Suspended particle characterization system for a water processing facility
AssigneeClearCorp
InventorsRoger M. Jorden, John W. English, Daniel J. Bodenstein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for characterizing suspended particles in a water treatment facility is disclosed. The system uses an imaging array to take multiple images of the particles in a sample volume. These images are then processed to determine geometrical properties of individual particles in the sample. These geometric properties can then be used to identify properties of the sample volume such as particle volume concentration, particle number concentration, computed particle diameter, gravitational settling velocity, mass concentration, and computed particle volume.
Claims21
A system for characterizing suspended particles in a water sample in a treatment facility, the system comprising:
- an imaging element configured for placement downstream of a coagulant addition point, the imaging element comprising an electro-optical imaging device configured to:
- view the suspended particles in a defined sample volume of water, and
- generate a signal responsive to an optical image of the particles in the sample volume;
- an electronic circuit coupled to the imaging device wherein the electronic circuit receives the signal, which conveys a plurality of time-sequential optical images;
- a computing engine configured to process the plurality of time-sequential optical images to determine quantifiable values representing at least two different geometric properties of individual particles selected from the group comprising:
- a centroid,
- an area,
- a circularity,
- a position,
- a perimeter, or
- a diameter;
- and
- a computing engine configured to convert said quantifiable values to at least one water sample characteristic selected from the group comprising:
- a particle volume concentration,
- a particle number concentration,
- a computed particle diameter,
- a particle gravitational settling velocity,
- a mass density,
- a mass concentration, or
- a computed particle volume.
A suspended particle characterization instrument for a water treatment process, the suspended particle characterization instrument comprising:
- an electro-optical camera configured to:
- view a water sample downstream of a chemical introduction point in the water treatment process, and
- produce an electronic signal from said view;
- an electronic circuit coupled to the camera configured to receive electronic information representing a plurality of optical images;
- and
- a digital computer configured to:
- process said information to calculate at least two geometric properties of individual particles selected from the group comprising:
- a centroid,
- an area,
- a circularity,
- a position,
- a perimeter, or
- a diameter;
- and
- convert said calculated geometric properties to at least one particle characteristic selected from the group comprising:
- volume concentration,
- number concentration,
- computed particle diameter,
- gravitational settling velocity,
- mass density,
- mass concentration, or
- computed particle volume.
A method for characterizing floc particles in a water treatment facility, the method comprising:
- providing an electro-optical camera for viewing the water of the treatment facility at a point downstream of a chemical introduction point;
- generating with the electro-optical camera a signal responsive to a 2-dimensional projection of suspended particles in a defined 3-dimensional volume of the water;
- analyzing the signal from a plurality of 2-dimensional projections to calculate at least two geometric particle properties selected from the group comprising:
- a centroid,
- an area,
- a circularity,
- a position,
- a perimeter, or
- a diameter;
- and
- determining with said signals and said geometric properties at least one floc particle characteristic selected from the group comprising:
- a volume concentration,
- a number concentration,
- a computed particle diameter,
- a gravitational settling velocity,
- a mass density,
- a mass concentration, or
- a computed particle volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.