Fixed Pipe Camera for Wastewater Monitoring Without Communication Infrastructure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wastewater monitoring systems are expensive and complex, requiring sophisticated cabling or wireless communication, making them unsuitable for inexpensive and long-term monitoring of wastewater levels in pipes, especially in small municipalities where leaks between stormwater and sewage systems can cause backup and excessive flows.
Innovation Solution
A wastewater monitoring system using a single camera mounted in a fixed location within a wastewater pipe to take still photographs at defined intervals, which are then analyzed to detect changes and generate video clips of interest, allowing users to review flow conditions without the need for complex communication infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional monitoring systems with cameras and communication networks are used, then monitoring capability is improved, but system cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the communication function from the monitoring system, removing the need for complex cabling or wireless networks. The camera captures images locally, and data is transferred manually or via simple mechanisms, eliminating the communication infrastructure while preserving core monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses inexpensive, simple components that can be deployed temporarily or replaced easily. Rather than investing in expensive, complex infrastructure, the patent employs basic cameras and simple storage media that are cost-effective and suitable for short-term or budget-constrained monitoring needs.
2Reliability
If cabled communication is implemented for data transmission, then data reliability is improved, but installation cost and maintenance complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The communication cable is completely removed from the system. Data is stored locally on simple media such as SD cards or memory, and transferred manually when needed, eliminating installation and maintenance of cabling infrastructure while preserving data integrity.
3Device complexity
If wireless communication is used in sewer systems, then installation complexity is reduced, but communication reliability deteriorates due to shielding by concrete and steel
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless communication component is removed from the system. Instead of relying on wireless signals that are blocked by pipe materials, the patent uses local storage and manual data retrieval, which are not affected by electromagnetic shielding from concrete and steel structures.
4Productivity
If continuous video monitoring is implemented, then real-time detection capability is improved, but data storage requirements and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous recording, the system uses periodic snapshot photography at scheduled intervals. This approach maintains detection capability by capturing key moments while dramatically reducing data storage requirements and processing loads compared to continuous video streams.
Data Source
AI summary
A wastewater monitoring system uses a camera in a fixed location in a wastewater pipe that takes a still photograph of a location of interest at defined intervals, such as five minutes. The photographs are retrieved from the camera, and are then analyzed on a computer system that aggregates the still photographs into a video stream, allows a user to define an area of interest on one of the still photographs, then uses suitable algorithms or heuristics to detect changes between the photographs in the video stream. Video clips of interest are then generated using the detected changes, and are identified to a user so the user can review the video clips of interest to determine flows in the wastewater pipe that was monitored.