An intermittent residual chlorine measuring device

Abstract

This utility model discloses an intermittent residual chlorine measuring device, belonging to the field of water quality monitoring technology. The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device of this utility model includes a residual chlorine measuring module, an inlet control valve, a timing control module, a constant voltage drive circuit, and a power management module. A three-electrode sensor is installed in the flow channel of the residual chlorine measuring module. The three-electrode sensor is electrically connected to the power management module through the constant voltage drive circuit. The inlet control valve is located at the inlet of the flow channel. The timing control module is communicatively connected to the inlet control valve, the constant voltage drive circuit, and the power management module. This utility model adds a timing control module to the residual chlorine measuring device, realizing intermittent control of the water inlet and power supply detection status of the residual chlorine measuring device. This effectively solves the problems of severe electrode contamination, rapid sensor wear, high energy consumption, and water waste caused by existing continuous measurement modes, while also possessing the advantages of low power consumption, long lifespan, and water conservation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a water quality monitoring device, and more specifically, to an intermittent residual chlorine measuring device. Background Technology

[0002] In chlorination disinfection or sterilization systems for tap water, municipal and industrial wastewater, residual chlorine testing is essential. For example, in tap water supply networks and secondary water supply tanks, a certain amount of residual chlorine must be maintained to prevent the proliferation of bacteria, E. coli and other microorganisms in the water, and to prevent residual chlorine from exceeding the normal range and causing harm to people, pipe networks and the environment.

[0003] Currently, most residual chlorine detection devices on the market use the electrode method. Examples include Chinese Patent Publication No. CN203069546U ("A Residual Chlorine Detector and Device") (publication date: July 17, 2013), Chinese Patent Publication No. CN203941128U ("A Device for Online Measurement of Residual Chlorine Content in Tap Water") (publication date: November 12, 2014), and Chinese Patent Publication No. CN215931745U ("Control Circuit of Constant Pressure Three-Electrode Residual Chlorine Analyzer") (publication date: March 1, 2022). These electrode-type residual chlorine detection devices mostly employ continuous measurement mode, requiring the sensor to operate continuously and a water sample to be introduced, which has the following drawbacks:

[0004] (1) Severe electrode contamination: Chemical pollutants and biofilms deposit on the electrode surface, reducing measurement accuracy, causing data drift, inaccurate measurement, and loss of measurement value;

[0005] (2) The sensor wears out quickly: long-term electrode polarization leads to a decrease in sensitivity, requiring frequent calibration or replacement.

[0006] (3) High energy consumption: The constant voltage circuit and signal processing module rely on external power supply for long-term operation, making it difficult to deploy in the field or passive environment;

[0007] (4) Water waste: The daily water consumption under continuous water intake mode reaches 1 ton, which is costly in water-scarce areas or long-term monitoring scenarios, especially in basement pump rooms, which leads to a humid environment and requires timely drainage of accumulated water.

[0008] To address the aforementioned electrode contamination issue, Chinese Patent Publication No. CN203941128U discloses "An Online Device for Measuring Residual Chlorine Content in Tap Water," and Chinese Patent Publication No. CN216386865U discloses "An Online Monitoring System for Residual Chlorine in Tap Water Based on STM32." These designs incorporate an automatic cleaning function. They utilize the voltage difference between the counter electrode and the working electrode to generate bubbles on the electrode surface through water electrolysis. These bubbles are then carried away by the water flow, washing away the deposits on the electrode surface, thus achieving automatic cleaning. While this design effectively cleans the electrodes to ensure measurement accuracy, the water electrolysis process accelerates sensor wear, leading to a reduction in electrode lifespan.

[0009] Given the aforementioned problems with existing residual chlorine detection devices, there is an urgent need to develop an improved residual chlorine detection device to address the deficiencies of the existing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0010] 1. Technical problem to be solved by the utility model

[0011] The purpose of this utility model is to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the existing technology and provide an intermittent residual chlorine measuring device. By adopting the technical solution of this utility model, a timing control module is added to the residual chlorine measuring device, realizing intermittent control of the water inlet and power supply detection status of the residual chlorine measuring device, effectively solving the problems of serious electrode contamination, rapid sensor wear, high energy consumption and water waste caused by the existing continuous measurement mode.

