WO2004022490A1

WO2004022490A1 - Non-power flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2004022490A1
Application number: PCT/KR2003/001837
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hyun-Oh Jeong
Original assignee: Zion Technics, Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2002-09-06
Filing date: 2003-09-05
Publication date: 2004-03-18
Also published as: KR100374725B1

Abstract

Disclosed is a non-power flow-proportional chemical feeder in a wireless automatic water level controlling apparatus including a water intake well for collecting raw water, a water pipe for supplying the collected raw water, and a water tank for reservoiring the supplied water. The chemical feeder includes a chemical tank for storing a chemical adapted to disinfect the raw water reservoired in the water tank, a chemical supply pipe for supplying the chemical from the chemical tank into the water pipe, and a check valve mounted in the chemical supply pipe, and adapted to allow a flow of fluid in the chemical supply pipe in only one direction, whereby the disinfecting chemical is automatically fed into the raw water supplied from the water intake well to the water tank via the water pipe.

Description

NON-POWER FLOW-PROPORTIONAL CHEMICAL FEEDING APPARATUS

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for feeding a disinfecting chemical into raw water supplied from a water intake well to a water tank through a water pipe for reservoir thereof.

Background Art

Conventionally, drinking water is collected from a water intake well where an underwater pump is installed to pump underground water collected in the water intake well, or from a public well managed by a district public office, and fed to a reservoir such as a water tank, installed at a location spaced apart from the well by a certain distance, via a water pipe, so that it is stored. The stored drinking water is subsequently supplied via a feed pipe, if necessary. The raw water reservoired in the water tank may be underground water, spring water or ground water. However, such raw water cannot be directly drunken because it contains colon bacilli or various microorganisms unsuitable to be eaten.

To this end, diverse chemicals such as solid or liquid chlorine (Cl) are fed into raw water, collected to be used as drinking water, in a certain ratio, in order to remove various bacilli present in the raw water while maintaining a desired chlorine concentration so that it is drinkable. In particular, the resultant drinking water must meet the quality standard of drinking water.

In accordance with conventional devices for feeding a disinfecting chemical into raw water, however, it is difficult to accurately feed the chemical in proportion to the amount of the raw water. That is, where chlorine is constantly fed in a conventional manner without accurate determination of the amount of raw water collected to be used as drinking water, there may be a problem in that the resultant water may have an excessively high chlorine concentration or may be in a state in which various bacilli present in the water have been incompletely disinfected.

Disclosure of the Invention The present invention has been made in view of the above mentioned problems, and an object of the invention is to provide an unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus capable of automatically feeding a chemical into raw water in proportion to the amount of the raw water supplied from a water intake well to a water tank, thereby maintaining the resultant water in a constant chemical concentration.

Another object of the invention is to provide an unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus which can convert a flow of raw water, supplied through a water pipe, into a power, so that it can be driven without using any external power.

In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides, in a wireless automatic water level controlling apparatus including a water intake well for collecting raw water, a water pipe for supplying the collected raw water, and a water tank for reservoiring the supplied water, an unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus comprising: a chemical tank for storing a chemical adapted to disinfect the raw water reservoired in the water tank; a chemical supply pipe for supplying the chemical from the chemical tank via the water pipe; and a check valve mounted in the chemical supply pipe, and adapted to allow a flow of fluid in the chemical supply pipe in only one direction.

In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides, in a wireless automatic water level controlling apparatus including a water intake well for collecting raw water, a water pipe for supplying the collected raw water, and a water tank for reservoiring the supplied water, an unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus comprising: a chemical tank for storing a chemical adapted to disinfect the raw water reservoired in the water tank; a power generator mounted in the water pipe, and adapted to convert the pressure of the raw water flowing through the water pipe into mechanical energy; a power transmission for transmitting the mechanical energy outputted from the power generator; a power controller for controlling the level of the power transmitted from the power transmission; and a chemical feeder for feeding the chemical supplied from the chemical tank into the water pipe or the water tank, by use of the power controlled by the power controller.

