JP3694283B2 - Residual chlorine meter - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a residual chlorine meter capable of continuously measuring the concentration of residual chlorine (hypochlorous acid, etc.) in water such as drinking water.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Residual chlorine remaining in water such as drinking water, pool water, bath water, and food factory water is measured by a residual chlorine meter. There are various types of residual chlorine meters that use various measurement methods. Among them, a residual chlorine meter that uses a reagent-free current method has been put to practical use as a type that can continuously measure residual chlorine. ing.
[0003]
The residual chlorine meter using the current method is configured to immerse two types of electrodes in sample water, detect the current from between each electrode, and obtain the residual chlorine concentration from this current value. A so-called polarographic method in which a constant voltage is applied to the electrode to detect the current between both electrodes, and a so-called galvanic electrode method type in which no voltage is applied to the electrodes and the current due to the redox action between the electrodes is detected. There is. In any of the current methods described above, the electrode (especially the positive electrode) is contaminated by oxidation or the like, so the residual chlorine meter can be cleaned mechanically (bead cleaning or electrode rotation cleaning) or electrochemically cleaned. A mechanism for performing cleaning by applying a voltage is provided to maintain the sensitivity of the electrode (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-185871
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in recent years, in order to easily measure residual chlorine at the end of a water supply system such as a faucet of a house, a small and low-priced residual chlorine meter capable of continuous measurement has been demanded. However, if the conventional residual chlorine meter is reduced in size, for example, if the electrode is reduced in size, the contact area between the sample water to be inspected and the electrode is reduced, so that the sensitivity of current detection is reduced. In addition, the cleaning mechanism as described above requires, for example, a rotational drive source for rotating the electrode, a voltage management device or a sample water flow rate management device for obtaining an effective cleaning effect, and a small residual chlorine meter. It was an obstacle to cost and cost reduction.
[0006]
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the purpose thereof is to provide a residual chlorine meter that has good sensitivity even if the electrodes are downsized, can simplify the cleaning mechanism, and can reduce manufacturing costs. To do.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has been proposed in order to achieve the above-described object, and according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hollow sample container that allows sample water to pass through the internal space, and an internal space of the sample container. Concentration calculation processing device for calculating the residual chlorine concentration in the sample water based on the current detected from both electrodes, and the positive and negative electrodes provided, and the concentration calculation processing device A residual chlorine meter with a display unit for displaying based on the calculation result by
An electrode unit provided with a positive electrode and a negative electrode in the internal space of the water sampling container is arranged vertically ,
This electrode unit comprises a negative electrode by fixing a negative electrode metal material to an insulating support member, and constitutes a positive electrode by winding a positive electrode metal wire in an insulated state with respect to the negative electrode ,
The sample container is configured such that the sample water inflow pipe and the sample water outflow pipe are connected to the outer peripheral surface, the internal space and each pipe are in communication with each other, and the sample water flows into the internal space.
The sample water inflow pipe is disposed at a position offset to the outer peripheral side with respect to an axis orthogonal to the center axis of the test water container, and the sample water outflow pipe is arranged with respect to the sample water inflow pipe. Placed at a position shifted upward along
An annular brush member is provided around the electrode unit so as to be in contact with the electrode, and the electrode unit is loosely fitted in the central opening of the brush member, so that the internal space of the water detection container is placed from below to above. The residual chlorine meter is characterized in that the brush material is rotated almost horizontally by a water flow of sample water flowing in a vortex .
[0009]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a sample water channel through which sample water can flow is provided on the surface of the insulating support member that winds the positive electrode metal wire, and the sample water is supplied to the surface on the insulating support member side. a residual chlorine meter according to claim 1, wherein the contacting in a fluidized state.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking as an example a residual chlorine meter using a galvanic electrode method which is one of the residual chlorine meters capable of continuous measurement.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a residual chlorine meter 1 of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electrode unit 7 of the residual chlorine meter 1, and FIG. 3 is a state in which the residual chlorine meter 1 is connected to a sample water supply piping system. FIG.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 1A, the residual chlorine meter 1 includes a hollow test container 3 in a rectangular casing 2, and a positive electrode 5 and a negative electrode 6 in an internal space 4 of the test container 3. , A concentration calculation processing device 8 that calculates the residual chlorine concentration in the sample water based on the current detected between the electrodes 5 and 6, and a display based on the calculation result by the concentration calculation processing device 8 The display unit 9 is configured roughly.
[0012]
The water sample container 3 is a hollow cylindrical bottomed container and is disposed in the casing 2. The sample container 3 has a sample water inflow pipe 11 and a sample water outflow pipe 12 connected to the outer peripheral surface thereof, the internal space 4 and the pipes 11 and 12 are in communication with each other, and the sample water is swirled in the internal space 4. It is configured to flow around.
