that may occur by touching the faucet. Additionally, such faucet may reduce costs of mechanical maintenance, and the overall consumption of fluid
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn attachment mechanism to a fluid system is provided herein. The mechanism may include: a turbine positioned in a cavity within said mechanism, configured to be rotated by a fluid of the fluid system flowing through the cavity; at least one magnet and at least one power solenoid wherein the at least one magnet or the at least one power solenoid is coupled to the turbine, wherein a relative rotational movement of the at least one magnet over the at least one power solenoid generates an alternating electrical current; a current rectifier configured to rectify the generated alternating electrical current; a capacitor configured to be charged by the rectified current; a control unit configured to discharge the capacitor via at least one actuating solenoid having an actuating magnet located therethrough, responsive to a control signal; and at least one valve plunger each coupled to the respective at least one actuating solenoid or to the at least one actuating magnet and configured to close or open a valve of the fluid system responsive to displacement of the actuating solenoid or the actuating magnet due to the control signal.
For a better understanding of embodiments of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate corresponding elements or sections throughout.
In the accompanying drawings:
With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.
Before at least one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is applicable to other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a self-powered system for controlling fluid consumption, wherein the power production and the fluid flow control are integrated to consume minimal space. In some embodiments, same components of the system may be used for more than one function, thus providing more efficiency. Therefore, embodiments of the present invention may enable arrangement of a very compact and efficient system, which may reduce the consumption of fluid without requiring energy from any external source. Therefore, the enhanced hygiene and reduced maintenance provided by an automatic faucet may be made even more beneficial by embodiments of the present invention.
Accordingly, the hydroelectric faucet 10 includes a fluid outlet/spout 12 coupled to a base 14. Further, on top of the base 14, there is disposed a handle 16, generally adapted for manual operation of the faucet 10. As further depicted by
As will be described further below, in an exemplary embodiment, the hydroelectric mechanism 18 may include a miniature hydroelectric generator having a miniature turbine actuated by fluid flowing through fluid extension outlet 12 and, ultimately, through the mechanism 18. As will be shown further below, the illustrated embodiment takes advantage of the flowing fluid produced by fluid pressure ranging between 2-6 atmospheres as the fluid attains sufficient kinetic energy for rotating a turbine, also part of the aforementioned hydroelectric generator. As appreciated by those skilled in the art, such a generator can include a turbine having hydrodynamic design for efficiently rotating a rotor equipped with magnet or similar device (not shown) for yielding storable energy through the stator winding. Hence, such energy can be stored, for example, by a capacitor, from which such energy can be used for operating the fluid system. In addition, the capacitor can also harness the energy for an indefinite amount of time so that it may be retrieved in the future for further use. As will be further shown and discussed below, the aforementioned mechanism 18 may further include a sensor for generally detecting the presence of an object located near or in the vicinity of the facet 10. Thus, when detecting such a presence, the sensor can be used to provide feedback signals to a control unit for actuating a valve that could, for example, initiate or terminate the flow of fluid through the faucet 10. Thus, the sensor, the control unit and/or the valve may be functionally powered through the hydroelectric energy obtained by the faucet 10 and the system 18. As described in detail below, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the hydroelectric system and the control unit may be mechanically and/or locationally integrated to enable a very compact and efficient arrangement for controlling the flow and/or heat of fluid.
As shown in
Accordingly, while the attachment system 34 is similar the hydroelectric system 18, described by
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a self-powered system for controlling fluid consumption, wherein the power production and the fluid flow control are integrated to consume minimal space. Therefore, some embodiments of the present invention may enable arrangement of a very compact and efficient system, which may reduce the consumption of fluid without requiring energy from any external source.
Turning now to
Hydroelectric system 34 includes a cavity 56, through which the incoming fluid 46 from opening 42 may flow towards opening 44. Further, Hydroelectric system 34 includes a valve or valves 50, an electromagnet actuator (or actuators) 52, control unit 54, a miniature hydroelectric generator 58 and a sensor 60.
Valve or valves 50 may include, for example, one or more plungers, and/or may be coupled to an electromagnet actuator 52. Accordingly, valve 50 may be actuated by electromagnet 52 for opening or closing the fluid path extending from the opening 42 to the cavity 56. Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, valve(s) 50 may be actuated by electromagnet (or electromagnet) 52 to control the intensity of the flow of fluid and/or the heat of the fluid, e.g. by enabling different intensities of cold and hot fluid. As described in detail herein, electromagnet(s) 52 may be operated by control unit 54, for example in response to signals received from a sensor 60.
Hydroelectric generator 58 may be located within cavity 56, for example in the surrounding periphery of valve 50 and/or locationally integrated with valve 50. The hydroelectric generator 58 may include a turbine, typically made up of a central cylinder 59 (or a shaft) and rotating blades 57 that extend radially from cylinder 59. When fluid 46 flows down through cavity 56, the flow of fluid may hit blades 57 and cause rotation of turbine 57. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various turbine and blade designs may be fabricated so that sufficient rotational speed of the blades 57 may be achieved for producing a suitable amount of energy which can further be harnessed and used when needed. In one exemplary embodiment, fluid pressure ranging between 2-6 atmospheres may be sufficient enough for producing the desired liquid flow to attain the needed electrical power for operating the system 34. Nonetheless, the present invention may be extended to include hydroelectric generators and turbines having other designs that could make use of varying liquid pressure, some of which may be higher or lower than those mentioned above.
