Seawater concentration ratio monitoring device and method

By combining density meter and image recognition technology, the seawater concentration ratio monitoring device solves the problems of low monitoring accuracy and complex operation in the existing technology, and realizes high-precision, continuous and real-time monitoring of seawater concentration ratio. It is suitable for marine environmental monitoring, seawater desalination and other fields.

CN120820446APending Publication Date: 2025-10-21TIANJIN SEA WATER DESALINATION & COMPLEX UTILIZATION INST STATE OCEANOGRAPHI +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510905321.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-07-02
Publication Date
2025-10-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing technologies make it difficult to achieve high-precision, continuous, and real-time monitoring of seawater concentration rates, and the monitoring results are easily affected by environmental factors and are complex to operate.

Method used

Combining densitometer and image recognition technology, a seawater concentration rate monitoring device is designed. The densitometer reflects the changes in seawater density, the camera captures the position of the identification point, and the data processing system is used to compare and calculate the concentration rate.

Benefits of technology

It achieves high-precision, continuous, and real-time monitoring of seawater concentration ratio, reduces operational complexity, and improves monitoring stability and reliability, making it suitable for multiple marine application fields.

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Abstract

The invention discloses a seawater concentration ratio monitoring device and method, and relates to the technical field of marine environment monitoring, and the seawater concentration ratio monitoring device comprises a measuring cylinder, a water inlet pipe, an electric control valve, a densimeter, a camera and a computer; the electric control valve and the camera are respectively in signal connection with the computer; the measuring cylinder is communicated with the water inlet pipe, an electric control valve is mounted on the water inlet pipe, and the computer controls the water inlet pipe to inject seawater to be monitored into the measuring cylinder by controlling the electric control valve to be opened; the densimeter is arranged in the measuring cylinder, and the camera is in height fit with the densimeter and is used for acquiring a real-time image of the densimeter. According to the invention, a densimeter and an image recognition technology are combined, so that the seawater concentration ratio is accurately monitored; the device design enables seawater to continuously flow, and continuous monitoring is achieved; a monitoring result can be easily obtained through the camera and the data processing system; interference is avoided by closing the water inlet valve until the densimeter is stable; and no electronic component in contact with seawater exists, so that the device is easy to maintain.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of marine environment monitoring, and more particularly to a device and method for monitoring seawater concentration rate. Background Art

[0002] In the fields of marine environmental monitoring, seawater desalination process monitoring, seawater circulation cooling process monitoring, and seawater comprehensive utilization monitoring, the seawater concentration rate is an important indicator. It reflects the concentration changes of dissolved substances in seawater and is of great significance for seawater desalination, seawater cooling, marine chemical research, and marine ecological protection.

[0003] Currently, there are various methods for monitoring the concentration ratio of seawater, but they all suffer from low monitoring accuracy, complex operations, or high costs. Traditional methods for monitoring the concentration ratio of seawater mainly rely on chemical analysis or physical measurement. Chemical analysis methods typically require collecting seawater samples and conducting complex chemical reactions and measurements in the laboratory. This method is not only time-consuming but also difficult to achieve real-time monitoring. Physical measurement methods often use physical parameters such as conductivity and refractive index to indirectly infer the concentration ratio of seawater. However, this method is easily interfered with by environmental factors, resulting in inaccurate measurement results.

[0004] In recent years, with the development of sensor and image recognition technologies, new methods for monitoring seawater concentration ratios have emerged. For example, some researchers have attempted to use conductivity to directly measure seawater conductivity and convert it to the raw water conductivity to obtain the concentration ratio. However, because conductivity fluctuates significantly with seawater, this method often suffers from large errors, making it difficult to accurately monitor the seawater concentration ratio. Furthermore, while image recognition technology has been widely used in other fields, its application in seawater concentration ratio monitoring is relatively limited. Currently, there is no mature technical solution that can effectively combine the measurement results of a densitometer (or salinometer) with image recognition technology to achieve high-precision, real-time monitoring of the seawater concentration ratio.

[0005] Therefore, how to propose a seawater concentration rate monitoring device and method, combine the measurement principle of a densitometer (or salinometer) and image recognition technology to achieve continuous and real-time monitoring of the seawater concentration rate, and improve the accuracy and stability of monitoring is an urgent problem that technicians in this field need to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention provides a seawater concentration ratio monitoring device and method, which combines the measurement principle of a densitometer (or salinometer) with image recognition technology to achieve continuous and real-time monitoring of the seawater concentration ratio and improve the accuracy and stability of monitoring. To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A seawater concentration rate monitoring device comprises: a graduated cylinder, a water inlet pipe, an electric control valve, a densitometer, a camera, and a computer; the electric control valve and the camera are respectively connected to the computer signal; the graduated cylinder is in communication with the water inlet pipe, on which the electric control valve is installed; the computer controls the water inlet pipe to inject seawater to be monitored into the graduated cylinder by opening the electric control valve; the densitometer is placed inside the graduated cylinder, and the camera is highly adapted to the densitometer for obtaining real-time images of the densitometer.