[0013]
The sample water inflow pipe 11 is disposed at a position offset to the outer peripheral side with respect to an axis orthogonal to the central axis of the test water container 3. On the other hand, the sample water outflow pipe 12 is offset to the central axis side of the test water container 3 with respect to the central axis of the periphery of the sample water inflow pipe 11 connected to the test water container 3. Are arranged at positions displaced along the line (positions displaced upward in the figure). When the sample water is caused to flow from the sample water inflow pipe 11 to the water sample container 3 to which the pipes 11 and 12 are connected, the sample water turns along the inner periphery of the water sample container 3 and the water sample container 3. And also flows out to the sample water outflow pipe 12. That is, since the sample water in the internal space 4 flows while being agitated, the old sample water is unlikely to stay even in the internal space 4 other than the vicinity of the connection location of the pipes 11 and 12, and fresh sample water is always supplied to the internal space 4. Sample water can be flowed so that it can be introduced into the whole and real-time residual chlorine concentration data can be collected.
[0014]
In the present embodiment, the sample water inflow pipe 11 and the sample water outflow pipe 12 penetrate the lower surface of the casing 2 and project the connection ports 11 a and 12 a to the sample water supply pipe 14 and the drain pipe 15. Without being limited thereto, the connection port may be provided through the side surface of the casing 2 or may be provided through the back surface.
[0015]
The electrode unit 7 is an assembly in which a positive electrode 5 and a negative electrode 6 for detecting a current are incorporated into one part, and is a substantially cylindrical insulating support member 17 formed of an insulating material such as ABS resin. And the positive electrode 5 provided on the circumferential surface of the insulating support member 17 and the negative electrode 6 fixed to the distal end portion of the insulating support member 17.
[0016]
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2A, the insulating support member 17 has a columnar electrode mounting portion 19 extending upward from the base portion 18 and the tip of the electrode mounting portion 19 (in the drawing). The negative electrode 6 is formed by fixing a rod-shaped negative electrode metal material (for example, φ4 mm silver (Ag) rod material) 20 to the upper end), and the positive electrode metal is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the electrode mounting portion 19. The positive electrode 5 is formed by fixing a wire (for example, a platinum (Pt) wire having a diameter of 0.3 mm) in a state of being wound a plurality of times. As described above, the electrode unit 7 is provided on the insulating support member 17 so as to be separated from each other so that both the electrodes 5 and 6 are in an insulated state, thereby preventing the electrodes 5 and 6 from being short-circuited. Further, the positive electrode 5 and the negative electrode 6 are electrically connected to a concentration calculation processing device 8 to be described later via a lead wire 22 passed through the electrode unit 7.
[0017]
The positive electrode 5 may be formed so that the winding pitch of the positive electrode metal wire 21 is the same as the thickness of the wire 21 and the wire is wound without any gaps. If the positive electrode 5 is formed so that the winding pitch is larger than that of the positive electrode metal wires 21 so as to prevent the adjacent positive electrode metal wires 21 from coming into contact with each other, the sample water enters between the positive electrode metal wires 21 and the positive electrode 5 is formed. It is preferable because the contact area between the electrode 5 and the sample water can be increased and the sensitivity of the positive electrode 5 can be improved.
[0018]
Further, since the negative electrode 6 undergoes a discharge oxidation reaction during measurement of the residual chlorine concentration and is gradually decomposed and consumed, it is preferable that the negative electrode 6 can be replaced with a newly prepared negative electrode metal material 20. Therefore, it is preferable that the negative electrode 6 is fixed to the insulating support member 17 in a detachable state. For example, a screw (not shown) is engraved on the outer periphery of the negative electrode metal material 20 and the negative electrode 6 is screwed into a female screw (not shown) in a mounting hole at the tip of the electrode mounting portion 19. If fixed, a separate part is not required for fixing the negative electrode 6, so that the manufacturing cost can be kept low.
[0019]
And the electrode unit 7 inserts the electrode attachment part 19 from the electrode unit attachment opening 24 opened in the bottom part of the water sampling container 3, and the external thread part 23 provided in the base end periphery of the electrode attachment part 19 is made into an electrode unit. By screwing into the female thread portion 25 of the mounting opening 24, both the electrodes 5 and 6 can be arranged at the substantially center of the internal space 4, and both the electrodes 5 and 6 can be immersed in the sample water flowing in the water sample container 3. It is configured as follows. In this electrode unit 7, a sealing material 26 such as an O-ring is sandwiched between the base portion 18 of the insulating support member 17 and the bottom portion of the water detection container 3, so that the sample water leaks from the mounting position of the electrode unit 7. To prevent it.
