Device for monitoring and controlling target gas supply amount in real time

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for monitoring and controlling a target gas supply amount in real time, the device comprising: a tube (1) supplying gas and having a section positioned in a vertical direction with respect to the ground surface; a pressure control unit (20) controlling the amount of target gas supplied by way of opening and closing the inner space of the tube (1); a monitoring unit (10) installed in a section in which the flow of the target gas is performed from the lower side to the upper side and checking the number of bubbles generated in the target gas; a control unit (30) controlling the number of bubbles generated in the pressure control unit (20) according to the number of bubbles generated in the target gas transmitted from the monitoring unit (10) so as to converge on a preset target supply amount of the target gas; a sensor unit (40) sensing information inside the tube (1); a data storage unit (60) storing the number of bubbles generated in the target gas and the information sensed by the sensor unit (40) at predetermined time intervals; and a communication unit (50) enabling communication through a network to transmit the information stored in the data storage unit (60) to an external manager and allowing the manager to set a target supply value of the target gas even from the outside.

Description

Real-time target gas supply monitoring and control device

[0001] The present invention relates to a device that uses wireless communication such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to check and control information such as the current pH value, including how much gas is being supplied and how much has been supplied so far, in real time from outside, even in a place such as an aquarium where a device according to the present invention is installed.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a gas supply monitoring and control device that monitors the supply amount of the gas in real time from an optical sensor based on the number of bubbles generated at an arbitrarily set time difference when the target gas flows on a tube through which the gas is supplied in order to check how much gas has been supplied, thereby enabling a more accurate supply amount of gas and identification of whether the supply state is poor, and also enables a desired supply amount to be precisely implemented according to the gas supply information acquired from the optical sensor, while allowing it to be confirmed in real time, thereby allowing a series of automated devices to control the pressure of the tube in real time to prevent malfunctions and allowing the supply amount set externally to be changed.

[0003] The number of homes and businesses raising ornamental fish and aquatic plants in aquariums of all sizes is gradually increasing. Installing an aquarium in a home or business is a trend that's driven by the dynamic movement of the fish, and the beautiful colors and shapes of the fish themselves, which enhance the interior design. However, when raising ornamental fish with aquatic plants in the aquarium, an appropriate amount of carbon dioxide must be injected into the tank to ensure the plants' normal growth.

[0004] To this end, a device such as Patent No. 1188232, “Carbon Dioxide Quantitative Supply Device for Aquarium,” is disclosed to supply an appropriate amount of carbon dioxide to the aquarium.

[0005] These conventional carbon dioxide supply devices feature a user-adjustable valve installed at the outlet of a compressed carbon dioxide tank. Depending on whether the valve is open or closed, carbon dioxide is supplied through a supply hose into the aquarium. However, this method presents significant operational challenges, as even a slight error can result in excessive carbon dioxide being supplied. Furthermore, there is no means to monitor supply status in real time.

[0006] In other words, even if the amount of carbon dioxide supplied changes rapidly due to internal conditions or external factors in the aquarium, it is not possible to immediately identify this, and there is no means to correct the appropriate amount of supply for each situation, so a more efficient related system is needed.

[0007] The purpose of the present invention is to more actively resolve the above-mentioned problems by accurately determining the amount of carbon dioxide supplied and to determine other information including the amount supplied in real time.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a gas supply monitoring and control device, comprising: a tube (1) for supplying gas and having a section positioned vertically with respect to the ground surface; a pressure control unit (20) for controlling the amount of a target gas supplied by opening and blocking the internal space of the tube (1); a monitoring unit (10) installed in a section where the flow of the target gas is performed from downward to upward and for checking the number of bubbles generated in the target gas; a control unit (30) for controlling the number of bubbles generated in the pressure control unit (20) according to the number of bubbles generated in the target gas transmitted from the monitoring unit (10) so as to converge on a preset target supply amount of the target gas; a sensor unit (40) for sensing information inside the tube (1); It may include a data storage unit (60) that stores the number of bubbles generated by the target gas and the information sensed by the sensor unit (40) at predetermined time intervals; and a communication unit (50) that enables communication through a network to transmit the information stored in the data storage unit (60) to an external manager and enable the manager to set the supply target value of the target gas from the outside.

[0009]

[0010] By further including an event detection module (70), in case of a gas supply interruption or a rapid change in the set surrounding environment, the notification unit (80) can be used to notify the administrator and the outside world.

[0011] The sensor unit may include a sensor that senses temperature, pH, and pressure inside the tube.

