METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL DYNAMIC MEASUREMENTS IN WATER SYSTEM

• US 20120253673A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamann, Hendrik F., Klein, Levente I., Stepanchuk, Andriy
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1886 using probes, e.g. submersible probes, buoys

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for measuring one or more physical properties of a water system. For example, in one embodiment, a method comprises the following steps. A measurement platform is positioned at a first location of a given water system, wherein the measurement platform comprises a plurality of sensor devices distributed over a three dimensional space and configured to acquire data relating to one or more physical properties of the water system. A first set of measurement data is acquired from the water system at the first location via at least a portion of the plurality of sensor devices of the measurement platform. The measurement platform is moved along a predetermined path to at least a second location in the water system. At least a second set of measurement data is acquired from the water system at the second location via at least a portion of the plurality of sensor devices of the measurement platform. The method may further comprise generating an image based on the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data, wherein the image represents the one or more physical properties of the water system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

positioning a measurement platform at a first location of a given water system, wherein the measurement platform comprises a plurality of sensor devices distributed over a three dimensional space and configured to acquire data relating to one or more physical properties of the water system;

acquiring a first set of measurement data from the water system at the first location via at least a portion of the plurality of sensor devices of the measurement platform;

moving the measurement platform along a predetermined path to at least a second location in the water system; and

acquiring at least a second set of measurement data from the water system at the second location via at least a portion of the plurality of sensor devices of the measurement platform.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an image based on the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data, wherein the image represents the one or more physical properties of the water system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing at least a portion of the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data to update a model representative of one or more physical properties of the water system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising interpolating data representative of one or more physical properties of the water system based on at least a portion of the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location and the second location at which measurement data is acquired are locations on a predetermined path through which the measurement platform traverses.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the measurement platform is attached to a vehicle that traverses the water system along the predetermined path.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data to a computer system.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the measurement platform to variable depth locations in the water system to acquire measurement data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing at least a portion of the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data to determine at least one of a temporal variation and a spatial variation in the water system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor devices comprises one or more of a pH sensor, a conductivity sensor, a dissolved oxygen sensor, a temperature sensor, a turbidity sensor, an oxygen content sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, and a phosphorus sensor.

11. Apparatus, comprising:

a frame structure; and

a plurality of sensors distributed on the frame structure over a three dimensional space and configured to acquire data relating to one or more physical properties of a given water system, the frame structure and the plurality of sensors forming a measurement platform;

wherein the measurement platform is configured to;

(i) be positioned at a first location of the water system;

(ii) acquire a first set of measurement data from the water system at the first location via at least a portion of the plurality of sensor devices;

(iii) be moved along a predetermined path to at least a second location in the given water system; and

(iv) acquire at least a second set of measurement data from the water system at the second location via at least a portion of the plurality of sensor devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a computer system for generating an image based on the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data, wherein the image represents the one or more physical properties of the given water system.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a computer system for utilizing at least a portion of the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data to update a model representative of one or more physical properties of the given water system.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a computer system for interpolating data representative of one or more physical properties of the given water system based on at least a portion of the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first location and the second location at which measurement data is acquired are locations on a predetermined path through which the measurement platform traverses.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the measurement platform is attached to a vehicle that traverses the water system along the predetermined path.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of sensor devices are configured to transmit the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data to a computer system.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measurement platform is movable to variable depth locations in the water system to acquire measurement data.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a computer system for utilizing at least a portion of the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data to determine at least one of a temporal variation and a spatial variation in the given water system.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensor devices comprises one or more of a pH sensor, a conductivity sensor, a dissolved oxygen sensor, a temperature sensor, a turbidity sensor, an oxygen content sensor, a nitric oxide sensor, and a phosphorus sensor.

21. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium having tangibly embodied thereon computer readable program code which, when executed, causes a processor device to:

obtain a first set of measurement data from a given water system acquired at a first location via a measurement platform, wherein the measurement platform is positioned at the first location of the water system and comprises a plurality of sensor devices distributed over a three dimensional space and configured to acquire data relating to one or more physical properties of the water system;

obtain at least a second set of measurement data from the water system at a second location via at least a portion of the plurality of sensor devices of the measurement platform, wherein the measurement platform is moved along a predetermined path to the at least a second location in the water system; and

generate an image based on the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data, wherein the image represents the one or more physical properties of the water system.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the computer readable program code which, when executed, further causes the processor device to utilize at least a portion of the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data to update a model representative of one or more physical properties of the water system.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the computer readable program code which, when executed, further causes the processor device to interpolate data representative of one or more physical properties of the water system based on at least a portion of the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data.

24. The article of claim 21, wherein the computer readable program code which, when executed, further causes the processor device to utilize at least a portion of the first set of measurement data and the at least a second set of measurement data to determine at least one of a temporal variation and a spatial variation in the water system.