A counter-type meter measuring the quantity of water (usually the weight of water of certain temperature) is employed as an energy measuring device in district heating systems. Most commonly, an energy-measuring device comprises a counter from which the quantity of water flow through the measuring device can be indicated as pulses. Depending on the size of the building and the distribution center one pulse corresponds to 1 or 10 liters (or some other readable quantity) of district heating water flowing in the return pipe. The quantity of the heat energy used in the heated object may be obtained by multiplying the quantity of the district heating water flown through thermal conductors measured in this way by the quantity of transferred heat from the district heating water during flowing, that is, from cooling.

To ensure the reliability and the accuracy of measurements an energy measuring device must be checked frequently enough as the continuous flow of water may increase the error in measurements due to the device in time. A checking connection has been placed (in the return pipe) after the energy measuring device on the part of the district heating meter for checking. Usually it comprises a valve, through which the district heating water may be flown outside the system for checking which is done by means of a measure. In addition, a stop valve has been placed just after the checking connection in the return pipe, with which stop valve the access of water to the return channel is prevented during the checking measuring.

Currently, checking of an energy measuring device is carried out by means of a hose (a checking channel) to be connected to a checking connection and a suitable measure and scales. A measure is placed on scales, which is adjusted to zero before

weighing the water. A hose is connected to the checking connection and the other end of the hose is lead to a sewer. After this, the stop valve placed in the return channel after the checking connection is opened and the district heating water starts to flow through the hose to the sewer. While water is flowing to the sewer the energy measuring device is monitored and after the next pulse the hose is removed to the measure placed on the scales for one or more intervals of pulses. After taking of a sample of fixed number of pulses (often 10 pulses) the hose is removed back to the sewer and after this the stop valve of the return channel is opened and the valve of the checking connection is closed such that the district heating water again starts to flow to the return channel. Next, the measuring result is checked from the scales such that the weight of water corresponding to the number of pulses may be indicated. A possible error in the energy measuring device can be seen while comparing the weight of the water on scales to the quantity of water corresponding to the number of pulses. The use of the method has recently been facilitated such, that the measure has been earlier weighed with water of the temperature of the district heating water and a scale has been marked on the measure, from which scale the quantity of district heating water run to the measure can be seen without scales.

The biggest disadvantage of the earlier mentioned currently recognized checking method is the fact, that the checking requires two persons and their exact cooperation due to which the method is relatively expensive by working costs, and there are factors of uncertainty due to human factors connected with it, which factors of uncertainty diminish the reliability of the measurement. In addition, the equipment needed for the use of the checking method comprises several separate objects (a measure, hoses and scales among others), moving of which to the checking point is often worksome and difficult. Furthermore, the scales needed in connection with the currently recognized method often requires electric power from network, which is not always easy to obtain near the checking point.

The object of the invention is to provide a mobile testing method, with the use of which the earlier mentioned disadvantages connected with the present mobile testing method of a district heating meter are eliminated. Especially, the object of the invention is to provide a mobile testing method with the use of which the checking of a district heating meter may be carried out by one person and which is easier to use and more reliable than the earlier recognized mobile testing method.

In addition, the object of the invention is to provide a device for applying the mobile testing method in accordance with the invention.

The object of the invention is accomplished by a mobile testing method and device, the characteristics of which are presented in the claims.

Characteristic to the mobile testing method in accordance with the invention is the fact that the district heating water coming through a checking channel is guided to a measure or to the sewer by a controlling device for the water flow to be controlled in accordance with the measuring results from the energy measuring device connected to the checking channel. The controlling device for the water flow employed in the method may be controlled at the same time as the counter of the energy measuring device is read. Therefore, while employing this kind of method only one person is needed to check the energy measuring device, which person controls the district heating water as he reads the counter. In addition, while one person carries out the measuring the factors of uncertainty diminishing the accuracy of measurement caused by communication between two persons are eliminated.

Furthermore, while the controlling device of the water flow is controlled in accordance with the measuring results of the energy measuring device (e. g. pulses of an energy counter) the measuring error of the energy measuring device may be obtained from the scale of the measure immediately after checking measurement without separate comparison of measuring results.