Brief Description of the Drawings The above objects, and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent after reading the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a wireless automatic water level controlling apparatus including an unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic view illustrating the unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a wireless automatic water level controlling apparatus including an unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the unpowered flow- proportional chemical feeding apparatus shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an assembled perspective view illustrating the unpowered flow- proportional chemical feeding apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Now, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus of the present invention includes a water intake well 1 for collecting raw water. A water pipe 40 is connected at one end thereof to the water intake well 1 in order to supply the collected raw water from the water intake well 1 to a water tank 50. A water pressure means 30 is installed at the water pipe 40 in order to sense the pressure of the raw water supplied to the water tank 50. A water pressure sensing pipe 42 is connected between the water pipe 40 and a lower end portion of the water tank 50, so as to transmit the water pressure of the water tank 50. The water pressure pipe 42 is provided with a check valve 44 for transmitting only the water pressure of the water tank 50 while preventing the raw water from being introduced from the water pipe 40 into the water tank 50. The water pipe 40 extends into the water tank 50 at the other end thereof. A float 54 and a valve means 53 are mounted to the other end of the water pipe 40 in order to open or close the other end of the water pipe 40 in accordance with a variation in the level of the raw water reservoired in the water tank 50. A water supply pipe 51 is also connected to the lower end portion of the water tank 50 in order to discharge the raw water reservoired in the water tank 50. Also, an overflow pipe 52 is connected to the upper end portion of the water tank 50 in order to discharge an overflow of the raw water from the water tank 50.

The water intake well 1 is equipped with a controller 10 for controlling and managing a pumping means 22 adapted to pump the raw water collected in the water intake well 1. The water intake well 1 includes a public well 20 for collecting raw water such as underground water. Preferably, the public well 20 is drilled to a certain depth under the ground, so as to collect underground water. Of course, the public well 20 may be a pressurization station equipped with water supply facilities.

A water level sensing means 25 is installed in the public well 20 in order to sense the level of the raw water collected in the public well 20. The water level sensing means 25 includes a plurality of water level sensors respectively adapted to sense different water levels of the public well 20. In the illustrated case, three water level sensors El, E2 and E3 are provided. Although the water level sensing means 24 includes multiple water level sensors in the illustrated case, it is more preferable that the water level sensing means 24 includes only a single water level sensor in order to sense the water level of the public well 20. The water level sensing means 25 is used to prevent the pumping means 22 from operating at the water level of the public well 20 insufficient to pump the raw water from the public well 20, thereby avoiding an unnecessary operation of the pumping means 22. A means for visually displaying the water level sensed by the water level sensing means 25 is also provided in order to allow the operator to control the intake of the raw water in accordance with the water level (or water amount) of the public well 20. The water level sensing means 25 is equipped with a highly-sensitive water level sensing circuit.

Fig. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to the present invention. Referring to Fig. 2, the unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus includes a chemical tank 200 installed on the top of the water tank 50, and adapted to store a disinfecting chemical 203, a chemical supply pipe 201 connected to the water pipe 40, and adapted to supply the chemical 203 from the chemical tank 200 into the water pipe 40, and a check valve 202 mounted in the chemical supply pipe 201, and adapted to allow a flow of fluid in the chemical supply pipe 201 in only one direction. The chemical tank 200 stores a chemical adapted to disinfect raw water (for example, underground water), thereby removing, from the raw water, various bacilli including colon bacilli and microorganisms. Preferably, the chemical may contain chlorine. The chemical may be in a solid or liquid phase. Preferably, the chemical has a liquid phase. Where the chemical has a solid phase, it may be used in a state of being dissolved in water, thereby being liquidized.

