Control device, control method, and control program, and liquid storage system

Abstract

This control device comprises a processor. The processor: samples the liquid level of a target liquid that is stored in a tank provided with an air supply device for supplying a gas to the target liquid; and controls the output of the air supply device on the basis of liquid level data obtained by sampling the liquid level.

Description

Control Device, Control Method, Control Program, and Liquid Storage System

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to a control device, a control method, a control program, and a liquid storage system.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that "a blower 11 is provided in the drainage adjustment tank 10. The blower 11 continuously or intermittently sends air into the interior of the drainage adjustment tank 10. The air sent from the blower 11 stirs the drainage stored in the interior of the drainage adjustment tank 10. A pump 66 is installed between the drainage adjustment tank 10 and the biological treatment tank 20. The pump 66 sends the drainage stored in the drainage adjustment tank 10 to the biological treatment tank 20."

[0003] Patent No. 7564584

[0004] There is a known technology in which an air supply device is provided in a tank for storing a target liquid, and the target liquid is stirred by supplying a gas such as air from the air supply device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, in the conventional technology, depending on the water level of the target liquid, the sound generated when supplying the gas may be a problem.

[0005] The technology of the present disclosure has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a device, a method, a program, and a system that can reduce the sound generated when supplying a gas as compared with the case of controlling the air supply device regardless of the water level.

[0006] The control device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a processor. The processor samples the water level of the target liquid in a tank provided with an air supply device that supplies a gas to the stored target liquid, and controls the output of the air supply device based on the water level data obtained by sampling the water level.

[0007] The control device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is the control device according to the first aspect. When the water level is in a second state lower than the first state, the processor reduces the amount of the gas supplied from the air supply device per unit time to be lower than the amount in the first state.

[0008] A control device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in a control device according to the first or second aspect, the processor controls the output of the air supply device based on at least one of the frequency and time period at which the target liquid is supplied to the tank.

[0009] A liquid storage system according to a fourth aspect of this disclosure comprises the tank and a control device according to any one of the first to third aspects.

[0010] A liquid treatment system according to a fifth aspect of this disclosure is a liquid treatment system according to a fourth aspect, wherein the tank is a water storage tank connected to residential equipment.

[0011] A control method according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure comprises a computer sampling the water level of a target liquid in a tank equipped with an air supply device that supplies gas to the target liquid, and controlling the output of the air supply device based on the sampled water level data.

[0012] A control program according to a seventh aspect of this disclosure causes a computer to perform the following processes: sampling the water level of a target liquid in a tank equipped with an air supply device that supplies gas to the target liquid to be stored; and controlling the output of the air supply device based on the sampled water level data.

[0013] According to the control device, control method, control program, and liquid storage system described herein, it is possible to reduce the noise generated when supplying gas compared to the case where the air supply device is controlled independently of the water level.

[0014] This figure shows an example of the schematic configuration of the liquid processing system 1 according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 100 according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100 according to this embodiment. This figure shows an example of the control flow executed by the control device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0015] An example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0016] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the liquid treatment system 1 according to this embodiment. The liquid treatment system 1 is an example of the "liquid storage system" according to this disclosure. The liquid treatment system 1 comprises a first tank 10, a second tank 20, a third tank 30, and a control device 100.

[0017] The liquid treatment system 1 may treat any liquid. For the purposes of this explanation, we will describe an example where the liquid treatment system 1 is a small-scale circulating water treatment system that biologically treats domestic wastewater discharged from a residence via supply pipe 2 in a machine room, and returns the biologically treated water as circulating water from the machine room to the residence via return pipe 3.

[0018] The first tank 10 is a storage tank for storing the target liquid. The first tank 10 may be, for example, a water storage tank connected to residential facilities. Here, the first tank 10 is assumed to be a wastewater treatment tank that stores domestic wastewater discharged from the water utilization system of a residence via the supply pipe 2.

