Biological activity management system

Abstract

To provide a biological activity management system capable of accurately managing a biological activity state.SOLUTION: The system comprises a biological tank having a gas outlet, and a gas sensor for measuring a concentration of a predetermined gas contained in the gas discharged from the biological tank, wherein the gas sensor is disposed at a position in contact with a total flow rate of the gas discharged from the outlet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for managing the activity of living organisms. [Background technology]

[0002] Biological treatment that uses microorganisms to purify water has been used in various fields. For example, a sewage treatment system is known in which wastewater discharged from each dwelling in a housing complex is treated through a series of processes in an anaerobic treatment tank, a biological treatment tank, and a treatment water tank, as well as a series of processes in a disinfection tank and a storage tank, and then the wastewater is directly discharged from the septic tank into a public water body (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-139683 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such biological treatment using microorganisms, the activity state of the microorganisms in the biological treatment tank is important. However, in the biological treatment tanks of conventional sewage treatment systems, it is difficult to accurately grasp the activity state of the microorganisms.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a living organism activity management system that can accurately manage the activity state of living organisms. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The biological activity management system of the present invention comprises a biological tank having a gas outlet and a gas sensor that measures the concentration of a specified gas contained in the gas discharged from the biological tank, and the gas sensor is positioned so as to come into contact with the total flow rate of the gas discharged from the outlet.

[0007] In the organism activity management system according to the present invention, the organism tank may have a function of supplying gas from the outside.

[0008] In the organism activity management system according to the present invention, the predetermined gas may be CO2, and the gas sensor may be configured to sense a region where the concentration of the CO2 is 5000 ppm or less.

[0009] The biological activity management system of the present invention may be configured to include an inflow water sensor that measures the physical properties of the inflow water flowing into the biological tank, the biological tank having an inlet for the inflow water, and determining whether the inflow water is harmful to the biological organisms based on the detection value of the inflow water sensor and the detection value of the gas sensor, and to sound an alarm if it is determined that the inflow water is harmful to the biological organisms.

[0010] The biological activity management system of the present invention may be configured to include an inflow water sensor that measures the physical properties of inflow water flowing into a biological tank, the biological tank having an inlet for the inflow water, and determining whether the inflow water is harmful to the organisms based on the detection value of the inflow water sensor and the detection value of the gas sensor, and stopping the introduction of the inflow water if it is determined that the inflow water is harmful to the organisms. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system for managing the activity of organisms that can accurately manage the activity state of organisms. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a living organism activity management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a system for managing the activity of living organisms according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a gas sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a change in gas concentration according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the gas sensor according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. Furthermore, the drawings are schematic diagrams in which emphasis, omission, and proportion adjustments have been made as appropriate to illustrate the present invention, and may differ from the actual shapes, positional relationships, and proportions.

[0014] [Configuration of the organism activity management system according to this embodiment] First, an overview of a biological activity management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be given. As shown in FIG. 1, the biological activity management system 1 according to this embodiment generally comprises a biological tank 10 and a gas sensor 30. Furthermore, the biological activity management system 1 also comprises an inflow water sensor 20. Furthermore, the biological activity management system 1 also comprises a control device 50, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0015] In the following description of this embodiment, the biotank 10 will be described as a biological treatment tank for water treatment, but is not limited to this. The biotank 10 may be, for example, an aquarium, a fish preserve, a fermenter used in producing fermented foods and beverages, a biomass reactor, etc. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the organisms will be described as microorganisms described below in the biotank 10, but are not limited to this and may be any of a variety of organisms depending on the type of biotank 10. For example, the organisms may be plants, insects, livestock such as cows, pigs, and chickens, or aquatic animals such as fish and crustaceans (including ornamental fish).

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the biological tank 10 has a gas outlet 14. The biological tank 10 also has an inlet 12 for influent water. In this embodiment, the biological tank 10 is sealed and configured so that all gas within the biological tank 10 is discharged through the outlet 14. A pipe (not shown) is connected to the inlet 12 of the biological tank 10, and an exhaust duct (not shown) is connected to the outlet 14. The biological tank 10 may also have an outlet for discharging fluid within the biological tank 10.

[0017] The biological tank 10 also has a function of supplying gas from the outside. Examples of the function of supplying gas include blower aeration, gas supply by an ejector, and gas introduction by pressurization.

