Kamstrup A/S

A flow meter ( 1 ) includes a flow tube ( 3 ) and sensors ( 19 a, 19 b ), that generate signals for measuring a fluid flow through the flow tube. An electronics housing ( 5 ) accommodates a battery ( 23 ) and a printed circuit board, PCB ( 15 ). The PCB is equipped with electronics. A pair of elongate connector elements ( 29 ) electrically connect axial end contacts ( 27 ) of the battery with the PCB for powering the electronics and/or sensors by the battery. The battery is arranged at a distance (D 3 ) to the PCB. The pair of elongate connector elements includes a first end section ( 31 ), connected to the PCB, a contact section ( 33 ), connected to one of the end contacts of the battery, and a second end section ( 35 ). The electronics housing includes inward protrusions. The second end sections of the pair of elongate connector elements abut axially against the inward protrusions to fix the battery axially.

A fluid consumption meter ( 50 ) configured to measure a flow rate of a fluid and with a noise detection module ( 40 ) for leak detection. Also having a control device with a bi-directional communication unit ( 60 ) and being configured to receive a leak detection control signal from an external device ( 100 ), to set the fluid consumption meter ( 50 ) into a leak detection mode upon reception of the leak detection control signal, and to start a noise measurement for leak detection in said leak detection mode and to transmit data from said noise detection module, an to a leak detection system.

A method determines an operational condition of an ultrasonic flow meter. The method having steps of: continuously, regularly, and/or on demand determining values of at least two different pre-determined operational variables of the ultrasonic flow meter; for each of the at least two different pre-determined operational variables, filling a variable-specific histogram by aggregating the occurrences of the determined values of the operational variable in bins of the histogram; and determining an operational condition of the ultrasonic flow meter based on a statistical distribution in one of the histograms if a statistical distribution in another one of the histograms is consistent with the operational condition of the ultrasonic flow meter.

A method for acoustic leakage detection in a fluid pipe network ( 1 ) uses at least one ultrasonic flow meter ( 13 ) installed at a pipe ( 15, 17 ). The pipe connects a consumer site ( 3 ) to the fluid pipe network. The method includes detecting at least one sound wave traveling along the pipe and/or along fluid within the pipe from a sound source to the at least one ultrasonic flow meter, determining the traveling direction of at least one of the at least one sound wave, interpreting a sound wave of the at least one sound wave as a leakage sound candidate if the determined traveling direction of said sound wave is towards the consumer site, and interpreting a sound wave of the at least one sound wave as a background noise if the determined traveling direction of said sound wave is away from the consumer site.

A flow meter including a flow tube element with sensors configured to generate signals for measuring a fluid flow through the flow tube element. An electronics housing with a mounting side is releasably mounted to the flow tube element. The electronics housing accommodates a battery and electronics. The electronics and the sensors are powered by the battery, located in a battery cartridge that is arranged within the electronics housing and is removable through the mounting side with the housing unmounted from the flow tube element. A first anti-tampering element is arranged between a first part of the electronics and the battery cartridge. A second anti-tampering element is mounted to the flow tube element independently from the electronics housing. The second anti-tampering element and a second part of the electronics remain mounted to the flow tube element with the electronics housing unmounted from the flow tube element.

A fluid consumption meter ( 2 ) is arranged to measure a flow rate of a fluid and has a control device ( 14 ) with a sound detection module ( 26 ) arranged to detect a sound in said fluid. The control device ( 14 ) is configured such that during activation of the sound detection module ( 26 ) at least one further module ( 20, 22, 24 ) of the consumption meter ( 2 ) not required for sound detection is in a deactivated state. A method is provided for detecting sound in a piping system.

An ultrasonic flow meter ( 2 ) includes a flow channel ( 4 ), at least one ultrasonic transducer ( 16,18 ) located in the flow channel or on a wall ( 5 ) of the flow channel ( 4 ) and a processing unit ( 14 ) connected to this at least one ultrasonic transducer ( 16,18 ). The processing unit ( 14 ) is configured such that the processing unit controls the at least one ultrasonic transducer ( 16,18 ). The processing unit ( 14 ) includes an analyzing module ( 36 ) that is configured such that analyzing module ( 36 ) evaluates a state of a medium in-side the flow channel ( 4 ) by analyzing a ringdown behavior-damping of the signal of the at least one ultrasonic transducer ( 16,18 ). A method for evaluating the state of a medium inside an ultrasonic flow meter ( 2 ) is provided.

An ultrasound flow meter includes a housing ( 1 ) which includes a channel ( 2 ) for leading through a fluid, which fluid flow rate is to be measured. Two ultrasound transducers are arranged on the wall which delimits the channel ( 2 ), within the housing ( 1 ). The ultrasound transducers are fixed within the housing by a non-releasable snap connection and/or clamping connection.

A consumption meter, e.g. a water or heat meter, for measuring a flow rate of a fluid supplied in a flow tube. First and second ultrasonic transducers are arranged at the flow tube for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals transmitted through the fluid and operated by a flow measurement sub-circuit for generating a signal indicative of the flow rate of the fluid. A noise measurement sub-circuit operates a sensor arranged at the flow tube for detection of acoustic signals of the flow tube, and being arranged to generate a signal indicative of a noise level of the flow tube accordingly. This sensor may comprise a separate transducer, or the sensor may be constituted by one or both of the first and second ultrasonic transducers. The consumption meter may communicate data representative of the noise level via a communication module along with data consumed amount of water, heat etc. Such consumer noise level measurement at the consumer site allows collection of noise level data to assist in locating fluid leakages in a fluid supply pipe system.

An ultrasonic flow meter, comprising a flow tube with a through-going opening for passage of a fluid between an inlet and an outlet, comprising: a flow pipe of a first material, such as metal, extending between the inlet and the outlet, a liner of a second material, such as a polymer-based material, extending along an inner surface of the flow pipe between the inlet and the outlet, a housing providing a compartment for transducers and metering electronics wherein the housing is connected to the liner, by being mounted on an interface being an integrated part of the liner.