Distributed Stormwater Sensor Mesh for Real-Time Quality Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stormwater drainage systems are prone to clogging due to debris and sediments, and existing systems lack effective monitoring and reporting capabilities to manage stormwater quality, leading to potential contamination of waterways.
Innovation Solution
A distributed system comprising stormwater sensor nodes configured in a mesh network that automatically monitors and reports on stormwater data, including fluid properties like flow rate, pH-level, and temperature, using transmitter-receiver pairs and data-aggregation methods to provide real-time data to user devices for visualization and reporting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a distributed sensor network is deployed to monitor stormwater quality, then measurement precision and monitoring coverage are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the monitoring task into multiple independent sensor nodes distributed throughout the stormwater drainage system. Each node independently monitors local conditions (flow rate, pH, temperature, turbidity) and transmits data to a central controller, enabling comprehensive coverage without requiring a single complex monitoring station.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor nodes are designed with multi-functional capabilities, integrating multiple sensing elements (flow, pH, temperature, turbidity sensors) into single deployable units. This allows each node to perform multiple monitoring functions simultaneously, reducing overall system complexity while improving measurement precision across various water quality parameters.
2Loss of information
If real-time data transmission is implemented across all sensor nodes, then information availability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic data transmission where sensor nodes transmit stormwater quality data at scheduled intervals rather than continuously. The controller receives and aggregates data from multiple nodes at each time step, ensuring real-time monitoring capability while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller provides feedback to sensor nodes regarding data reception status and system operational state. This feedback mechanism enables the controller to optimize data collection frequency and transmission timing based on actual system needs, balancing information availability with energy conservation.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple sensor nodes are deployed across the drainage system, then monitoring coverage is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple sensing functions (flow rate, pH, temperature, turbidity monitoring) into integrated sensor nodes that can be deployed at strategic locations. By combining multiple monitoring capabilities into single nodes and using a centralized controller to aggregate data from multiple nodes, the system achieves comprehensive coverage while minimizing the total number of devices required.
Data Source
AI summary
Distributed systems and methods for the automatic monitoring and reporting of data relating to the chemistry and flow of stormwater (i.e. stormwater data) are presented. Multiple fluid sensor devices are exposed to stormwater via positioning the sensor devices in locations of interest. The sensor devices are arranged in self-healing mesh networks. The sensor devices are enabled to acquire stormwater data indicating various fluid properties that are desired to be monitored. A sensor device is further enabled to transmit its acquired stormwater data, either directly or indirectly, to one or more remote computing devices that is hosting a stormwater monitoring application (SMA). The SMA is enabled to process and analyze the stormwater data. The SMA generates measurements and reports based on the processed and analyzed stormwater data.