Integrated water treatment control system with probe failure detection

• US 6,657,546 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pablo F. Navarro, Slater T. Lance
• Original Assignee: Pablo F. Navarro, Slater T. Lance
• Inventors: Navarro, Pablo F., Slater, T. Lance
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US10/033,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20020117430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 340/603, 340/606, 340/609, 340/653, 340/654, 340/655, 210/85, 210/96.1, 210/108, 210/143, 210/149, 210/169, 210/198.1, 210/182, 210/192, 210/252, 210/259, 210/241, 210/662, 210/739
• US Class Current: 340/653
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/008 Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/50 by addition or application of a germicide or by oligodynamic treatment C02F1/4606, C02F1/467, C02F1/76 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/66 by neutralisation; pH adjustment for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/70 by reduction C02F1/4676 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/72 by oxidation C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/023 Water in cooling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/03 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/04 Oxidation reduction potential [ORP]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/05 Conductivity or salinity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/07 Alkalinity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/10 Solids, e.g. total solids [TS], total suspended solids [TSS] or volatile solids [VS]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/16 Regeneration of sorbents, filters
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 5/00 Softening water; Preventing scale; Adding scale preventatives or scale removers to water, e.g. adding sequestering agents softening using ion-exchange C02F1/42

Abstract

The integrated water treatment control system incorporates control of filtration, heating, chemical treatment and water conditioning; a programmable display shows values of key parameters, operational settings and system status; a user-selectable multi-line, multi-language display panel has menus and subgenus; a remote access displays through modems and computers; an in-line computation of water saturation index handles sensor and panel keyboard inputs; and a dynamic probe failure detection system is also included.

Claims

1. A probe system for measuring a given characteristic of a fluid, the probe system including a flow probe which produces a signal proportional to the given characteristic of the fluid and applies that signal to a probe signal utilization system, the probe system including means to detect failure of the probe, the failure detection means including:

first means to accept and temporarily store the output of the probe, second means to temporarily disconnect the probe from the probe signal utilization system and to apply an out of range signal to the first means while the probe is disconnected, and third means to measure the recovery of the first means from the out of range signal, thereby to detect failure of the probe, and upon detection of such failure to generate a sensor failure alarm signal.

2. A probe system as set forth in claim 1 in which the third means also measures application of the out of range signal to the first means and generates a probe failure alarm signal when the applied signal is excessive.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a failsafe means for controlling a given characteristic of the fluid to the probe signal utilization system to cause the probe signal utilization system to modify the characteristics of the fluid in a failsafe manner in response to at least one sensor failure alarm signal for the probe.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one sensor failure signal is a plurality of sensor failure signals.

5. A method for probe failure detection in a water treatment system including at least one probe for monitoring a parameter of the water treatment system at a given signal indicative of a value for the sensed parameter at the given location which is utilized for monitoring and/or controlling an aspect of the water treatment system through a parameter control unit having a parameter control unit controller operated in response to the probe output signal, comprising the steps of:

temporarily storing the probe output signal and operating the parameter control unit controller in response to the temporarily stored probe output signal;

simulating for a first preselected period of time a probe output signal that is not the stored probe output signal;

after the first preselected period of time, sensing whether the probe output signal returns to the value of the stored probe output signal within a second preselected period of time; and

generating a malfunction signal in the event that the probe output signal does not return to the desired value in the preceding step.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of:

generating a failsafe control signal to the parameter control unit controller to place the parameter control unit in a failsafe condition is response to at least one malfunction signal.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one malfunction signal is a plurality malfunction signals.

8. A system for probe failure detection in a water treatment system including at least one probe for monitoring a parameter of the water treatment system at a given signal indicative of a value for the sensed parameter at the given location which is utilized for monitoring and/or controlling an aspect of the water treatment system through a parameter control unit having a parameter control unit controller operated in response to the probe output signal, said system comprising:

means for temporarily storing the probe output signal and operating the parameter control unit controller in response to the temporarily stored probe output signal;

means for simulating for a first preselected period of time a probe output signal that is not the stored probe output signal, after the first preselected period of time, sensing whether the probe output signal returns to the value of the stored probe output signal within a second preselected period of time; and

means for generating a malfunction signal in the event that the probe output signal does not return to the desired value in the preceding step.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

Means for generating a failsafe control signal to the parameter control unit controller to place the parameter control unit in a failsafe condition is response to at least one malfunction signal.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one malfunction signal is a plurality malfunction signals.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

A failsafe means for controlling a given characteristic of the fluid to the probe signal utilization system to cause the probe signal utilization system to modify the characteristics of the fluid in a failsafe manner in response to at least one sensor failure alarm signal for the probe.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor failure signal is a plurality of sensor failure signals.