JPH0514168B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a gas meter monitoring device with a shutoff function that can automatically shut off a gas flow path in the event of an abnormality and can also shut off the gas flow path by remote control.

Conventional technology Conventionally, when a gas meter monitors the gas flow rate per unit time and determines that there is an abnormality due to an abnormal increase in the flow rate or forgetting to turn off the appliance (a long period of time has passed without any fluctuation in the flow rate), There is a gas cutoff device that cuts off the gas flow path when a cutoff command is sent from the operator's center (hereinafter referred to simply as the center) via a communication line.If the gas flow path is cut off due to an abnormal flow rate, the user must operate the cutoff valve. It can be restored (it will be shut off again if the abnormality continues), but if it is forcibly shut off from the center due to a disaster or an empty house, the user will be unable to restore it unless the center issues a command to cancel the shutoff. There is a gas cutoff device that shuts off the gas immediately if it is not possible or even if it is restored.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with such conventional gas shut-off devices, when a shut-off command is issued from the center, it is impossible for the center to confirm whether the shut-off has actually occurred. Even if a problem occurs and a shutdown command is sent from the center, but the shutdown has not actually been performed, there is a risk that the center will not be aware of this and will continue to assume that the shutdown has been completed.

The present invention solves such conventional problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that allows a center to confirm whether or not a gas meter is shut off.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the gas meter monitoring device with a shutoff function of the present invention provides a shutoff function that sends a shutoff signal to a shutoff valve that shuts off the gas flow path when an abnormality in the gas flow rate is determined. a control section, a shutoff valve return signal input section that inputs a signal when the shutoff valve is opened and returns to the shutoff control section and returns the signal to the shutoff control section; a cutoff presence/absence signal generating section that generates a presence/absence signal; and a transmission interface section that sends a cutoff signal from the cutoff presence/absence signal generation section to the communication circuit and a cutoff signal from the communication line to the cutoff control section. It is composed of

According to the above-described configuration, the present invention allows the shutoff control section to send a shutoff signal to the shutoff valve when an abnormality occurs in the gas flow rate or when a shutoff signal is sent from the center via the communication line and transmission interface section. However, when the shutoff valve returns, a signal is returned from the shutoff valve to the shutoff control unit via the shutoff valve return signal input unit, so the shutoff control unit always knows whether there is a shutoff or not. A disconnection signal can be sent to the communication line via the transmission interface section. Therefore, the center side can check the actual operating state of the shutoff valve when it is forcibly shut off from the center, and if by any chance the shutoff is not executed, countermeasures such as sending a shutoff command again can be taken. It is possible.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a flow rate sensor input section that inputs a flow rate signal from a gas meter; 2 is a gas flow rate calculation unit per unit time that inputs a signal from the flow sensor input section 1 and calculates a gas flow rate per unit time;
3 monitors the state of the gas flow rate per unit time calculated by the gas flow rate per unit time calculation means 2 to detect abnormalities in the gas flow rate such as an abnormal increase in the flow rate or a long period of time at the same flow rate (forgetting to turn off the appliance). A gas flow rate abnormality determining unit 4 determines that the gas flow rate is abnormal, a cutoff control unit 4 sends a cutoff signal to a cutoff valve that shuts off the gas flow path when the gas flow rate abnormality determination unit 3 determines that the gas flow rate is abnormal, and 5 operates to open the cutoff valve. A shutoff valve return signal input section inputs a signal when the circuit returns to normal and returns the signal to the shutoff control section 4, and 6 is a shutoff presence/absence signal that inputs the state of shutoff from the shutoff control section 4 and generates a shutoff presence/absence signal. The generation unit 7 is a transmission interface unit that sends the shutdown signal from the shutdown signal generation unit 6 to the communication line, and also sends the shutdown signal sent from the center side via the communication line to the shutdown control unit 4. , a message composing section 8 that configures the interruption/non-existence signal from the interruption/presence signal generation section 6 into a message for communication, a transmission interface section 9 and a center for transmitting the message constituted by the message composing section 8 to a communication line. It is composed of a reception interface section 10 for receiving a cutoff signal in the form of a message sent from the side via a communication line, and a message decoding section 11 for decoding the message and sending a cutoff signal to the cutoff control section 4. ing.

