Design Article
Smart meters tackle water conservation
Gert Skriver, Kamstrup
12/10/2012 5:31 PM EST
Reinventing the water meter
In 2011, the MULTICAL 21 hits the market and becomes a success as a complete reinvention of the water meter.
There is a strong market need for electronic water meters with communication and intelligent features that are nevertheless resistant to flooding because water meters are often placed in outdoor meter pits or in bathrooms and basements. As a result of this the MULTICAL 21 was developed with an IP68 tested casing which is the highest degree of ingress protection4.
Display, electronics, battery and the flow part containing the ultrasonic metering equipment are encased in the same meter case which is hermetically sealed.
MULTICAL 21 distances itself of the traditional water meter in every way as a heavy and clumsy thing with small unreadable pointers and condensation behind the glass – a commonly known problem in mechanical meters, yet it has remained recognizable by its round shape. The blue ring on the cold water meter and the red ring on the hot water meter clearly indicate the function of the product, and large digital numbers on the display make it easy to carry out a correct reading of the consumption.
Next: Standard communication
In 2011, the MULTICAL 21 hits the market and becomes a success as a complete reinvention of the water meter.
There is a strong market need for electronic water meters with communication and intelligent features that are nevertheless resistant to flooding because water meters are often placed in outdoor meter pits or in bathrooms and basements. As a result of this the MULTICAL 21 was developed with an IP68 tested casing which is the highest degree of ingress protection4.
Display, electronics, battery and the flow part containing the ultrasonic metering equipment are encased in the same meter case which is hermetically sealed.
Illustration 2: Drawing of the intelligent water meter MULTICAL 21 showing the ultrasonic metering principle.
Illustration 3: Intelligent water meter MULTICAL 21
MULTICAL 21 distances itself of the traditional water meter in every way as a heavy and clumsy thing with small unreadable pointers and condensation behind the glass – a commonly known problem in mechanical meters, yet it has remained recognizable by its round shape. The blue ring on the cold water meter and the red ring on the hot water meter clearly indicate the function of the product, and large digital numbers on the display make it easy to carry out a correct reading of the consumption.
Next: Standard communication
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JmmWill
12/11/2012 12:18 PM EST
I like the ultrasound basis. I am electrosensitive and would be tortured if the smart meter were using radio communications which penetrated to my living areas.
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R Sweeney
12/19/2012 4:45 PM EST
So I guess you live in an area without radio and TV service, right? And you don't use a computer which emits an incredible amount of RF noise.
Oh, wait.
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JmmWill
12/11/2012 12:22 PM EST
OOPS! "The MULTICAL 21 therefore uses a standardized wireless communication, Wireless M-Bus, which is interoperable with other household meters and can be integrated into mesh networks."
I guess if I were bothered by this wireless electromagnetic feature, I'd have to use a lawsuit to force a different communication principle.
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green_is_now
12/12/2012 7:54 PM EST
Tiny bubbles...
How do they effect the acuracy?
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GPBobby
12/13/2012 7:54 AM EST
This is an awful lot of hype over very little. Sure, it's a more accurate and possibly cost effective durable meter which can save reading costs, but water is not electricity. You have very few quick fixes to cut usage. A goldfish display on my wall telling me I just flushed my water saver toilet is a so-what. Data is only useful to the extent it can alter outcomes and you already know what you can do to conserve water - new toilets, timed sink faucets, the newest washing machine, and go back to using ice cube trays (which could result in increased electricity consumption).
Most inside water is used (wasted) simply as a vehicle to transport sewage. Let's put our engineering talent and emphasis towards the source of the problem, not on fancy ways to tell us what we already know.
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WKetel
12/13/2012 3:19 PM EST
GPBobby certainly has a very good grip! A whole lot of water is indeed just used to make the sewers flow. But that could also be done using quite dirty water. In this "Greater Detroit" area it is common for leaking water mains to account for over half of the water flow, so it would be quite worthwhile to correct that problem.
So how about, instead of just boosting the prices for all, if water rates are set to follow consumption, so that the larger users pay more for gallon than the smaller users. And then find some other means to make our drains flush correctly.
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WKetel
12/13/2012 3:20 PM EST
GPBobby certainly has a very good grip! A whole lot of water is indeed just used to make the sewers flow. But that could also be done using quite dirty water. In this "Greater Detroit" area it is common for leaking water mains to account for over half of the water flow, so it would be quite worthwhile to correct that problem.
So how about, instead of just boosting the prices for all, if water rates are set to follow consumption, so that the larger users pay more for gallon than the smaller users. And then find some other means to make our drains flush correctly.
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docdivakar
1/1/2013 4:23 PM EST
A quick scan of the article leads me to this conclusion: the author makes a point about the seriousness of world's current water resources status and then starts with a case for accurate metering of water (where such metering infrastructure exists!)... and then morphs into an infomercial about Kamstrup's product and the case for ultrasonic water meters. Some astute readers above (@GPBobby included) made really sensible comments... indeed some countries already use (as well as some hotels in USA) recycled water for toilets.
In much of the developing world where running water is still a luxury to many households, the payback from conservation using hitech meters at customer premises is a less attractive proposition. Bigger pay back comes from good management of existing water resources. This is certainly not to say consumer behaviour and payback is any less important but is a nonstarter for a discussion on smart water meters.
MP Divakar
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