As described in more detail with reference to
Sensor 60 may be disposed at the bottom of the housing 40, for example close to the bottom opening 44. Sensor 60 may be a general sensor, such as an infrared sensor, CMOS sensor, image sensor, pressure sensor, touch sensor, electrostatic sensor and/or any similar device, as appreciated by those skilled in the art. Sensor 60 may be arranged in several separate sensor units around the hydroelectric system 34. Sensor 60 is adapted to detect the presence of an object, or lack thereof, and provide corresponding signals to the control unit 54 for closing or opening the valve(s) 50, thereby controlling the flow and/or temperature of fluid through the system 34 and the faucet, i.e., faucets 18 and 30 of the above
Accordingly, the control unit 54 may be made up of a processing device, such as an FPGA, microcontroller and/or other solid state devices, adapted for executing certain algorithms based on reception of electrical signals from the sensor 60. The control unit may further employ such algorithms for actuating the valve(s) 50 by actuator(s) 52, thereby controlling the flow of fluid 46 through the device 34 and the faucet to which it is affixed and/or temperature of fluid 46 corning out of the device. It should be born in mind that actuator(s) 52, control unit 54 and sensor 60 may all be powered by the electricity stored in the capacitor obtained through the operation of the hydroelectric generator 58. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the electrical energy obtained from the hydroelectric generator can be stored using a capacitor and that such energy can be retrieved at any point in time from the capacitor.
Reference is now made to
As shown in
In another example shown in
When a suitable signal is received from sensor 60, plates 252 and 254 may be adjoined, for example by gravity (for example, plate 254 may be placed above 252) and/or by magnetic field and/or by any other suitable method. This may cause plunger 53 to open the fluid paths. When the flow of fluid causes hydroelectric generator 58 to rotate, magnets 206 that rotate together with turbine 57, may provide rotating magnetic field, which in turn may be transformed to electric power by electromagnet 208. electromagnet 208 may charge capacitor 53, e.g., may transmit the created electric power to capacitor 53 for storage of the created electric energy. When a suitable signal/no signal is received from sensor 60, control unit 54 may operate electromagnet actuator 210 and/or electromagnet 208 to produce magnetic field, which may repel plate 254 from plate 252. The movement of plate 254 away from plate 252 may cause the attached plunger 50 to close the fluid paths, thus, for example, ceasing the rotation of turbine 57 and the production of electric power. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of plungers 50 may be controlled by one or more electromagnet actuators 210 to control the flow/heat of the fluid as described in more detail herein.
In one embodiment, valve plunger 53 may only be connected to the electromagnetic core of electromagnet actuator 210 and upon receiving an electric signal, only electromagnet actuator 210 is configured to open or close the faucet.
In another embodiment, plunger 53 may be connected to entire stator 254, such that, whereupon receiving an electrical signal, stator 254 in its entirety is displaced for opening or closing the faucet. In this embodiment, both electromagnet 210 and magnet 59B are eliminated.
It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that some embodiments of the present invention may include other arrangements of electromagnet and magnets. For example, electromagnet 210 may be used for charging of capacitor 53 and/or electromagnet 208 may be used for creation repelling/drawing magnetic field that may repel plate 254 from plate 252 or draw plate 254 towards plate 252.
Reference is now made to
Reference is now made to
Thus, as illustrated by diagram 70, in a preferred embodiment, the hydroelectric generator 58 is coupled to energy storage unit, i.e., capacitor 57. In turn, the capacitor is then coupled to a control unit 54, further coupled to sensor 60 and actuator 52. Accordingly, actuator 52 is also coupled to the valve 50. Hence, in a preferred embodiment, the hydroelectric generator 56 provides electric power to capacitor 57 which, in turn, stores and provides the power to the control unit 54. As further illustrated, the control unit 54 distributes the power to the actuator 52 and sensor 60, respectively. Thus, it should be born in mind that the connections by the various components, as depicted by the diagram 70, may include transfer of mechanical and data signals between mechanically and electrically operating components, respectively, as well as transfer of power signals, all of which originate from the hydroelectric generator 58. Alternating current created by hydroelectric generator 58 may be converted to direct charging current as known in the art, in order to charge capacitor 57. Thus, power to the other components shown by the diagram 70 may be provided directly by the aforementioned energy storing devices.
