GB2253703A

GB2253703A - Electronic liquid level sensing device

Info

Publication number: GB2253703A
Application number: GB9105429A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Issam Moh D Ahmed Wadi; Nasser M Ahmed Wadi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-03-14
Filing date: 1991-03-14
Publication date: 1992-09-16
Also published as: GB9105429D0

Abstract

An electronic device for detecting the level of water or other conductive liquids in tanks comprises a probe having ordinary wires or rods (eg of copper). When the rods or wires are touched by the liquid, a circuit is completed and a buzzer operated. The circuit components other than the probe may be situated at a distance from the point of detection. Two probes may be used to enable high and low level detection. <IMAGE>

Description

PANEL A ELECTRONIC LEVEL DEVICE TECHNICAL FIELD: THIS INVENTION PERTAINS TO WATER LEVEL MONITORING AND ALARM APPLICATIONS IN WATER TANKS AND RESERVOIRS BACKGROUND: LEVEL ALARM AND CONTROL OF WATER TANKS USED IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS , AND IN HOUSES OR IN UNDERGROUND RESERVOIRS ATTATCHED TO RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN DEPENDANT ON MECHANICAL FLOATER DRIVING CONTACTS OPERATING WITH LETHAL ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES OF 240 VOLTS AC THESE DEVICES ARE SUBJECT TO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS , JAMMING IN THEIR HINGES , SUFFER OF FREQUENT ELECTRICAL CONTACT PROBLEMS AND ARE DANGEROUS TO HUMAN BEING DUE TO THEIR HIGH VOLTAGE .ALSO THESE DEVICES NEED SPECIAL MOUNTING ARRANGEMENTS WHICH MAKES THE ENTIRE SOLUTION EXPENSIVE AND INFLEXIBLE TECHNICAL FEATURES: ACCORDING TO THIS INVENTION, THE NEW ELECTRONIC LEVEL DEVICE CAN BE USED ON WATER TANKS IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AS WELL IN INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS OF WASTE WATER AND SEWER WATER SYSTEMS EASILY . THIS DEVICE DOES NOT NEED SPECIAL MOUNTING ARRANGEMENTS AND SO CAN BE INSTALLED EASILY IN ANY WATER TANK/RESERVOIRS BY USING TWO COPPER RODS OR WIRES INSERTED IN THE TANK THROUGH TOP OR SIDE OPENING TO THE LEVEL REQUIRED . OTHER CONDUCTIVE METALS CAN BE USED INSTEAD OF COPPER SUCH AS STAINLESS STEEL OR ALUMINIUM OR JUST BY DROPPING TWO COPPER WIRES IN THE TANK TO THE LEVEL REQUIRED TO INITIATE THE ALARM AT THIS DEVICE USES LOW VOLTAGE SUPPLY SO IT IS NOT HARMFUL TO USERS .THE POWER CONSUMPTION OF THIS CIRCUIT IS VERY LOW AND CAN BE SUPPLIED EITHER FROM A 9 VOLT BATTERY OR FROM AN AC POWER SUPPLY WITH DC VOLTAGE ADAPTOR PRODUCING 9 TO 12 VOLTS DC . THIS CIRCUIT WAS TESTED FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS SUCCESSFULLY IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS WITHOUT A FAILURE SO IT IS CONSIDERED VERY RELIABLE EXAMPLE: FIGURE(3) SHOWS A TYPICAL APPLICATION OF THIS CIRCUIT IN A RESEDINTIAL BUILDING WHERE THIS CIRCUIT IS USED TO MONITOR AND CONTROL WATER LEVELS IN WATER TANKS AT THE ROOF OF THE BUILDING AND IN UNDERGROUND TANKS FIGURE(4) AND FIGURE(5) SHOW A POSSIBLE SCHEMATIC AND WIRING DIAGRAM FOR USING THIS DEVICE TO START AND STOP WATER PUMPS USED TO MAINTAIN WATER LEVELS IN WATER TANKS .ALSO THE SAME DEVICE USED TO PRODUCE ALARM LEVELS AT A MAIN ALARM PANEL FOR THE BUILDING BESIDE INDIVIDUAL ALARM PANELS FOR EACH TANK PANEL B ELECTRONIC LEVEL DEVICE REFFERING TO THE CIRCUIT DIAGRAM IN FIGURE(1) , THE LEVEL ALARM CIRCUITRY COMPRISES OF FEW TRANSISTORS OF TYPE BY107 , FEW LOW POWER 1/4 WATT RESISTORS AND THREE CAPACITORS WITH THE VALUES GIVEN.