The chemical supply pipe 201 extending from the chemical tank 200 serves to introduce the chemical stored in the chemical tank 200 into the water tank 50. To this end, the chemical supply pipe 201 is connected to the water pipe 40 extending to the water tank 50, as described above. Also, the check valve 202 mounted in the chemical supply pipe 201 serves to prevent raw water from being introduced into the chemical supply pipe 201. In accordance with the illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention, the chemical 203 stored in the chemical tank 200 is introduced into the water tank 50 in a certain ratio. That is, as the raw water flows through the water pipe 40 so that it is supplied into the water tank 50, a certain negative water pressure is generated in the water pipe 40 in accordance with the flow of the raw water. A sucking effect is generated by virtue of the generated negative water pressure, so that the chemical store in the chemical tank 200 is sucked into the water pipe 40 through the chemical supply pipe 201 in accordance with the sucking effect. Since the chemical 202 is fed in accordance with the water pressure generated by virtue of the flow of raw water in the water pipe 40, its fed amount is varied depending on the water pressure. That is, the fed amount of the raw water is large when the water pressure is high, whereas the fed amount of the raw water is small when the water pressure is low. Thus, the chemical 202 is automatically fed in proportion to the amount of the raw water stored in the water tank 50.

As apparent from the above description, the unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention is designed so that the fed amount of the chemical 202 is varied depending on the amount of the raw water stored in the water tank 50. Since the concentration of the chemical 202, that is, the concentration of the chlorine, dissolved in the raw water should be kept constant, it is necessary to determine the fed amount of the chemical 202 in accordance with the amount of the raw water stored in the water tank 50. Accordingly, the fed amount of the chemical 202 is controlled, based on certain experimental data associated with, for example, a variation in the diameter ratio of the chemical supply pipe 201 to the water pipe 40 depending on a variation in the concentration of the chlorine. For instance, a desired fed amount of the chemical 202 can be determined by appropriately determining the diameter ratio of the chemical supply pipe 201 to the water pipe 40 within a range from 1 :1 to 1 :100. Thus, the fed amount of the chemical tank 200 can be appropriately controlled, based on the amount of the raw water flowing through the water pipe 40, the water pressure of the water pipe 40, or the diameter of the chemical supply pipe 201.

Fig. 3 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the unpowered flow- proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to the present invention. In Fig. 3, respective constitutive elements corresponding to those in Fig. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals. This embodiment is applied to a wireless automatic water level controlling apparatus including a water intake well 1 for collecting raw water, a water pipe 40 for supplying the collected raw water, and a water tank 50 for reservoiring the supplied water. The unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to this embodiment includes a chemical tank 200 for storing a chemical adapted to disinfect the raw water reservoired in the water tank, a power generator 400 mounted in the water pipe 40, and adapted to convert the pressure of the raw water flowing through the water pipe 40 into mechanical energy, a power transmission 430 for transmitting the mechanical energy outputted from the power generator 400, a power controller 440 for controlling the level of the power transmitted from the power transmission 430, and a chemical feeder 450 for feeding the chemical supplied from the chemical tank 200 into the water pipe 40 or water tank 50, by use of the power controlled by the power controller 440.

In accordance with this embodiment, the chemical feeding apparatus designated by the reference numeral 270 in Fig. 3 is installed at one side of the water tank 50. This chemical feeding apparatus 270 is configured to generate power in the water pipe 40, and to supply the chemical through the water pipe 40 by use of the generated power or to directly feed the chemical into the water tank 50.

The configuration of the chemical feeding apparatus 270 can be clearly seen by referring to an exploded perspective view of Fig. 4 and an assembled sectional view of Fig. 5. The power generator 400 includes an inlet pipe 402 for introducing the raw water from the water pipe 40 into the power generator 400, and an outlet pipe 404 for discharging the raw water from the power generator 400. A flow guide barrel 410 is arranged in the interior of the power generator 400, that is, a cavity 403, in order to guide the flow of the raw water in the cavity 403. A water wheel or propeller 420 is received in the flow guide barrel 410.