[0020]
Further, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the above-described electrode unit 7 includes a plurality of (for example, synthetic resin) annular brush members 28 around the electrode mounting portion 19 of the insulating support member 17. In the embodiment, three) are provided. This brush material 28 has a donut shape by opening an opening 29 in which the electrode mounting portion 19 can be loosely fitted at the center, and the brush bristle faces the opening 29. Therefore, the brush material 28 in which the electrode mounting portion 19 is loosely fitted in the opening 29 can bring the brush bristles into contact with the positive electrode 5 and the negative electrode 6 and is centered on the electrode mounting portion 19 of the electrode unit 7. It can be freely rotated.
[0021]
In the present invention, the direction of the electrode unit 7 is not limited. However, when the electrode unit 7 is mounted upward (vertically) and the brush member 28 is rotated almost horizontally as in the present embodiment, the brush member 28 is rotated. Is preferable because it is easy to contact the entire circumference evenly without being biased to one place on the surface of each of the electrodes 5 and 6.
[0022]
The concentration calculation processing device 8 detects the current generated between the electrodes 5 and 6 when the positive electrode 5 and the negative electrode 6 are immersed in the sample water, and based on the fact that this current value is proportional to the residual chlorine concentration. It is an apparatus for calculating the concentration. The concentration calculation processing device 8 includes a sensitivity adjustment unit 31 for adjusting the sensitivity of current detection, and a zero adjustment unit 32 for adjusting the display unit 9 to indicate zero when there is no residual chlorine in the sample water. And is configured so that the environment setting for residual chlorine concentration measurement can be adjusted by external input by an operator. The concentration calculation processing device 8 includes a battery replacement notification lamp 34 that uses the battery 33 as a power source and notifies the replacement timing of the battery 33. The adjustment knob of the sensitivity adjustment unit 31, the adjustment knob of the zero adjustment unit 32, and the battery replacement notification lamp 34 are disposed on the front surface of the casing 2 together with the power switch 35.
[0023]
The display unit 9 is electrically connected to the concentration calculation processing device 8 and is for visually displaying the residual chlorine concentration in the sample water based on the calculation result by the concentration calculation processing device 8. In the present embodiment, a pointer type indicator is applied as the display unit 9 and is arranged at the center of the front surface of the casing 2. And this display part 9 is equipped with the display board 37 which has the scale 36 of the measurement range of 0-2 ppm, for example, between the scales 36 of 0-0.1 ppm which is a warning range of residual chlorine short is red, and residual chlorine is insufficient. Between the scales of 0.1 to 0.2 ppm, which is the caution range of the sample, is colored yellow, and between the scales of 0.2 to 2 ppm, which is the appropriate range of residual chlorine, is colored green, and the residual chlorine of the sample water measured Whether or not the concentration is safe for hygiene management can be determined at a glance. The range of the concentration scale 36 described above is an example, and does not limit the present invention. It is preferable that the density range and the boundary value correspond appropriately according to legal regulations and management standards.
[0024]
In the residual chlorine meter 1 as described above, when the water supply pipe 14 is connected to the sample water inflow pipe 11 and the drainage pipe 15 is connected to the sample water outflow pipe 12 (see FIG. 3), The sample water rises while swirling in the internal space 4, and the sample water causes the brush material 28 to center on the insulating support member 17 of the electrode unit 7, and the hair tip inside the brush material 28 and the positive electrode 5 and It rotates while making contact with the negative electrode 6. Then, the brush material 28 can clean the positive electrode 5 and the negative electrode 6 by removing deposits (oxides, calcium-based deposits, etc.) attached to the surfaces of the electrodes 5 and 6. In addition, since the brush material 28 is easily lifted upward by the rising sample water, the brush material 28 is separated from the threaded portion 23 of the insulating support member 17 and the bottom portion of the water sampling container 3 and is not easily subjected to friction and can rotate smoothly. .
[0025]
Thus, the residual chlorine meter 1 of the present invention can prevent the contact area with the sample water from decreasing and maintain the sensitivity of current detection at the positive electrode 5 and the negative electrode 6.
Further, since the bristles of the brush material 28 enter between the metal wires 21 for the positive electrode, it is possible to expect the effect of washing the details that could not be washed by the conventional bead washing method, and further maintain the sensitivity of the positive electrode 5. Cheap. Moreover, this residual chlorine meter 1 does not require a complicated mechanism such as a rotary drive system or a power source, and can have a cleaning function for the positive electrode 5 and the negative electrode 6 with a simple structure. Manufacturing costs can be reduced.