[0012] The monitoring unit (10) is installed in a section where the flow of the target gas is performed from downward to upward, and the number of bubbles can be detected by having the light emitted by the light-emitting diode pass through the tube and be monitored by the facing transistor.

[0013] The pressure control unit (20) is composed of a connector (21) that connects tubes to each other to provide an internal space; a cover body (22) that is connected to the connector and fixes the position of the motor (23); a push rod (24) that determines whether to rotate depending on the operation of the motor and has a corresponding end formed with a screw thread and is fixedly connected by vertically penetrating a path from the motor to the tube (1); and a valve (25) that is engaged through the screw thread area of ​​the push rod and whose vertical position is changed by the rotation of the push rod by the motor, thereby determining the degree of shielding of the internal space of the tube (1). The supply amount of the target gas can be determined by determining the degree of shielding of the valve (25) by making the number of input pulses input to the motor and the rotation angle of the motor proportional.

[0014] The target gas may be carbon dioxide.

[0015] In addition, as a real-time target gas supply amount monitoring and control method, a first step of checking in real time the bubbles of the target gas flowing from the bottom to the top on a tube (1) by a monitoring unit (10) equipped with an optical sensor; a second step of transmitting the flow information of the bubbles checked by the monitoring unit (10) to the control unit in real time to determine whether the predetermined gas input amount matches the number of bubbles for an arbitrary period of time; a third step of transmitting a command signal of the control unit to the pressure control unit (20) to induce a change in the number of bubbles based on the determined result to match the target gas input amount; a fourth step of executing the number of rotations of the push rod (24) by an angle matching the reset correction value based on the related information received from the control unit to vary the up-and-down position of the valve (25), thereby controlling the number of bubbles per second depending on whether the internal space of the tube (1) is shielded; and The number of times bubbles occur per second is recorded in the data storage unit (60) along with time information, and the event detection module (70) may include a fifth step of monitoring events detected from the recorded data.

[0016] A bubble size controller can be further included to control pressure, temperature, and dissolution rate to generate bubbles of an appropriate size for measurement.

[0017] According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, the supply amount of the gas is monitored in real time by an optical sensor based on the number of bubbles generated at an arbitrarily set time difference when the target gas flows on the tube, thereby enabling a more accurate supply amount or the identification of a defect in the supply state in real time.

[0018] In particular, it is possible to check the exact supply amount and supply history from the outside, so that when an event occurs, it is possible to determine where the problem occurred, and by recording information including the temperature inside the tube or aquarium, it is possible to provide a basis for accurate judgment.

[0019] In addition, it is expected that the initial preset supply amount can be continuously executed while actively preventing malfunctions by controlling the pressure of the tube in real time through a series of automated devices so that the target supply amount can be precisely implemented based on the gas supply information acquired from the optical sensor.

[0020]

[0021] Figures 1 to 4 are drawings showing an embodiment according to the present invention.

[0022]

[0023] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms. The present embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. In addition, like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

[0024]

[0025] Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a gas supply monitoring and control device according to the present invention. A pressure control unit (20) is installed in a tube (1) for injecting gas, and controls the amount of gas supplied through the tube (1) by opening or blocking the space inside the tube (1). The specific operation of the pressure control unit (20) will be described later.

[0026] The tube (1) is used to transport the target gas and has at least one section in which the flow of the target gas is directed from downward to upward, and a monitoring unit (10) is installed in the section.

[0027] The monitoring unit (10) is installed in a section where the flow of the target gas is performed from downward to upward and is attached to the outer surface of the tube (1). A light sensor composed of a light emitting diode and a transistor is attached facing each other so that the movement of the target bubbles flowing inside the tube (1) is detected by the transistor detecting the light emitted from the light emitting diode. That is, the number of bubbles of the target gas moving sequentially for a preset period of time is monitored in real time, and by determining the sequential movement of the bubbles in number per second, it is possible to determine the movement amount or supply amount of the target gas.

[0028] Optical sensors are classified into light-transmitting and light-reflecting types, and in the present invention, it is advantageous to use a light-transmitting type.

[0029] The control unit (30) receives bubble information from the monitoring unit (10) and determines whether it matches the preset target supply amount based on a predetermined time interval, and the pressure control unit (20) varies the number of bubbles for an arbitrary time interval according to the signal obtained from the control unit so that it matches the target gas supply amount. In addition, the desired target supply amount can be set by directly inputting the target value into the device or inputting it via a network.

