Monitoring, diagnostic, and reporting system and process

• US 6,356,205 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Salvo, Joseph James, Mackenzie, Patricia Denise
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US09/201,385
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 340/853.2, 340/853.3, 340/870.07, 324/357, 324/345, 367/39, 367/57, 367/86, 166/250.1, 731/522.9, 731/521.9, 422/82.09, 422/82.05, 702/23, 210/143
• US Class Current: 340/853.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/18 Water

Abstract

A monitoring system determines characteristics of a fluid in a well. The system comprises a well module adapted to be disposed in a well, where the module comprises a probe and at least one sensor that senses characteristics of the fluid. The well module is capable of transmitting information concerning fluid characteristics. The system further comprises a data collection center, which is capable of receiving well information from the well module and generating information concerning characteristics of the fluid, a monitoring site, and a communication link that enables a user at the monitoring site to obtain information such as, but not limited to, real-time, historical, and a combination of real-time and historical concerning the characteristics.

Claims

1. A monitoring system to determine ground water contaminant characteristics in a well;

the system comprising;

a well module adapted to be disposed in the well at a ground water well site, the well module comprising a probe and at least one sensor that senses ground water contaminant characteristics, the well module being capable of transmitting signals concerning ground water contaminant characteristics and said well module adapted to have additional sensors added thereto;

a data collection center capable of receiving well signals transmitted from the well module and generating information concerning ground water contaminant characteristics;

a monitoring site that is remotely disposed from the data collection center;

a remote water handling apparatus disposed at the ground water well site and linked to the data collection center, the remote water handling apparatus being capable of maintaining the ground water well site within compliance limits; and

a communication link that interconnects the data collection center and the monitoring site to obtain the information concerning ground water contaminant characteristics and to transmit a control signal to the water handling, apparatus for directing an operation thereof;

wherein the monitoring system further comprises a global positioning system that enables an accurate determination of a location of the well in the monitoring system, and the monitoring system transmits a user'"'"'s action embodied in the control signal to the remote water handling apparatus in response to the received information concerning the ground water characteristics to maintain an operation of the ground water well site within compliance limits.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises a web connection.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises an Internet connection.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the communication link comprises at least one of:

a phone modem connection, radio communication connection, network communication connection, wireless communication system connections, cellular communication connection, satellite communication connection, web connection, and Internet connection, and combinations thereof.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for statistically analyzing and evaluating the monitoring system.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the data collecting center comprises a control.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the control comprises a computer.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the data collecting center comprises a transceiver.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the transceiver comprises at least one of an integrated antenna with the transceiver and an antenna that is separate from the transceiver.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the data collecting center further comprises a control.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the module further comprises a well transceiver and the fluid characteristics sensed by the at least one sensor are transmitted from the well transceiver and to the data collection center.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the well transceiver is in communication with the module by at least one of a hardwired connection and a wireless connection.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the wireless connection comprises at least one of a radio connection and a satellite connection.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein the well transceiver comprises an antenna, the antenna comprises at least one of an integrated antenna with the well transceiver and a separate antenna from the well transceiver.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring site comprises a control that is adapted to output reports concerning the fluid characteristics.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the control provides report formats that provide real-time fluid characteristics.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the report formats comprise at least one of tables, graphs, charts, spreadsheets, and combinations thereof.

18. A system according to claim 15, wherein the control provides historical fluid characteristics.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein the reports are automatically generated.

20. A system according to claim 15, wherein the reports are automatically generated at regular intervals.

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an in-situ sensor, vapor sensor, chemical sensor, fiber optics sensor, solid-state sensor, metal oxide sensor, and electrochemical sensor, and combinations thereof.

22. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors to determine a plurality of fluid characteristics.

23. A system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is groundwater and the well comprises a groundwater well.

24. A system according to claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of real-time information, historical information, and a combination of real-time and historical information.

25. A method of monitoring ground water contaminant characteristics of a well at a ground water well site using a well module in the well, the well module comprising a probe and at least one sensor, the method comprising:

sensing ground water contaminant characteristics with said well module;

transmitting signals concerning ground water contaminant characteristics from the well module to a data collection center;

receiving signals concerning ground water contaminant characteristics at the data collection center;

generating information concerning ground water contaminant characteristics at the data collection center;

obtaining information concerning the ground water contaminant characteristics at a monitoring site which is disposed remote from the data collection center;

determining an accurate location of each respective well by coordinating locations using a global positioning system; and

transmitting a remote user'"'"'s action embodied in a control signal to a water handling apparatus disposed at the remediation site, the water handling apparatus being capable of maintaining the ground water well site within compliance limits, the remote user'"'"'s action being generated in response to the information concerning ground water characteristics received at the monitoring site for maintaining an operation of the ground water well site within compliance limits.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the step of obtaining information comprises accessing the information over at least one of web connections, phone modem connections, radio connections, network connections, wireless connections, cellular connections, satellite connections, web connections, and Internet connections, and combinations thereof.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the step of obtaining information comprises obtaining information via an Internet connection.

28. A method according to claim 25, wherein the data collecting center comprises a control and a transceiver, the method further comprises transmitting information from the transceiver and storing information in the control.

29. A method according to claim 25, further comprising a well transceiver, the well transceiver receiving information from the sensor and transmitting fluid characteristics as signals to the data collection center.

30. A method according to claim 29, further comprising a step of communicating between the well transceiver and the sensor by at least one of a hardwired connection and a wireless connection.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the step of communicating comprises at least one of communication by radio and satellite.

32. A method according to claim 25, further comprising statistically evaluating the monitoring method.

33. A method according to claim 25, wherein the monitoring site comprises a control, and the method comprises, outputting reports concerning the fluid characteristics.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein the reports comprise tables, graphs, charts, spreadsheets, and combinations thereof.

