Flood Sensor Housing Gaps for Rapid Water Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flood sensors in utility lines are prone to clogging due to debris and are susceptible to tampering or false positives, which can lead to delayed detection of flooding events and hazardous situations, especially during natural disasters.
Innovation Solution
A flood sensor apparatus with a housing and back cover design that allows quick filling and draining of fluid while filtering out debris, featuring gaps of approximately 0.025 inches to prevent clogging and a rib for tamper protection, coupled with a valve to send signals for utility shutdown.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If screens are used to filter debris in existing flood sensors, then debris filtering is improved, but the sensor becomes susceptible to clogging and delayed detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the screen/filter component entirely from the flood sensor design. Instead of filtering debris through a screen that can clog, the invention extracts this function by allowing water to enter through gaps while the sensor housing and electronics remain protected from direct debris contact, eliminating the clogging issue while maintaining debris exclusion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary chamber or housing structure that mediates between the external environment (with debris) and the internal sensor components. Water can enter this intermediary space through controlled gaps to trigger the sensor, while debris is prevented from reaching the sensor elements, thus protecting the sensing mechanism without requiring a filter screen
2Reliability
If flood sensors are made fully enclosed for tamper protection, then security is improved, but water entry is delayed reducing detection speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sensor housing into multiple sections or pathways: sealed portions for tamper protection containing the electronics, and controlled gap portions that allow rapid water entry for detection. This segmentation enables different regions of the housing to serve different functions - security and water sensitivity - simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different structural qualities to different parts of the housing: certain areas have sealed, tamper-resistant construction while specific localized gaps provide unobstructed water access. This local differentiation of structural properties allows the housing to be both secure and rapidly responsive to flooding
3Speed
If gaps are made larger for faster water entry, then detection speed is improved, but debris can enter and clog the sensor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the screen/filter component entirely from the flood sensor design. Instead of filtering debris through a screen that can clog, the invention extracts this function by allowing water to enter through gaps while the sensor housing and electronics remain protected from direct debris contact, eliminating the clogging issue while maintaining debris exclusion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary chamber or housing structure that mediates between the external environment (with debris) and the internal sensor components. Water can enter this intermediary space through controlled gaps to trigger the sensor, while debris is prevented from reaching the sensor elements, thus protecting the sensing mechanism without requiring a filter screen
Data Source
AI summary
A flood sensor apparatus configured to send a signal to a computing device causing the computing device to turn off a utility at a site experiencing a flood. The flood sensor apparatus may include a housing and a back cover which, when coupled together, form gaps along a perimeter of the flood sensor apparatus such that fluid (e.g., water) may quickly fill and drain an interior of the housing. These gaps may be large enough such that the fluid may quickly fill and drain the interior of the housing but small enough that debris may not clog the gap or enter the interior of the housing. The back cover may include a rib extending from an inner face of the back cover and that that runs along a perimeter of the inner face. The rib may prevent tampering of a flood sensor located in the interior of the housing by blocking any object that may be inserted into the gaps.