[0030]

[0031] The sensor unit (40) collectively refers to sensors for sensing information such as temperature, pH, and supply pressure of the pressure control unit (20) within the tube, and transmits such information to the control unit (30), and the control unit (30) stores the corresponding information in the data storage unit (60) by time zone. At this time, information regarding the number of bubbles transmitted from the monitoring unit (10) may also be stored together.

[0032] The communication unit (50) can communicate with the outside world via wireless communication such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or data communication, or via wired communication such as LAN. Simply, a chip such as ESP32 can be used to enable connection via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. By enabling communication with the outside world, the current state of the aquarium can be immediately known from the outside world, and by checking past data stored in the data storage unit (60), it is also possible to immediately check and adjust the current CO2 supply state, current pH state, and changed state.

[0033] The data storage unit (60) may be located inside the control device or may be in a location that can be connected via a network. That is, it may be located on an external cloud server, and stores data collected by the monitoring unit (10) and the sensor unit (40) in chronological order.

[0034] The event detection module (70) detects unusual situations, such as a disruption in the supply of CO2, a rapid change in pH, a preset limit exceeding, or a significant change in supply pressure, at a location where the device according to the present invention is installed. The event detection module (70) monitors data stored in the data storage unit to check whether a special event occurs.

[0035] The notification unit (80) actively notifies of an abnormal event using light, sound, etc. when a special event is detected, and can connect to an external network through the communication unit to notify the administrator using a short message, email, etc.

[0036]

[0037] Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of a gas supply monitoring and control device. The target gas referred to in the present invention refers to carbon dioxide when used in an aquarium, but other gases may be used depending on the purpose and location, and since the gas can be applied to other gases as well, it is collectively referred to as the target gas.

[0038] In Fig. 2, information on the amount of gas injected is obtained by the monitoring unit (10), and the information is transmitted to the pressure control unit (20) by the control unit, and the pressure control unit operates based on the obtained information to vary the degree to which the pressure control unit (20) blocks the tube inside the tube (1), thereby controlling the number of times the bubbles flow per second.

[0039]

[0040] More specifically, the present invention discloses a gas supply monitoring and control device and a monitoring and control method thereof, which monitors the supply amount of the gas in real time from an optical sensor based on the number of bubbles generated at an arbitrarily set time difference when the target gas flows on a tube, thereby enabling a more accurate supply amount or identifying whether the supply state is poor, and which controls the pressure of the tube in real time by a series of automated devices so that the target supply amount can be precisely implemented according to the gas supply information acquired from the optical sensor, thereby actively preventing malfunctions and continuously executing a preset supply amount.

[0041]

[0042] Above all, the present invention provides a monitoring and control device (100) and a monitoring and control method that, when supplying carbon dioxide to an aquarium, monitors the movement of gas moving from the bottom to the top through a predetermined tube, and determines the speed or amount of movement within a range that does not cause any disruption to fluidity, thereby allowing real-time state changes to be recognized externally, and can self-correct to match the intended appropriate amount of movement due to a series of automated methods.

[0043] However, the main point of the various features presented in the present invention is that they are applied to gas flowing from the bottom to the top, and it is self-evident that they can be applied when supplying carbon dioxide in an aquarium and are not limited thereto, and can be used more generally.

[0044]

[0045] The above real-time gas supply amount monitoring and control device is characterized by comprising: a tube (1) through which the flow of the target gas is performed from downward to upward; a monitoring unit (10) for monitoring in real time the number of bubbles of the target gas moving sequentially in the internal space of the tube for a preset period of time by applying a light sensor based on signal information of a light emitting diode and a transistor attached to the outer surface of the tube and located at corresponding positions; a control unit for receiving bubble information from the monitoring unit and determining whether it matches the target gas supply amount compared to the preset period of time; and a pressure control unit (20) which is operated by a signal obtained from the control unit and rotates by an angle proportional to the number of pulses given through a motor so as to determine whether the internal space of the tube is blocked, thereby varying the number of bubbles for an arbitrary period of time to match the target gas supply amount.

[0046]

[0047] The monitoring unit (10) adopts a light sensor as described above, and this light sensor is operated by dividing into a light-transmitting type and a light-reflecting type, and the present invention adopts a light-transmitting type. That is, a light-emitting diode is positioned on one side and a transistor is positioned on the other side, so that the transistor detects the light transmitted from the light-emitting diode, thereby actively detecting the quantity / movement of target bubbles flowing inside the tube (1).

[0048] In detail, the movement of gas inside the tube (1) can be recognized from the outside when bubbles are generated, and by determining the sequential movement of these bubbles in number per second, the amount of movement or supply can be specifically recognized in real time.