A plurality of inlet holes 412 are formed at a lower portion of the flow guide barrel 410 while being arranged along the circumference of the flow guide barrel 410. The inlet holes 412 serves to introduce the raw water, introduced through the inlet pipe 402, into the interior of the flow guide barrel 410. Also, a plurality of outlet holes 414 are formed at an upper portion of the flow guide barrel 410 while being arranged along the circumference of the flow guide barrel 410. The outlet holes 414 serves to discharge the raw water from the flow guide barrel 410 toward the outlet pipe 404 in accordance with a vortex effect generated in the flow guide barrel 410.

Each inlet hole 412 has a tapered structure in order to effectively introduce the raw water from the inlet pipe 402 into the flow guide barrel 410. Similarly, each outlet hole 414 has a tapered structure in order to effectively discharge the raw water from the flow guide barrel 410 toward the outlet pipe 404. Since the flow guide barrel 410 has the above described configuration, the raw water introduced from the inlet pipe 402 into the interior of the flow guide barrel 410 through the inlet holes 412 generates a vortex flow by virtue of the inlet holes 412. By the vortex flow of the raw water, the propeller 420 arranged in the flow guide barrel 410 rotates, so that the raw water flows upwardly. The raw water is then discharged into the outlet pipe 404 via the tapered outlet holes 414 formed at the upper portion of the flow guide barrel 410. The tapered directions of the inlet holes 412 and outlet holes 414 are opposite to each other.

The power transmission 430 is coupled to a power input shaft 422 fixed to the propeller 420 in order to transmit a rotating force from the power input shaft 422 in a speed-reduced state. The power transmission 430 includes a plurality of gears engaging with one another, and rotating shafts supporting the gears. The engaged gears have a certain rotation ratio. That is, the power transmission 430 can reduce an input RPM to a desired output RPM. The speed reduction ratio may be determined, based on the amount of the chemical to be fed into the water tank 50. The power controller 440 includes a cam 443 coupled to a power output shaft

442 of the power transmission 430 while having a desired eccentricity, and a pushing member 447 arranged to be in contact with the periphery of the cam 443, and adapted to convert a rotating movement of the cam 443 into a linear movement. The speed- reduced rotating force from the power output shaft 442 of the power transmission 430 rotates the cam 443, thereby causing the pushing member 447 to move linearly. The moving stroke of the pushing member 447 is determined by the eccentricity of the cam 443.

A slider shaft 449 is coupled, at one end thereof, to the pushing member 447 at opposite side of the cam 443. The other end of the slider shaft 449 is slidably connected to the chemical feeding unit 450. A compression coil spring 448 is fitted around the slider shaft 449 between the pushing member 447 and the chemical feeding unit 450. The compression coil spring 448 serves to return the pushing member 447, pushed by the cam 443, to its original position.

A control rod 445 extends through a cover 446 of the power controller 440 while being threadedly coupled to the cover 446. The control rod 445 is mounted to the pushing member 447 at one end thereof such that it is rotatable with respect to the pushing member 447while being prevented from moving linearly with respect to the pushing member 447. A control knob 444 is fixedly mounted to the other end of the control rod 445, so as to allow the operator to rotate the control rod 445. When the control rod 445 is rotated in accordance with a manipulation of the control knob 444 by the operation, the distance between the pushing member 447 and the cam 443 is adjusted. That is, when the control knob 444 is manipulated to move the pushing member 447 away from the cam 443, the distance between the cam 443 and the pushing member 447 is increased. In this case, the moving stroke of the pushing member 447 caused by the rotation of the cam 443 is reduced. On the other hand, when the control knob 444 is manipulated to move the pushing member 447 toward the cam 443, the distance between the cam 443 and the pushing member 447 is reduced. In this case, the moving stroke of the pushing member 447 caused by the rotation of the cam 443 is increased. Thus, it is possible to control the amount of the chemical fed by the chemical feeding unit 450 in accordance with the moving stroke of the pushing member 447 determined by the manipulation of the control knob 444. The chemical feeding unit 450 comprises a dosing pump. The dosing pump is connected, at its inlet and outlet, to hoses 452 and 457 for supplying and discharging a chemical, respectively. Check balls 453 and 456 are fitted in the inlet and outlet of the dosing pump, respectively. A diaphragm is mounted in the dosing pump. The diaphragm is coupled to the slider shaft 449 of the power controller 440 so that it sucks or discharges the chemical in accordance with a sliding movement of the slider shaft 449.