In the above configuration, the flow rate signal from the gas meter is inputted to the gas flow rate per unit time calculation means 2 via the flow rate sensor input section 1, and the gas flow rate per unit time is calculated. Then, the gas flow rate abnormality determination unit 3 monitors the value of the calculated gas flow rate per unit time and its time course, and detects abnormally large flow rates, abnormal increases in flow rates, or long-time elapsed at the same flow rate. If this happens, it is determined that there is an abnormality and a shutoff signal is sent to the shutoff valve via the shutoff control unit 4 to shut off the gas flow path. In addition, in the event of an emergency such as a major earthquake or fire, or when gas is not being used in a vacant house, etc., the center can send a telegraphic cutoff signal via a communication line. is decoded by the message decoding unit 11 via the reception interface unit 10, and then sent to the cutoff control unit 4.
is sent to the shutoff valve via the gas flow path to shut off the gas flow path. Furthermore, when the shutoff valve is reset by opening the shutoff valve on the gas meter side, the return signal is input to the shutoff control section 4 via the shutoff valve return signal input section 5, but if the shutoff is due to an abnormality in the gas flow rate, the return is not performed as is. is accepted (however, if the abnormality continues, the shutoff signal is sent from the shutoff control unit 4 to the shutoff valve again),
When the power is cut off from the center via the communication line, the cutoff control unit 4 remembers this and sends out the cutoff signal again when a return signal is input (the return becomes invalid). The cutoff command from the center stored in the cutoff control unit 4 is cleared if there is a cutoff release command from the center (return can be made on the meter side). Therefore, the state of the shutoff valve is always grasped by the shutoff control section 4, and this is sent to the shutoff presence/absence signal generation section 6 to generate a shutoff presence/absence signal.
Furthermore, the message can be configured into a message by the message composition section 8 and sent to the center via the transmission interface section 9 and the communication line.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the center side can monitor the shutoff status of the shutoff valve at any time, so when a shutoff command is given from the center, it is possible to check whether the shutoff valve has actually operated or not. In the unlikely event that a failure occurs in the telephone line or other route and the line is not actually cut off, you can take measures such as sending a cut-off command again, and at least make sure that the line is not cut off. It is possible to avoid situations where you leave things as they are without knowing about them.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIG. 2. The difference in FIG. 2 from the embodiment described above is that a gas flow rate integrated value calculation/storage means 12 is provided which inputs the signal from the flow rate sensor input section 1 and calculates and stores the integrated value of the gas flow rate. The integrated gas flow rate value stored in the value calculation/storage means 12 is configured to be input into the message composition section 8. According to this structure, the integrated gas flow rate value is also input into the message composition section 8 for communication. Since it can be configured and sent to the communication line via the transmission interface section 9, it is economical because both the gas cutoff monitoring function and the remote meter reading function can be shared by the flow rate sensor input section 1 and the transmission interface section 7. This can be achieved with a simple system configuration.

In FIG. 2, blocks that are the same as those in FIG. 1 are given the first number.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the gas meter monitoring device with a shutoff function of the present invention provides the following effects.

Since the open/close status of the shutoff valve can be sent to the communication line via the transmission interface, the operating status of the shutoff valve can be confirmed when a shutoff command is given from the center side, making it possible to perform more reliable shutoff control. become.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a gas meter monitoring device with a shutoff function according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a gas meter monitoring device with a shutoff function according to another embodiment of the present invention. 1...Flow rate sensor input section, 2...Gas flow rate calculation means per unit time, 3...Gas flow rate abnormality determination section,
4... Shutoff control section, 5... Shutoff valve return signal input section, 6... Shutoff presence/absence signal generation section, 7... Transmission interface section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A flow rate sensor input section that inputs a flow rate signal from a gas meter, a gas flow rate calculation unit per unit time that calculates a gas flow rate per unit time by inputting a signal from the flow rate sensor input section, and a gas flow rate abnormality determination unit that monitors the state of the gas flow rate per unit time calculated by the calculation means and determines whether the gas flow rate is abnormal; and a gas flow rate abnormality determination unit that shuts off the gas flow rate when the gas flow rate abnormality determination unit determines that the gas flow rate is abnormal. a shutoff control section that sends a shutoff signal to the shutoff valve; a shutoff valve return signal input section that inputs a signal when the shutoff valve is opened and returned and returns the signal to the shutoff control section; and the shutoff control section a cutoff presence/absence signal generation section that inputs a cutoff presence/absence status from a block and generates a cutoff presence/absence signal; and a cutoff presence/absence signal generation section that sends a cutoff presence/absence signal from the cutoff presence/absence signal generation section to a communication line, and transmits a cutoff signal from the communication line to the cutoff control; A gas meter monitoring device with a cutoff function, consisting of a transmission interface section that sends data to the gas meter.