[0049]

[0050] The pressure control unit (20) is composed of a connector (21) that connects tubes to each other to provide an internal space; a cover body (22) that is connected to the connector and fixes the position of the motor (23); a push rod (24) that determines whether to rotate depending on the operation of the motor and has a corresponding end formed with a screw thread and is fixedly connected by vertically penetrating a path from the motor to the tube (1); and a valve (25) that is engaged through the screw thread area of ​​the push rod and whose vertical position is changed by the rotation of the push rod by the motor, thereby determining the degree of shielding of the internal space of the tube (1). The valve (25) may be a needle valve or a solenoid valve.

[0051]

[0052] The above connector (21) refers to a conventional connection means, and its main purpose is to provide a space for internal circulation by being installed between tubes. Furthermore, the present invention aims to achieve the intended purpose by maximizing the mutual connection between the tube and the pressure control unit using this connector as a starting point.

[0053]

[0054] The above motor (23) is a control means for the push rod and is a motor that moves at a certain angle in response to the number of input pulses. It is also called a pulse motor or step motor. Due to the characteristic that the number of input pulses and the rotation angle of the motor are completely proportional, the rotation angle can be controlled more precisely and accurately.

[0055]

[0056] The above push rod (24) stays in the space where the gas flows as shown in the drawing, and when pressure control is required to match the supply amount, it induces interference in the flow of gas by opening or blocking the space according to the operation of the motor.

[0057] That is, since it is operated in a way that controls the movement within the range of the gas flow space by causing a change in the upper and lower position, the number of times the bubbles flow per second can be appropriately controlled as intended.

[0058] Information such as the number of bubbles flowing per second is stored in the data storage unit (60) together with the values ​​sensed by the sensor unit at predetermined time intervals, and the event detection module (70) checks whether a special event occurs by reviewing the data stored in the data storage unit (60), and if an event occurs, the notification unit (80) notifies the administrator of the occurrence of the event.

[0059]

[0060]

[0061] In addition, the present invention seeks to provide a more improved and differentiated monitoring and control method using such a monitoring and control device.

[0062]

[0063] [Stage 1]

[0064] The bubbles of the target gas flowing from the bottom to the top on the tube (1) are monitored in real time by a monitoring unit (10) equipped with an optical sensor.

[0065]

[0066] [Stage 2]

[0067] The flow information of bubbles confirmed from the monitoring unit (10) is transmitted to the control unit in real time, and whether the preset gas injection amount matches is determined by the number of bubbles generated during a certain period of time.

[0068]

[0069] [Stage 3]

[0070] Based on the determined result, a command signal from the control unit is transmitted to the pressure control unit (20) to induce a change in the number of bubbles to match the target gas input amount.

[0071]

[0072] [Stage 4]

[0073] By rotating the push rod (24) by an angle that matches the reset correction value based on the relevant information authorized from the control unit, the upper and lower positions of the needle valve (25) are varied, thereby controlling the number of bubbles per second according to whether the internal space of the tube (1) is shielded.

[0074] [Stage 5]

[0075] The number of times bubbles occur per second is recorded in the data storage unit (60) along with time information, and the event detection module (70) detects events detected in the recorded data.

[0076]

[0077] According to the present invention having the configuration described above, the supply amount of the gas is monitored in real time from an optical sensor based on the number of times bubbles are generated at an arbitrarily set time difference when the target gas flows on the tube, and the data regarding the gas supply amount is stored in a separate space and can be checked in real time from the outside, and past data can also be checked, so that more proactive response is possible when a problem occurs.

[0078] However, if a lot of bubbles are generated, errors may occur when calculating the gas supply amount due to the bubbles being obscured. To prevent this, a bubble size controller can be additionally included. Controlling the size of carbon dioxide bubbles in water is possible by controlling the pressure, temperature, and dissolution rate when discharging carbon dioxide into the water. The lower the pressure, the larger the bubbles created, and the higher the pressure, the smaller the bubbles. Furthermore, the faster the dissolution rate, the more carbon dioxide is dissolved, creating smaller bubbles. The lower the temperature, the more carbon dioxide is dissolved, leading to the formation of larger bubbles. Therefore, it is possible to control the bubble size by attaching separate pressure and temperature controllers. While controlling the number of bubbles is possible by controlling the pressure, controlling both the size and number of bubbles is possible by controlling the temperature and dissolution rate together.

