Water Metering with the WaWiCo USB Kit and Raspberry Pi

For this project, we will be comparing the WaWiCo sensor with a conventional hall-effect mechanical flow meter. The WaWiCo sensor introduces a novel method for water metering, with non-invasive acoustic analysis. The benefit of the WaWiCo method is evident during the mechanical flow meter analysis, where we need to match pipe diameters and fittings and ensure that the flow terminates at a point. Otherwise, mechanical meters require cutting in piping — which is not an option for many users. Using a Raspberry Pi computer and a WaWiCo USB water meter kit, the frequency content of water flow for a given pipe is analyzed. Additionally, this frequency response will be used to correlate to the flow rate (in L/s) approximated by the mechanical flow meter. This brings us one step closer to being able to non-invasively measure water flow using the WaWiCo method.

Raspberry Pi, EngineeringWaWiCoMarch 16, 2021WaWiCo, WaWiCo Water Metering, Water Flow, Water Metering, USB Water Metering, Raspberry Pi, Raspberry Pi Analysis, Acoustics, USB, Flow Meter, Wiring, CalibrationComment

Listening to Your Pipes with a MEMS Microphone and Raspberry Pi

A new type of water meter produced by Water Wise Controls (WaWiCo) introduces a novel method for water metering: non-invasive acoustic analysis. Their USB water metering kit allows users to listen to their pipes without the need for plumbing work. In this tutorial, the acoustic profile of a piping system will be explored using a Raspberry Pi computer, the Python programming language, and a WaWiCo USB water meter kit. The resulting analysis will allow users to identify the acoustic profile of their piping system and determine when water is flowing. This is the first of a series of entries into non-invasive water metering from WaWiCo, where open-source technologies will be used to characterize a piping system based on the acoustic profile of a user's home or apartment.