Pure Water Supply System with Demand Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water purification systems face challenges in maintaining microbiological purity and ensuring uninterrupted supply to multiple take-off points, often requiring oversized tanks and purification systems due to unpredictable water consumption patterns, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A controller-based system that utilizes consumption profiles to predict water demand, adjusting production and distribution to maintain a sufficient supply, allowing for smaller tanks and purification systems by selectively activating or deactivating take-off points based on priority.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If oversized tanks and purification systems are used to ensure sufficient water supply to multiple take-off points, then water supply reliability is improved, but system cost and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary prediction of water consumption at take-off points using historical data and production schedules. Based on these predictions, the purification system is activated in advance to produce and store the required amount of purified water in the tank, ensuring sufficient supply before peak demand occurs without requiring continuous operation of oversized purification systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the purification system operation and tank filling level based on predicted water demand. The controller continuously monitors consumption patterns and modifies purification production rates and distribution accordingly, allowing the system to operate efficiently with variable load rather than requiring static oversized capacity
2Reliability
If oversized tanks and purification systems are used to ensure sufficient water supply to multiple take-off points, then water supply reliability is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary prediction of water consumption at take-off points using historical data and production schedules. Based on these predictions, the purification system is activated in advance to produce and store the required amount of purified water in the tank, ensuring sufficient supply before peak demand occurs without requiring continuous operation of oversized purification systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (purification production rate, tank filling level, distribution flow rates) based on predicted demand rather than maintaining fixed oversized capacity. This allows right-sizing of equipment and reduces capital costs while maintaining reliability through dynamic adjustment
3Reliability
If continuous water circulation is maintained to prevent contamination, then microbiological purity is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous circulation, the system implements periodic flushing and circulation cycles. The controller activates circulation pumps and purification systems at scheduled intervals based on predicted demand patterns and contamination risk assessment, maintaining microbiological purity through periodic disinfection and flushing while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from consumption monitoring and contamination detection to adjust circulation and flushing frequencies. When water quality parameters or consumption patterns indicate increased contamination risk, the controller increases circulation and purification activity, otherwise reducing it to minimize energy use while maintaining purity standards
4Reliability
If water production is increased to meet unpredictable demand, then water supply sufficiency is improved, but energy consumption and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs preliminary prediction of water consumption at take-off points using historical data and production schedules. Based on these predictions, the purification system is activated in advance to produce and store the required amount of purified water in the tank, ensuring sufficient supply before peak demand occurs without requiring continuous operation of oversized purification systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the purification system operation and tank filling level based on predicted water demand. The controller continuously monitors consumption patterns and modifies purification production rates and distribution accordingly, allowing the system to operate efficiently with variable load rather than requiring static oversized capacity
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a pure water supply system (100) comprising: - a water purification system (122), - a storage tank (136), - a purified water distribution system (126) comprising a plurality of water take-off points (102-116), - a controllable supply pump (134), - a controller (142) being configured to ∘ control (302) the purified water production rate of the water purification system and to control the supply pump, ∘ receive (306) the actual filling level of the storage tank, ∘ receive (308) water take-off profiles of take-off points, ∘ predict (310), using the actual filling level and the profiles, if a sufficient water supply can be maintained, ∘ in response to the prediction indicating an un-sufficient water supply, performing (312) at least one action of a group of actions comprising: ▪ selecting (314) at least one of the take-off points in accordance with predefined priorities being assigned to the takeoff points and switching off or disabling switching on the selected at least one take-off point, or ▪ controlling (316) the purified water production rate of the water purification system to increase the water production.