GB2295009A

GB2295009A - Water turbidity detecting device for water towers

Info

Publication number: GB2295009A
Application number: GB9422548A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ping-Shin Wang
Original assignee: Pai Lung Machinery Mill Co Ltd
Current assignee: Pai Lung Machinery Mill Co Ltd
Priority date: 1994-11-09
Filing date: 1994-11-09
Publication date: 1996-05-15
Also published as: GB9422548D0

Abstract

Water turbidity detecting apparatus comprising two infrared sensors 1, 1' arranged in a water tower 5 at right angles to one another. The sensors each emit an infrared beam and receive the beam returned from the respective reflector 2, 2'. Preferably, one sensor operates in a horizontal plane and the other in a vertical plane. Respective electrical signals actuate respective warning devices 13, 13' when the concentration of suspended matter or the amount of sediment present causes a predetermined value of beam attenuation. <IMAGE>

Description

WATER TURBIDITY DETECTING DEVICE FOR WATER TOWERS The present invention relates to a water turbidity detecting device which uses infrared detectors to detect the concentration of suspended matter and the amount of deposits in water.

The quality of city water has great concern about the health of human beings.

Normally, the quality of city water from a waterworks meets local codes for drinking.

However, when clean water from a waterworks is delivered througn a variety of water pipes, lr may be contaminated by dirts, rust, etc., in water pipes. More particularly when water is kept in the water tower of a building, microbes tend to gather in water to affect its quality.

Therefore, the water tower of a building must be regularly washed. However, because the end users do not know the actual condition of water in the water tower, the quality of water in the water tower may be contaminated and become not suitable for drinking during the interval between two washing schedules.

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a water turbidity detecting device which detects the quality of water in a water tower and gives a warning signal automatically when the turbidity of water reaches a predetermined critical value.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, two infrared detectors are installea in the water tower at right angles to emit a respective infrared light beam horizontally or vertically and to receive the reflected infrared light beam from a respective reflector so as to further turn on a respective warning device when the concentration of suspended matter or the amount of deposits in water surpasses a predetermined value.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1A shows an infrared detector operated in clean water according to the present invent ion; Fig. 1B shows an infrared detector operated in turbid water according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows the water turbidity detecting device of the present invention installed in a water tower; and Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of the water turbidity detecting device of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the various drawings attached herewith, a detailed description of tne structural features of " WATER TURBIDITY DETECTING DEVICE FOR WATER TOWERS " of the present invention is as follows: Referring to Figures lA, 1B, and 3, the water turbidity detecting device of the present invention comprises an infrared detector 1, which includes an infrared emitter 11 and an infrared receiver 12, a reflector 2, and a warning signal light 13. The infrared emitter 11 emits an infrared beam toward the reflector 2. The reflected infrared light from the reflector 2 is then received by the infrared receiver 12.When the concentration of suspended matter 3 in water is within a predeterminec value, most of the infrared light can be reflected by the reflector 2 and received by the infrared receiver 12 (see Figure 1A). Therefore, the infrared detector 1 gives no warning signal. When the concentration of suspended matter in water surpasses the predetermined value, the infrared light cannot be fully reflected by the reflector 2 and received by the infrared receiver 12 (see Figure lib), and therefore the infrarec detector 1 gives a signal to turn on the warning lignt 13.

