IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0556517
(2009-09-09)
|
등록번호 |
US-8506799
(2013-08-13)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Jorden, Roger M.
- English, John W.
- Bodenstein, Daniel J.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
19 |
초록
▼
A system for characterizing suspended particles in a water treatment facility is disclosed. The system uses an imaging array to take multiple images of the particles in a sample volume. These images are then processed to determine geometrical properties of individual particles in the sample. These g
A system for characterizing suspended particles in a water treatment facility is disclosed. The system uses an imaging array to take multiple images of the particles in a sample volume. These images are then processed to determine geometrical properties of individual particles in the sample. These geometric properties can then be used to identify properties of the sample volume such as particle volume concentration, particle number concentration, computed particle diameter, gravitational settling velocity, mass concentration, and computed particle volume.
대표청구항
▼
1. A system for characterizing a suspended particle in a water sample in a treatment facility, the system comprising: a chamber for receiving the water sample at a point downstream of a chemical addition point wherein the chamber further comprises a first closable valve located at a water entry poin
1. A system for characterizing a suspended particle in a water sample in a treatment facility, the system comprising: a chamber for receiving the water sample at a point downstream of a chemical addition point wherein the chamber further comprises a first closable valve located at a water entry point to the chamber and a second closable valve located a discharge point from the chamber;a controller coupled to the first valve and the second valve wherein the controller sends a control signal that closes the first valve and a control signal that closes the second valve whereby the water sample is isolated and batch sample mode conditions are created in the chamber;an imaging element comprising an electro-optical imaging device configured to view the particle in a defined sample volume of the water sample and generate an image signal responsive to an optical image of the particle in the sample volume;an electronic circuit coupled to the imaging device wherein the electronic circuit receives the image signal, which conveys a plurality of time-sequential optical images and recorded times when each image was generated; anda computing engine configured to process the plurality of time-sequential optical images and recorded times to:determine quantifiable values representing an area and a perimeter of the particle;determine a first position of the particle in a first time-sequential optical image at a first recorded time wherein said first position further comprises a first horizontal position and a first vertical position;track the particle from the first time-sequential image to a second time-sequential optical image at a second recorded time;determine a second position of the particle in the second time-sequential optical image wherein said second position further comprises a second horizontal position and a second vertical position;compute a vertical displacement from the difference between the second vertical position and the first vertical position;compute a horizontal displacement from the difference between the second horizontal position and the first horizontal position;compute a time difference between the first recorded time and the second recorded time;compute a gravitational settling velocity in response to the vertical displacement and the time difference. 2. The system for characterizing suspended particles in the water sample in the treatment facility as recited in claim 1, wherein: the electro-optical imaging device comprises an illumination source and a digital camera;the digital camera further comprises a 2-dimensional image sensor array configured to capture a 2-dimensional projection of the particles in the water sample with the signal;the plurality of time-sequential optical images correspond to an elapsed time selected from the group comprising shorter than: 100 milliseconds,1,000 milliseconds, or10,000 milliseconds;the imaging element is mounted in the wall of the chamber; andthe defined sample volume comprises a region protruding into the chamber. 3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing engine is further configured to: estimate a particle volume from the area and perimeter of the particle and calculate a mass density from the particle volume, the gravitational settling velocity, the density of water, and the viscosity of water. 4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing engine further comprises a communications element configured to transmit data to other electronic devices using a communications protocol selected from the group comprising: a digital serial protocol,a parallel digital protocol,a serial pulse width modulated protocol,a frequency modulated protocol,an analog voltage protocol,an analog current protocol,an internet protocol, ora wireless protocol. 5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said communications element further comprises an element from the group comprising: a control signal transmitting element; oran alarm signal transmitting element. 6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system is configured to fit in a volume selected from the group comprising less than: 20 cubic inches,50 cubic inches,100 cubic inches,200 cubic inches, or500 cubic inches. 7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said electro-optical imaging device comprises a digitizing array configured to provide a minimum resolution selected from the group comprising greater than: 500,000 pixels,1 million pixels,2 million pixels,3 million pixels,4 million pixels, or5 million pixels. 8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein: said imaging element further comprises a computing element that analyses at least one time-sequential optical image to cause manipulation of an adaptive optical element selected from the group comprising: a zooming element,a focal length adjusting element,an optical aperture, ora depth of field adjusting element; andthe system is configured to process images of particles as large as 10 millimeters. 9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises an illumination element configured to illuminate a volume of the water sample whereby the imaging element can measure to at least one sample characteristics selected from the group comprising: particle reflectivity,ambient light level,image acquisition,particle concentration, orparticle size. 10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises an optical surface cleaning element. 11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a volume defining means configured to define a sample volume selected from the group comprising not more than: 5 cubic centimeters,10 cubic centimeters,20 cubic centimeters, or100 cubic centimeters. 