[0026]
Further, the positive electrode 5 formed by winding the positive electrode metal wire 21 has a larger area in contact with the sample water than the case where the positive electrode 5 having the same width is formed by the plate material. Therefore, the sensitivity of the residual chlorine meter 1 can be increased by increasing the contact area with the sample water without increasing the size of the electrode.
[0027]
Then, by increasing the sensitivity of the residual chlorine meter 1 as described above, the sample water flow rate (about 3 to 5 l / min) is larger than the sample water flow rate (for example, about 300 ml / min) of the conventional residual chlorine meter. However, a residual chlorine meter capable of measuring the residual chlorine concentration can be realized. Furthermore, by increasing the sample water flow rate, the brush material 28 described above can be sufficiently rotated to increase the cleaning effect of the positive electrode 5.
[0028]
Further, since the residual chlorine meter 1 employs a cleaning method using the brush material 28, it is not necessary to strictly adjust the sample water flow rate so that the beads do not flow out unlike the bead cleaning method, and the flow rate adjustment is rough. Even if it exists, the cleaning effect of each electrode 5 and 6 can be maintained. And, for example, the residual chlorine concentration can be measured while washing the electrodes 5 and 6 sufficiently even when the water flow rate is about 8 to 10 l / min at the time of washing dishes or hand washing at home. Residual chlorine meter corresponding to the range can be realized.
[0029]
By the way, in above-mentioned embodiment, although the metal wire 21 for positive electrodes wound around the electrode attachment part 19 of the insulating support member 17 was contact | abutted to the outer peripheral surface of the electrode attachment part 19 over the inner periphery. The present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a sample water channel 40 is provided on the surface of the insulating support member 17, specifically, the positive electrode metal wire 21 of the electrode mounting portion 19, and the electrode mounting portion 19 and the positive electrode are provided. The contact area with the metal wire 21 may be reduced.
[0030]
Specifically, the insulating support member 17 in FIG. 4 has a plurality of (six in this embodiment, six phases shifted by 60 degrees) grooves on the circumferential surface forming the positive electrode 5 of the electrode mounting portion 19. Are formed. The sample water channel 40 is formed with a dimension B longer than the winding width A of the positive electrode 5, and an opening 41 is provided so that the sample water can enter and exit outside both ends of the winding width of the positive electrode 5. . When such a sample water flow path 40 is provided, the sample water also flows on the back side of the positive electrode metal wire 21, that is, on the side facing the insulating support member 17, and between the positive electrode 5 and the insulating support member 17. As a result, it is possible to prevent the old sample water from stagnation and to increase the contact area between the positive electrode 5 and the sample water, so that the residual chlorine concentration can be measured more accurately and accurately. .
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 5 (a), the sample water channel 40 is formed in an inclined state along the swirling direction (flow direction) of the sample water, or as shown in FIG. 5 (b). In addition, if the protrusion 42 is provided around the downstream side of the sample water of the opening 41 that is the inlet side of the sample water, it becomes easier to introduce the sample water and further stagnation of the sample water can be prevented.
[0032]
In the above embodiment, the residual chlorine meter 1 using the galvanic electrode method has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the residual chlorine concentration is measured by immersing two types of electrodes in the sample water. For example, a residual chlorine meter using a so-called polarographic method in which a constant voltage is applied between two types of electrodes and a residual chlorine concentration is calculated based on a reduced polaro current obtained between the two electrodes. It may be.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the present invention has the following effects.
According to invention of Claim 1, the electrode unit provided with the positive electrode and the negative electrode is arrange | positioned in the internal space of the said water test container, This electrode unit has the metal material for negative electrodes in an insulating support member. The negative electrode is fixed and the positive electrode is formed by winding the positive electrode metal wire in a state insulated from the negative electrode. Therefore, the positive electrode comes into contact with the sample water without increasing the size of the positive electrode. The surface area on the electrode can be increased. Therefore, the overall apparatus can be made compact and a residual chlorine meter with better sensitivity can be realized.