[0018] Furthermore, at least microorganisms capable of biologically treating the inflow water are housed in the biological tank 10. The microorganisms in the biological tank 10 generate CO2 (carbon dioxide) when they decompose organic matter contained in the inflow water.

[0019] The influent sensor 20 is configured to measure the physical properties of the influent flowing into the biological tank 10. In this embodiment, the influent includes not only liquids but also liquids containing slurries, powders, solids, etc. In this embodiment, the influent sensor 20 is an EC sensor. The physical property of the influent measured by the influent sensor 20 is electrical conductivity (electrical conductivity).

[0020] In this embodiment, the influent sensor 20 measures the electrical conductivity of the influent flowing into the biological tank 10 through the piping, but is not limited to this. The influent sensor 20 may also measure the electrical conductivity of the influent at the inlet 12.

[0021] 1, the gas sensor 30 is configured to measure the concentration of a predetermined gas contained in the gas discharged from the biological tank 10. In this embodiment, the gas sensor 30 is a CO2 sensor, and the predetermined gas is CO2. The gas sensor 30 is also configured to sense a range where the CO2 concentration is 5000 ppm or less.

[0022] The gas sensor 30 is provided at a position where it comes into contact with the entire flow of gas discharged from the exhaust port 14. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the gas sensor 30 has a sensor body 32 and a case 34 to which the sensor body 32 is attached, and is attached between the exhaust ducts.

[0023] The case 34 has a housing portion that houses the sensor main body 32 and a connection portion that is configured to be able to communicate with the exhaust duct. The connection portion has a cylindrical portion with a diameter that allows it to communicate with the exhaust duct, and a cross-shaped reinforcing portion is formed inside the cylindrical portion. The reinforcing portion prevents the connection portion from being damaged when the exhaust duct and the connection portion are fastened together with a hose band, but the reinforcing portion is not necessary.

[0024] Sensor main body 32 is attached to the housing of case 34 so that the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical part of the connection part is perpendicular to the surface of sensor main body 32, and is configured so that the total flow rate of gas flowing into case 34 from the exhaust duct hits the surface of sensor main body 32. In this embodiment, the CO2 concentration measurement range of sensor main body 32 is preferably 0 to 50,000 ppm, and more preferably 0 to 5,000 ppm.

[0025] The configuration of the gas sensor 30 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and various other configurations can be adopted as long as the gas sensor 30 is provided at a position where it comes into contact with the entire flow of gas discharged from the outlet 14. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the gas sensor 30′ may include a sensor main body 32′ and a case 34′.

[0026] The case 34' may have a housing portion that houses the sensor main body 32', a connection portion configured to be able to communicate with an exhaust duct, and a gas guide portion 36. The housing portion is provided on the wall surface of the case 34'. The sensor main body 32' is attached to the housing portion of the case 34' so that the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion of the connection portion is parallel to the surface of the sensor main body 32'.

[0027] The surface of the sensor main body 32' is attached to the cylindrical portion so that it faces radially inward. The gas guide portion 36 has a shape that guides the flow of gas so that the gas discharged from the outlet 14 comes into contact with the surface of the sensor main body 32'. Specifically, the gas guide portion 36 has a slanted wall shape that gradually approaches the sensor main body 32' from the upstream side to the downstream side of the case 34'.

[0028] Furthermore, the gas sensor 30 may measure the CO2 concentration at the exhaust port 14, rather than measuring the CO2 concentration contained in the gas discharged from the biological tank 10 through the exhaust duct. In other words, the gas sensor 30 may be installed at the exhaust port 14, rather than in the exhaust duct.

[0029] 2, the control device 50 includes a control unit 60 and a storage unit 70. The control device 50 may also include an input unit and a display unit. In this embodiment, the control device 50 is, for example, a microcontroller, a single-board computer, a personal computer (notebook PC, desktop PC), a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or the like.

[0030] The control unit 60 includes an inflow water determination unit 61, a change amount determination unit 63, and a harmfulness determination unit 65. The control unit 60 is also configured to be able to acquire the detection value of the inflow water sensor 20 and the detection value of the gas sensor 30.

