Water quality meter and water quality monitoring system

• US 6,444,172 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2001
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Koji, Enoki, Hideo, Fukunaga, Masao, Kanamaru, Masatoshi, Miyake, Ryo, Terayama, Takao, Mori, Sadao, Yamada, Katsutoshi, Ishihara, Tamio
• Primary Examiner(s): Drodge, Joseph W.
• Application Number:
  US09/828,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20010011642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 210/85, 210/87, 210/94, 210/96.1, 210/96.2, 210/97, 210/134, 210/143, 210/257.1, 210/257.2, 210/739, 210/170, 210/747, 210/921, 210/922, 210/754, 422/62, 422/63, 422/68.1, 422/70, 422/82.05, 436/39, 436/67, 436/89, 436/77, 436/180, 73/530.1, 73/645.5, 73/645.6, 738/63, 738/630.1, 738/630.2, 738/632.3, 738/632.4, 738/633.1, 738/665, 137/3, 137/5, 137/43
• US Class Current: 422/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/02 Non-contaminated water, e.g. for industrial water supply
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle for biological treatment C02F2203/008
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/009 Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower, fuel cells for electrolysis apparatus C02F2201/46165
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/11 Turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/29 Chlorine compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1893 using flow cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation

Abstract

A water quality meter is composed of a plurality of water quality monitoring meters including analyzing units for analyzing water samples introduced from a water distribution pipe, each analyzing unit analyzing the water samples and a measuring cell, and a liquid introducing unit integrated with the analyzing units, which is composed of a single member in which a plurality of fluid flow paths for feeding various types of liquid including the water sample into the analyzing unit are formed. Furthermore, the cells and the plurality of three-dimensional fluid flow paths formed in the single member are fabricated by a micro-fabrication technique using photo-curing resin.

Claims

1. A water quality monitoring system for monitoring the quality of water distributed by a water distribution system that includes water purifying facilities to purify raw water taken in from rivers, lakes, and/or wells to a quality suitable for drinking water, water distribution facilities for distributing the water purified by said water purifying facilities, a water quality control center for monitoring and controlling said water purifying facilities and said water distribution facilities, and a water distribution piping network for feeding the purified water to end users, said water quality monitoring system comprising:

water quality monitoring meters sized and configured for attachment to pipes so as to draw water out of pipes prior to its supply to end users set at predetermined locations in said water distribution piping network, each of said water quality monitoring meters including a plurality of analyzing units each of, which includes a measurement flow path in which liquid flows, for introducing a water sample into said measurement flow path from said location on said pipe and analyzing said water sample;

a liquid introducing unit comprising a single member in which a plurality of fluid flow paths for feeding a plurality of types of liquid including said water sample into said plurality of analyzing units is formed; and

a transmission unit for transmitting to said control center;

wherein results of measurements performed by each of said water quality meters are transmitted to said water quality control center via said transmission unit of said water quality meter.

2. A water quality monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein each of said water quality meters is set in a location selected from the group consisting of a manhole, a fire hydrant, a water meter box, and a utility in the house of an end user, all of which are provided in said water distribution network.

3. A water quality monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising a signal processing unit data-processing the measurements results obtained by said analyzing unit, said transmission unit converting the data-processed results obtained by said signal processing unit into a transmitting signal for transmission and transmitting the converted transmitting signal to said water quality control center by radio.

4. A water quality monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising a signal processing unit data-processing the measurement results obtained by said analyzing unit, said transmission unit converting the data-processed results obtained by said signal processing unit into a transmitting signal for transmission and transmitting the converted transmitting signal to said water quality control center through an exclusive line or public line.

5. A water quality monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein each of said water quality meters includes a battery, and each of said water quality meters is powered by said battery.

6. A water quality monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein each of said water quality meters includes a solar battery and a storage battery connected to said solar battery via a diode, and each of said water quality meters is powered by energy fed from said solar battery and/or said storage battery.