Referring to Figure 2, two infrared detectors, namely, the first infrared detector 1 and the second infrared detector 1 are mounted on the vertical inside wall 51 of a water tower 5 at different elevations. The first infrared detector 1 is to detect the amount of deposits 3' in the water tower 5. The second infrared detector 1' is to detect the concentration of suspended matter 3 in the water tower 5. The first infrared detector 1 is mounted on the vertical inside wall 51 of the water tower 5 at a higher elevation to emit an infrared light beam 10 toward a reflector 2 on the bottom wall 52 of the water tower 5.If the amount of deposits 3' in the water tower 5 surpasses a predetermined value, the infrared light beam 10 from the infrared emitter 11 of the first infrared detector 1 will be absorbed by the deposits 3' and cannot be received by the infrared receiver 12 of the first infrared detector 1, and therefore the first infrared detector 1 will give a signal to turn on the corresponding warning light 13 (or an audio alarm device). The second infrared detector 1 is mounted on the vertical inside wall 51 of the water tower 5 at a lower elevation to emit an infrared light beam 10' toward a reflector 2' on the vertical inside wall 51 of the water tower 5 at an opposite side.If the amount o suspended matter 3 in the water tower 5 surpasses a predetermined value, the infrared light beam 10' from the second infrared detector 1' will be absorbed by the suspended matter 3, and therefore the second infrared detector 1' will give a signal to turn on the corresponding warning light 13' (or an audio alarm device).

Figure 3 shows the circuit diagram of the aforesaid infrared detector 1. The infrared receiver 12 is a phototransistor for receiving reflected infrared light. The value of electric current passes through the phototransistor of the infrared receiver 12 is directly proportional to the intensity of reflected infrared light received.

The infrared emitter 11 is an infrared diode which produces the desired infrared light beam, in which the variable resistor 14 can be adjusted to regulate the tolerable value of suspended matter or deposits in water. When the concentration of suspended matter or the amount of deposits ln water is increased, the reflected infrared light will be disappeared or its intensity will be reduced.

When the intensity of the reflected infrared light drops below a certain value, the infrared receiver 12 receives less amount of light, therefore less amount of electric current passes through the variable resistor 14, causing the potential at the base of the transistor 15 unable to electrically connect the transistor 15. If the transistor 15 is not electrically connected, the potential at the collector of the transistor 15 and that at the base of the transistor 16 will be increased, causing the transistor 16 electrically connected, and therefore the warning light 13 is turned on to give a visual warning signal. On the contrary, if the concentration of suspended matter or the amount of deposits in water surpasses the predetermined value, the transistor 15 will be turned on, causing the transistor 16 cut off, and therefore the warning light 13 does no work.

As indicated, the operation of the warning light 13 is controlled by the variable resistor 1t subject to the amount o, light received by the infrared receiver 12. Therefore, the sensitivity of the infrared detector 1 can be conveniently adjusted by regulating the variable resistor 14. Furthermore, if tne warning device consumes much power, a relay may be used and connected between the infrared detector and the warning device.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A water turbidity detecting device comprising two infrared detectors arranged to be located in a water tower at right angles one relative to the other so as to emit a respective infrared light beam horizontally or vertically, reflector means to receive detector and reflect the light beam back to the respective detector and respective warning means arranged to be operable when the concentration of suspended matter or the amount of deposits in water surpasses a predetermined value.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising first infrared detector having an infrared emitter and an infrared receiver, a second infrared detector having an infrared emitter and an infrared receiver, a first reflector, a second reflector, a first warning device, and a second warning device respectively installed in a water tower to detect the turbidity of water, wherein said first reflector is mounted inside said water tower at the bottom and said first infrared detector is vertically mounted inside said water tower and spaced above said first reflector at a predetermined distance to emit an infrared light beam and to receive the reflected infrared light beam from said first reflector so as to turn on said first warning device when the reflected infrared light beam being received by the infrared receiver of said first infrared detector drops below a predetermined value or turn off said first warning device when the reflected infrared light beam being received by the infrared receiver of said first infrared detector surpasses the predetermined value; said second infrared detector and said second reflector are mounted inside said water tower at two opposite sides the same elevation, said second infrared detector emits an infrared light beam horizontally toward said second reflector and receives the reflected infrared light beam from said second reflector so as to turn on said second warning device when the reflected infrared light beam being received by the infrared receiver of said second infrared detector drops below a predetermined value or turn off said second warning device when the reflected infrared light beam being received by the infrared receiver of said second infrared detector surpasses the predetermined value.

3. A water turbidity detecting device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.