[0019] The first tank 10 is equipped with a first pump 11, a water level gauge 12, and an air supply device 13. The first pump 11 is a pump for transferring the target liquid from the first tank 10 to the second tank 20.

[0020] The water level gauge 12 measures the water level of the first tank 10. The water level gauge 12 may be of any type, and may be a contact type such as a pressure type, capacitive type, or float type, or a non-contact type such as a radio wave type or ultrasonic type.

[0021] The air supply device 13 is a device that supplies gas to the liquid to be stored. The air supply device 13 may be, for example, a blower or air pump that supplies air. If the liquid to be stored is wastewater, solid matter contained in the wastewater may settle and spoil. To prevent this, the liquid to be stored is agitated by supplying air using the air supply device 13. In the above explanation, the case in which the air supply device 13 supplies air was shown as an example, but the air supply device 13 may supply any gas other than air, such as ozone gas, to the liquid to be stored.

[0022] The second tank 20 processes the target liquid transferred from the first tank 10. Here, the second tank 20 is assumed to be a biological treatment tank that purifies wastewater using microorganisms.

[0023] A second pump 21 is provided in the second tank 20. The second pump 21 is a pump for transferring the liquid in the second tank 20 as treated water from the second tank 20 to the third tank 30. Here, the second pump 21 is assumed to be a membrane filtration pump that filters the biologically treated liquid by sucking it up with the pump.

[0024] The third tank 30 is a treated water storage tank for storing treated water. The treated water stored in the third tank 30 is returned as circulating water and then returns to the dwelling via the piping 3.

[0025] A third pump 31 is provided in the third tank 30. The third pump 31 is used to transfer treated water from the third tank 30 to the outside of the machine room. Here, the third pump 31 is assumed to be a return pump that returns treated water to the water usage system of the residence as domestic water.

[0026] The control device 100 controls the entire liquid treatment system 1. More specifically, the control device 100 may be wired or wirelessly connected to the first pump 11, the second pump 21, the third pump 31, the water level gauge 12, and the air supply device 13 in a manner that enables communication.

[0027] The control device 100 may control the first pump 11 to transfer the target liquid from the first tank 10 to the second tank 20. Similarly, the control device 100 may control the second pump 21 to transfer the treated water from the second tank 20 to the third tank 30. Similarly, the control device 100 may control the third pump 31 to transfer the treated water from the third tank 30 to the outside of the machine room.

[0028] In such a liquid treatment system 1, the noise generated when supplying gas from the air supply device 13 is dominant. Here, if the liquid treatment system 1 is a circulating water treatment system that biologically treats domestic wastewater discharged from a residence and returns it to the residence, it is assumed that the machine room will be installed close to the living space. Therefore, it is clear that noise reduction is required from the standpoint of living comfort.

[0029] In the liquid treatment system 1, the amount of target liquid flowing into the first tank 10, in this case wastewater, constantly fluctuates depending on the water usage of the residents. In conventional systems, the air supply device 13 was operated at a constant output (for example, 100%) regardless of such water level fluctuations.

[0030] However, it was found that the loudness of the sound generated when supplying gas changes depending on the water level of the target liquid stored in the first tank 10. More specifically, when focusing on the sound at high and low water levels, it was found that the sound generated at low water levels was louder than at high water levels.

[0031] Here, the first tank 10 is sealed with a lid (not shown) to prevent debris from entering. In this state, when the water level of the target liquid drops, a space is created inside the tank, and it is thought that the sound reverberates and becomes louder. Also, when the water level of the target liquid drops, the pressure load on the air supply device 13 decreases, so it is thought that the operation of the air supply device 13 itself becomes unstable and the sound becomes louder.

[0032] Therefore, the control device 100 according to this embodiment samples the water level of the target liquid measured by the water level gauge 12 and controls the output of the air supply device 13 based on the sampled water level data. As a result, the control device 100 according to this embodiment reduces the noise generated when supplying gas. This will be explained in detail.

