US-12625025-B2 - Sensor systems and methods for remotely monitoring a fluid property

Abstract

Sensor systems and methods for remotely and wirelessly monitoring fluid properties are provided. The systems and methods employ sensor systems with a first housing having a sensor and a transmitter and a second housing, detachable from the first housing, having a receiver and an indicator, such as, a display for the detected fluid property. The transmitter and receiver use radio waves to communicate electrical signals corresponding to the detected fluid property between remote locations. Aspects of the invention are uniquely adapted for safely remotely mentoring gas pressures from a remote location, but any fluid property may be remotely monitored using aspects of the invention.

Inventors

• Ryan W. Wilbur

Assignees

• Ryan W. Wilbur

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20221116

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A sensor system for remotely monitoring a fluid property, the system comprising: a sensor adapted to detect a fluid property of a fluid in a first pipeline at a first location and generate an electrical signal corresponding to the detected fluid property, the sensor mounted in a first housing; a radio transmitter positioned in the first housing, the radio transmitter configured to receive the electrical signal from the sensor and transmit a radio signal corresponding to the received electrical signal; a radio signal receiver positioned in a second housing, the second housing detachably mounted to the first housing and transferrable to a second location, remote from the first location, having a second pipeline in fluid communication with the first pipeline, the radio signal receiver configured to receive the radio signal transmitted by the radio transmitter when the radio signal receiver is positioned in the second location and generate an electrical signal; and an indicator positioned in the second housing, the indicator configured to receive the electrical signal from the radio signal receiver and generate a signal detectable at the second location.
2. 2 . The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fluid property comprises at least one of fluid pressure, fluid temperature, fluid chemical concentration, and fluid humidity.
3. 3 . The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a processor positioned in the first housing, the processor adapted to receive the electrical signal generated by the sensor and output a processed signal to the radio transmitter.
4. 4 . The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a processor positioned in the second housing, the processor adapted to receive the electrical signal generated by the radio receiver and output a processed signal to the indicator.
5. 5 . The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the indicator comprises at least one of a visual indicium and an audible indicium.
6. 6 . The sensor system as recited in claim 5 , wherein the visual indicium comprises a display and the audible indicium comprises a sound.
7. 7 . The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the radio transmitter is adapted to transmit a radio signal and the radio receiver is adapted to receive the radio signal at the second location at least 100 feet away from the first location.
8. 8 . The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second location is at least 100 feet from the first location.
9. 9 . The sensor system as recited in claim 8 , wherein the second location is at least 200 feet from the first location.
10. 10 . The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first housing is detachably mountable to the first pipeline.
11. 11 . The sensor system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first housing comprises a sensing port that is detachably mountable to the first pipeline.
12. 12 . The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the radio transmitter comprises an RFM69HCW radio transmitter.
13. 13 . The sensor system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second housing is mountable to a structure at the second location.
14. 14 . A method for monitoring a fluid property, the method comprising: locating an assembly of a first housing having a fluid property sensor and a radio transmitter and a second housing having a radio receiver and an indicator on a first pipeline having a fluid in a first location, the second housing detachably mounted to the first housing; detaching the second housing having the radio receiver and the indicator from the first housing; positioning the second housing having the radio receiver and the indicator in a second location, remote from the first location, having a second pipeline in fluid communication with the first pipeline; detecting a fluid property with the sensor at the first location; transmitting a radio signal corresponding to the detected fluid property from the radio transmitter in the first housing at the first location to the radio receiver in the second housing at the second location; emitting a detectable signal from the indicator in the second housing at the second location corresponding to the fluid property detected by the sensor in the first housing at the first location.
15. 15 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the fluid property comprises at least one of fluid pressure, fluid temperature, fluid chemical concentration, and fluid humidity.
16. 16 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises processing the electrical signal generated by the sensor with a processor and outputting a processed signal to the radio transmitter.
17. 17 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises processing the electrical signal generated by the radio receiver to output a processed signal to the indicator.
