Method for monitoring advanced separation and/or ion exchange processes

• US 6,332,110 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hach Company (Veralto Corp.)
• Original Assignee: PerLorica Inc.
• Inventors: Wolfe, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US09/213,781
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 702/22, 702/23, 702/30, 702/31, 702/32, 702/11, 702/12, 702/50, 702/100, 702/137, 702/188, 210/638, 210/642, 210/643, 210/660, 210/141, 210/142, 210/634, 700/270, 700/271, 700/273
• US Class Current: 702/22
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/12 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/22 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 47/14 Controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/006 comprising a software program or a logic diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/05 Conductivity or salinity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/11 Turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/29 Chlorine compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/18 Water
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0224 Process history based detection method, e.g. whereby history implies the availability of large amounts of data

Abstract

A method of monitoring advanced separation and/or ion exchange processes through the collection of localized data. The data is manipulated to generate preconfigured performance, maintenance, quality assurance, quality control, regulatory, cost reports, performance graphing and historical trends. The data is collected from sensors located at an equipment site and transferred to a remote located by use of the Internet, further all data received and used for generation of reports is also accessible by Internet connection.

Claims

1. A method for remote monitoring and assessing the performance of advanced separation processes employing an electronic control system for monitoring selected parameters comprising the steps of:

a) accessing raw operating data from said electronic control system;

b) providing a storage means on a local computer for holding said raw operating data in an electronic format;

c) coupling said local computer to an Internet server computer;

d) transmitting said stored raw data via the world wide web using transmission methods to a remotely located Internet server computer;

e) storing said raw data on said Internet server computer;

f) manipulating said raw data into an analysis result; and

g) uploading the results of said analysis result to an Internet server in a format suitable for access and visualization with a web browser program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of manipulating said raw data utilizes normalization and prediction routines to analyze the performance of a reverse osmosis membrane system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of manipulating said raw data utilizes normalization and prediction routines specifically to analyze the performance of ion exchange systems.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of manipulating said raw data includes routines to analyze the results of normalization and prediction routines to notify selected individuals on the basis of the stored parameters relating to the performance of the system being analyzed.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of accessing the raw data includes the steps of reading, querying, and storing data accessed from said electronic control system by use of a serial interface card.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of accessing said data is integrated into said electronic control.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said advanced separation and/or ion exchange process is defined as filtration, reverse osmosis, and deionization systems.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said advanced separation and/or ion exchange process is defined as wastewater treatment system including secondary and/or tertiary treatment.

9. The method of claim 1 said electronic control system is defined as a programmable logic controller (PLC).

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of accessing raw operating data from said electronic control system includes a serial interface card coupled to said local computer, whereby said serial interface card is operable to transfer serial output of raw data from said electronic control system to the local computer.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said local computer includes software operable to perform the stops of reading, querying, and storing data accessed from said electronic control system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said digital data files are transmitted to said Internet server via file transfer protocol (.ftp).

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said digital data files are transmitted to said Internet server via email.

14. The method of claim 1 including the steps of:

comparing said analysis result with known optimum performance parameters, determining the differential between said known optimum performance parameters and the analysis result, and sending notifications to pre-determined recipients if known limits for differentials are exceeded.

15. A method of monitoring and assessing the performance of advanced separation processes in a water treatment having system a plurality of sensors to continuously monitor selected parameters from a remote location via the Internet, comprising the steps of:

accessing a local data collection module used capture raw data from the sensors;

providing a local storage means on a local computer for storing the collected local raw data in digital data files;

coupling said local computer to an Internet server computer;

transmitting said data files to said Internet server computer;

storing said digital data files in the memory of said Internet server computer;

accessing said digital data files from a remote coupled computer;

providing a software program on said Internet server computer operational to monitor and assess the performance of the water treatment system by analyzing the digital data to produce an analysis result; and

providing the analysis result on said Internet server in a format suitable for access and visualization from a remote computer via a web browser.

16. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said water treatment system includes an ion exchange process.

17. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said software program utilizes mathematical normalization and prediction routines to produce the analysis result.

18. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said advanced separation processes in a water treatment system includes equipment operable to perform filtration, reverse osmosis and deionization.

19. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said software program is operable to monitor and assess the performance of a reverse osmosis membrane.

20. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said local data collection module includes a programmable logic controller (PLC) coupled to said sensors.

21. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15 wherein said step of accessing a local data collection module further includes providing a serial interface card coupled to said local computer and said PLC, wherein said serial interface card is operable to transfer a serial output of raw data from the PLC to the local computer.

22. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said local computer includes software operable to perform the stops of reading, querying, and storing data accessed from the PLC.

23. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said digital data files are transmitted to said Internet server using secure communication means.

24. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said digital data files are transmitted to said Internet server via file transfer protocol (.ftp).

25. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said digital data files are transmitted to said Internet server via email.

26. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said software program is further operable perform the steps of:

comparing said analysis result with known optimum performance parameters, determining the differential between said known optimum performance parameters and the analysis result, and sending notifications to pre-determined recipients if known limits for differentials are exceeded.

27. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said notifications are sent via email.

28. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said software program is operable to analyze the performance of reverse osmosis membranes.

29. The method of monitoring advanced separation processes in a water treatment system according to claim 15, wherein said software program is operable to monitor and assess the performance of ion exchange systems.