[0033] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 100 according to this embodiment. The control device 100 includes a processor 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, a storage 104, a communication interface 105, and a user interface 106. These components are connected to each other via a bus 107 so that they can communicate with one another.

[0034] The processor 101 executes various programs and controls each component. Here, the processor 101 is assumed to be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The ROM 102 stores various programs and data. The RAM 103 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 104 consists of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs and data, including the operating system.

[0035] In the control device 100 according to this embodiment, the control program 108 is stored in the ROM 102 or storage 104. In this figure, the case in which the control program 108 is stored in the storage 104 is shown as an example. The processor 101 reads the control program 108 from the ROM 102 or storage 104 and executes it using the RAM 103 as a working area, thereby performing control of each configuration and various calculation processes according to the control program 108.

[0036] The communication interface 105 is an interface for the control device 100 to communicate with other devices. The user interface 106 is an input / output interface for the control device 100 to exchange information with a user. The user interface 106 may include input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, and microphone, and output devices such as a monitor and speakers.

[0037] Figure 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100 according to this embodiment. The control device 100 comprises a sampling unit 110, a determination unit 120, and a control unit 130. These functional units may be implemented as functions of the processor 101 by the processor 101 reading a control program 108 from the ROM 102 or storage 104, expanding it into the RAM 103, and executing it.

[0038] The sampling unit 110 samples the water level of the target liquid in the first tank 10, which is equipped with an air supply device 13 that supplies gas to the target liquid to be stored. More specifically, the sampling unit 110 may sample the water level of the target liquid measured by a water level gauge 12 provided in the first tank 10.

[0039] The determination unit 120 performs the necessary determination processing to control the output of the air supply device 13. More specifically, as will be described later, the determination unit 120 may determine whether or not the water level of the target liquid has decreased. The determination unit 120 may also determine whether or not predetermined conditions are met.

[0040] The control unit 130 controls the output of the air supply device 13 based on water level data obtained by sampling the water level. More specifically, as will be described later, the control unit 130 may operate the air supply device 13 with a first output when the water level is high. The control unit 130 may also operate the air supply device 13 with a second output when the water level is low and predetermined conditions are not met. The control unit 130 may also operate the air supply device 13 with a third output when the water level is low and predetermined conditions are met.

[0041] The process by which the control device 100 having such a functional unit controls the output of the air supply device 13 will be described in detail using a flow. Such a flow may be started when the processor 101 reads the control program 108 from the ROM 102 or the storage 104 and executes it using the RAM 103 as a work area.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a control flow executed by the control device 100 according to the present embodiment. In this figure, an example is shown in which the control device 100 reduces the output of the air supply device 13 as the level of the target liquid decreases.

[0043] In step S210, the processor 101 operates the air supply device 13 with the first output as the control unit 130. For example, when the air supply device 13 is a blower, the processor 101 may control the output of the air supply device 13 so that the throttle opening is in a high state (e.g., 100%). At this time, the processor 101 may continuously operate the air supply device 13 or intermittently operate it with the throttle opening in a high state.

[0044] In step S220, the processor 101 samples the level of the target liquid in the first tank 10 as the sampling unit 110. For example, the processor 101 may sample the level of the target liquid measured by the level gauge 12 provided in the first tank 10 at a predetermined sampling interval.

[0045] In step S230, the processor 101 determines whether or not the level of the target liquid has decreased as the determination unit 120. For example, the processor 101 may perform statistical processing (e.g., moving average processing) on the level data sampled in step S220 over a predetermined period. Then, it may be determined whether or not the level of the target liquid has decreased based on whether or not the value obtained by the statistical processing is below a predetermined threshold value.

[0046] When it is determined that the water level has not decreased (No), the processor 101 returns the process to step S210 and continues the flow. That is, the processor 101 continues to operate the air supply device 13 with the first output. On the other hand, when it is determined that the water level has decreased (Yes), the processor 101 advances the process to step S240.

