Flashboard riser system and method for water management
OwnerNorman Paul Watsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automated flashboard riser device comprises a housing with a rotatable gate that can be incrementally positioned to control flow of water over an upper edge of the gate. The device is installed at a control point in an impoundment area, such as a settling pond. The gate is raised and lowered by rotation of the gate about a hinge. Automatic control is provided for operation of the gate by a controller communicating with an actuator. A system of the invention includes the automated flashboard riser device and the controller. A method of the invention includes controlling flow of water from an impounded water source by use of the automated flashboard riser device. Manual or non-automated embodiments are also disclosed.
Claims18
A device to control flow of water from an impounded water source in which the device is installed, the impounded water source having sidewalls and a bottom, said device comprising:
- a housing including sidewalls, a rear wall, and a base forming an enclosure;
- said base secured to said housing and forming a lower portion thereof;
- a supporting frame formed on a front face of the housing and interconnecting said sidewalls;
- wherein said side walls include two sidewalls spaced from one another by a width of said device defined by a width of said supporting frame;
- a gate rotatably mounted to said housing along said supporting frame;
- a pipe connected to said enclosure for transporting water away from said enclosure;
- said gate having a panel and at least one panel guide secured to said panel, said at least one panel guide having an upper surface received in a guide slot formed on an upper portion of said supporting frame of said housing, and said at least one panel guide having a converging side surface attached to said panel;
- an actuator communicating with said gate to selectively and controllably raise and lower said gate;
- and
- wherein said device is installed in the impounded water source, and said gate is then rotatable about an axis by said actuator so that an upper surface of said panel controls water flow over said gate and through said housing.
A system to control flow of water from an impounded water source, the impounded water source having sidewalls and a bottom, said system comprising:
- (a) a device including a housing having sidewalls, a rear sidewall, and a base forming an enclosure, a gate rotatably mounted to said housing along a front portion thereof, a water conveying tube connected to said housing for transporting water from said enclosure, said gate having a panel and at least one panel guide secured to said panel, said at least one panel guide having an upper surface received in a guide slot formed on an upper portion of said front portion of said housing, and said at least one panel guide having a converging side surface attached to said panel, and an actuator communicating with said gate to selectively and controllably raise and lower said gate,
- (b) a controller communicating with said actuator to control operation of said gate, said controller being programmed to execute selected commands to control said gate;
- and
- wherein said device is installed in the impounded water source, and said gate is rotatable by said actuator so that an upper surface of said panel controls water flow over said gate and through said housing.
A method of controlling flow of water from an impounded water source to accommodate a desired water column level, said method comprising:
- assembling a device including a housing having sidewalls, a rear sidewall, and a base forming an enclosure, a gate rotatably mounted to said housing, a water conveying tube connected to said housing for transporting water from said housing, said gate having a panel and at least one panel guide secured to said panel, said at least one panel guide having an upper surface received in a guide slot formed on an upper portion of a front face of said housing , said at least one panel guide having a converging side surface attached to said panel, and an actuator communicating with said gate to selectively and controllably raise and lower said gate;
- providing a controller communicating with said device to control operation of said gate, said controller including at least one user interface enabling a user to select commands to be executed for operational control of said gate;
- installing the device in the impounded water source;
- generating at least one input to said controller for detecting a status of said gate;
- and
- executing at least one output from said controller to complete a command for operational control of said gate, said at least one output resulting in manipulation of said actuator to selectively and controllably raise and lower said gate;
- and
- wherein a selected position of said gate results in control of a height of a water column by water that flows through said housing and over an upper edge of said panel and said gate is rotatable by said actuator so that an upper surface of said panel controls water flow over said gate and through said housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.