Sediment monitor for a stormwater receiving system
AssigneeStormtec, LLC
InventorRonald R. Vitarelli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for monitoring the amount of sediment carried into and deposited within an underground stormwater-receiving system comprises a high surface area float that moves up and down within a chamber of the system. A rod extends upwardly from the float and is slidably contained within a tube that runs from the top of the chamber and to the soil surface. The top of the rod is visible to a worker on the surface. When storm water drains away, the float comes to rest on such sediment as has accumulated in the bottom of the chamber. Thus, the amount of sediment is determinable according to the changed rest-position of the rod.
Claims19
Apparatus installed beneath the surface of soil for receiving a mixture of stormwater and entrained solids and for retaining and for monitoring the amount of solids which is retained as sediment, which comprises:
- a storm water-receiving chamber, buried within a porous medium beneath the surface of soil, shaped for receiving storm water in combination with entrained solids, and configured for allowing the stormwater to flow from the chamber while leaving behind a quantity of said solids in the form of sediment;
- a float, positioned within the chamber, having a combination of shape and weight which causes the float to be movable upwardly in response to rise in the level of water within the chamber;
- the float movable downwardly for resting on the surface of sediment at the bottom of the chamber when water above the sediment surface is absent from the chamber;
- a rod, interconnected with the float, extending upwardly though the top of the chamber;
- and,
- a vertically extending tube, attached to the top of the chamber, for containing and guiding vertical motion of the rod;
- wherein the float has a volume sufficient to displace water having weight equal to or greater than the downward force which results from the weight of the float and rod, so that the float and rod move upwardly when water within the chamber rises;
- and
- wherein the bottom surface area of the float is sufficient to support the float on the surface of sediment within the chamber without substantially sinking into the sediment, against the downward force which results from the weight of the rod and float, when water above the sediment surface is absent from the chamber.
The method of receiving stormwater and for monitoring the amount of sediment which is retained within an underground stormwater-receiving chamber buried beneath the surface of soil, wherein the sediment is periodically deposited into the chamber by stormwater that subsequently dissipates, leaving behind the sediment in the bottom of the chamber, which comprises:
- providing a chamber for receiving a flow of stormwater in combination with solids which form sediment deposits within the chamber;
- placing a buoyant float within the chamber;
- running a rod interconnected with float upwardly through a tube at the top of the chamber, wherein the float and rod move vertically with changing water level within the chamber;
- and, wherein the rod is visible at the surface at some point during said water level change;
- providing the float with (a) bottom surface area sufficient to support the float on the surface of sediment at the bottom of the chamber, in the absence of any water which buoys the float, the downward force on the float which results from the weight of the rod and float;
- and (b) volume sufficient to displace water which has weight equal to or greater than the downward force on the float which results from the weight of the float and rod, so that the float and rod move upwardly when water within the chamber rises;
- and,
- flowing stormwater in combination with entrained solids into the chamber, then allowing said solids to settle within the chamber as sediment, and then allowing stormwater to flow away from the chamber;
- observing the vertical position of the rod relative to the surface of the soil or another reference point, to thereby monitor the amount of sediment which is at the bottom of chamber when there is insufficient water in the chamber to provide buoyant upward force on the float.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.