Water Flow Energy Sensing for Stagnant Pipe Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for preventing microbial contamination in drinking water pipes, such as ring mains and flushing, are either costly or result in unnecessary water wastage due to unclear stagnation status and prolonged flushing.
Innovation Solution
A method that generates electrical energy from flowing water, stores it, and uses the charge state to indicate stagnation, allowing for adjustable and environmentally friendly detection of fresh water, reducing unnecessary flushing and water consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water is allowed to run for a long period of time to ensure fresh water, then microbial contamination risk is reduced, but water wastage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a generator to convert kinetic energy from flowing water into electrical energy, storing it in an energy store. The charge state of the energy store serves as feedback indicating whether water has been stagnant (low charge) or flowing (high charge), allowing consumers to make informed decisions about flushing without wastefully running water for fixed periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The generator automatically converts the kinetic energy of flowing water into stored electrical energy without requiring external power sources or manual intervention. The system self-regulates by accumulating energy during water flow and providing clear indicators to consumers about water freshness status.
2Reliability
If ring mains are implemented to reduce stagnant water, then microbial contamination is reduced, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces an intermediary measurement system (generator and energy store) that monitors water flow characteristics without requiring complex pipe network reconfiguration. This intermediary device provides information about water stagnation while maintaining the existing simple pipe structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical complexity of ring main systems with a simpler sensor-based approach using a generator that converts water flow kinetic energy into electrical signals. This substitution maintains the functionality of detecting stagnant water while avoiding the costly and complex infrastructure changes required by ring mains.
3Reliability
If flushing time is extended to ensure water freshness, then safety is improved, but energy waste and water consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The energy store's charge state provides real-time feedback to consumers about water freshness, eliminating the need for prolonged flushing. The visual or electronic indicators show when water is safe to use, allowing consumers to stop flushing as soon as water becomes fresh rather than following fixed time schedules.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring excessive flushing time to guarantee water freshness, the system uses partial action by monitoring water flow characteristics and providing early indication of water freshness. This allows consumers to perform just enough flushing to ensure safety without unnecessary extension of flushing duration.
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
Effectively detects stagnant water without separate energy sources, minimizing water wastage and ensuring fresh water is drawn off only when necessary, while being adaptable to different environments and pipe configurations.
Implementation Method 1
electrical energy is produced in a pipe section by flowing water
Data Source
AI summary
A method of detecting stagnant water includes flowing a water in a pipe and producing electrical energy via the flow of the water. The electrical energy is stored in an energy store. A change of state of the energy store is detected and information about possible stagnation of the water is obtained from the change of state of the energy store. An apparatus for detecting stagnant drinking water includes a generator for producing electrical energy, an energy store for storing that energy, a control and analysis unit which detects the charge state of the energy store and a signal transmitter which emits a signal depending on the charge state of the energy store.