[0008] Optionally, identification points or marking lines are set on the densitometer.

[0009] Optionally, the water inlet pipe is connected to the bottom of the measuring cylinder.

[0010] Optionally, the computer includes a data processing system, which recognizes the real-time image of the densitometer and compares it with a pre-established concentration ratio density comparison table to calculate the seawater concentration ratio.

[0011] Optionally, the seawater to be monitored enters the measuring cylinder through the water inlet pipe and overflows from the top of the measuring cylinder, forming a continuous flow state.

[0012] Optionally, it also includes: during the monitoring process, the computer automatically closes the electric control valve at intervals, waits for the density meter to be stable, and then obtains the image through the camera again.

[0013] Optionally, a method for monitoring seawater concentration rate includes:

[0014] The seawater to be monitored is introduced into the graduated cylinder through the water inlet pipe, and the seawater is allowed to overflow at the top of the graduated cylinder to form a continuous flow state. The density change of the seawater is reflected by the densitometer, and the position of the identification point on the densitometer is captured by the camera;

[0015] During the monitoring process, the data processing system closes the electric control valve at regular intervals. After the densitometer is stable, the camera will capture the image of the densitometer again and determine the current position of the identification point through image recognition technology.

[0016] The data processing system compares the location information of the identification point with the pre-established concentration ratio density comparison table to calculate the current seawater concentration ratio.

[0017] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that, compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a device and method for monitoring seawater concentration rate, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The present invention proposes a seawater concentration rate monitoring device, comprising: a graduated cylinder, a water inlet pipe, an electric control valve, a densitometer, a camera, and a computer; the electric control valve and the camera are respectively connected to the computer signal; the graduated cylinder is in communication with the water inlet pipe, and the water inlet pipe is equipped with an electric control valve; the computer controls the water inlet pipe to inject seawater to be monitored into the graduated cylinder by controlling the opening of the electric control valve; the densitometer is placed inside the graduated cylinder, and the camera is highly adapted to the densitometer for obtaining a real-time image of the densitometer.

[0019] The present invention has the following advantages: (1) High-precision monitoring: By cleverly combining a densitometer (or salinometer) with image recognition technology, the present invention achieves high-precision monitoring of seawater concentration ratios. The densitometer can directly reflect changes in seawater density, while image recognition technology can accurately capture tiny fluctuations in the identification points on the densitometer, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the monitoring results.

[0020] (2) Continuous Real-Time Monitoring: The device design of the present invention enables the seawater to flow continuously within the graduated cylinder. Combined with timed image acquisition and recognition, this enables continuous, real-time monitoring of the seawater concentration ratio. This feature is crucial for applications requiring long-term, continuous tracking of changes in seawater concentration ratios.

[0021] (3) Easy to operate: The monitoring method of the present invention is relatively simple and does not require complex chemical analysis or physical measurement processes. Operators only need to use a camera to capture the densitometer image and use a data processing system to perform image recognition and comparison to easily determine the seawater concentration ratio. This greatly reduces the complexity and labor intensity of the monitoring work.

[0022] (4) Strong stability: During the monitoring process, the present invention closes the water inlet valve at intervals and waits for the densitometer to stabilize before performing image acquisition and recognition, thereby effectively avoiding the interference of factors such as seawater flow on the monitoring results and improving the stability of monitoring.

[0023] (5) High reliability: There are no electronic components that come into contact with seawater. The seawater concentration rate is monitored only by image recognition and density meter. It is not prone to electronic component failure and is easy to maintain.