12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing engine further comprises an element configured to identify and subtract image data in response to a comparison with previously stored image data. 13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of time-sequential optical images comprises a minimum quantity of images selected from the group comprising at least: 3 images,5 images,10 images,25 images,50 images, or100 images. 14. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a water sample turbulence controlling element wherein the water sample turbulence controlling element further comprises a mixer responsive to the controller and whereby: the system can operate in a mixed environment wherein one of the following conditions are met: fluid is flowing through the chamber orthe closeable valves are closed and the turbulence controlling element is turned on;the system can operate in a settling environment in which the water turbulence controlling element is turned off, the closeable valves are closed, and the horizontal displacement and the vertical displacement fulfill predefined criteria; andthe system can operate in a transitional environment in which the criteria for the mixed environment and the conditions for the settling environment are not met. 15. A suspended particle density calculation instrument for a water treatment process, the instrument comprising: an isolation chamber suitable for placement downstream of a chemical addition point, the chamber comprising a closeable inlet and a closeable outlet that allow the chamber to isolate a water sample;a controller coupled to the closeable inlet and the closeable outlet wherein the controller sends a control signal that closes the closeable inlet and a control signal that closes the closeable outlet whereby the chamber is isolated and batch sample mode conditions are created in the chamber;an electro-optical camera configured to view the water sample and produce an electronic signal from said view;an electronic circuit coupled to the camera configured to receive electronic information representing a plurality of time sequential optical images, wherein the information further comprises:a first image,a first image time,a second image, anda second image time; anda digital computer configured to process the information to calculate:an area and a perimeter of a suspended particle in the chamber;a first position of the suspended particle in the chamber using the first image wherein the first position further comprises a first horizontal position and a first vertical position;a second position of the suspended particle in the chamber using the second image wherein the second position further comprises a second horizontal position and a second vertical position;a perimeter of the suspended particle in the chamber using the first image or the second image;a vertical displacement of the suspended particle using the first vertical position and the second vertical position;a horizontal displacement of the suspended particle using the first horizontal position and the second horizontal position;a suspended particle velocity using the vertical displacement, the horizontal displacement, the first image time, and the second image time;a yes/no decision using the velocity and pre-defined criteria,a gravitational settling velocity using the yes/no decision and the velocity;a particle volume using the area and perimeter; anda density using the yes/no decision, the volume, the velocity, the density of water, and the viscosity of water. 16. A method for characterizing a floc particle in a water treatment facility, the method comprising: providing a sealable chamber that has a closeable inlet, a closeable outlet, and an electro-optical camera suitable for viewing suspended particles in the chamber;placing the chamber in the water of the treatment facility at a point downstream of a chemical introduction point;generating with the electro-optical camera a first signal responsive to a 2-dimensional projection of a suspended particle in a defined 3-dimensional region of the water;generating with the electro-optical camera a second signal responsive to a 2-dimensional projection of the suspended particle in the region;calculating a time difference between the first signal and the second signal;calculating a horizontal position difference of the suspended particle by comparing the horizontal position of the suspended particle from the first signal with the horizontal position of the suspended particle from the second signal;calculating a vertical position difference of the suspended particle by comparing the vertical position of the suspended particle from the first signal with the vertical position of the suspended particle from the second signal;calculating a settling velocity from the time difference and the vertical position difference;calculating an area and perimeter of the suspended particle from one of the first signal or the second signal;estimating a first volume of the suspended particle from the area and perimeter of the suspended particle;calculating a density from the first volume, the settling velocity, the density of water, and the viscosity of water. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising using said optical camera to view the water in a side stream. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein estimating further comprises using a method selected from the group of: Circumscribed,HeywoodPappus,Hydraulic, orHeywood-Hydraulic. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein providing further comprises providing a turbulence-controlling element wherein: the turbulence controlling element further comprises a mixer;the method further comprises the following steps prior to generating a first signal: opening the closable inlet and the closeable outlet;closing the closeable inlet and the closeable outlet to collect a sample of liquid in the chamber;operating the mixer; andturning the mixer off;the method further comprises the following steps after the step of estimating a first volume: operating the mixer;turning the mixer off;generating with the electro-optical camera a third signal responsive to a 2-dimensional projection of a second suspended particle in a defined 3-dimensional region of the water;calculating an area and perimeter of the second suspended particle from the third signal;estimating a second volume of the second suspended particle from the area and perimeter of the second suspended particle;comprising the first volume estimate to the second volume estimate to determine floc growth. 20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step using a particle characteristic for providing real-time feedback to the process control system for the water treatment process. 21. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of using a particle characteristic for generating a map of water treatment process response to one of: a change of a chemical dose ora change of a mixing parameter.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.