[0047] In step S240, the processor 101, as the determination unit 120, determines whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, the noise regulation standards are different between daytime, morning and evening, and nighttime, and the decibel values of the regulation standards are set smaller in the order of daytime → morning and evening → nighttime. Therefore, the processor 101 may determine whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied according to whether the current time belongs to a predetermined time zone. As an example, the processor 101 may determine whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied according to whether the current time is from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. corresponding to nighttime.

[0048] When it is determined that the current time is not from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and thus does not satisfy the predetermined condition (No), the processor 101 advances the process to step S250.

[0049] In step S250, the processor 101, as the control unit 130, operates the air supply device 13 with the second output. For example, when the air supply device 13 is a blower, the processor 101 may control the output of the air supply device 13 so that the throttle opening is in the middle state (for example, 50%). At this time, the processor 101 may continuously operate the air supply device 13 or intermittently operate it with the throttle opening in the middle state.

[0050] Thereby, when the processor 101 is in the low water level state, the amount of gas supplied from the air supply device 13 per unit time can be reduced compared to the amount in the high water level state. That is, when the processor 101 is in the second state where the water level is lower than the first state, the amount of gas supplied from the air supply device 13 per unit time is reduced compared to the amount in the first state.

[0051] On the other hand, if the processor determines that the predetermined condition is met (Yes) because the current time is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., the processor 101 proceeds to step S260.

[0052] In step S260, the processor 101, acting as a control unit 130, operates the air supply device 13 with a third output. For example, if the air supply device 13 is a blower, the processor 101 may control the output of the air supply device 13 so that the throttle opening is low (for example, 25%). In this case, the processor 101 may operate the air supply device 13 continuously or intermittently with the throttle opening low.

[0053] As a result, the processor 101 can reduce the amount of gas supplied from the air supply device 13 per unit time when the water level is low compared to when the water level is high, and further reduce the amount of gas supplied from the air supply device 13 per unit time when it is nighttime compared to when it is not nighttime.

[0054] The processor 101 can control the output of the air supply device 13 based on the time period, for example, as described above. In the above explanation, the processor 101 has been described as an example in which it determines whether predetermined conditions are met based on whether the current time belongs to a predetermined time period. However, it is not limited to this.

[0055] As mentioned above, the amount of the target liquid flowing into the first tank 10, in this case domestic wastewater, constantly fluctuates depending on the water usage of the residents. Here, the target liquid is supplied from the residence to the first tank 10 via the supply pipe 2. In this case, if the frequency of supply of the target liquid to the first tank 10 is high, the force of the supply can frequently agitate the target liquid stored in the first tank 10. Therefore, even if the amount of gas supplied from the air supply device 13 is significantly reduced, it is thought that solid matter will not settle and will not easily decompose.

[0056] On the other hand, if the target liquid is supplied to the first tank 10 at a low frequency, the force of the supply will not allow for frequent agitation of the target liquid stored in the first tank 10. Therefore, if the amount of gas supplied from the aeration device 13 is significantly reduced, it is possible that solid matter will settle and spoil easily.

[0057] Therefore, the processor 101 can also control the output of the air supply device 13 based on the frequency at which the target liquid is supplied to the first tank 10. In this case, in step S240, the processor 101 may determine whether a predetermined condition is met based on whether the frequency at which the target liquid is supplied to the first tank 10 exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0058] If the processor determines that the frequency does not exceed a predetermined threshold and therefore the predetermined condition is not met (No), the processor 101 may proceed to step S250. On the other hand, if the processor determines that the frequency exceeds a predetermined threshold and therefore the predetermined condition is met (Yes), the processor 101 may proceed to step S260.

[0059] In the above explanation, time-based control and frequency-based control were described as separate processes, but the processor 101 can also control the output of the air supply device 13 based on both. For example, the processor 101 may control the output of the air supply device 13 based on at least one of the frequency and time period at which the target liquid is supplied to the tank.

