Shower Water Recycling with Optical Contaminant Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower recycling systems lack efficient control over contamination levels and require significant energy to filter small particulates, limiting their ability to recycle water effectively.
Innovation Solution
A domestic water recycling system that combines an optical detector to identify contaminants smaller than a predetermined filter pore size and a filter to remove larger contaminants, automatically directing water to recycling or discharge conduits based on detection, using multiple optical sources and detectors to assess absorption characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter with small pore size is used to remove all particulate contaminants, then contamination removal effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases significantly due to high pump power requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the filtration task into two parts: optical detection for small contaminants and physical filtration for large contaminants. This segmentation allows each component to operate at optimal efficiency, with the filter handling only what it can process easily and the optical sensor detecting what the filter cannot catch.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces a purely mechanical filtration approach with a hybrid system that uses optical detection. Instead of relying solely on mechanical force to push water through fine filters, the system uses optical sensors to detect contaminants and triggers filtration only when necessary, substituting mechanical continuous operation with intelligent selective operation.
2Device complexity
If manual user control is used to change outflow direction for water reuse, then system complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to inability to continuously recycle water
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the shower system monitors its own water quality and automatically directs water to recycling or discharge without user intervention. The controller continuously receives input from optical sensors and autonomously operates the directional device, making the system serve itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where optical sensors continuously monitor water quality, the controller processes this information, and the directional device adjusts water flow accordingly. This closed-loop feedback enables automatic adaptation to changing water conditions, maintaining high recycling efficiency.
3Reliability
If filtration is applied to all wastewater, then contamination removal is ensured, but energy consumption increases due to continuous pumping
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous filtration, the system uses periodic action by triggering filtration only when contaminants are detected. The optical sensors continuously monitor, and the controller activates the pump and filter only when contamination is detected, creating an on-demand periodic filtration pattern rather than continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by filtering only the portion of water that contains contaminants, rather than filtering all water continuously. The optical detection system identifies contaminated portions, and the controller activates filtration only for those specific instances, avoiding excessive energy consumption on already clean water.
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 system enables efficient recycling of shower water without user input, reducing energy consumption and ensuring high confidence in contamination removal, while maintaining water quality by automatically directing contaminated water for discharge and uncontaminated water for reuse.
Implementation Method 1
contaminants smaller than the filter pore are optically detected based on wavelength specific absorption/emission signatures
Implementation Method 2
The optical detection system uses a first optical source that outputs a first optical signal at a first wavelength that passes through the fluid under test. The first wavelength is a wavelength for which at least one of the contaminants has a characteristic absorption.
Data Source
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AI summary
A domestic water recycling system using a combination of an optical detector to detect certain smaller sized (non-filtered) contaminants and a filter to remove larger sized (filtered) contaminants provides an efficient wastewater recycling system. Optical detection of contaminants determines whether water is discharged or filtered and recycled. The optical detection system can use several discrete optical wavelengths that are passed through the fluid, and can determine a relative presence of the contaminants based on the resulting wavelength response. A recycling shower using optical detection, an electronically actuated directional device and pump and a controller allows for automatic recycling or discharging of water without requiring user input. The system may include a turbulence reduction baffle in a collection chamber, and a disinfection unit for the recycled water.