Now, the operation of the unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus having the above described configuration according to the present invention will be described. Since the inlet pipe 402 of the power generator 400 is connected to the water pipe 40, the raw water flowing through the water pipe 40 is first introduced into the power generator 400 through the inlet pipe 402. The raw water is then introduced into the interior of the flow guide barrel 410 through the inlet holes 12 formed at the lower portion of the flow guide barrel 410. Since the inlet holes 412 are tapered in a flowing direction of the raw water, the raw water generates a vortex flow rotating in an counter-clockwise direction. This vortex flow is struck against the blades of the propeller 420, thereby causing the propeller 420 to rotate. By virtue of the rotation of the propeller 420, the raw water flows upwardly, so that it is discharged into the outlet pipe 404 through the outlet holes 414 of the flow guide barrel 410. The discharged raw water is then introduced into the water tank 50 via the output pipe 404. Thus, the propeller 420 arranged in the flow guide barrel 410 of the power generator 400 generates a rotating force in accordance with the vortex flow of the raw water. The rotating force generated by the propeller 420 of the power generator 400 is transmitted to the power transmission 430 via the power input shaft 422. The power transmission 430 outputs the rotating force to the power output shaft 442 after reducing the rotating speed in accordance with the speed reduction ratio of its gears. That is, the rotating speed is reduced within the speed reduction range of the power transmission 430, for example, the range from 2:1 to 100:1. The rotating force outputted from the power transmission 430 rotates the cam 443 coupled to the power output shaft 442. The pushing member 447 contacting the cam 443 reciprocates a predetermined distance in accordance with every turn of the cam 443. That is, when the cam 443 comes into contact with the pushing member 447 at its cam portion, it pushes the pushing member 447, thereby pushing the slider shaft 449. On the other hand, when the cam 443 comes into contact with the pushing member 447 at its non- cam portion, the pushing member 447 returns to its original position by virtue of the compressive force of the compression coil spring 448. The moving stroke of the pushing member 447 and slider shaft 449 can be adjusted by rotating the control rod 445 in accordance with a manipulation of the control knob 44.

When the slider shaft 449 is pushed, the diaphragm 454 of the dosing pump 450 is pushed, thereby causing the inlet-side check ball 453 to cut off the introduction of the chemical from the chemical tank 200. Simultaneously, the outlet-side check ball 454 allows the chemical to be discharged toward the water tank 50. On the other hand, when the slider shaft 449 returns from its pushed position to its original position, the diaphragm 454 returns to its original state. In this state, the inlet-side check ball 453 opens the inlet of the dosing pump, so that the dosing pump sucks the chemical from the chemical tank 220. Simultaneously, the outlet-side check ball 456 is positioned at its cut-off position. Thus, the chemical from the chemical tank 200 is sucked into a chamber defined by the diaphragm 454 via the inlet-side check ball 453 after passing through the inlet-side hose 452. Thereafter, the chemical is discharged into the water tank 50 via the water pipe 40 after passing through the outlet-side hose 457 via the outlet-side check ball 456, or directly discharged into the water tank 50.

Thus, it is possible to feed a desired amount of the chemical into the water tank 50 in accordance with the fed amount of the raw water. This can be achieved by controlling the speed-reduction ratio of the power transmission 430, the eccentricity of the cam 443, and the moving stroke of the pushing member 447. Furthermore, it is possible to feed a desired amount of the chemical without using any external power because power for feeding the chemical can be generated, using the pressure of the raw water.