Accordingly, during operation, a user wishing to open a faucet, such as the fluid system 10 of
The system 80 further includes a tube casing 86 connecting the members 82 and 84 to tube 88, through which the incoming fluid flows to turn a turbine wheel and which eventually exits through outlet 92, as further shown in
Furthermore, the pinch valve 100 can be controlled via the motor 52 to apply various degrees of pressure to regulate the amount of fluid that passes through the fluid. In turn, this operation may also control the motion of the turbine wheel 104 (
Further illustrated is a hydroelectric generator 96 fitted and disposed directly beneath the casing 86 and above base member 94. In this configuration, the system 80 provides a small and compact hydroelectric system that can be fitted within an attachable system, i.e., system 34, adapted to be attached to a faucet. Hence, the system 80 utilizes the fluid flowing throughout the operating the hydroelectric systems incorporated therein for producing power. Such power may be used for actuating certain valves, i.e., pinch valve 100, as well as other sensing devices, i.e., sensor 60, also adapted to control the fluid flow. Further, the valve 100 may be continuously controlled either through the motor 52, or control unit 54 for varying the amount of fluid flowing through the system 80. It should be borne in mind that control of the fluids systems, as disclosed herein is adapted to perform various operations and functionalities. For example the control unit 54 includes a user interface enabling adjustment of sensitivity of the sensor 60 coupled thereto. The control unit may further have a user interface adapted to sense fluid temperature and provide indication of the temperature via a colored light emitting diode (LED). By further example, the control unit has user interface that enables manual operation of a pinch valve. Further, the control unit has a user interface that enables final positioning of the pinch valve for regulating the fluid flow. The control unit has a user interface that enable sensing energy accumulated on the capacitor resulting from the operation of the hydrogenerator. The interface further provides indicating the amount of energy utilizing a colored LED. The control unit further includes an interface and sensing mechanisms adapted to provide an indication of fluid pressure sustained with the above attachment fluid system.
As further illustrated by
Adjacent to the guide 112 there is disposed an electrical board 114 of the control unit, having various electrical components adapted for controlling the operation of the hydroelectric system 80. As further illustrated by
Claims
1. An attachment mechanism to a fluid system, comprising:
- a turbine positioned in a cavity within said mechanism, configured to be rotated by a fluid of the fluid system flowing through the cavity;
- at least one magnet and at least one power solenoid wherein the at least one magnet or the at least one power solenoid is coupled to the turbine, wherein a relative rotational movement of the at least one magnet over the at least one power solenoid generates an alternating electrical current;
- a voltage rectifier configured to rectify the generated alternating electrical current;
- an accumulator configured to be charged by the rectified current;
- a control unit configured to discharge the accumulator via at least one actuating solenoid having an actuating magnet located therethrough, responsive to a control signal; and
- at least one valve plunger coupled to the respective at least one actuating solenoid or to the at least one actuating magnet, which is not coupled to said turbine, and configured to close or open a valve of the fluid system responsive, wherein the at least one valve plunger is actuated by changing the magnetic field between the rotating magnet and the power solenoid, based on the control signal.
2. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein said coupling to said turbine comprises indirect coupling through magnetic coupling.
3. The attachment mechanism of claim 1, wherein the at least one power solenoid and the at least one actuating solenoid are same.
4. The attachment mechanism of claim 1, wherein the at least one power magnet and the at least one actuating magnet are same.
5. The attachment mechanism of claim 1 wherein the at least valve plunger comprises two or more valve plungers each associated with a different valve of the fluid system, and wherein each of the two or more valve plungers is coupled to a different magnet or solenoid.
6. The attachment mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to sense the presence of an object near an opening of the fluid system, and to send a suitable signal to control the actuator.
7. The attachment mechanism of claim 6, wherein the sensor receives power from the accumulator.
8. The attachment mechanism of claim 1, wherein said valve includes one or more plungers actuated by the actuator for opening or closing a fluid path extending from an entrance opening of the mechanism to the cavity of the turbine.
9. The attachment mechanism of claim 1, wherein the turbine is located in the surrounding periphery of the valve.
10. The attachment mechanism of claim 1, wherein the turbine includes a central cylinder, wherein magnets are located on the central cylinder or shaft to transform the rotational movement of the turbine to rotating magnetic field, and power solenoid are located adjacently to the magnets to transform the magnetic field to electric power.
11. The attachment mechanism of claim 10, wherein the actuator includes a power solenoid on the stator actuating the plunger, the solenoid is located within the central cylinder, and wherein said solenoid operates also as the coil charging the accumulator when the magnets rotates below the solenoid.
12. The attachment mechanism of claim 1, comprising:
- a rotator plate integral with the turbine, including multiple magnets on multiple locations on the plate around a central cylinder, the magnets are configured to create a rotating magnetic field when the turbine rotates; and
- a stator plate including multiple solenoids and a plunger to control the flow of fluid in the mechanism, the multiple solenoids are configured to transform the rotating magnetic field to electric power for storage in the accumulator,
- wherein, when a suitable signal is received, at least one of the solenoids is configured to produce magnetic field to repel the stator plate from the rotator plate, thus causing the plunger to close the fluid paths.
13. The attachment according to claim 12, wherein the plunger is connected to the magnet plate in a case the magnet plate is the stator plate.
14. The attachment according to claim 12, wherein the stator plate comprises two or more stator plate each coupled to the plunger.
15. The attachment according to claim 12, further comprising a second plunger, wherein the rotor is coupled to the plunger and wherein the stator is coupled to the second plunger.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 30, 2014
Publication Date: Oct 23, 2014
Inventor: Livne GAN (Omer)
Application Number: 14/318,696
International Classification: E03C 1/086 (20060101);