Methods and supporting telemetry to determine, monitor and control the metagenomic and physical states of grease interceptors, FOGs, vaults and other waste collecting enclosures

• US 8,471,725 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adam's Ale LLC
• Original Assignee: Markus Johannes Lenger
• Inventors: Lenger, Markus Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz M
• Application Number:
  US12/258,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,703 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.07, 435 29- 40, 738/66
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A system capable of ascertaining, determining, monitoring and controlling the biological state of and metagenomic state of microbial colonies as well as the physical state of waste liquids in grease interceptors, vaults and other waste collecting enclosures. The system consists of an array of cameras (14) a multi-phased sonar array (18), pH in (42)/pH out (24) and delta temperature arrays (36, 44), redundant liquid level sensors (10, 12), a nutrient measurement array (30, 32) and dissolved oxygen sensor (22). These sensors are mounted inside a grease interceptor (2) or waste collecting enclosure and enable accurate monitoring and control of all physical and biological processes to enable, optimize and control bioremediation processes. Continuous optimized control algorithms are either generated locally or updated remotely via internet or modem connection. All data is collected, logged in a Control/Telemetry Unit (20) and can be retrieved either locally or remotely via internet or modem connection.

Claims

1. A system of ascertaining, determining, monitoring and controlling the biological and metagenomic state of microbial colonies and the physical state of waste liquids in a waste collecting enclosure comprising the following elements:

(a) a central control/telemetry processing unit located in a remote location from said vault;

(b) an image processor imbedded in said central control/telemetry processing unit capable of detecting and calculating white content of an image;

(c) a video camera mounted inside said enclosure capable of imaging visible and ultra violet light connected to said central control/telemetry processing unit;

(d) a ultra violet LED light source mounted inside said enclosure;

(e) a multi-faced multi transducer transceiver sonar array mounted inside said enclosure connected to said central control/telemetry processing unit;

(f) a pH in/pH out and delta temperature sensor array mounted inside said enclosure connected to said central control/telemetry processing unit;

(g) a redundant liquid level sensor mounted inside said enclosure enabling lower and upper level reading connected to said central control/telemetry processing unit;

(h) a delta temperature sensor mounted inside said enclosure capable of measuring temperature differences between inflow and outflow temperature connected to said central control/telemetry processing unit;

(i) a full UV, visible to infrared tunable LED light source with corresponding image sensor mounted inside said enclosure to measure nutrient loading connected to said central control/telemetry processing unit;

(j) a dissolved oxygen probe mounted inside said enclosure connected to said central control/telemetry processing unit;

whereby the system will generate data to allow accurate monitoring and control of all physical and biological processes to enable, optimize and control bioremediation processes.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said unit is communicating with a network or modem.

3. The system of claim 1 where the UV LED illuminates the field of view of the video camera and produces a video image.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said video image of is sent to said image processor embedded in the central control/telemetry processing unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said image processor algorithmically detects and calculates the white content of the image captured from the video camera.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said detection and calculation is assigned a corresponding numerical value by the image processor and sent to the central control/telemetry processing unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said multi-faced multi transducer transceiver sonar array sends 3D image data to said image processor.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said redundant liquid level sensor is triggering an alarm signal to central control/telemetry processing unit.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said full UV, visible to infrared tunable light source with corresponding image sensor therefore is measuring current nutrient levels at relevant wave lengths and assigns a corresponding numerical value.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the central control/telemetry processing unit algorithmically calculates the difference between the inflow pH value and the outflow pH value and assigns a corresponding numerical value.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the central control/telemetry processing unit algorithmically calculates the difference between the inflow temperature value and the outflow temperature value and assigns a corresponding numerical value.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the control/telemetry processing unit algorithmically adds the numerical values and outputs the resulting value as a biological activity measure.

13. The system of claim 12 algorithmically compares the biological activity measure with the white content value to determine biological and metagenomic state of microbial colonies, whereby said determination is able to generate instructions to control cultivation cycles, injection intervals and the microbial concentrate amounts to be added from an attached inoculation or bioremediation system.