Industrial Applicability As apparent from the above description, in accordance with the unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to automatically feed the chemical in an amount proportional to the amount of the raw water fed into the water tank. Accordingly, a desired chemical concentration is maintained in the raw water. Also, power can be generated by virtue of the pressure of the raw water. Using the generated power, it is possible to feed the chemical. Accordingly, it is possible to feed a desired amount of the chemical without using any external power.

Claims

1. In a wireless automatic water level controlling apparatus including a water intake well for collecting raw water, a water pipe for supplying the collected raw water, and a water tank for reservoiring the supplied water, an unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus comprising: a chemical tank for storing a chemical adapted to disinfect the raw water reservoired in the water tank; a chemical supply pipe for supplying the chemical from the chemical tank via the water pipe; and a check valve mounted in the chemical supply pipe, and adapted to allow a flow of fluid in the chemical supply pipe in only one direction.

2. In a wireless automatic water level controlling apparatus including a water intake well for collecting raw water, a water pipe for supplying the collected raw water, and a water tank for reservoiring the supplied water, an unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus comprising: a chemical tank for storing a chemical adapted to disinfect the raw water reservoired in the water tank; a power generator mounted in the water pipe, and adapted to convert the pressure of the raw water flowing through the water pipe into mechanical energy; a power transmission for transmitting the mechanical energy outputted from the power generator; a power controller for controlling the level of the power transmitted from the power transmission; and a chemical feeder for feeding the chemical supplied from the chemical tank into the water pipe or the water tank, by use. of the power controlled by the power controller.

3. The unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power generator includes: an inlet pipe connected to the water pipe; a flow guide barrel adapted to rotate a flow of the raw water supplied from the inlet pipe; a propeller arranged in the flow guide barrel, the propeller rotating in accordance with the flow of the raw water; and a power input shaft coupled to a rotating shaft of the propeller, and adapted to transmit a rotating force from the rotating shaft.

4. The unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the power generator further includes: a plurality of inlet holes formed at a lower portion of the flow guide barrel while being arranged along the circumference of the flow guide barrel, the inlet holes guiding the raw water introduced through the inlet pipe such that the raw water rotates; and a plurality of outlet holes formed at an upper portion of the flow guide barrel while being arranged along the circumference of the flow guide barrel, the outlet holes discharging the raw water rotating in the flow guide barrel 410 to the outlet pipe.

5. The unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power transmission comprises: a plurality of gears for outputting the rotating force, inputted thereto from the power generator, to a power output shaft in a speed reduced state in accordance with a speed reduction ratio thereof.

6. The unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power controller comprises: a cam coupled to the power transmission, and adapted to perform an eccentric rotating movement; a pushing member arranged to be in contact with the periphery of the cam, and adapted to convert a rotating movement of the cam into a linear movement for generating a pushing force; a slider shaft coupled to the pushing member such that it is linearly movable along with the pushing member; a spring adapted to always urge the pushing member against the cam; a cover mounted on a top portion of the power transmission, and adapted to enclose the cam, pushing member, slider shaft, and spring; a control rod extending to the cam through the cover at an inner end thereof; a control knob mounted to an outer end of the control rod outside the cover, and adapted to adjust the distance between the cam and the pushing member.

7. The unpowered flow-proportional chemical feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the chemical feeding unit comprises: a diaphragm; an inlet-side check ball for allowing the chemical from the chemical tank to be sucked through an inlet-side hose, and cutting off the suction of the chemical; a chamber for storing the chemical sucked through the inlet-side check ball, and discharging the stored chemical in accordance with expanding and retracting operations of the diaphragm, respectively; and an outlet-side check ball for discharging the chemical introduced in the chamber, and cutting off the discharge of the chemical.