Integrated leakage detection

Krohne's battery operated water meter WATERFLUX 3070 C is available with integrated pressure and temperature sensor as option. Thus the water meter can be used for leak detection in drinking water networks when comparison of pressure and flow values is used as method.

The leak detection in drinking water systems is often carried out by monitoring night flows. Between 2...4 am, there is a theoretical zero consumption; at this time the pressure sensors installed for line monitoring should measure no significant pressure drop when no flow exists. For this purpose, the readings of the pressure sensors are aligned with the flow rates of the water meters (district meters).

The integrated solution for this application, eliminating the installation and wiring of external pressure sensors. The pressure sensor in WATERFLUX provides an alarm via a status output when the programmed upper or lower limit is reached. The integrated temperature sensor can also serve as an additional measured parameter at the measuring point, also there is no need to open the line a second time.

WATERFLUX is a battery-powered electromagnetic water meter. It has a measuring tube with a rectangular and reduced cross-section. This construction has several advantages: the coils produce a stronger and more uniform magnetic field, the signal -to-noise ratio is improved and ensures stable measurement even at low flow rates. Through the constriction, the flow speed is increased and the flow profile in the rectangular cross-section is optimized. Thus, the meter is practically independent of interferences from the inlet section, which was confirmed in in studies at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt PTB, the national German metrology institute. The water meter can be installed directly behind an arc or a reduction in the pipe without straight inlet or outlet sections.

The significant reduction of the inlet and outlet sections result in smaller measurement wells . Another important advantage of the rectangular sensor construction is the very low power consumption of the coils. This results in a long battery life of up to 15 years with two internal batteries and up to 20 years with an external battery pack.

For remote measurement points WATERFLUX can also be equipped with a GSM antenna ( also battery powered) for remote transmission of readings. The protection class IP68 version of the water meter can also be used to temporarily or permanently flooded measuring points.