In an advantageous application of the mobile testing method in accordance with the invention the controlling device of the water flow is controlled with a remote control. Often the controlling device of water flow has been placed so far away from the person reading the meter that the use of it with a controlling device placed straight on the device may not be carried out by the person reading the counter.

When the controlling device of water flow is controlled with a remote control this problem is avoided and the controlling device of water flow may be placed during the measuring to a place as advantageous as possible from the point of view of carrying out the work.

Characteristic to the mobile testing device in accordance with the invention is the fact that the mobile testing device comprises a controlling device of the water flow connected to the checking channel and controlled in accordance with measuring results from the energy measuring device, for guiding the district heating water either to a measure or to a sewer. With a device like this the checking of a district heating meter may be carried out in accordance with the method in accordance with the invention, so that one person is needed to carry out the checking and the accuracy of checking and the reliability of the measuring result improve while comparing with the earlier. In addition, while a hose may be conducted from the

controlling device both to a sewer and to a measure there is no possibility for water to splash outside the sewer or the measure, due to which the checking with the device in accordance with the invention is tidier than earlier.

In an advantageous application of the mobile testing device in accordance with the invention the mobile testing device comprises a remote control for controlling the controlling device of the water flow. Due to the remote control the controlling device of the water flow must not be placed near the person carrying out the checking but may be situated to a desired spot at the checking point, for example suitably with respect to the measure and the sewer.

In the second advantageous application of the mobile testing device in accordance with the invention the mobile testing device comprises a measure channel conducted from the controlling device of the water flow to the measure and a sewer channel conducted from the controlling device of the water flow to a sewer. In addition, the controlling device of the water flow comprises at least one electrically controlled valve for conducting the district heating water either to the measure channel or to the sewer channel. With a mobile testing device functioning like this, it is possible to accomplish the conducting of the district heating water with an electrically functioning controlling device, due to which the changing of the water flow from the sewer to the measure may be carried out extremely fast and exactly.

This improves the measuring accuracy. In addition, electrically carried out control of the water flow improves easiness and convenience in use.

In the third advantageous application of the mobile testing device in accordance with the invention the controlling device of the water flow comprises a sewer valve, which is placed between the checking channel and the sewer channel and a measure valve, placed between the checking channel and the measure channel. The sewer valve is a magnetic valve closing by controlling current and the measure valve is a magnetic valve opening by the controlling current. A controlling device of the water flow functioning like this always guides the district heating water to a sewer channel connected to the sewer in case there is no controlling current fed to the controlling device of the water flow. Therefore, there is no risk in the beginning of the checking for district heating water to have access to the measure before starting the taking of samples. In addition, due to this kind of valves, a button switch advantageous by purchasing cost, small in size and reliable in use may be employed as a remote control of the controlling device of the water flow.

In the fourth advantageous application of the mobile testing device in accordance with the invention the controlling device of the water flow comprises a power source for the magnetic valves and the remote control is a remote controlled switch coupled between the power source and the magnetic valves. A mobile testing device functioning like this does not require any separate power source and/nor a plug point nearby and connection to one, but the device is ready to use when connected to the checking connection, a sewer and a measure. In addition, a remote control which is simple by construction and advantageous by purchasing costs may be applied as a controlling device of magnetic valves needed in this kind of device.

In the fifth advantageous application of the mobile testing device in accordance with the invention the remote control comprises a button switch connected with a wire at a distance from the controlling device of the water flow for connecting the controlling current to the magnetic valves. A button switch is a small, reliable and advantageous by purchasing costs switch, with which the controlling device of the water flow or the relay etc. controlling it may be controlled with one hand in accordance with the method in accordance with the invention extremely exact and without delay, which improves the measuring accuracy of the mobile testing method.

Next, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which, Figure 1 illustrates a principle of testing device in accordance with the invention while checking the district heating meter, and figure 2 illustrates a principle drawing of the controlling device of the water flow included in the device in accordance with figure 1.