18. 18 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein emitting the detectable signal from the indicator comprises at least one of displaying a signal corresponding to the fluid property detected by the sensor and activating an audible signal.
19. 19 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein positioning the second housing in the second location, remote from the first location, comprises positioning the second housing in a second location at least 100 feet away from the first location.
20. 20 . The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the fluid property comprises gas pressure, and wherein emitting a detectable signal from the indicator comprises a displaying an indicium corresponding to gas pressure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention generally relates to remotely and wirelessly monitoring fluid properties, for example, gas properties. More particularly, the present invention relates to remotely and wirelessly monitoring a fluid property with a sensor system having detachable housings, a first housing having a sensor and a transmitter and a second housing, detachable from the first housing, having a receiver and a fluid property indicator. The second housing can be remotely located from the first housing to safety remotely monitor a fluid property, such as, a combustible gas pressure. Description of Related Art Many industries and applications employ sensing devices to monitor and regulate system parameters, for example, fluid properties, such as, fluid flow and fluid pressure. Though historically these monitoring systems have employed electromechanical sensors adapted to detect a fluid property and then transmit an electric signal corresponded to the detected property to a remote receiver, for example, with a 4-20 milliamp hardwired electrical signal to, for example, a remote monitoring station or control room. However, with the advent of wireless signal transmission, many electrical signals avoid the use of hardwiring and allow signals to be transmitted and received wirelessly. The monitoring of a fluid property in an environment containing a combustible fluid, for example, propane or natural gas, requires that any sensing and signal transmission system strictly avoid the potential exposure of the combustible fluid to electric spark. Accordingly, care must be taken in the design and implementation of systems in such environments to prevent fluid ignition by electric spark. Due to the limitations of existing sensing and electrical signal technology, the monitoring of a fluid property in one location, for example, with a gauge or meter, to another, remote location, especially, in environments having a combustible fluid, are typically limited and inconvenient. This is presently due to the concern for combustible fluid ignition and the inadequacies of existing communication methods. For example, typically, monitoring a fluid property between remote locations presently requires the locating of personnel on site at the location of the gauge or meter to visually monitor the fluid property detected. Then, with visual monitoring, somehow the observed fluid property is relayed to the remote location, for example, by vocal communication of (that is, yelling) the detected pressure from the site of the gauge or meter to the remote site. However, due to the typical noise of a work site and, for example, the inherent loud noise of gas flowing in a pipeline at high pressure, vocal communication, and even communication by radio or phone, can be difficult. The cost and disadvantages of such on-site, visual observation and communication to a remote location are apparent. Though wireless signal transmission, for example, Bluetooth®-type wireless communication and Wi-Fi communication, are known, these modes of communication are inadequate for this application. For example, ultrahigh frequency (UHF) radio wave communication Bluetooth-type devices are limited in range to a maximum of about 33 feet. Also, Wi-Fi, which adheres to the IEEE 802.11 standards, is known to exhibit relatively high signal absorption, for example, by walls and ceilings, and only works best for line-of-sight uses. Both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies are inadequate for transmitting signals between remote locations, for example, locations over 50 feet apart and which may not be in a line-of-site. Aspects of the present invention overcome the limitations and disadvantages of this and other prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention, in their myriad of aspects, provide improved sensing systems and methods that employ sensor systems with a first housing having a sensor for a fluid property, such as, gas pressure, and a transmitter, and a second housing, detachable from the first housing, having a receiver and an indicator, such as, a display for the detected gas pressure. The transmitter and receiver use radio waves to communicate electrical signals corresponding to the detected fluid property between remote locations. Aspects of the invention are uniquely adapted for safely and remotely mentoring gas pressures from a remote location, but any fluid property may be remotely monitored. One embodiment of the invention is a sensor system for remotely monitoring a fluid property, the system comprising or including: a sensor adapted to detect a fluid property at a first location and generate an electrical signal corresponding to the detected fluid property, the sensor mounted in a first housing; a radio transmitter positioned in the first housing, the radio transmitter configured to receive the electrical signal from the sensor and transmit a radio signal corresponding to the received electrical sign