[0031] The inflow water determination unit 61 is configured to be able to acquire the detection value (electrical conductivity in this embodiment) of the inflow water sensor 20. The inflow water determination unit 61 determines whether or not the inflow water is likely to be harmful based on the detection value of the inflow water sensor 20. Specifically, if the electrical conductivity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the inflow water determination unit 61 determines that the inflow water is likely to be harmful. More specifically, the inflow water determination unit 61 preferably determines that the inflow water is likely to be harmful if the electrical conductivity of the inflow water is 1000 μS / cm or greater, and more preferably determines that the inflow water is very likely to be harmful if the electrical conductivity of the inflow water is 5000 μS / cm or greater.

[0032] The change amount determination unit 63 is configured to be able to acquire the detection value (in this embodiment, the concentration of CO2) of the gas sensor 30. Based on the detection value of the gas sensor 30, the change amount determination unit 63 determines whether the amount of change in the concentration of the gas contained in the atmosphere is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of change. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the change amount determination unit 63 determines whether the amount of change in the concentration of the gas over a predetermined time Δt is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of change. Furthermore, the change amount determination unit 63 is configured to be able to determine the activity state of the organism from the change in the gas concentration.

[0033] The harmfulness determination unit 65 determines whether the inflow water is harmful to living organisms based on the detection value of the inflow water sensor 20 and the detection value of the gas sensor 30. Specifically, the harmfulness determination unit 65 determines that the inflow water is harmful to living organisms (in this embodiment, microorganisms in the biological tank 10) when the inflow water determination unit 61 determines that the inflow water is likely to be harmful and the change amount determination unit 63 determines that the change amount in the gas concentration is equal to or greater than a predetermined change amount. Furthermore, the harmfulness determination unit 65 is configured to issue a warning to the user, the administrator of the biological activity management system 1, and the maintenance company when it determines that the inflow water is harmful to living organisms. Furthermore, the harmfulness determination unit 65 is configured to stop the introduction of the inflow water when it determines that the inflow water is harmful to living organisms.

[0034] Furthermore, the harmfulness determination unit 65 may determine whether the inflowing water is harmful to organisms based on other information in addition to the detection values of the inflowing water sensor 20 and the gas sensor 30. Examples of other information include information input by the user and status information of the biotank 10. Status information of the biotank 10 includes, for example, image information monitoring the inside of the biotank 10, temperature change information within the biotank 10, deviations from the normal detection pattern of the gas sensor 30, and no change in the detection value (CO2 concentration) of the gas sensor 30.

[0035] Note that when harmful inflow water flows into the biotank 10, the gas concentration does not change immediately; rather, events occur in the following order: harmful inflow water flows into the biotank 10 → mass death of organisms occurs in the biotank 10 → change in gas concentration. Therefore, in order to detect a causal relationship between the detection value of the inflow water sensor 20 and the detection value of the gas sensor 30, it is preferable that the detection value of the inflow water sensor 20 and the detection value of the gas sensor 30 referenced by the harmfulness determination unit 65 are values detected at different times. Specifically, it is preferable that the harmfulness determination unit 65 determines whether the inflow water is harmful to organisms (in this embodiment, microorganisms in the biotank 10) using the detection value of the inflow water sensor 20 measured at a certain time and the detection value of the gas sensor 30 measured a predetermined time (e.g., 1 to 30 minutes) after that.

[0036] It is most preferable that the specified time be within 30 minutes, 10 minutes, or 5 minutes, but it is more preferable that the optimal specified time can be selected appropriately depending on the volume of the gas phase in the biological tank 10, the volume of the outlet 14, the volume from the outlet 14 to the gas sensor 30, and the amount of gas supplied.

[0037] For this reason, it is preferable that the harmfulness determination unit 65 determines that the inflowing water is harmful to living organisms when it is determined that the amount of change in the gas concentration is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of change after the inflowing water determination unit 61 has determined that the inflowing water is likely to be harmful. For example, it is preferable that the harmfulness determination unit 65 determines that the inflowing water is harmful to living organisms when the CO2 concentration drops to equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of change after a predetermined time (e.g., 1 to 30 minutes) has elapsed after the inflowing water determination unit 61 has determined that the inflowing water is likely to be harmful.