Figure 1 illustrates a principle drawing of a heat distribution center with a supply pipe 8 and a return pipe 9 of district heating water, through which the district heating water coming from a district heating center is conducted to a thermal conductor of the building to be heated, and back from there to the return channel of the district heating network. In the room of the heat distribution center there is a recognized energy measuring device 10 connected to the return pipe 9, which energy measuring device comprises a counter 11 to be placed in a convenient place for monitoring for calculating the quantity of used energy. After the energy measuring device in the return pipe there is a checking connection 12 with a valve 13 by means of which it is possible to let district heating water flow to the checking channel, which is connected to the checking connection 12, while carrying out checking. The checking connection 12 comprises a recognized coupler head 14 for

the connection between the checking connection and the checking channel. In the return pipe 9 there is a stop valve 15 just after the checking connection for closing the return pipe during checking. In addition, figure 1 illustrates a mobile testing device in accordance with the invention connected to a checking connection of a heat distribution center while carrying out checking measurements. It comprises a checking channel 1, a controlling device of the water flow 2, a sewer channel 3, a measure channel 4 and a measure 5 as well as a remote control for the controlling device of the water flow 6.

In an application of a mobile testing device in accordance with figure 1 the checking channel 1 is a rubber hose with the diameter and the thickness of wall strong enough to tolerate the pressure of district heating water and which hose has been connected in one end with a bayonet catch to the supply connection of the controlling device of the water flow 2. In the end to be connected to the checking connection 12 of the checking channel there is a bayonet catch 16 suitable to coupler head 14 of the checking connection, with which bayonet catch the checking channel 1 may be connected to the checking connection 12 removably.

The construction of the controlling device of the water flow 2 has been presented in more detail in figure 2. It comprises a supply connection mounted in a closable case with an openable cover, which supply connection comprises a sewer valve 18 connected to the first outlet of a T-channel, to the coupler head of outlet side of which sewer valve a sewer channel 4 has been connected with a bayonet catch and to the second outlet a measure valve 19 has been connected, to the coupler head of which outlet side of which the measure channel 3 has been connected with a bayonet catch. In this case, the sewer valve 18 is a magnetic valve closing by control current and the measure valve 19 is a magnetic valve opening by control current. In addition, the controlling device of the water flow comprises a battery 20 functioning as a power source for magnetic valves, and a button switch (presented in figure 1) functioning as a remote control, which button switch has been connected with a several meters long wire 22 between the magnetic valves and the battery such, that while pressing the button switch button down the controlling current is switched on the magnetic valves and the water coming through the checking channel 1 is conducted to the measure channel 3. The button switch may also be so called alternating on/off switch, in which case the switch is pressed down (on-position) while pressed once and while pressed the second time the switch rises up (off-position).

The measure channel 4 from the measure valve of the controlling device of the water flow 2 has been made of rubber hose corresponding to the checking channel 1. The open end of the measure channel comprises a part made of curved metal tube with an attaching element, with which the end of the measure channel may be attached to the edge of the measure such that all the water coming from the end of the tube is guided in a functional way inside the measure 5. A sewer channel 3 is, in this application, a rubber hose connected to the outlet side of the sewer valve 18 similar to the measure channel, which rubber hose is of sufficient length so that it easily reaches the nearest floor drain 7 or some other sewer in the heat distribution center or near it. While needed, to one end of the hose acting as a sewer channel some auxiliary part to facilitate adjusting the hose may be adjusted and with which auxiliary part the sewer channel may be adjusted to the sewer such that no water may leak outside.

The measure is, in this case, a vessel open in the upper end and made of plastic on which vessel the weight of the warm water of the the district heating water coming through the return pipe has been marked with intervals of 1 kg. In the case in accordance with figure 1 the volume of the vessel is about 15 liters, so it may be used to check energy measuring devices functioning with pulse intervals of 1-10 liters.

