Amperometric halogen control system

An automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• an electrolytic cell for emersion in water;
• an amperometric sensor including:
• a probe positionable in contact with the water, said probe comprising a plurality of electrodes, and
• a potentiostat for amperometric measurements, the potentiostat being connected to the probe electrodes,
• wherein the sensor generates an output signal indicative of a concentration of a chemical species in the water;
• and
• a control system connected to the sensor to receive the output signal, and connected to the electrolytic cell to operate the electrolytic cell at least between active and inactive states depending on the concentration of the chemical species in the water, said control system comprising:
• a microcontroller coupled to the potentiostat to selectively receive an output signal from the potentiostat which is indicative of the concentration of the sensed chemical species, and
• a reference voltage unit that provides at least one reference voltage to the potentiostat,
• wherein the microcontroller controls the reference voltage unit to apply the at least one reference voltage to the potentiostat, the reference voltage being preset within the control system and corresponding to the particular chemical species being sensed.

An automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• an electrolytic cell for emersion in water;
• an amperometric sensor including a probe positionable in contact with the water, and wherein the sensor generates an output signal indicative of a concentration of a chemical species in the water;
• a control system connected to the sensor to receive the output signal, and connected to the electrolytic cell to operate the electrolytic cell at least between active and inactive states depending on the concentration of the chemical species in the water;
• a power supply unit providing power for the system;
• and
• an isolator for electrically isolating the control system from at least the power supply unit and the electrolytic cell.

In combination, a water feature filled with water containing an electrolyte prepared by the step of adding a salt composition comprising at least about 50 ppm halide to the water, and an automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• a sanitizing agent source communicating with the water feature;
• an amperometric sensor including a probe comprising a plurality of electrodes positioned in contact with the water, said sensor generating an output signal indicative of the concentration of the sanitizing agent in the water;
• and
• a control system receiving the signal from the sensor and operating the sanitizing agent source at least between an active state, in which said source increases the concentration of the sanitizing agent in the water, and an inactive state depending on the concentration of the sanitizing agent in the water, whereby the concentration of the sanitizing agent in the water is automatically maintained within a preset range;
• and
• wherein said control system also controls a cleaning cycle by causing different voltages to be applied sequentially between a plurality of said electrodes of said probe.

An automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• an electrolytic cell for emersion in water;
• an amperometric sensor including a probe positionable in contact with the water, the sensor generating an output signal indicative of a concentration of a chemical species in the water;
• a control system connected to the sensor to receive the output signal, and connected to the electrolytic cell to operate the electrolytic cell at least between active and inactive states depending on the concentration of the chemical species in the water;
• a power supply unit for the electrolytic cell, the amperometric sensor and the control system;
• and
• an isolator which electrically isolates the control system from the power supply unit and said electrolytic cell.

An automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• a sanitizing agent source;
• an amperometric sensor including a probe positionable in contact with water, the sensor generating an output signal indicative of a concentration of a sanitizing agent in the water, the probe includes at least a working electrode, a reference electrode and a counter electrode, and the sensor includes a potentiostat for amperometric measurements, the potentiostat being connected to the probe electrodes and including a follower having an input connected to the reference electrode, and an inverting summing junction having an input coupled to an output of the reference voltage unit and to an output of the follower, and an output electrically coupled to the counter electrode;
• and
• a control system connected to the sensor to receive the output signal, and connected to the sanitizing agent source to operate the sanitizing agent source at least between active and inactive states depending on the concentration of the sanitizing agent in the water, wherein in the active state the sanitizing agent source is adapted to increase the concentration of the sanitizing agent in the water, the control system including a microcontroller coupled to the potentiostat to selectively receive the output signal from the potentiostat which is indicative of the concentration of the sensed chemical species, the control system further comprising a reference voltage unit that provides at least one reference voltage to the potentiostat.

In combination, a water feature filled with water containing a sanitizing agent and an automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• a sanitizing agent generator communicating with the water;
• an amperometric sensor including a probe positioned in contact with water, said sensor generating an output signal indicative of the concentration of sanitizing agent in the water;
• a control system receiving the signal from the sensor and operating the generator at least between an active state and an inactive state depending on the concentration of the sanitizing agent in the water, whereby the concentration of the sanitizing agent in the water is automatically maintained within a preset range;
• a power supply unit for the sanitizing agent generator, the amperometric sensor, and the control system;
• and
• an isolator which electrically isolates the control system from the power supply unit and the sanitizing agent generator.

An automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• an electrolytic cell for emersion in water;
• an amperometric sensor including a probe positionable in contact with the water, the sensor generating an output signal indicative of a concentration of a chemical species in the water;
• and
• a control system connected to the sensor to receive the output signal, and connected to the electrolytic cell to operate the electrolytic cell at least between active and inactive states depending on the concentration of the chemical species in the water;
• wherein the probe includes at least a working electrode, a reference electrode and a counter electrode, and the sensor includes a potentiostat for amperometric measurements, the potentiostat being connected to the probe electrodes, and the control system including a microcontroller coupled to the potentiostat to selectively receive an output signal from the potentiostat which is indicative of the concentration of the sensed chemical species;
• and
• wherein the control system additionally comprises a reference voltage unit that provides at least one reference voltage feedable to the potentiostat;
• and
• wherein the potentiostat includes an inverter having an output connected to the counter electrode, a follower having an input connected to the reference electrode, and an inverting summing junction having an input coupled to an output of the reference voltage unit and to an output of the follower, and an output connected to an input of the inverter.

An automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• an electrolytic cell for emersion in water;
• an amperometric sensor including a probe positionable in contact with the water, the sensor generating an output signal indicative of a concentration of a chemical species in the water;
• and
• a control system connected to the sensor to receive the output signal, and connected to the electrolytic cell to operate the electrolytic cell at least between active and inactive states depending on the concentration of the chemical species in the water;
• wherein the probe includes at least a working electrode, a reference electrode and a counter electrode, and the sensor includes a potentiostat for amperometric measurements, the potentiostat being connected to the probe electrodes, and the control system including a microcontroller coupled to the potentiostat to selectively receive an output signal from the potentiostat which is indicative of the concentration of the sensed chemical species;
• and
• wherein the control system additionally comprises a reference voltage unit that provides at least one reference voltage feedable to the potentiostat;
• and
• wherein the microcontroller controls the reference voltage unit to apply the at least one reference voltage to the potentiostat, the voltage value being preset within the control system and corresponding to the particular chemical species being sensed.

An automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• an electrolytic cell for emersion in water;
• an amperometric sensor including a probe positionable in contact with the water, the sensor generating an output signal indicative of a concentration of a chemical species in the water;
• and
• a control system connected to the sensor to receive the output signal, and connected to the electrolytic cell to operate the electrolytic cell at least between active and inactive states depending on the concentration of the chemical species in the water;
• wherein the probe includes at least a working electrode, a reference electrode and a counter electrode, and the sensor includes a potentiostat for amperometric measurements, the potentiostat being connected to the probe electrodes, and the control system including a microcontroller coupled to the potentiostat to selectively receive an output signal from the potentiostat which is indicative of the concentration of the sensed chemical species;
• and
• wherein the control system additionally includes a diagnostic system associated with the sensor probe for generating a signal indicative of a conductivity between the working electrode and the reference electrode, and the microcontroller receives said conductance signal and generates at least one control signal in response thereto;
• and
• wherein the diagnostic system includes a voltage divider with one element of the voltage divider comprising the variable impedance between the working electrode and the reference electrode.

An automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• an electrolytic cell for emersion in water;
• an amperometric sensor including a probe positionable in contact with the water, the sensor generating an output signal indicative of a concentration of a chemical species in the water;
• a control system connected to the sensor to receive the output signal, and connected to the electrolytic cell to operate the electrolytic cell at least between active and inactive states depending on the concentration of the chemical species in the water;
• a power supply unit providing power for the system;
• and
• an isolator for electrically isolating the control system from at least the power supply unit and the electrolytic cell;
• wherein the probe includes at least a working electrode, a reference electrode and a counter electrode, and the sensor includes a potentiostat for amperometric measurements, the potentiostat being connected to the probe electrodes, and the control system including a microcontroller coupled to the potentiostat to selectively receive an output signal from the potentiostat which is indicative of the concentration of the sensed chemical species.

An automatic sanitizing system comprising:

• a sanitizing agent source;
• an amperometric sensor including a probe positionable in contact with water, the sensor generating an output signal indicative of a concentration of a sanitizing agent in the water, the probe includes at least a working electrode, a reference electrode and a counter electrode, and the sensor includes a potentiostat for amperometric measurements, the potentiostat being connected to the probe electrodes and including at least two operational amplifiers, each being provided with an asymmetrical power supply by an operational amplifier sub-power supply;
• and
• a control system connected to the sensor to receive the output signal, and connected to the sanitizing agent source to operate the sanitizing agent source at least between active and inactive states depending on the concentration of the sanitizing agent in the water, wherein in the active state the sanitizing agent source is adapted to increase the concentration of the sanitizing agent in the water, the control system including a microcontroller coupled to the potentiostat to selectively receive the output signal from the potentiostat which is indicative of the concentration of the sensed chemical species;
• wherein the sanitizing agent source includes a sanitizing agent generator;
• and
• wherein the control system additionally comprises a reference voltage unit that provides at least one reference voltage feedable to the potentiostat.