Proportional chemical feeding system

In a treatment system for pumping a liquid into receiving means, said treatment system comprising tank means holding said liquid and having an outlet and controllable pump means having an inlet for cyclically pumping said liquid into said receiving means, the improvement comprising a calibration/measuring system for determining the volume of said liquid pumped each cycle of operation by said pump means, said calibration/measuring system comprising first and second sensor means, hollow container means connected to the outlet of said tank means and in fluid communication therewith for receiving said liquid from said tank means, measuring means, and control means, said hollow container means having an outlet connected to the inlet of said pump means and in fluid communication therewith to serve as the supply of said liquid to said pump means, said tank means serving to selectively provide said liquid to said container means, said pump means pumping said liquid from said container means into said receiving means, said first sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a first signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a first position and said second sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a second signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a second position located below said first position, said container means defining a first predetermined volume between said first and second positions, said control means establishing a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said pump means to pump said first predetermined volume from said container means into said receiving means and for providing a third signal indicative thereof, said measuring means responsive to said first and second signals for determining the actual number of cycles of operation of said pump means required to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means and for providing a fourth signal indicative thereof, said control means comparing said third and fourth signals and providing an output signal responsive thereto, said container means being filled by said liquid from said tank means to a third position above said first position and corresponding to the level of liquid in said tank means, said calibration/measuring system also determining the number of cycles of operation of said pump means necessary to cause the level of liquid in said container means to reach said first position from said third position and for providing a fifth signal indicative of said number of cycles.

In a treatment system for pumping a liquid into receiving means, said treatment system comprising tank means holding said liquid and having an outlet and controllable pump means having an inlet for cyclically pumping said liquid into said receiving means, the improvement comprising a calibration/measuring system for determining the volume of said liquid pumped each cycle of operation by said pump means, said calibration/measuring system comprising first and second sensor means, hollow container means connected to the outlet of said tank means and in fluid communication therewith for receiving said liquid from said tank means, measuring means, and control means, said hollow container means having an outlet connected to the inlet of said pump means and in fluid communication therewith to serve as the supply of said liquid to said pump means, said tank means serving to selectively provide said liquid to said container means, said pump means pumping said liquid from said container means into said receiving means, said first sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a first signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a first position and said second sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a second signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a second position located below said first position, said container means defining a first predetermined volume between said first and second positions, said control means establishing a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said pump means to pump said first predetermined volume from said container means into said receiving means and for providing a third signal indicative thereof, said measuring means responsive to said first and second signals for determining the actual number of cycles of operation of said pump means required to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means and for providing a fourth signal indicative thereof, said control means comparing said third and fourth signals and providing an output signal responsive thereto, said calibration/measuring system additionally comprising means for determining the specific gravity of said liquid.

A method for calibrating the operation of a pump in a treatment system while said pump pumps a liquid into liquid receiving means in said treatment system, said treatment system comprising said pump, controller means, and tank means holding said liquid and having an outlet, said pump having an inlet and being controllable for pumping said liquid into said receiving means, said pump operating cyclically in response to said controller means, said method comprising providing hollow container means connected to said outlet of said tank means and in fluid communication therewith for receiving said liquid from said tank means, said hollow container means having an outlet, said pump having an inlet connected to said outlet of said container means for pumping liquid from said container means into said receiving means, selectively providing said liquid from said tank means to said container means, automatically providing a first signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a first predetermined position, automatically providing a second signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a second predetermined position lower than said first position, said container means defining a first predetermined volume between said first and second positions, establishing a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said pump to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means and providing a third signal indicative thereof, determining the actual number of cycles of operation of said pump necessary to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means in automatic response to said first and second signals and providing a fourth signal indicative thereof, and comparing said third and fourth signals and automatically providing an output signal responsive thereto, said output signal serving to control said pump.

A method of determining the volume of a liquid held in a tank in a treatment system, said treatment system comprising a pump for pumping said liquid into liquid receiving means in said treatment system, said tank having an outlet, said pump having and inlet and being controllable for pumping said liquid from said tank into said receiving means, said pump operating cyclically, said method comprising providing hollow container means connected to the outlet of said tank and in fluid communication therewith for receiving said liquid from said tank so that the level of liquid in said container means corresponds to the level in said tank, said hollow container means having an outlet, said pump having an inlet connected to said outlet of said container means for pumping liquid from said container means into said receiving means, selectively providing said liquid from said tank to said container means, automatically providing a first signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a first predetermined position, automatically providing a second signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a second and lower predetermined position, said container means defining a first predetermined volume between said first and second predetermined position, determining the number of cycles of operation of said pump necessary to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means in automatic response to said first and second signals and providing a third signal indicative thereof, filling said container means with said liquid from said tank to a third position corresponding to the level of liquid in said tank, determining the volume per unit length of said container means and its correlation to the shape of said tank and providing a fourth signal indicative thereof determining number of cycles of operation of said pump necessary to cause the level of said liquid in said container means to reach the first position from said third position and providing a fifth signal indicative thereof, and utilizing said fourth and fifth signals to determine the volume of liquid in said tank.

A method of determining the specific gravity of a liquid held in a tank in a treatment system, said treatment system comprising a pump for pumping said liquid into liquid receiving means in said treatment system, said tank having an outlet, said pump having an inlet and being controllable for pumping said liquid from said tank into said receiving means, said pump operating cyclically, said method comprising providing hollow container means connected to said tank and in fluid communication therewith for receiving said liquid from said tank, said hollow container means having an outlet, said pump having an inlet connected to said outlet of said container means for pumping liquid from said container means into said receiving means, selectively providing said liquid from said tank to said container means, automatically providing a first signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a first predetermined position, automatically providing a second signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a second and lower predetermined position, said container means defining a first predetermined volume between said first and second predetermined positions, determining the number of cycles of operation of said pump necessary to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means in automatic response to said first and second signals and providing a third signal indicative thereof, coupling reference means to said container means to produce a detectable interface whose position with respect to the surface of the liquid in said container means is a function of the specific gravity of said liquid, determining the number of cycles of operation of said pump to cause said interface to reach said first position and providing a fourth signal indicative thereof, determining the number of cycles of operation of said pump to cause said liquid surface to reach said first position and providing a fifth signal indicative thereof, providing a sixth signal indicative of the volume per unit length of said container means, and calculating said specific gravity based on said fourth, fifth and sixth signals.