[0079] Therefore, by controlling the pressure, temperature, and dissolution rate, carbon dioxide bubbles of an appropriate size can be created, and bubbles of an appropriate size make it easy to measure the movement speed.

[0080]

[0081] The present invention described above has been described with reference to one embodiment illustrated in the drawings, but this is merely exemplary, and it should be made clear that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible for those skilled in the art. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the appended claims, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

[0082]

[0083] (Explanation of symbols)

[0084] 1: Tube 10: Surveillance

[0085] 20: Pressure control unit 21: Connector

[0086] 22: Motor 22: Cover

[0087] 24: Push rod 25: Valve

[0088] 30: Control unit 40: Sensor unit

[0089] 50: Communications section 60: Data storage section

[0090] 70: Event detection module 80: Notification module

Claims

1. As a real-time target gas supply amount monitoring and control device, A tube (1) having a section that supplies gas and is positioned vertically with respect to the ground surface; A pressure regulating unit (20) that regulates the amount of target gas supplied by opening and blocking the internal space of the tube (1); A monitoring unit (10) installed in a section where the flow of the target gas is performed from downward to upward and checking the number of bubbles generated in the target gas; A control unit (30) that controls the number of bubbles generated in the pressure control unit (20) according to the number of bubbles generated in the target gas transmitted from the monitoring unit (10) so as to converge on the target supply amount of the preset target gas; A sensor part (40) that senses information inside the tube (1) and A real-time target gas supply amount monitoring and control device including a communication unit (50) that enables communication through a network to transmit stored information to an external manager and allows the manager to set the target supply amount of the target gas from the outside.

2. In the first paragraph, a real-time target gas supply amount monitoring and control device that further includes an event detection module (70) to send data on gas supply interruption and rapid changes in the set surrounding environment to the control unit (30), and the control unit (30) notifies the manager and the outside through the notification unit (80).

3. In the second paragraph, the sensor part is a real-time target gas supply amount monitoring and control device including a sensor that senses pH and pressure inside the tube.

4. In the third paragraph, the monitoring unit (10) is installed in a section where the flow of the target gas is performed from downward to upward, and is a real-time target gas supply amount monitoring and control device that detects the number of bubbles by having the transistor facing the light emitted by the light-emitting diode penetrate the tube.

5. In the fourth paragraph, the pressure control unit (20) is composed of a connector (21) that connects the tubes to each other to provide an internal space; a cover body (22) that is connected to the connector and fixes the position of the motor (23); a push rod (24) that determines whether to rotate depending on the operation of the motor and has a corresponding end formed with a screw thread and is fixedly connected by vertically penetrating the path from the motor to the tube (1); and a valve (25) that is engaged through the screw thread area of ​​the push rod and determines the degree of shielding of the internal space of the tube (1) while changing the upper and lower position by the rotation of the push rod by the motor; a real-time target gas supply amount monitoring and control device that determines the supply amount of the target gas by determining the degree of shielding of the valve (25) by making the number of input pulses input to the motor and the rotation angle of the motor proportional.

6. In the fifth paragraph, a real-time target gas supply amount monitoring and control device further including a data storage unit (60) that stores the number of bubbles generated by the target gas and the information sensed by the sensor unit (40) at predetermined time intervals and a bubble size controller that controls the pressure, temperature, and dissolution rate to generate bubbles of an appropriate size for measurement.

7. In the 6th paragraph, the valve (25) is a real-time target gas supply amount monitoring and control device, which is at least one of a needle valve and a solenoid valve.

8. As a real-time target gas supply amount monitoring and control method, A first step of checking in real time the bubbles of the target gas flowing from the bottom to the top on the tube (1) by a monitoring unit (10) equipped with a light sensor; and A second step in which the flow information of bubbles confirmed from the monitoring unit (10) is transmitted to the control unit in real time and whether the preset gas injection amount matches is determined by the number of bubbles during a certain period of time; and A third step of transmitting a command signal from the control unit to the pressure control unit (20) to induce a change in the number of bubbles based on the determined result and match it with the target gas injection amount; and The fourth step is to change the upper and lower positions of the needle valve (25) by executing the number of rotations of the push rod (24) by an angle that matches the reset correction value based on the relevant information authorized from the control unit, thereby controlling the number of bubbles per second according to whether the internal space of the tube (1) is shielded; and A method for monitoring and controlling the supply of a target gas in real time, comprising a fifth step of recording the number of bubbles generated per second in a data storage unit (60) together with time information and having an event detection module (70) detect an event detected from the recorded data.

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