Remote Monitoring of Fluid Reservoirs

• US 20080047329A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Breed, David
• Application Number:
  US11/924,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20080047329A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/61.41
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02836 Flow rate, liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02845 Humidity, wetness
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02881 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals

Abstract

Arrangement and method for monitoring an open body of fluid such as a reservoir, lake and pond, includes a sensor system arranged to obtain information about the fluid different than the location of the body of fluid, and a communication system coupled to the sensor system and provided with a location of the body of fluid. The communication system transmits the information about the fluid obtained by the sensor system and the location of the body of fluid to a remote facility. The remote facility can therefore monitor the reservoir and take steps to ensure the integrity of the reservoir and the fluid therein.

Claims

1. An arrangement for monitoring an open body of fluid such as a reservoir, lake and pond, comprising:

a sensor system arranged to obtain information about the fluid different than the location of the body of fluid; and

a communication system coupled to said sensor system and being provided with a location of the body of fluid, said communication system being arranged to transmit the information about the fluid obtained by said sensor system and the location of the body of fluid to a remote facility.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said communication system is wirelessly coupled to said sensor system.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sensor system comprises at least one wave transmitter/receiver arranged to direct waves at an upper surface of the fluid, further comprising a processor arranged to analyze waves received by said at least one wave transmitter/receiver and obtain information about the fluid based on the analysis of the waves received by said at least one wave transmitter/receiver.

4. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein said at least one transmitter/receiver is arranged to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sensor system further comprises at least one chemical sensor arranged in connection with the fluid for monitoring the chemical nature of the fluid such that the information about the fluid includes information about the chemical nature of the fluid.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sensor system further comprises an initiation device for periodically initiating said sensor system to obtain information about the fluid, further comprising a wakeup sensor system for detecting the occurrence of an internal or external event, or the absence of an event for a time period, requiring a change in the frequency of monitoring of the body of fluid, said initiation device being coupled to said wakeup sensor system and being arranged to change the rate at which it initiates said sensor system to obtain information about the fluid in response to the detected occurrence of an internal or external event by said wakeup sensor system.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sensor system comprises at least one optical sensor arranged to obtain images of the fluid and extract from said images information about the fluid.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sensor system comprises at least one ultrasonic wave transmitter/receiver arranged to obtain information about a level of fluid and at least one optical sensor arranged to obtain information about the chemical nature of the fluid.

9. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising at least one fluid adjustment system arranged to adjust the fluid, said at least one fluid adjustment system being controlled by the remote facility based on the transmitted information about the fluid obtained by said sensor system.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sensor system is controllable by the remote facility to obtain information about the fluid.

11. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the body of fluid is a reservoir of water.

12. A method for monitoring a body of fluid, comprising:

arranging a sensor system to obtain information about the fluid different than the location of the body of fluid;

obtaining information about the fluid via the sensor system; and

transmitting the obtained information about the fluid and the location of the body of water to a remote facility.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising wireless coupling the communication system to the sensor system.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising monitoring the chemical nature of the fluid such that the chemical nature of the fluid is part of the information about the fluid being transmitted to the remote facility.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

monitoring an environment around the body of fluid to obtain information about the environment around the body of fluid; and

transmitting the information about the environment around the body of fluid to the remote facility along with the information about the fluid and the location of the body of fluid.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising periodically initiating the sensor system to obtain information about the fluid.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting the occurrence of an internal or external event, or the absence of an event for a time period, requiring a change in the frequency of monitoring of the fluid;

changing the rate at which the sensor system obtains information about the fluid in response to the detected occurrence of an internal or external event.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

arranging at least one fluid adjustment system to adjust the fluid; and

controlling the at least one fluid adjustment system by the remote facility based on the transmitted information about the fluid obtained by the sensor system.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising controlling the sensor system via the remote facility to obtain information about the fluid.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the body of fluid is a reservoir of water.