[0024] (6) Wide Applicability: The seawater concentration ratio monitoring device and method described in the present invention are not only applicable to the fields of marine environmental monitoring, seawater desalination process monitoring, seawater circulation cooling process monitoring, and seawater comprehensive utilization monitoring, but can also be widely used in marine scientific research, marine resource development, and marine ecological protection. Its wide applicability makes the present invention have extremely high promotion value and application prospects. The seawater concentration ratio monitoring device and method described in the present invention, with its advantages such as high precision, continuous real-time monitoring, simple operation, strong stability, and wide applicability, provides a new solution for seawater concentration ratio monitoring and is expected to achieve significant positive results in practical applications. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a structural principle diagram of a seawater concentration rate monitoring device provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] The present invention aims to address technical issues existing in existing seawater concentration ratio monitoring technologies, such as low accuracy, complex operation, and difficulty in achieving continuous real-time monitoring. Currently, although a variety of methods have been developed for monitoring seawater concentration ratio, these methods generally face challenges, such as the accuracy of measurement results being significantly affected by the environment, the cumbersome monitoring process, and the inability to continuously track the seawater concentration ratio. Specifically, while traditional chemical analysis methods can provide relatively accurate measurement results, they are time-consuming and difficult to achieve real-time monitoring; physical measurement methods are easily interfered with by various environmental factors, resulting in unstable measurement results. Furthermore, existing monitoring methods based on sensor technology often only provide single-point or intermittent measurement results, failing to meet the demand for continuous, real-time monitoring of seawater concentration ratio. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a novel seawater concentration ratio monitoring device and method that can combine the measurement principles of a densitometer (or salinometer) with image recognition technology to achieve high-precision, continuous, and real-time monitoring of seawater concentration ratio. Through specially designed device structure and monitoring method, it aims to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies and provide a more efficient, accurate, stable and easy-to-operate seawater concentration rate monitoring solution to meet the actual needs of marine environment monitoring, seawater desalination process monitoring and marine resource development and utilization.

[0029] The embodiment of the present invention discloses a device for monitoring the concentration rate of seawater. Figure 1 As shown, it includes: a graduated cylinder, a water inlet pipe, an electric control valve, a densitometer, a camera and a computer; the electric control valve and the camera are respectively connected to the computer signal; the graduated cylinder is connected to the water inlet pipe, and the electric control valve is installed on the water inlet pipe. The computer controls the water inlet pipe to inject the seawater to be monitored into the graduated cylinder by controlling the opening of the electric control valve; the densitometer is placed inside the graduated cylinder, and the camera is highly adapted to the densitometer to obtain a real-time image of the densitometer.

[0030] Furthermore, identification points or marking lines are set on the densitometer.

[0031] Furthermore, the water inlet pipe is connected to the bottom of the measuring cylinder.

[0032] Furthermore, the computer includes a data processing system, which recognizes the real-time image of the densitometer and compares it with a pre-established concentration ratio density comparison table to calculate the seawater concentration ratio.

[0033] Furthermore, the seawater to be monitored enters the measuring cylinder through the water inlet pipe and overflows from the top of the measuring cylinder, forming a continuous flow state.

[0034] Furthermore, it also includes: during the monitoring process, the computer automatically closes the electric control valve at intervals, waits for the state of the density meter to stabilize, and then obtains the image through the camera again.

[0035] In a specific embodiment, a method for monitoring seawater concentration rate includes:

[0036] The seawater to be monitored is introduced into the graduated cylinder through the water inlet pipe, and the seawater is allowed to overflow at the top of the graduated cylinder to form a continuous flow state. The density change of the seawater is reflected by the densitometer, and the position of the identification point on the densitometer is captured by the camera;

[0037] During the monitoring process, the data processing system closes the electric control valve at regular intervals. After the densitometer is stable, the camera will capture the image of the densitometer again and determine the current position of the identification point through image recognition technology.

[0038] The data processing system compares the location information of the identification point with the pre-established concentration ratio density comparison table to calculate the current seawater concentration ratio.

[0039] In a specific embodiment, a device for monitoring seawater concentration ratio includes a graduated cylinder, an inlet pipe, an electrically controlled valve, a densitometer (or salinometer), a camera, and a corresponding data processing system. The bottom of the graduated cylinder is equipped with an inlet pipe equipped with an electrically controlled valve to control the inflow of seawater. The seawater to be monitored enters the graduated cylinder through the inlet pipe and overflows at the top of the cylinder, forming a continuous flow. A densitometer is located within the graduated cylinder, with a distinct identification point marked on the densitometer for subsequent image recognition. During monitoring, the camera captures real-time images of the densitometer and closely monitors the fluctuations of the identification point. This data is then transmitted to the data processing system and compared with a pre-established concentration ratio density comparison table to accurately calculate the seawater concentration ratio. To improve monitoring accuracy and stability, the present invention also incorporates a key monitoring step: during monitoring, the system automatically closes the inlet valve at intervals, waits for the densitometer to fully stabilize, and then captures and performs image recognition again, thereby obtaining more accurate concentration ratio data.

[0040] The present invention combines densitometer (or salinometer) measurement with image recognition technology, thereby not only realizing continuous and real-time monitoring of seawater concentration rate, but also greatly improving the accuracy and stability of monitoring.

[0041] In a specific embodiment, a method for monitoring seawater concentration rate includes the following steps:

[0042] S1: First, the seawater to be monitored must be introduced into a graduated cylinder through an inlet pipe, ensuring that the water overflows the top of the cylinder to form a continuous flow. At this point, the densitometer will reflect the changes in the seawater's density in real time, while the camera will capture the position of the identification point on the densitometer.