While checking an energy measuring device the checking channel 1 connected to the controlling device of the water flow 2 is adjusted to the checking connection 12 and the sewer channel 3 is conducted to the sewer 16 and the measure channel 4 is conducted to the measure 5. After this the valve 13 of the checking connection 12 is opened and the stop valve 15 is closed. As a result, the district heating water coming from the return pipe starts to flow through the checking channel to the controlling device of the water flow 2 and from there through the sewer channel to the sewer 7.

At this point of checking, the remote control 6 is taken into hand and the counter 11 of the energy measuring device 10 is being monitored. Immediately after the next pulse of the counter, the button switch 21 of the remote control 6 is pushed down, in which case the district heating water is conducted to the measure 5. The button of the remote control is kept down until the next pulse. Immediately after the pulse the button is released (a switch-type button switch is pushed the second time), in which case the water flow is conducted back to the sewer. After this, the stop valve 15 of the return channel is opened, and the valve 13 of the checking connection is closed.

At this stage the estimation of the volume of the district heating water in the measure 5 may be started. In case one interval of pulses of the counter corresponds

to 10 liters of district heating water the volume of water in the vessel is compared with the marking of 10 kg of water made on the wall of the vessel. In case, the surface of the water is (more than certain permissible deviations), higher or lower than the marking, the measuring result from the energy measuring device is false and the water meter must be maintained and cleansed. In case the volume of water is within the permitted limits, the energy measuring device is established to be functional.

The device in accordance with the mobile testing method in accordance with the invention may in many parts be realized differing from the earlier said example application. For example, the checking channel, the sewer channel or the measure channel may be made of, for instance, some stiff tube material, instead of a soft hose. In one application of this kind, the checking channel is a short tube-like connection, with which the controlling device of the water flow is connected and attached to the end of the checking connection. In this case, the controlling device of the water flow is a part to be attached straight to the end of the connection, from which the sewer channel goes to the sewer and the measure channel to the measure.

As a measure channel, in the simplest alternative, a mere short curved tube made of metal or plastic is enough, with which tube the district heating water from the controlling device of the water flow is guided to the measure placed below the checking connection. In an application in accordance with figures 1 and 2 there is a (female) bayonet catch also at that end of the measure channel which has been connected to the measure. In this case, the measure comprises a cover to be closed tightly and a tube attached to it and conducted inside the measure, which tube has a (male) bayonet catch at the end projecting outside the cover, which bayonet catch is suitable to the bayonet catch at the end of the measure channel. In addition, in this kind of application the cover of the measure comprises necessary air holes for balancing the air pressure inside the measure during measuring. Further, in another application in accordance with the mobile testing device in accordance with the invention the sewer valve and the measure valve of the controlling device of the water flow may, while desired, be replaced with one two-positioned control valve, which conducts water, while without power, to the sewer channel and while getting power to the measure channel. Also the remote control may be realized in many ways differing from the earlier presented example application and in an application where the controlling device of the water flow may be located for testing in a place within reach of the person carrying out the testing, the control may be arranged by the controlling device of a valve/valves attached to the controlling device of the water flow. In case a remote control is used it may be wireless in some applications.

If desired, the mobile testing device in accordance with the invention may also be realized fully or partly automatically functioning. In that case, the mobile testing device comprises an optical or electrical reader reading the counter of the energy measuring device. The controlling device of the water flow of the mobile testing device may be connected, for example, to water quantity connection (of pulse outlets) of the energy measuring device, in which case the mobile testing device reads the readings of water quantity of the counter of the energy measuring device and conducts the valves of the controlling device of the water flow automatically in accordance with the method in accordance with the invention. In this case, the person carrying out the measuring does not need to read the meter nor control the controlling device of the water flow manually. Further, this kind of application of the mobile testing device may comprise some suitable electronic controlling unit (e. g. a computer) which includes a memory where the readings of the water quantities from the counter are saved while carrying out the testing measurements.

Also, among other things, reading of the quantity of district heating water from the scale of the measure and other information needed in the estimation of the condition of a district heating meter after testing may be added in the memory.

The invention is not limited to the presented advantageous application but it can vary within the frames of the idea of the invention formed in the claims.