[0012] 2. Technical Solution

[0013] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution provided by this utility model is as follows:

[0014] This utility model discloses an intermittent residual chlorine measuring device, comprising a residual chlorine measuring module, a constant voltage drive circuit, and a power management module. A three-electrode sensor is installed in the flow channel of the residual chlorine measuring module. The three-electrode sensor is electrically connected to the power management module via the constant voltage drive circuit. The device also includes an inlet control valve and a timing control module. The inlet control valve is located at the inlet of the flow channel. The timing control module is communicatively connected to the inlet control valve, the constant voltage drive circuit, and the power management module, and is used to control the operating status of the inlet control valve, the constant voltage drive circuit, and the power management module during and outside the residual chlorine measuring period by preset time intervals.

[0015] Furthermore, the timing control module is a controller with a built-in RTC clock chip.

[0016] Furthermore, the timing control module also has a button that can trigger the measurement of residual chlorine.

[0017] Furthermore, the water inlet control valve is a normally closed solenoid valve.

[0018] Furthermore, a flow meter is also provided at the outlet of the flow channel.

[0019] Furthermore, it also includes a signal processing module and a data storage module. The signal processing module is communicatively connected to the constant voltage drive circuit and is used to convert the current signal detected during the residual chlorine measurement period into a residual chlorine concentration value. The data storage module is communicatively connected to the signal processing module and is used to record the intermittently measured residual chlorine concentration data and the corresponding timestamps.

[0020] Furthermore, the three-electrode sensor includes a reference electrode, a working electrode, and a counter electrode, wherein both the working electrode and the counter electrode adopt a ring electrode structure.

[0021] Furthermore, both the working electrode and the counter electrode are made of platinum.

[0022] 3. Beneficial effects

[0023] Compared with existing known technologies, the technical solution provided by this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] (1) An intermittent residual chlorine measuring device of this utility model includes a residual chlorine measuring module, a constant voltage drive circuit, and a power management module. A three-electrode sensor is installed in the flow channel of the residual chlorine measuring module. The three-electrode sensor is electrically connected to the power management module through the constant voltage drive circuit. The device also includes an inlet control valve and a timing control module. The inlet control valve is located at the inlet of the flow channel. The timing control module is communicatively connected to the inlet control valve, the constant voltage drive circuit, and the power management module, respectively, and is used to control the working state of the inlet control valve, the constant voltage drive circuit, and the power management module during and outside the residual chlorine measuring period by preset time intervals. The device incorporates a timing control module, enabling intermittent control of the residual chlorine measurement device's water intake and power supply status. This effectively solves the problems of severe electrode contamination, rapid sensor wear, high energy consumption, and water waste associated with existing continuous measurement modes. Compared to continuous measurement devices, intermittent measurement can cut off the power supply and shut off the water intake during non-measurement periods, avoiding the problem of pollutant deposition caused by the three-electrode sensor being immersed in the water sample for a long time. It also reduces the rate of electrode wear, extends the electrode lifespan, and reduces water and electricity consumption. In actual applications, the average daily water consumption is reduced by up to 80%, making it suitable for deployment in the field and resource-constrained environments.

[0025] (2) The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device of this utility model has a timing control module that is a controller with a built-in RTC clock chip, which can support timing triggering and control and adjust the time interval, so as to facilitate the control of the measurement period of the residual chlorine measuring device.

[0026] (3) The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device of this utility model has a timing control module that can trigger the measurement of residual chlorine. The user can trigger the measurement by pressing the button, which further facilitates the operation of residual chlorine measurement.

[0027] (4) The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device of this utility model has a normally closed solenoid valve for the water inlet control valve, which can keep the water inlet closed after power failure, thus saving more energy.

[0028] (5) The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device of this utility model is equipped with a flow meter at the outlet of the flow channel, which can conveniently measure the discharged water sample to record the average daily water consumption.

[0029] (6) The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device of this utility model further includes a signal processing module and a data storage module. The signal processing module is connected to the constant voltage drive circuit and is used to convert the current signal detected during the residual chlorine measurement period into a residual chlorine concentration value, so as to facilitate the intuitive reading of the residual chlorine value. The data storage module is connected to the signal processing module and is used to record the intermittently measured residual chlorine concentration data and the corresponding timestamp, so as to facilitate the retrieval and analysis of the changes in historical residual chlorine values.

[0030] (7) An intermittent residual chlorine measuring device of the present invention has a three-electrode sensor including a reference electrode, a working electrode and a counter electrode. The working electrode and the counter electrode both adopt a ring electrode structure and are made of platinum, which can significantly reduce electrode contamination and improve electrode life. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of an intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a three-electrode sensor in an intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to this utility model;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the principle of an intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to this utility model.

