US 12,006,667 B2
Fluid leak detector with thermal dispersion flow meter and chronometric monitor
Robert Trescott, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Sentinel Hydrosolutions, LLC, Escondido, CA (US)
Filed by Sentinel Hydrosolutions, LLC, Escondido, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 2, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/460,713.
Application 15/184,796 is a division of application No. 14/868,103, filed on Sep. 28, 2015, granted, now 9,371,632, issued on Jun. 21, 2016.
Application 16/460,713 is a continuation of application No. 15/184,796, filed on Jun. 16, 2016, granted, now 10,364,555.
Application 14/868,103 is a continuation of application No. 13/342,961, filed on Jan. 3, 2012, granted, now 9,146,172, issued on Sep. 29, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/542,793, filed on Oct. 3, 2011.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/429,242, filed on Jan. 3, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2020/0157784 A1, May 21, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01K 13/02 (2021.01); E03B 7/00 (2006.01); E03B 7/07 (2006.01); G01K 7/22 (2006.01); G01M 3/00 (2006.01); G01M 3/28 (2006.01)
CPC E03B 7/003 (2013.01) [E03B 7/072 (2013.01); G01K 7/22 (2013.01); G01K 13/02 (2013.01); G01M 3/002 (2013.01); G01M 3/2807 (2013.01); G01K 13/026 (2021.01); Y10T 137/7761 (2015.04)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fluid leak detector comprising:
a fluid flow meter configured to monitor a fluid flow rate of a fluid and increment a timeout counter when the fluid flow rate is above a trip level fluid flow rate and reset the timeout counter to zero when the fluid flow rate is below the trip level fluid flow rate, wherein a leak is detected when the timeout counter exceeds a timeout value,
wherein the fluid flow meter comprises a flow sensor configured to clamp onto a pipe;
a circuit configured to detect variations in resistance of the flow sensor, the circuit comprising:
analog to digital converters configured to provide digital representations of flow signals, each analog to digital converter fed by the output of an amplifier in electrical communication with the flow sensor, the amplifier having a resistor between its inputs;
a digital to analog converter and driver configured to provide feedback to the analog to digital converters; and
a microprocessor configured to receive the digital representations of the flow signals and perform a function based on a flow rate indicated by the digital representations of the flow signals.