[0034]
In addition, an electrode unit having a positive electrode and a negative electrode is arranged vertically in the internal space of the test container, and the test container is connected to the sample water inflow pipe and the sample water outflow pipe on the outer peripheral surface. The space and the pipes are in communication with each other so that sample water flows into the internal space, and the sample water inflow pipe is offset to the outer peripheral side with respect to an axis perpendicular to the central axis of the test container. The sample water outflow pipe is disposed at a position shifted upward along the central axis of the test vessel with respect to the sample water inflow pipe, and in a state where the electrode unit can be contacted around the electrode unit. An annular brush material is provided by loosely fitting an electrode unit in the central opening of the brush material, and the brush material is substantially tuned by the water flow of the sample water flowing in a vortex from the bottom to the inside of the test container. since rotate horizontally, brush material, swirls It is easy to be lifted upward by the rising sample water, is not easily subjected to friction away from the bottom of the sample container, etc., can rotate smoothly, and the hair tips inside the brush material are attached to the surface of the positive and negative electrodes. Without being biased to one place, it can be rotated while being in contact with the entire circumference evenly. Thereby, the deposit | attachment adhering to the surface can be dropped and a positive electrode and a negative electrode can be wash | cleaned. In addition, the residual chlorine meter can be provided with a function of cleaning the positive electrode with a simple structure without providing a complicated mechanism or drive source, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
In addition, since the sample water flows while being swirled and stirred in the internal space of the test vessel, the old sample water is unlikely to stay, and fresh sample water is always introduced into the entire internal space of the test vessel and remains in real time. Sample water can be flowed so that chlorine concentration data can be collected.
[0035]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the sample water flow path through which the sample water can flow is provided on the surface of the insulating support member around which the positive electrode metal wire is wound, and the sample is formed on the surface on the insulating support member side. Since water is brought into contact in a fluid state, a part of the surface of the positive electrode metal wire facing the insulating support member can also be used as a current detection location in the sample water. Further, it is possible to prevent the sample water from being trapped between the positive electrode and the insulating support member, and to measure the real-time residual chlorine more accurately.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a residual chlorine meter according to the present invention, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a plan view.
2A is a front view of an electrode unit, FIG. 2B is a perspective view, and FIG. 2C is a plan view of the electrode unit in a state attached to a water sample container.
FIG. 3 is a state diagram in which the residual chlorine meter according to the present invention is attached to a sample water supply pipe, wherein (a) is a front view and (b) is a side view.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are enlarged views of a main part of an insulating support member in which a plurality of sample water channels are provided in an electrode mounting portion, where FIG. 4A is a partial cross-sectional view seen from the top surface, and FIG. FIG.
5A is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the sample water channel is inclined along the flow of the sample water, and FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a protrusion is provided at the inlet side opening of the sample water channel.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Residual chlorine meter 2 Casing 3 Inspection container 4 Internal space 5 Positive electrode 6 Negative electrode 7 Electrode unit 8 Concentration calculation processing apparatus 9 Display part 11 Sample water inflow piping 11a Connection port 12 Sample water outflow piping 12a Connection port 14 Water supply piping 15 Drain pipe 17 Insulating support member 18 Base 19 Electrode mounting portion 20 Negative electrode metal material 21 Positive electrode metal wire 22 Lead wire 23 Male thread portion 24 Electrode unit mounting opening 25 Female thread portion 26 Seal material 28 Brush material 29 Opening portion 31 Sensitivity adjustment unit 32 Zero adjustment unit 33 Battery 34 Battery replacement notification lamp 35 Power switch 36 Scale 37 Display panel 40 Sample water channel 41 Opening 42 Projection

Claims (2)

Based on the current detected from both electrodes, a hollow water sample container that allows sample water to pass through the internal space, the positive and negative electrodes provided in the internal space of the water sample container, and both electrodes A residual chlorine meter comprising a concentration calculation processing device for calculating the residual chlorine concentration in the sample water and a display unit for displaying based on a calculation result by the concentration calculation processing device,
An electrode unit provided with a positive electrode and a negative electrode in the internal space of the water sampling container is arranged vertically ,
This electrode unit comprises a negative electrode by fixing a negative electrode metal material to an insulating support member, and constitutes a positive electrode by winding a positive electrode metal wire in an insulated state with respect to the negative electrode ,
The sample container is configured such that the sample water inflow pipe and the sample water outflow pipe are connected to the outer peripheral surface, the internal space and each pipe are in communication with each other, and the sample water flows into the internal space.
The sample water inflow pipe is disposed at a position offset to the outer peripheral side with respect to an axis orthogonal to the center axis of the test water container, and the sample water outflow pipe is arranged with respect to the sample water inflow pipe. Placed at a position shifted upward along
An annular brush member is provided around the electrode unit so as to be in contact with the electrode, and the electrode unit is loosely fitted in the central opening of the brush member, so that the internal space of the water detection container is placed from below to above. A residual chlorine meter, characterized in that the brush material is rotated almost horizontally by a sample water stream flowing in a vortex . A sample water flow path through which sample water can flow is provided on the surface of the insulating support member around which the positive electrode metal wire is wound, and the sample water is brought into contact with the surface on the insulating support member side in a flowing state. The residual chlorine meter according to claim 1.

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