[0038] Here, the "predetermined amount of change" is a threshold value for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the biotank 10. If the gas sensor 30 is a CO2 sensor, this is a threshold value for detecting a decrease in CO2 concentration due to the mass death of organisms (e.g., microorganisms) in the biotank 10. The threshold value for the "predetermined amount of change" in CO2 concentration is, for example, a decrease in CO2 concentration of 100 ppm or more. For example, if the CO2 concentration decreases by 100 ppm or more per minute, the harm determination unit 65 infers that a sudden mass death of microorganisms in the biotank 10 has occurred. Furthermore, if the CO2 concentration continues to decrease for a long period of time, it infers that an abnormality has occurred in the activity of the microorganisms.

[0039] The memory unit 70 is configured as a storage device and stores an activity management program 71. The memory unit 70 may also store the detection values of the inflow water sensor 20 and the detection values of the gas sensor 30. The activity management program 71 causes the control device 50 to determine the activity state of the organisms in the biological tank 10 based on the detection values of the gas sensor 30.

[0040] [Advantages of the organism activity management system according to this embodiment] As described above, the biological activity management system 1 of this embodiment comprises a biological tank 10 having a gas outlet 14 and a gas sensor 30 that measures the concentration of a specified gas contained in the gas discharged from the biological tank 10, and the gas sensor 30 is positioned so as to come into contact with the total flow rate of the gas discharged from the outlet 14.

[0041] Furthermore, by having such a configuration, the biological activity management system 1 of this embodiment has the advantage that the entire flow rate of gas emitted from the biological tank 10 comes into contact with the gas sensor 30, and the gas concentration in the biological tank 10 can be accurately obtained, thereby making it possible to accurately manage the activity state of the organisms in the biological tank 10.

[0042] Furthermore, in the organism activity management system 1 according to this embodiment, the organism tank 10 has a function of supplying gas from the outside. This configuration promotes the metabolism of the organisms (in the case of microorganisms, oxidative decomposition of coexisting organic matter, etc.) and also allows the organisms to emit the gas to be detected, which has the advantage of enabling accurate management of the activity state of the organisms in the organism tank 10.

[0043] Furthermore, in the organism activity management system 1 according to this embodiment, the predetermined gas is CO2, and the gas sensor 30 is configured to sense an area where the CO2 concentration is 5000 ppm or less. With this configuration, the sensing area of the gas sensor 30 is limited to the range affected by the CO2 emissions of the organisms in the organism tank 10, so changes in gas concentration can be obtained with high accuracy without using an expensive gas sensor, which has the advantage of enabling accurate management of the activity state of the organisms in the organism tank 10.

[0044] Furthermore, the biological activity management system 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with an inflow water sensor 20 that measures the physical properties of the inflow water flowing into the biological tank 10. The biological tank 10 has an inflow water inlet 12, and is configured to determine whether the inflow water is harmful to the organisms based on the detection values of the inflow water sensor 20 and the gas sensor 30, and to sound an alarm if it is determined that the inflow water is harmful to the organisms. This configuration makes it possible to accurately manage the activity state of the organisms in the biological tank 10, and has the advantage of being able to take prompt action even if harmful inflow water should enter the biological tank 10.

[0045] Furthermore, the biological activity management system 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with an inflow water sensor 20 that measures the physical properties of the inflow water flowing into the biological tank 10. The biological tank 10 has an inflow water inlet 12, and is configured to determine whether the inflow water is harmful to the organisms based on the detection values of the inflow water sensor 20 and the gas sensor 30, and to stop the introduction of the inflow water if it is determined that the inflow water is harmful to the organisms. This configuration has the advantage of enabling accurate management of the activity state of the organisms in the biological tank 10 and enabling prompt action to be taken in the unlikely event that harmful inflow water enters the biological tank 10.

[0046] [Variations] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-described embodiments. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments.

[0047] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the biological tank 10 was described as having the function of supplying gas from the outside, but this is not limited to this, and the biological tank 10 does not have to have the function of supplying gas from the outside.