35. A method according to claim 33, further comprising a step of providing historical data of fluid characteristics.

36. A method according to claim 33, wherein the step of outputting of reports is automatic.

37. A method according to claim 25, further comprising a step of selecting the sensor from a group comprising in-situ sensors, vapor sensors, chemical sensors, fiber optics sensors, solid-state sensors, metal oxide sensors, and electrochemical sensors, and combinations thereof.

38. A method according to claim 25, further comprising a step of providing two-way communication with the data collecting center and a user, the two-way communication permitting at least one of selection, activation and de-activation, modification, fine-tuning, manipulation, and resetting of at least one of the sensor, probe, and well module.

39. A method according to claim 30, wherein the well comprises a groundwater well and the fluid is groundwater, the method further comprises determining at least one groundwater characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

water quality parameters;

groundwater level;

contaminant content, impurities content, benzene content, toluene content, chlorinated solvents content, ethyl-benzene content, xylenes content, and combinations thereof.

40. A method according to claim 30, wherein the step of obtaining information comprises at least one of obtaining real-time information, historical information, and a combination of real-time and historical information.

41. A monitoring system to determine ground water contaminant characteristics in a plurality of wells;

the system comprising;

a well module adapted to be disposed in each of the wells at a remediation site, the well module comprising a probe and at least one sensor that senses ground water contaminant characteristics, the well module being capable of transmitting signals concerning ground water contaminant characteristics and said well module being adapted to have additional sensors added thereto;

a data collection center capable of receiving well signals transmitted from the well module and generating information concerning ground water contaminant characteristics;

a monitoring site that is remotely disposed from the data collection center;

a remote water handling apparatus disposed at the remediation site and linked to the data collection center, the remote water handling apparatus being capable of maintaining the remediation site within compliance limits; and

a communication link that interconnects the data collection center and the monitoring site to obtain the information concerning ground water contaminant characteristics and to transmit a control signal to the water handling apparatus for directing an operation thereof;

wherein each well receives one said well module, each said well module transmitting information to the data collection center;

the plurality of wells is arranged at the remediation site; and

the monitoring system determines real-time contaminant characteristics at each well at the remediation site and transmits a user'"'"'s action embodied in the control signal to the remote water handling apparatus in response to the received information concerning the ground water characteristics to maintain an operation of the remediation site within compliance limits.

42. A monitoring system to determine ground water contaminant characteristics in a well;

the system comprising;

a well module adapted to be disposed in the well at a remediation site, the well module comprising a probe and at least one sensor that senses ground water contaminant characteristics, the well module being capable of transmitting signals concerning ground water contaminant characteristics and said well module adapted to have additional sensors added thereto;

a data collection center capable of receiving well signals transmitted from the well module and generating information concerning ground water contaminant characteristics;

a monitoring site that is remotely disposed from the data collection center;

a remote water handling apparatus disposed at the remediation site and linked to the data collection center, the remote water handling apparatus being capable of maintaining the remediation site within compliance limits; and

a communication link that interconnects the data collection center and the monitoring site to obtain the information concerning ground water contaminant characteristics and to transmit a control signal to the water handling apparatus for directing an operation thereof;

wherein the communication link is a two-way communication link between the data collection center and the monitoring site, the two-way communication link further permitting at least one of modification, fine-tuning, manipulation, and resetting of at least one of the sensor, probe, well module, and remote water handling apparatus; and

the monitoring system transmits a user'"'"'s action embodied in the control signal to the remote water handling apparatus in response to the received information concerning the ground water characteristics to maintain an operation of the remediation site within compliance limits.

43. A method of monitoring ground water contaminant characteristics of a plurality of wells at a remediation site using a well module in each of the wells, the well module comprising a probe and at least one sensor, the method comprising:

disposing the plurality of wells at the remediation site;

sensing ground water contaminant characteristics with said well module adapted to have a plurality of sensors from well to well at each of the plurality of wells;

transmitting signals concerning ground water contaminant characteristics from the well module to a data collection center;

receiving signals concerning ground water contaminant characteristics at the data collection center;

generating information concerning ground water contaminant characteristics at the data collection center;

obtaining information concerning the ground water contaminant characteristics across the remediation site at a monitoring site which is disposed remote from the data collection center;

determining real-time contaminant characteristics across the remediation site; and

transmitting a remote user'"'"'s action embodied in a control signal to a remote water handling apparatus disposed at the remediation site, the remote water handling apparatus being capable of maintaining the remediation site within compliance limits, the remote user'"'"'s action being generated in response to the information concerning ground water characteristics received at the monitoring site for maintaining an operation of the remediation site within compliance limits.

44. A method of monitoring ground water contaminant characteristics of a well at a remediation site using a well module in the well, the well module comprising a probe and at least one sensor, the method comprising:

sensing ground water contaminant characteristics with said well module adapted to have a plurality of sensors;

transmitting signals concerning ground water contaminant characteristics from the well module to a data collection center;

receiving signals concerning ground water contaminant characteristics at the data collection center;

generating information concerning ground water contaminant characteristics at the data collection center;

obtaining information concerning the ground water contaminant characteristics at a monitoring site which is disposed remote from the data collection center; and

transmitting a remote user'"'"'s action embodied in a control signal to a water handling apparatus disposed at the remediation site, the water handling apparatus being capable of maintaining the remediation site within compliance limits, the remote user'"'"'s action being generated in response to the information concerning ground water characteristics received at the monitoring site for maintaining an operation of the remediation site within compliance limits;

wherein the method further comprising at least one of modifying, fine-tuning, manipulating, and resetting at least one of the sensor, probe, well module, and water handling apparatus.