68608 results about "Water resource management" patented technology

The present invention provides a multitude of embodiments for landscape water conservation with automated water budgeting or seasonal adjustment. Water budget automation may be implemented within an irrigation controller, by means of an add-on or a plug-in to the controller, or broadcast from a central location. The environmental data used for automated water budgeting may be historical including ambient temperature, wind, solar radiation, relative humidity, soil moisture, soil temperature, or evapotranspiration, or combinations thereof, or with a combination of current sensor data. The automated water budgeting may be accomplished with a percentage accumulation method which adjusts watering intervals and schedules, or on a daily percentage basis. In addition, government based restricted watering schedules may be combined within all the above embodiments to provide additional flexibility for water conservation.

The present invention invention provides methods, apparatus, and systems for determining greenhouse gas (including carbon dioxide) emissions and energy usage, costs and savings of individuals, families, homes, buildings, businesses, or the like. User inputs specific to an end user are accepted, and one or more of the user inputs are correlated with at least one of historic data and modeled characteristics pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage to obtain at least one of greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage corresponding to said one or more of said user inputs. An overall greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage can then be determined for the end user based on the greenhouse emissions and energy usage corresponding to the one or more of the user inputs. A specific impact of a particular user action on the end user's overall greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage may also be calculated.

A thermostat system according to the invention includes: a central control device (typically a programmable thermostat with a processor having: a CPU, real time clock and a memory for storing a control program and data information), multiple rooms comprising a conditioned space, environmental control equipment, and multiple environmental sensors capable of sensing an environmental condition (such as temperature, humidity, or other condition). The sensors are associated with transmission means, which control transmission of sensor signals, and occupancy sensors. Each sensor measures a local environmental condition. Occupancy sensors comprise infrared or other motion sensors, light detection sensors, door opening sensors, and other such sensors that detect the presence of humans in a room of the conditioned space where its associated sensor is located. Space conditioning equipment is activated by comparison of a setpoint to a control value averaged from values of environmental conditions in occupied rooms.

The invention provides a method for monitoring hydrology and water quality of a river basin under influence of water projects based on Internet of Things. According to the method, various fixed and flowing sensors are additionally mounted so as to obtain real-time hydrology and water quality data of important water areas, in combination with a video technology, monitoring on a spot environment is achieved, the monitoring information is transmitted through the Internet of Things, intelligent prediction for hydrology and water quality of the river basin is carried out through a neural network, and finally, critical applications, such as current situation assessment, tendency estimation, implementation effect estimation and extreme event handling, are achieved through an expert system. The method provided by the invention can provide real-time, reliable and complete hydrology and water quality information for the river basin under influence of water projects, and can achieve cross-regional and multi-machine type integrated remote protection for the river basin.

PCT No. PCT/JP97/03706 Sec. 371 Date Apr. 14, 1999 Sec. 102(e) Date Apr. 14, 1999 PCT Filed Oct. 14, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO98/16696 PCT Pub. Date Apr. 23, 1998The flush toilet has a waste receipt surface section (10) of a bowl section (1) formed continuously integrally with an inner rim wall surface section (15) of the rim portion disposed at a peripheral edge of an upper opening (13) of the bowl section (1) as a curved surface; and the inner rim wall surface section (15) of the rim portion acts as a flush water passage (16) of the bowl section. The flush water passage (16) of the bowl section is further configured such that the inner rim wall surface section (15) of the rim portion is shaped in an overhanging form inclining so as to hang over inside of the bowl section (1). The flush toilet of this configuration can be cleaned with ease and kept clean in sanitation.

A centralized irrigation system provides decision-making or non-decision-making controllers in combination with a client server architecture that employs range-based irrigation algorithms for monitoring and control. Range-based control strategies determine a total volumetric water holding capacity for a volume of soil and a range of desirable soil moisture in a root zone, and compare a calculated root zone soil moisture to that range in order to determine the volume of water to be applied during an irrigation event. The system permits a shared-savings business model where the vendor provides a system and the customer only pays the vendor a portion of the savings obtained by using the system.

An irrigation dressing is provided including a hollow inflatable tubulardam with a central opening adapted to surround the wound of the individual. A semi-hard resilient clear plastic window is attached to the dam, such that the central opening is completely enclosed on a front surface of the dam. The dressing includes an inner peripheral ridge and an outer peripheral ridge extending beyond a bottom or back body-engaging surface of the dam which facilitates drawing a vacuum. A plurality of connectors are attached to a front planar face surface of the clear plastic window. At least one connector is pivotable about an axis parallel to the front planar surface of the window. A self-sealing plug is disposed inside the dam so that the dam can be inflated to selected pressures using an associated hypodermic needle or the like.

The present invention is directed to an intelligent water management irrigation system for monitoring the total water usage for a billing site and preventing cumulative water usage from exceeding a water budget by adjusting the amount of water used for irrigation. Irrigation zone priority values are selected for each irrigation zone that specify a percentage of the full water need that the foliage in the zone can survive and are saved in an intelligent water management irrigation (IWMI) controller. The IWMI controller receives water usage information originating from a property's water meter and compares the measured water usage with the allowable water budget. Water usage is tracked separately for the household use and landscape use (irrigation). Prior to each irrigation cycle, the IWMI controller estimates the amount of water that will be needed by the landscape and for household use during the remainder of a billing cycle; household use is given precedence over landscape use. If the water budget will support both, irrigation can proceed normally. If the budget will not support both, the IWMI controller estimates the amount of water needed for the remainder of the billing cycle if only a priority watering amount is allocated for each landscape zone. If the water budget will support priority irrigation, landscape watering can proceed in priority irrigation mode. If the water budget will not support priority irrigation watering, the irrigation cycle is skipped and the water usage estimations are recalculated prior to the next irrigation cycle.