[0034] Explanation of the labels in the diagram:

[0035] 100. Residual chlorine measurement module; 101. Flow channel; 102. Three-electrode sensor; 102a. Reference electrode; 102b. Working electrode; 102c. Counter electrode; 103. Exhaust port; 104. Flow meter; 200. Inlet water control valve; 300. Timing control module; 400. Constant voltage drive circuit; 500. Power management module; 600. Signal processing module; 700. Data storage module. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To further understand the content of this utility model, a detailed description of this utility model will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0037] [Example]

[0038] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, an intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to this embodiment includes a residual chlorine measuring module 100, an inlet water control valve 200, a timing control module 300, a constant voltage drive circuit 400, and a power management module 500. The residual chlorine measuring module 100 has a flow channel 101, and a three-electrode sensor 102 is installed within the flow channel 101. The three-electrode sensor 102 is electrically connected to the power management module 500 through the constant voltage drive circuit 400. The three-electrode sensor 102 is used to measure the flow... The water sample in tank 101 is tested for residual chlorine. The inlet control valve 200 is located at the inlet of the flow tank 101 and is used to control the flow of the water sample in the flow tank 101. The timing control module 300 is connected to the inlet control valve 200, the constant voltage drive circuit 400 and the power management module 500 respectively. The timing control module 300 is used to control the working status of the inlet control valve 200, the constant voltage drive circuit 400 and the power management module 500 during the residual chlorine measurement period and the non-measurement period by preset time intervals. In this embodiment of the intermittent residual chlorine measuring device, the energized measurement of the three-electrode sensor 102 works in conjunction with the water inlet control valve 200. The timing control module 300 is used to set time intervals to control the working state of the residual chlorine measuring device. During the residual chlorine measurement period, the timing control module 300 controls the water inlet control valve 200 to open, providing the water sample to be tested into the flow tank 101. At the same time, the timing control module 300 controls the constant voltage drive circuit 400 and the power management module 500 to be energized. The constant voltage drive circuit 400 then powers the three-electrode sensor 102. The device is powered by a timing control module 300 to measure residual chlorine. During non-measuring periods, the timing control module 300 closes the inlet control valve 200, preventing water flow through the flow channel 101 and reducing the contact time between the three-electrode sensor 102 and the water flow. This avoids the problem of pollutant deposition caused by the three-electrode sensor 102 being immersed in the water sample for a long time, thus reducing water consumption. Simultaneously, the timing control module 300 controls the constant voltage drive circuit 400 and the power management module 500 to shut off power, further reducing power consumption and electrode wear rate, extending electrode lifespan. Therefore, this intermittent residual chlorine measuring device is an energy-saving and water-saving residual chlorine measuring device that can be used for residual chlorine detection in water supply networks, swimming pools, sewage treatment plants, and other scenarios, and is particularly suitable for deployment in the field and resource-constrained environments.

[0039] In this embodiment, the timing control module 300 is preferably a controller with a built-in RTC clock chip, which can support timed triggering and control and adjust the time interval. For example, it can control the measurement every 3 minutes, which facilitates the control of the measurement period and time adjustment of the residual chlorine measuring device. The timing control module 300 can adopt existing microcontroller technology. In actual application, during the residual chlorine measurement period, the timing control module 300 can control the inlet control valve 200 to open 0.5 seconds in advance. The inlet control valve 200 can control the water sample to flow into the flow channel 101 at a flow rate of 20L / h. After the flow rate stabilizes, the constant voltage drive circuit 400 and the power management module 500 are started. The three-electrode sensor 102 is used to measure the residual chlorine. After the measurement is completed, it can be closed after a delay of 5 to 10 seconds to keep the inlet control valve 200 open to flush and clean the three-electrode sensor 102. Then, the inlet control valve 200, the constant voltage drive circuit 400 and the power management module 500 are closed, and the device enters sleep mode. In addition, the timing control module 300 also has a button that can trigger the residual chlorine measurement to achieve external trigger detection. Specifically, users can trigger the measurement by pressing the button as needed, further facilitating the residual chlorine measurement operation. Compared with a continuous residual chlorine measuring device, which consumes up to 1 ton of water per day, the intermittent residual chlorine measuring device in this embodiment can control the average daily water consumption to 0.2 tons by controlling the intermittent time interval, saving up to 80% of water. Based on a drinking water price of 5 yuan / ton, this translates to an annual water saving of approximately 1460 yuan.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inlet control valve 200 is preferably a normally closed solenoid valve, which can keep the inlet closed after power failure, thus saving energy; and the solenoid valve has a fast response speed, with a response time ≤0.5 seconds. The water flow rate of the above-mentioned normally closed solenoid valve can be adjusted within the range of 0.5~1L / min.

