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US 8,506,799 B2Granted
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 a suspended particle in a water sample in a treatment facility, the system comprising:
- a chamber for receiving the water sample at a point downstream of a chemical addition point wherein the chamber further comprises a first closable valve located at a water entry point to the chamber and a second closable valve located a discharge point from the chamber;
- a controller coupled to the first valve and the second valve wherein the controller sends a control signal that closes the first valve and a control signal that closes the second valve whereby the water sample is isolated and batch sample mode conditions are created in the chamber;
- an imaging element comprising an electro-optical imaging device configured to view the particle in a defined sample volume of the water sample and generate an image signal responsive to an optical image of the particle in the sample volume;
- an electronic circuit coupled to the imaging device wherein the electronic circuit receives the image signal, which conveys a plurality of time-sequential optical images and recorded times when each image was generated;
- and
- a computing engine configured to process the plurality of time-sequential optical images and recorded times to:
- determine quantifiable values representing an area and a perimeter of the particle;
- determine a first position of the particle in a first time-sequential optical image at a first recorded time wherein said first position further comprises a first horizontal position and a first vertical position;
- track the particle from the first time-sequential image to a second time-sequential optical image at a second recorded time;
- determine a second position of the particle in the second time-sequential optical image wherein said second position further comprises a second horizontal position and a second vertical position;
- compute a vertical displacement from the difference between the second vertical position and the first vertical position;
- compute a horizontal displacement from the difference between the second horizontal position and the first horizontal position;
- compute a time difference between the first recorded time and the second recorded time;
- compute a gravitational settling velocity in response to the vertical displacement and the time difference.
11 more elements
A suspended particle density calculation instrument for a water treatment process, the instrument comprising:
- an isolation chamber suitable for placement downstream of a chemical addition point, the chamber comprising a closeable inlet and a closeable outlet that allow the chamber to isolate a water sample;
- a controller coupled to the closeable inlet and the closeable outlet wherein the controller sends a control signal that closes the closeable inlet and a control signal that closes the closeable outlet whereby the chamber is isolated and batch sample mode conditions are created in the chamber;
- an electro-optical camera configured to view the water sample and produce an electronic signal from said view;
- an electronic circuit coupled to the camera configured to receive electronic information representing a plurality of time sequential optical images, wherein the information further comprises:
- a first image,
- a first image time,
- a second image, and
- a second image time;
- and
- a digital computer configured to process the information to calculate:
- an area and a perimeter of a suspended particle in the chamber;
- a first position of the suspended particle in the chamber using the first image wherein the first position further comprises a first horizontal position and a first vertical position;
- a second position of the suspended particle in the chamber using the second image wherein the second position further comprises a second horizontal position and a second vertical position;
- a perimeter of the suspended particle in the chamber using the first image or the second image;
- a vertical displacement of the suspended particle using the first vertical position and the second vertical position;
- a horizontal displacement of the suspended particle using the first horizontal position and the second horizontal position;
- a suspended particle velocity using the vertical displacement, the horizontal displacement, the first image time, and the second image time;
- a yes/no decision using the velocity and pre-defined criteria,
- a gravitational settling velocity using the yes/no decision and the velocity;
- a particle volume using the area and perimeter;
- and
- a density using the yes/no decision, the volume, the velocity, the density of water, and the viscosity of water.
19 more elements
A method for characterizing a floc particle in a water treatment facility, the method comprising:
- providing a sealable chamber that has a closeable inlet, a closeable outlet, and an electro-optical camera suitable for viewing suspended particles in the chamber;
- placing the chamber in the water of the treatment facility at a point downstream of a chemical introduction point;
- generating with the electro-optical camera a first signal responsive to a 2-dimensional projection of a suspended particle in a defined 3-dimensional region of the water;
- generating with the electro-optical camera a second signal responsive to a 2-dimensional projection of the suspended particle in the region;
- calculating a time difference between the first signal and the second signal;
- calculating a horizontal position difference of the suspended particle by comparing the horizontal position of the suspended particle from the first signal with the horizontal position of the suspended particle from the second signal;
- calculating a vertical position difference of the suspended particle by comparing the vertical position of the suspended particle from the first signal with the vertical position of the suspended particle from the second signal;
- calculating a settling velocity from the time difference and the vertical position difference;
- calculating an area and perimeter of the suspended particle from one of the first signal or the second signal;
- estimating a first volume of the suspended particle from the area and perimeter of the suspended particle;
- calculating a density from the first volume, the settling velocity, the density of water, and the viscosity of water.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.