[0060] Furthermore, while the above explanation used the example of a case where the first output is 100%, the second output is 50%, and the third output is 25%, the first, second, and third outputs are not limited to these values ​​and can be set arbitrarily. For example, the solubility of solids contained in the target liquid changes with temperature. Therefore, the values ​​of the first, second, and third outputs may be set taking into consideration the water temperature of the target liquid and the room temperature of the machine room.

[0061] Furthermore, while the above description provided an example in which the control device 100 controls the output of the air supply device 13 in two stages depending on whether the water level is high or low, it is not limited to this. The control device 100 may control the output of the air supply device 13 in multiple stages according to the water level.

[0062] Furthermore, while the above description provided an example in which the control device 100 controls the output of the air supply device 13 in stages according to the water level, the system is not limited to this. The control device 100 may also control the output of the air supply device 13 linearly in conjunction with the water level.

[0063] Furthermore, the above description focused on a first tank 10 that stores the target liquid. As mentioned above, the first tank 10 is expected to experience water level fluctuations, and therefore is particularly compatible with the technology of this disclosure. However, it is not limited to this. A second tank 20, which performs biological treatment, may be equipped with an aeration device to activate microorganisms. Therefore, the technology of this disclosure may also apply to the second tank 20. In other words, the technology of this disclosure may apply to any tank that supplies gas to the liquid stored inside.

[0064] Furthermore, while the above explanation described the case where the output of the air supply device 13 is reduced as the water level of the target liquid decreases as an example, it is not limited to this. The control device 100 may also be controlled to increase the output of the air supply device 13 as the water level of the target liquid rises.

[0065] As described above, the control device 100 according to this embodiment samples the water level of the target liquid in a tank equipped with an air supply device that supplies gas to the target liquid to be stored, and controls the output of the air supply device based on the sampled water level data. As a result, the control device 100 according to this embodiment can reduce the noise generated when supplying gas compared to when the air supply device is controlled regardless of the water level.

[0066] The processes described above can also be implemented using dedicated hardware circuits. In this case, the process may be executed on a single piece of hardware or on multiple pieces of hardware.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above explanation, the term "processor" refers to a broad type of processor, including general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and specialized processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, Programmable Logical Device, etc.).

[0068] Furthermore, the processor operations described above may not be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Also, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described above and may be changed as appropriate.

[0069] Furthermore, the aforementioned program may be provided on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, flexible disk, or CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), or it may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable non-temporary recording medium is usually transferred to and stored in memory or storage. This program may also be provided, for example, as a standalone application software, or it may be incorporated into the software of each device as a function of that device.

[0070] Furthermore, the aforementioned program can be provided as a program product. A program product includes any form of product for providing a program. For example, a program product includes a program provided via a network such as the Internet, and non-temporary computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs on which the program is stored.

[0071] This disclosure is not limited to the foregoing, and it goes without saying that it can be implemented in various modified forms without departing from its intent.

Claims

1. A control device comprising a processor, the processor sampling the water level of a target liquid in a tank equipped with an aeration device that supplies gas to the target liquid to be stored, and controlling the output of the aeration device based on the sampled water level data.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor reduces the amount of gas supplied from the air supply device per unit time to less than the amount in the first state when the water level is in a second state which is lower than the first state.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls the output of the air supply device based on at least one of the frequency and time period at which the target liquid is supplied to the tank.

4. A liquid storage system comprising the tank and the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The liquid storage system according to claim 4, wherein the tank is a water storage tank connected to a residential facility.

6. A control method comprising: a computer sampling the water level of a target liquid in a tank equipped with an aeration device that supplies gas to the target liquid to be stored; and controlling the output of the aeration device based on the sampled water level data.

7. A control program that causes a computer to perform the following processes: sampling the water level of a target liquid in a tank equipped with an aeration device that supplies gas to the target liquid to be stored; and controlling the output of the aeration device based on the sampled water level data.

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