THIS CIRCUIT ACTUATES THE BUZZER OR THE CONTROL RELAY VIA TRANSISTOR Ql WHEN WATER TOUCHES THE WIRE PROPES INSERTED INSIDE THE TANK . THE LOW WATER RESISTANCE BETWEEN PROBES , LEADS TO THE NEEDED BIASING EFFECT OF Q1 TRANSISTOR WHICH IN TURN PERMITS OTHER TRANSISTORS TO CONDUCT INCLUDING THE FINAL OUTPUT TRANSISOR Q1 WHICH WHEN CONDUCTS DRIVES THE BUZZER OR RELAY THE POWER SUPPLY OF THE CIRCUITRY COMES FROM 9 VOLTS DC SUPPLY THE CIRCUITRY CAN BE INSTALLED FARAWAY FROM THE WATER TANK UP TO A DISTANCE OF 600 FEET ORDINARY COPPER WIRES OF 1.5mum OR 2.5my2 CAN BE USED BETWEEN THE CIRCUITRY AND THE LEVEL PROBES INSIDE THE WATER TANK . THIS CIRCUIT CAN BE USED TO DRIVE A RELAY USED TO START AND STOP WATER PUMPS OR ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT AS NEEDED IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS OR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

Claims

PANEL C ELECTRONIC LEVEL DEVICE CLAIMS:

1- A TRANSISTORISED ELECTRONIC LEVEL DEVICE USING ORDINARY COPPER ROD/WIRE PROBES TO DETECT WATER LEVELS IN WATER TANKS AND RESERVOIRS OR ANY OTHER CONDUCTIVE LIQUIDS IN RESERVOIRS AND GENERATE A CONTACT OUTPUT AND/OR ACOUSTIC ALARM USING A SMALL 9 DC BUZZER AS SHOWN IN THE CIRCUITRY OF FIGURE 1

2- A TRANSITORISED ELECTRONIC LEVEL DEVICE AS CLAIMED IN CLAIM 1 WHERE IN THE DETECTION OF WATER LEVEL IS ACHIEVED USING TRANSISTOR BIASING PHENOMENA

3- A TRANSISTORISED ELECTRONIC LEVEL DEVICE AS CLAIMED IN CLAIM 1 AND 2 WHICH CAN BE INSTALLED FARAWAY FROM WATER TANKS UP TO 600 FEET

4- A TRANSISTORISED ELECTRONIC LEVEL DEVICE AS CLAIMED IN CLAIMS 1 , 2 AND 3 WHICH USES ORDINARY COPPER WIRES OR RODS AS PROBES AND CAN BE INSTALLED EASILY IN ANY WATER TANK AND WHERE ALARM LEVEL CAN BE ADJUSTED VERY EASILY WITHOUT SPECIAL RECALIBRATION OR REMOUNTING OF MECHANICAL FLOATERS

5- A TRANSISTORISED ELECTRONIC LEVEL DEVICE AS CLAIMED IN CLAIMS 1 ,2 ,3 AND 4 WHERE WATER PUMPS CAN BE STARTED AND STOPPED TO CONTROL WATER LEVEL WITHEN REQUIRED LIMITS USING OUTPUT CONTACTS FROM TWO LEVEL DEVICES , ONE FOR HIGH LEVEL AND ONE FOR LOW LEVEL