IMMERSION DETECTION METHOD, SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20100085198A1
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Finn, Peter G., Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M., Seaman, James W., Walker, Keith R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/618
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/0007 for discrete indicating and measuring G01F23/02 - G01F23/28 take precedence

Abstract

A fluid detection system comprises a liquid sensor, an air pump and an atmospheric pressure sensor encased within an air and water permeable casing defining an enclosed air space. The pressure sensor acquires pressure samples within the casing, the air pump expelling additional gas into the casing. In response to determining a flood-status or a non-flood-status state of the fluid detection system and comparing the samples, a failure of the fluid detection system or an immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid is determined. In some embodiments, failure is determined if a second sample is greater than a first sample in a non-flooded state, and in others immersion is determined if a second sample is greater than a first sample value and the determined state is flooded. In some examples, gas is expelled across a liquid detection surface and a third sample value is acquired.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a fluid detection system, comprising:

providing a fluid detection system comprising a liquid sensor in circuit communication with an air pump and an atmospheric pressure sensor, wherein the liquid sensor, the air pump and the atmospheric pressure sensor are encased within an air and water permeable casing;

the casing defining an enclosed air space about the liquid sensor, the air pump and the atmospheric pressure sensor;

determining a flood status state of the fluid detection system as flooded or non-flooded;

the atmospheric pressure sensor acquiring a first sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing;

the air pump expelling an additional quantity of gas into the casing;

the atmospheric pressure sensor acquiring a second sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing;

comparing the first and the second pressure sample values; and

determining a failure of the fluid detection system or an immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid in response the comparing of the first and the second sample values and to the determined flood status state.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the failure of the fluid detection system if the second sample value is greater than the first sample value and the determined flood status state is non-flooded.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising determining the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid if the second sample value is greater than the first sample value and the determined flood status state is flooded.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid by:

acquiring the first sample value prior to determining the flood status state;

acquiring the second sample value if the determined flood status state is flooded;

in response to determining that the second sample value is greater than the first sample value, the air pump expelling the additional quantity of gas across a liquid detection surface of the liquid sensor;

the atmospheric pressure sensor acquiring a third sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing subsequent to the air pump expelling the additional quantity of gas; and

determining the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid if the third sample value is greater than or equal to the second sample value.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising the atmospheric pressure sensor acquiring the second sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing subsequent to the air pump expelling the additional quantity of gas.

6. A method for determining an immersion of a fluid detection system, comprising:

providing a fluid detection system comprising a liquid sensor in circuit communication with an air pump and an atmospheric pressure sensor, wherein the liquid sensor, the air pump and the atmospheric pressure sensor are encased within an air and water permeable casing, the casing defining an enclosed air space about the liquid sensor, the air pump and the atmospheric pressure sensor;

the atmospheric pressure sensor acquiring a first sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing;

determining a flood status state of the fluid detection system as flooded or non-flooded;

in response to a determined flooded state, the atmospheric pressure sensor acquiring a second sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing;

comparing the first and second pressure samples; and

determining that the fluid detection system is immersed in a fluid if the second sample value is greater than the first sample value.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising

in response to determining that the second sample value is greater than the first sample value, the air pump expelling an additional quantity of gas into the casing and across a liquid detection surface of the liquid sensor;

the atmospheric pressure sensor acquiring a third sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing subsequent to the air pump expelling the additional quantity of gas; and

determining the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid if the third sample value greater than or equal to the second sample value.

8. A service for monitoring a fluid detection system, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

determine a flooded or a non-flooded status state of a fluid detection system in communication with the computer infrastructure, wherein the fluid detection system comprises a liquid sensor in circuit communication with an air pump and an atmospheric pressure sensor, and wherein the liquid sensor, the air pump and the atmospheric pressure sensor are encased within an air and water permeable casing, the casing defining an enclosed air space about the liquid sensor, the air pump and the atmospheric pressure sensor;

cause the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire a first sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing;

cause the air pump to expel an additional quantity of gas into the casing;

cause the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire a second sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing;

compare the first and second pressure samples; and

in response to a difference between the first sample value and the second sample value and to the determined flood status state, determine a failure of the fluid detection system or an immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid.

9. The service of claim 8, the computer infrastructure being further operable to determine the failure of the fluid detection system if the second sample value is greater than the first sample value and the determined flood status state is a non-flooded state.

10. The service of claim 9, the computer infrastructure being further operable to determine the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid if the second sample value is greater than the first sample value and the determined flood status state is a flooded state.

11. The service of claim 10, the computer infrastructure being further operable to determine the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid by:

causing the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire the first sample value prior to determining the flood status state;

causing the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire the second sample value in response to the determined flood status state being the flooded state;

in response to determining that the second sample value is greater than the first sample value, causing the air pump to expel the additional quantity of gas across a liquid detection surface of the liquid sensor;

causing the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire a third sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing subsequent to the air pump expelling the additional quantity of gas; and

determining the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid if the third sample value greater than or equal to the second sample value.