[0041] The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device of this embodiment is equipped with a flow meter 104 at the outlet of the flow channel 101, which can conveniently measure the discharged water sample to record the average daily water consumption. The residual chlorine measuring module 100 also has an exhaust port 103 that communicates with the flow channel 101 to ensure the stability of the detected water flow.

[0042] like Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the intermittent residual chlorine measuring device further includes a signal processing module 600 and a data storage module 700. The signal processing module 600 is communicatively connected to the constant voltage drive circuit 400 and is used to convert the current signal detected during the residual chlorine measurement period into a residual chlorine concentration value for easy and intuitive reading. The data storage module 700 is communicatively connected to the signal processing module 600 and is used to record the intermittently measured residual chlorine concentration data and corresponding timestamps, facilitating the retrieval and analysis of historical residual chlorine value changes. The signal processing module 600 and the data storage module 700 described above are existing technologies, and their specific working principles will not be elaborated here.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the three-electrode sensor 102 includes a reference electrode 102a, a working electrode 102b, and a counter electrode 102c. Both the working electrode 102b and the counter electrode 102c employ a ring electrode structure and are made of platinum. Using ring-shaped platinum electrodes significantly reduces electrode contamination, extends electrode lifespan by 3-4 times, and effectively reduces sensor operating costs. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of periodic power outages, water flushing, and intermittent water inlet reduces the electrode maintenance frequency from once every two weeks to once every six weeks, decreasing the annual maintenance frequency from 24 times to 8 times, effectively reducing maintenance costs. The residual chlorine detection principle of the three-electrode sensor 102 is also existing technology; therefore, other structural principles of the three-electrode sensor 102 and the circuit principle of the constant voltage drive circuit 400 will not be described further here.

[0044] This utility model discloses an intermittent residual chlorine measuring device. It controls measurement and water intake by preset time intervals through a timing control module. During non-measurement periods, the power supply is cut off and the water intake is shut off, reducing daily water consumption by up to 80%. It combines low power consumption, long lifespan, and water conservation advantages, maintaining measurement accuracy for extended periods. It eliminates the need for frequent on-site calibration and maintenance, reducing energy and water consumption, minimizing electrode contamination, and achieving efficient and stable water quality monitoring. This effectively lowers operation and maintenance costs, providing a technical measure for promoting urban water quality monitoring and ensuring drinking water safety. Furthermore, the intermittent power supply reduces overall power consumption by over 60%, making it suitable for solar or battery-powered scenarios, especially for deployment in the field and resource-constrained environments.

[0045] The present invention and its embodiments have been described above illustratively. This description is not restrictive, and the figures shown are only one embodiment of the present invention; the actual structure is not limited thereto. Therefore, if those skilled in the art are inspired by this description and design similar structures and embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention, such designs should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An intermittent residual chlorine measuring device, comprising a residual chlorine measuring module (100), a constant voltage driving circuit (400), and a power management module (500), wherein a three-electrode sensor (102) is provided in the flow channel (101) of the residual chlorine measuring module (100), and the three-electrode sensor (102) is electrically connected to the power management module (500) through the constant voltage driving circuit (400), characterized in that: It also includes an inlet control valve (200) and a timing control module (300). The inlet control valve (200) is located at the inlet of the flow channel (101). The timing control module (300) is communicatively connected to the inlet control valve (200), the constant voltage drive circuit (400), and the power management module (500), respectively, and is used to control the working status of the inlet control valve (200), the constant voltage drive circuit (400), and the power management module (500) during the residual chlorine measurement period and the non-measurement period by preset time intervals through the timing control module (300).

2. The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The timing control module (300) is a controller with a built-in RTC clock chip.

3. The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The timing control module (300) also has a button that can trigger the measurement of residual chlorine.

4. The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water inlet control valve (200) is a normally closed solenoid valve.

5. The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: A flow meter (104) is also provided at the outlet of the flow channel (101).

6. The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a signal processing module (600) and a data storage module (700). The signal processing module (600) is communicatively connected to the constant voltage drive circuit (400) and is used to convert the current signal detected during the residual chlorine measurement period into a residual chlorine concentration value. The data storage module (700) is communicatively connected to the signal processing module (600) and is used to record the intermittently measured residual chlorine concentration data and the corresponding timestamp.

7. The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The three-electrode sensor (102) includes a reference electrode (102a), a working electrode (102b), and a counter electrode (102c), wherein the working electrode (102b) and the counter electrode (102c) both adopt a ring electrode structure.

8. The intermittent residual chlorine measuring device according to claim 7, characterized in that: Both the working electrode (102b) and the counter electrode (102c) are made of platinum.

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