Water Hardness Measurement Using Conductivity Blending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining water hardness require multiple treatment devices and sensors, leading to inaccuracies and increased costs due to offset errors and sensor drift, especially when measuring temporary hardness in water blending systems.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a liquid treatment apparatus with an inlet, branch points, and a mixing location to blend treated and untreated water, allowing for measurements of electrical conductivity to separate the contribution of components removable by the treatment part, using a single sensor to reduce errors and increase accuracy in determining temporary hardness without the need for separate measurement devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple treatment devices and sensors are used to measure water hardness, then measurement coverage is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to offset errors and sensor drift
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple treatment devices into a single integrated device that performs both softening and measurement functions. This eliminates the need for separate sensors for each device, reducing the number of measurement points from multiple to just one, thereby eliminating offset errors between sensors and improving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment device is designed to perform multiple functions: softening water and measuring hardness simultaneously. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for separate measurement devices, reducing system complexity and eliminating measurement errors associated with multiple independent sensors.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sensors are deployed across different treatment devices, then measurement capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the measurement function into the treatment device itself, eliminating separate measurement devices. This integration reduces the total number of components, simplifies the system architecture, and lowers both device complexity and associated costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment device is designed as a universal system that handles both water treatment and hardness measurement. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized measurement devices, reducing overall system complexity.
3Productivity
If multiple treatment devices are used, then treatment capacity is improved, but the need for frequent recalibrations increases due to sensor drift
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating measurement into a single treatment device rather than using multiple separate devices with multiple sensors, the system eliminates cumulative sensor drift issues. This single-point measurement approach requires recalibration much less frequently, reducing maintenance time and operational interruptions.
4Reliability
If separate measurement devices are used for each treatment device, then measurement reliability is improved, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines measurement functionality directly into the treatment device, using a single sensor per integrated unit. This approach maintains measurement reliability by using high-quality integrated sensors while reducing overall system complexity compared to having separate measurement devices for each treatment unit.
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 approach provides a more accurate and efficient measurement of water hardness by using a single sensor to measure electrical conductivity at different blending fractions, reducing sensor drift and eliminating the need for frequent recalibrations, while allowing for automatic control of the blending fraction to maintain desired water hardness levels.
Implementation Method 1
determining the temporary hardness of the untreated water and/or of the mix of untreated and treated water provided by the liquid treatment apparatus, wherein the measurement values are representative of respective values of a parameter of the water depending partly and not only on the concentration of components removable by the treatment part, but also on the concentration of other components
Data Source
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AI summary
Method and apparatus for measuring the temporary hardness of water. The water stream is divided and one fraction is treated by an ion exchanger (45). Then two fractions are then mixed again. The conductivity of the mixed water for two different mixing ratios and the change of conductivity is related to the hardness of the water. The ion exchanger may be in the form of an replaceable cartridge.