Liquid Vacuum Chemical Feeder with Dual Ejector Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum feeder systems for aqueous chemicals face inaccuracies due to variations in chemical properties, instability of chemicals like sodium hypochlorite, and issues with debris or gas entrainment, leading to operational failures that are not immediately detectable.
Innovation Solution
A chemical feeder system with a metering assembly comprising a flow rate sensor and metering device, connected to an electronic controller that adjusts the flow rate and directs the chemical flow through either of two ejectors, ensuring accurate and stable delivery of chemicals to a flowing fluid stock.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a glass tube V-notch metering device is used, then the structure is simple, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to chemical property variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical glass tube V-notch metering device with an electronic flow meter that uses electromagnetic or other non-mechanical sensing principles. This substitution eliminates the dependency on chemical properties for measurement while maintaining structural simplicity, thereby resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the measurement parameter from visual alignment based on chemical column height to electrical signal measurement of flow rate. The electronic flow meter measures actual flow rate directly through electrical signals, making the measurement independent of chemical properties such as specific gravity, thus improving measurement precision without increasing device complexity.
2Device complexity
If a single ejector is used, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability deteriorates due to gas breakout and debris clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single ejector system into multiple independent ejectors (first ejector and second ejector). Each ejector operates independently, and when one becomes clogged or fails due to gas breakout, the system can switch to the other ejector, ensuring continuous operation and improving reliability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a failover mechanism where the operational ejector takes over when the active ejector fails. This allows the system to discard the failed ejector temporarily and recover continuous operation through the backup ejector, maintaining reliability while keeping the ejector system configuration relatively simple.
3Measurement precision
If vacuum regulation systems are added, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical vacuum regulation systems with electronic flow meters that directly measure and report flow rate. This substitution eliminates the need for complex vacuum regulation mechanisms while maintaining or improving measurement precision through direct electrical measurement of flow parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an electronic flow meter as an intermediary device between the chemical feed system and the control system. This intermediary provides accurate flow rate measurement without requiring complex vacuum regulation, simplifying the overall system while improving measurement precision through electronic sensing and signal processing.
4Ease of operation
If manual visual checking is used, then the ease of operation is high, but the loss of time increases due to delayed failure detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous automated feedback monitoring through electronic flow meters that constantly measure and report flow rate to the control system. This feedback mechanism automatically detects failures or deviations in real-time, eliminating the need for manual visual checking while maintaining ease of operation through automated control and reducing failure detection time to instantaneous levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-monitoring and self-detection of failures through the electronic flow meter and control system. The automated system serves itself by continuously checking flow parameters and detecting issues without human intervention, thereby reducing failure detection time while keeping the operation simple through automated alerting and control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides continuous control and monitoring of chemical flow rates, preventing inaccuracies and operational failures by adjusting flow rates and switching between ejectors in response to sensor data, ensuring precise and reliable chemical delivery.
Implementation Method 1
various systems for feeding aqueous chemicals under a vacuum exist
Implementation Method 2
Commonly, these prior art systems utilize a venturi to create a vacuum
Data Source
AI summary
A device and method for continuously controlling the flow rate of an aqueous chemical drawn into a flowing fluid stock includes a metering assembly drawing the aqueous chemical into the inlet of a metering assembly through a flow rate sensor and then through a metering device and into the flowing fluid stock. The flow sensor is monitored and an electronic controller can adjusts the flow rate of the aqueous chemical through the metering device in response to monitoring the flow rate sensor. An electronic controller can also change the direction of the flow of the aqueous chemical into the flowing fluid stock through one ejector to another ejector in response to monitoring at the metering assembly.