An interceptor for removing grease from an effluent stream containing grease and water may be queried remotely to check it status. An output signal indicative of the amount of grease is transmitted over a telephone line to a telephone or computer or other remote station, or wirelessly to a remote re
An interceptor for removing grease from an effluent stream containing grease and water may be queried remotely to check it status. An output signal indicative of the amount of grease is transmitted over a telephone line to a telephone or computer or other remote station, or wirelessly to a remote receiver. The status is preferably also indicated locally with visual and/or audible signals. The grease depth level sensor is preferably a capacitive level sensor operative to sense the amount of water in the body of effluent thereby to determine the amount of grease in the body of effluent. The interceptor may include electric circuitry for effecting manual or automatic calibration of the sensor. The sensor may be adapted to be retrofitted to an existing tank made from either metal or plastic.
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1. A sensor assembly adapted for retrofitting on a grease interceptor for removing grease for an effluent stream containing grease and water, the interceptor including a separation tank having walls and a cover defining a separation chamber, the interceptor having an effluent inlet connected with th
1. A sensor assembly adapted for retrofitting on a grease interceptor for removing grease for an effluent stream containing grease and water, the interceptor including a separation tank having walls and a cover defining a separation chamber, the interceptor having an effluent inlet connected with the separation tank for permitting flow of the effluent stream into the separating chamber to form a body of effluent in the separation chamber, the body of effluent having an upper surface, said sensor assembly comprising:an actuable mechanism adapted to actuate when a thickened layer of grease in the tank reaches a predetermined level;a first grease depth level sensor mountable on the tank cover and comprising an elongate conductive probe for extending generally vertically in the separation tank from a location above the upper surface of the body of effluent to a location below the predetermined level, at a location spaced inwardly of the walls of the separation tank;a measuring means adapted to continuously measure the amount of water in the body of effluent by measuring the capacitance between the first grease depth level sensor and an electrically conductive member as the thickness of a layer of grease in the separation tank varies; andcontrol means adapted to actuate said actuatable mechanism in response to said measuring means measuring a capacitance corresponding to an amount of water in said tank when said thickened layer of grease reaches said predetermined level. 2. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 1 including an insulating bushing for supporting said first grease depth level sensor on the tank cover. 3. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 2 further including an electronics package adapted for mounting on the tank cover, connected with said elongate conductive probe. 4. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 1 adapted for retrofitting on a grease interceptor having electrically non-conductive walls, and including a second grease depth level sensor for extending generally vertically in the separation tank from a location above the upper surface of the body of effluent to a location below the predetermined level, at a location spaced inwardly of the walls of the separation tank and spaced apart from said first grease depth level sensor, said measuring means being adapted to continuously measure the amount of water in the body of effluent by measuring the capacitance between the first grease depth level sensor and the second grease depth level sensor as the thickness of a layer of grease in the separation tank varies. 5. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second grease depth level sensor comprises a return plate for mounting in the separation tank at a location spaced inwardly of the walls of the separation tank. 6. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said measuring means comprises an R/C oscillator circuit and said control means is responsive to said oscillator circuit to control said actuatable mechanism. 7. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises a controller having a non-volatile memory and an equation of frequency versus water level that is valid for substantially all points along the length of said probe, and said controller is operative to compare the measured capacitance with values stored in its memory, and on the basis of said comparison, determine whether the amount of grease in said separation tank is sufficient to actuate said actuatable mechanism. 8. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises means to account for buildup of materials on said sensor during the lifetime of said interceptor. 9. A sensor as set forth in claim 1 further including electric circuitry for effecting manual calibration of said grease depth level sensor, including a variable resistor. 10. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including electric circuitry for effecting automatic calibration of said grease dept h level sensor, including a microprocessor. 11. A sensor assembly as set forth in claim 1 further includingelectric circuitry for receiving a first output signal indicative of said measured capacitance; andmeans for connecting said electric circuitry with a telephone line;said electric circuitry being responsive to an interrogation signal received over the telephone line to transmit a second output signal corresponding to the first output signal, over the telephone line, to a remote location, for use in determining at the remote location the amount of grease in the body of effluent in the separation tank. 12. Apparatus for removing grease from an effluent stream containing grease and water, comprising:a grease/water separation tank defining a separation chamber;an effluent inlet connected with said separation tank for permitting flow of the effluent stream into said separation chamber to form a body of effluent in said separation chamber, the body of effluent having an upper surface;an actuatable mechanism adapted to actuate when a thickened layer of grease in the tank reaches a predetermined level;a grease depth level sensor comprising an elongated conductive probe extending generally vertically in said separation tank from a location above the upper surface of the body of effluent to a location below said predetermined level;a measuring means adapted to continuously measure the amount of water in the body of effluent by measuring the capacitance between the probe and a wall of the separation tank as the thickness of a layer of grease in the tank varies; andcontrol means adapted to actuate said actuatable mechanism in response to said measuring means measuring a capacitance corresponding to an amount of water in said tank when said thickened layer of grease reaches said predetermined level. 13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said actuatable mechanism comprises an indicator assembly including audible or visual signal devices. 14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said actuatable mechanism comprises electric circuitry operative to transmit a signal indicative of the amount of water in said tank to a remote location. 15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said actuatable mechanism comprises electric circuitry operative to transmit said signal to a remote location over a telephone line. 16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said actuatable mechanism comprises electric circuitry operative to transmit said signal to a remote location wirelessly. 17. An interceptor as set forth in claim 12 wherein said control means comprises a controller having a non-volatile memory and an equation of frequency versus water level that is valid for substantially all points along the length of said probe, and said controller is operative to compare the sensed capacitance with values stored in its memory, and on the basis of said comparison, determine whether the amount of grease in said separation tank is sufficient to actuate said actuatable mechanism. 18. An interceptor as set forth in claim 17 wherein said controller comprises means to account for buildup of materials on said sensor during the lifetime of said interceptor. 19. An interceptor as set forth in claim 12 further including electric circuitry for effecting manual calibration of said grease depth level sensor, including a variable resistor. 20. An interceptor as set forth in claim 12 further including electric circuitry for effecting automatic calibration of said grease depth level sensor, including a microprocessor. 21. An interceptor as set forth in claim 12 further includingelectric circuitry for receiving a first output signal indicative of said measured capacitance; andmeans for connecting said electric circuitry with a telephone line;said electric circuitry being responsive to an interrogation signal received over the telephone line to transmit a second output signal corresponding to the first output signal, over the telephone line, to a remote location, for use in determining at the remote location the amount of grease in the body of effluent in the separation tank. 22. Apparatus as set forth in claim 21 further including at least one local status indicator connected with said electric circuitry for visually and/or audibly indicating the amount of grease in the body of effluent in the separation tank.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (3)
Holloway ; Jr. Caswell F. ; Held Conrad ; Roach Thomas ; Mielbeck Roger, Apparatus for automatically recovering grease from a grease separator.
Yoshinari, Yuji; Furukawa, Hideo; Tanaka, Osamu, Electrode rod for detecting water-level, method of detecting water-level, method of controlling water-level in a boiler, and method of controlling water-level in a steam separator.
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