[0048] In the above-described embodiment, the predetermined gas is CO2, and the gas sensor 30 is configured to sense a range where the CO2 concentration is 5000 ppm or less. However, this is not limiting. The predetermined gas may be, for example, N2, O2, H2, NH3, CO, O3, Cl2, CH4, H2S, odorous gases, volatile organic compounds, etc., instead of CO2. In this case, the gas sensor 30 may be appropriately selected from sensors capable of measuring the concentrations of these predetermined gases. Furthermore, the gas sensor 30 may have a sensing range that includes a range where the CO2 concentration is 5000 ppm or more.

[0049] In the above-described embodiment, the biological activity management system 1 is described as including an inflow water sensor 20 that measures the physical properties of inflow water flowing into the biological tank 10, the biological tank 10 having an inflow water inlet 12, determining whether the inflow water is harmful to biological organisms based on the detection values of the inflow water sensor 20 and the gas sensor 30, and issuing a warning if the inflow water is determined to be harmful to biological organisms. However, this is not limited to this. The biological activity management system 1 may not include the inflow water sensor 20, and the biological tank 10 may not have an inlet 12. Furthermore, the biological activity management system 1 may not determine whether the inflow water is harmful to biological organisms based on the detection values of the inflow water sensor 20 and the gas sensor 30, and may not issue a warning if the inflow water is determined to be harmful to biological organisms.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, the biological activity management system 1 is described as being equipped with an inflow water sensor 20 that measures the physical properties of inflow water flowing into the biological tank 10, the biological tank 10 having an inflow water inlet 12, and determining whether the inflow water is harmful to the biological organisms based on the detection values of the inflow water sensor 20 and the gas sensor 30, and configured to stop the introduction of the inflow water if it is determined that the inflow water is harmful to the biological organisms, but this is not limiting. The biological activity management system 1 does not have to stop the introduction of the inflow water if it is determined that the inflow water is harmful to the biological organisms.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, the organism activity management system 1 has been described as including the inflow water sensor 20, but this is not limited thereto, and the organism activity management system 1 may not include the inflow water sensor 20. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the inflow water sensor 20 has been described as an EC sensor, but this is not limited thereto, and the inflow water sensor 20 may not be an EC sensor. For example, the inflow water sensor 20 may be a pH sensor, a temperature sensor, a color sensor, a turbidity sensor, an ORP sensor, or the like. Furthermore, in addition to the physical properties of the inflow water, the inflow amount of the inflow water may also be measured, as well as information that the user may refer to, such as user-relevant information, image information capturing the state inside the organism tank 10, and pattern data under normal conditions.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, the biological bath 10 has been described as having an inlet 12 for influent water, but this is not limited thereto, and the biological bath 10 does not necessarily have to have an inlet 12.

[0053] In the above-described implementation, the control unit 60 of the control device 50 has been described as including an inflow water determination unit 61 and a harmful determination unit 65, but this is not limited to this, and the control unit 60 may not include the inflow water determination unit 61 and the harmful determination unit 65. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1. Biological activity management system 10 Biological tank 12 Inlet 14 Outlet 20 Inflow water sensor 30,30′ Gas Sensor 32,32′ Sensor body 34,34′ Case 36 Gas guidance section 50 Control device 60 Control Unit 61 Inflow water determination section 63 Change amount determination unit 65 Harmful Judgment Department 70 Storage section 71 Active Management Program

Claims

1. a biological treatment tank having a gas outlet; a gas sensor that measures the concentration of a predetermined gas contained in the gas discharged from the biological treatment tank; Equipped with The gas sensor has a sensor body and a case to which the sensor body is attached, The sensor body is attached within the case, the case has a gas guide portion capable of guiding the flow of the gas so that the total flow rate of the gas that has flowed into the case contacts the surface of the sensor body; The gas guide portion has an inclined wall shape that gradually approaches the sensor body from the upstream side to the downstream side of the case. A biological activity management system.

2. The biological treatment tank has a function of supplying gas from the outside. The organism activity management system according to claim 1.

3. An inflow water sensor is provided to measure the physical properties of the inflow water flowing into the biological treatment tank, The biological treatment tank has an inlet for the influent, determining whether the inflow water is harmful to microorganisms in the biological treatment tank based on the detection value of the inflow water sensor and the detection value of the gas sensor; When the influent is determined to be harmful to microorganisms in the biological treatment tank, at least one of a process of issuing a warning and a process of stopping the introduction of the influent is executed. The organism activity management system according to claim 1 or 2.

Images