[0043] S2: During the monitoring process, the data processing system closes the electric control valve at regular intervals (for example, every minute) to block the inflow of seawater. After the densitometer stabilizes, the camera captures the image of the densitometer again and uses image recognition technology to determine the current position of the identification point.

[0044] Specifically, the interval between closing the water inlet valve is approximately 5-10 minutes, and the water valve is closed for approximately 1 minute. The water valve opening and closing intervals are primarily determined by the test duration to ensure that the composition of the water in the pipeline is similar to that of the system water, without significant hysteresis. Image acquisition and recognition are performed after the water valve is closed for a period of time to prevent fluctuations in the density meter caused by water flow inertia.

[0045] Specifically, the image acquisition and recognition includes:

[0046] When the valve is closed for a period of time and the system is in a stable state, an image is acquired through the camera;

[0047] Partially crop the image, zoom in, and select the area that needs to be identified;

[0048] Use openCV to perform edge recognition on the graphics, convert it into black and white mode, draw the data line and baseline, calculate the pixel difference between the data line and the baseline, obtain the distance between the data line and the baseline, associate the pixel distance with the actual ascent distance, and output the actual distance between the data line and the baseline at this time.

[0049] S3: The data processing system then compares the location of the identified point with a pre-established concentration ratio density comparison table to calculate the current seawater concentration ratio. This result is displayed and recorded in real time for subsequent analysis and use.

[0050] Specifically, the steps for creating the concentration ratio density comparison table are as follows: Multiple sets of test concentrated seawater with different concentration ratios are obtained by concentrating raw seawater or preparing seawater. The concentrated seawater is then pumped into a graduated cylinder as normal, circulated, and after a period of time, the valve is closed and allowed to stabilize for a period of time. A self-written Python script image recognition method is used to identify the target, determine the distance between the data line and the baseline, and record the corresponding value of the distance and the concentration ratio. This process is repeated, testing the corresponding values ​​of different concentration ratios and distances, to create a concentration ratio density comparison table.

[0051] In a specific embodiment, an automatic cleaning and calibration system is further added. This system is designed to ensure the long-term stable operation of the densitometer and camera, and to reduce monitoring errors caused by factors such as contamination and drift. Specifically, after each monitoring cycle, the automatic cleaning system activates to clean the densitometer and camera to remove impurities such as seaweed and silt. This automatic cleaning system is a common cleaning device in the prior art. Simultaneously, the calibration system also calibrates the densitometer to ensure its measurement accuracy.

[0052] This embodiment not only achieves high-precision, continuous, real-time monitoring of the seawater concentration rate, but also further improves the stability and reliability of the monitoring device, which makes this embodiment have higher practical value and promotion potential in actual applications.

[0053] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. Reference can be made to the common and similar parts between the various embodiments. For the devices disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the method description.

[0054] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is intended to enable one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein but is intended to conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A seawater concentration rate monitoring device, characterized in that: include: Graduated cylinder, water inlet pipe, electric control valve, density meter, camera and computer; The electric control valve and the camera are respectively connected to the computer signal; the measuring cylinder is connected to the water inlet pipe, and the water inlet pipe is installed with an electric control valve. The computer controls the water inlet pipe to inject the seawater to be monitored into the measuring cylinder by controlling the opening of the electric control valve; the densitometer is placed inside the measuring cylinder, and the camera is highly adapted to the densitometer for obtaining a real-time image of the densitometer.

2. The seawater concentration rate monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Identification points or marking lines are set on the densitometer.

3. The seawater concentration rate monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes that the water inlet pipe is connected to the bottom of the measuring cylinder.

4. The seawater concentration rate monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The computer includes a data processing system, which recognizes the real-time image of the densitometer and compares it with a pre-established concentration ratio density comparison table to calculate the seawater concentration ratio.

5. The seawater concentration rate monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The seawater to be monitored enters the measuring cylinder through the water inlet pipe and overflows from the top of the measuring cylinder, forming a continuous flow state.

6. The seawater concentration rate monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: During the monitoring process, the computer automatically closes the electric control valve at intervals, waits for the density meter to stabilize, and then obtains the image through the camera again.

7. A method for monitoring seawater concentration rate, characterized in that: include: The seawater to be monitored is introduced into the graduated cylinder through the water inlet pipe, and the seawater is allowed to overflow at the top of the graduated cylinder to form a continuous flow state. The density change of the seawater is reflected by the densitometer, and the position of the identification point on the densitometer is captured by the camera; During the monitoring process, the data processing system closes the electric control valve at regular intervals. After the densitometer is stable, the camera will capture the image of the densitometer again and determine the current position of the identification point through image recognition technology. The data processing system compares the location information of the identification point with the pre-established concentration ratio density comparison table to calculate the current seawater concentration ratio.