A self-contained, portable water purification system, including (a) an ozone supply, (b) an ozone contact chamber for mixing a contaminated or potentially contaminated water stream with ozone generated by such ozone supply, (c) an ozone destruction unit for destructing ozone contained in the water stream and converting said water stream into an oxygen-rich and ozone-depleted water stream, and (d) a downstream biologically active carbon filter, for receiving such oxygen-rich and ozone-depleted water stream and biologically destructing at least a portion of contaminants contained therein.

The invention relates to a method of performing an oilfield operation of an oilfield having at least one wellsite, each wellsite having a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation for extracting fluid from an underground reservoir therein. The method steps include obtaining a plurality of real-time parameters from a plurality of sensors disposed about the oilfield, wherein the plurality of real-time parameters comprise at least one selected from a group consisting of real-time flow rate data and real-time pressure data of the wellbore, configuring a gridless analytical simulator for simulating the underground reservoir based on the plurality of real-time parameters, generating real-time simulation results of the underground reservoir and the at least one wellsite in real-time using the gridless analytical simulator, and performing the oilfield operation based on the real-time simulation results

The invention discloses a washing machine control method and a washing machine. The washing machine is provided with a turbidity sensor for detecting water turbidity and a conductivity sensor for detecting water conductivity. According to the washing machine control method, conductivity of clear water is detected before washing is carried out, conductivity and a turbidity value of rinsing water are detected at the same time at every rinsing stage after washing is carried out, a conductivity variable quantity is calculated according to the measured conductivity of clear water and conductivity of rinsing water, and rinsing is stopped when the turbidity value and the conductivity variable quantity are both lower than the corresponding set threshold value. During every rinsing, the washing machine can automatically detect and calculate turbidity of rinsing water and conductivity changes of rinsing water, judge whether clothes are rinsed clean according to turbidity and conductivity changes of rinsing water and stop working in time after the clothes are rinsed clean to save water and electricity. The washing machine can automatically add rinsing frequency if the washing machine detects that the clothes are not rinsed clean when the rinsing frequency reaches the set value, so that residual stains, detergents and softeners are reduced, and the purpose of healthy laundry is achieved.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a water treatment device that can treat water at its point of use. For example, the water treatment device may be positioned at or near a faucet outlet, so that water can be treated immediately before it leaves the faucet. The water treatment device may be a water treatment reactor with a plurality of UV LEDs positioned between a shield and a heat sink component.

The present invention is directed to an intelligent water management irrigation system for monitoring the total water usage for a billing site and preventing cumulative water usage from exceeding a water budget by adjusting the amount of water used for irrigation. Irrigation zone priority values are selected for each irrigation zone that specify a percentage of the full water need that the foliage in the zone can survive and are saved in an intelligent water management irrigation (IWMI) controller. The IWMI controller receives water usage information originating from a property's water meter and compares the measured water usage with the allowable water budget. Water usage is tracked separately for the household use and landscape use (irrigation). Prior to each irrigation cycle, the IWMI controller estimates the amount of water that will be needed by the landscape and for household use during the remainder of a billing cycle; household use is given precedence over landscape use. If the water budget will support both, irrigation can proceed normally. If the budget will not support both, the IWMI controller estimates the amount of water needed for the remainder of the billing cycle if only a priority watering amount is allocated for each landscape zone. If the water budget will support priority irrigation, landscape watering can proceed in priority irrigation mode. If the water budget will not support priority irrigation watering, the irrigation cycle is skipped and the water usage estimations are recalculated prior to the next irrigation cycle.

A desalination apparatus capable of obtaining fresh water stably at low cost by utilizing low-temperature waste, wherein the desalination apparatus including a heat exchanger 92 cooperating with an evaporation can 60 so as to subject a low-temperature waste heat 11 and raw water 62 in the evaporation can 60 to heat exchange and generate water vapor 63 in the evaporation can 60; a condenser 98 cooperating with a raw water tank 72 so as to receive the water vapor 63 from the evaporation can 60, cool the water vapor 63 by subjecting the water vapor 63 and raw water 71 in the raw water tank 72 to heat exchange and obtain distilled water 76; a distilled water tank for storing the distilled water 76; vacuum means for evacuating the evaporation can 60 and depressurizing the inside thereof so as to promote generation of water vapor 63 in the evaporation can 60; and raw water supply means for supplying raw water to the evaporation can.

An aeration system for a submerged membrane module has a set of aerators connected to an air blower, valves and a controller adapted to alternately provide a higher rate or air flow and a lower rate of air flow in repeated cycles. In an embodiment, the air blower, valves and controller, simultaneously provide the alternating air flow to two or more sets of aerators such that the total air flow is constant, allowing the blower to be operated at a constant speed. In another embodiment, the repeated cycles are of short duration. Transient flow conditions result in the tank water which helps avoid dead spaces and assists in agitating the membranes.

The present invention is drawn to a unique apparatus and method for treating and reusing the wastewater discharged from agricultural animal farms. The apparatus and method of the present invention may be readily-sized and configured depending upon the amount and constituent(s) of the wastewater to be treated. In a first embodiment, the apparatus and method of the present invention is designed to be a zero discharge system in which no wastewater will be discharged or land applied. In use, the apparatus and method of the first embodiment may actually require addition of make-up water during periods of low rainfall to make up water losses due to evaporation and drift. It is contemplated that the only byproduct of the apparatus and method of the first embodiment may be a beneficial sludge if a sufficient number of installations are operated. In a second embodiment, the apparatus and method of the present invention provides a treatment system capable of reducing the nutrient loading in a step-wise fashion so that the wastewater can be used from different steps of treatment in order to apply the varying nutrient loads required by crops on a seasonal basis.