Sample Preparation Arrangement for Process Water Analyzer
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Solution Overview
Problem
In process water analyzers, it is challenging to accurately determine whether a worsening of pumping performance is due to filter membrane clogging or pump hose issues, as both contribute to flow resistance and affect the peristaltic hose pump's performance, making it difficult to identify and address clogging conditions effectively.
Innovation Solution
A sample preparation arrangement with a unidirectional or bidirectional peristaltic hose sample pump, a water flow sensor, hydraulic pressure sensor, and a filter clogging condition determination module that measures dynamic and static hydraulic pressures, and flow volumes to calculate a clogging condition value for the filter membrane, while monitoring the pump hose condition, ensuring proper operation and preventing filter membrane breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a peristaltic hose pump is used for pumping water samples, then the pump is robust against clogging and easy to maintain, but the pumping performance deteriorates due to filter membrane clogging and pump hose aging, making it difficult to identify the specific cause
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the total flow resistance into two distinct components: filter membrane resistance and pump hose resistance. By measuring each component separately through specific operational modes (normal pumping mode for filter resistance, reverse pumping mode for hose resistance), the system can identify which component is causing performance deterioration, resolving the inability to pinpoint the specific cause of pump performance issues.
2Ease of repair
If the pump hose is made flexible and deformable for easy substitution, then the pump is easier to repair, but the pumping chamber volume varies depending on several factors, reducing measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces mechanical volume definition methods (counting rotor rotations) with a flow sensor-based measurement system. The flow sensor directly measures the actual liquid volume pumped, compensating for variations caused by the flexible hose deformation. This substitution allows the use of simple, replaceable flexible hoses while maintaining precise volume measurement through electronic sensing rather than mechanical counting.
3Measurement precision
If a water flow sensor arrangement is provided to monitor pumping performance, then the flow measurement capability is improved, but it remains impossible to distinguish whether performance worsening is caused by the sample pump or by a clogging sample filter membrane
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic operational modes to extract different information from the same flow sensor. In normal pumping mode, the sensor measures total resistance (filter + hose). In reverse pumping mode, the sensor measures only hose resistance since the filter membrane blocks reverse flow. By comparing measurements from these two dynamic modes, the system calculates filter membrane resistance and identifies the specific cause of performance deterioration, transforming a static measurement limitation into a dynamic diagnostic solution.
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
This solution allows for continuous monitoring and accurate determination of filter membrane clogging and pump hose conditions, enabling timely maintenance and preventing improper operation of the sample preparation arrangement, thereby ensuring reliable water sampling and analysis.
Implementation Method 1
The sample pump comprises a flexible elastic peristaltic pump hose, a pump motor and a peristaltic pump rotor for providing a peristaltic deformation of the deformable flexible pump hose
Implementation Method 2
The sample preparation arrangement is provided with a hydrostatic pressure memory for memorizing a static hydraulic pressure caused by the vertical pump height between the sample pump and the water level surface in the water basin
Data Source
AI summary
The invention refers to a sample preparation arrangement (30) for preparing a water sample for a process water sample analyzer (70), the sample preparation arrangement (30) comprising an immersion filter probe (20) arranged in a water basin (12), the immersion filter probe (20) comprising a sample filter membrane (24), a peristaltic hose sample pump (40) for pumping a water sample from the immersion filter probe (20) to the process water sample analyzer (70), the sample pump (40) comprising a peristaltic pump hose (42) and a pump motor (46) driving a peristaltic pump rotor (44), a water flow sensor arrangement (50) being fluidically arranged in-line with the sample pump (40) and the water sample analyzer (70), a hydrostatic pressure memory (64) for memorizing a static hydraulic pressure (SP) caused by the vertical pump height (H) between the sample pump (40) and the water level surface (14′) in the water basin (12), and a pressure sensor (80) fluidically arranged between the immersion filter probe (20) and the sample pump (40).