12. The service of claim 11, wherein the fluid detection system further comprises a timer configured to generate periodic timer outputs and a memory, the computer infrastructure being further operable to:

initiate the determining of the flood status state, cause the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire the sample values, cause the air pump to expel the gas, compare the pressure samples, and determine of the failure of the fluid detection system and the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid in response to a timer periodic timer output;

generate event data by associating temporal data with the sample values and the flood-state and non-flood state status states; and

read data from and write the event data to the memory.

13. A method for monitoring a fluid detection system, comprising:

producing computer executable program code;

storing the code on a computer readable medium;

providing the program code to be deployed and executed on a computer system, the program code causing the computer system to;

determine a flooded or a non-flooded status state of a fluid detection system in communication with the computer system, wherein the fluid detection system comprises a liquid sensor in circuit communication with an air pump and an atmospheric pressure sensor, and wherein the liquid sensor, the air pump and the atmospheric pressure sensor are encased within an air and water permeable casing, the casing defining an enclosed air space about the liquid sensor, the air pump and the atmospheric pressure sensor;

cause the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire a first sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing;

cause the air pump to expel an additional quantity of gas into the casing;

cause the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire a second sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing;

compare the first and second pressure samples; and

in response to a difference between the first sample value and the second sample value and to the determined flood status state, determine a failure of the fluid detection system or an immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid.

14. The method of claim 13, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to determine the failure of the fluid detection system if the second sample value is greater than the first sample value and the determined flood status state is a non-flooded state.

15. The method of claim 14, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to determine the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid if the second sample value is greater than the first sample value and the determined flood status state is a flooded state.

16. The method of claim 15, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to determine the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid by:

causing the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire the first sample value prior to determining the flood status state;

causing the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire the second sample value in response to the determined flood status state being the flooded state;

in response to determining that the second sample value is greater than the first sample value, causing the air pump to expel the additional quantity of gas across a liquid detection surface of the liquid sensor;

causing the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire a third sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing subsequent to the air pump expelling the additional quantity of gas; and

determining the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid if the third sample value greater than or equal to the second sample value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fluid detection system further comprises a timer configured to generate periodic timer outputs and a memory, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, causes the computer system to:

initiate the determining of the flood status state, cause the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire the sample values, cause the air pump to expel the gas, compare the pressure samples, and determine of the failure of the fluid detection system and the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid in response to a timer periodic timer output;

generate event data by associating temporal data with the sample values and the flood-state and non-flood state status states; and

read data from and write the event data to the memory.

18. A flood detection system, comprising:

a processing means comprising a logic controller;

a liquid sensor in circuit communication with the processing means;

an air pump in circuit communication with the processing means;

an atmospheric pressure sensor in circuit communication with the processing means;

a power supply means connected to the processing means, the liquid sensor, the air pump and the atmospheric pressure sensor; and

an air permeable and water permeable casing disposed about and encompassing the liquid sensor, the air pump and the atmospheric pressure sensor and defining an enclosed air space;

wherein the processing means is configured to;

determine a flood status state of the fluid detection system as a flooded state or a non-flooded state;

cause the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire a first sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing;

cause the air pump to expel an additional quantity of gas into the casing;

cause the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire a second sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing;

compare the first and second pressure samples; and

in response to a difference between the first sample value and the second sample value and to determining the flood status state, determine a failure of the fluid detection system or an immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid.

19. The system of claim 18, the processing means further configured to determine the failure of the fluid detection system if the second sample value is greater than the first sample value and the determined flood status state is the non-flooded state.

20. The system of claim 19, the processing means further configured to determine the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid if the second sample value is greater than the first sample value and the determined flood status state is the flooded state.

21. The system of claim 20, the processing means further configured to determine the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid by:

causing the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire the first sample value prior to determining the flood status state;

causing the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire the second sample value in response to the determined flooded state;

in response to determining that the second sample value is greater than the first sample value, causing the air pump to expel the additional quantity of gas across a liquid detection surface of the liquid sensor;

causing the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire a third sample value of atmospheric pressure within the casing subsequent to the air pump expelling the additional quantity of gas; and

determining the immersion of the fluid detection system in fluid if the third sample value greater than or equal to the second sample value.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a timer in circuit communication with the processing means and configured to generate periodic timer outputs; and

a memory in circuit communication with the processing means;

wherein the processing means is configured to determine the flood status state, cause the atmospheric pressure sensor to acquire the sample values, cause the air pump to expel gas, compare the pressure samples, determine the failure and determine the immersion in response to a periodic timer output;

wherein the processing means is configured to associate temporal data with the sample values and the determined flood status state to generate event data; and

wherein the processing means is configured to read data from and write the event data to the memory.