Water Purifier Filter Lifespan Calculation via Concentrated Water Ratio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water purifiers inaccurately calculate the lifespan of filters due to unaccounted water loss through discharge apertures, especially when multiple apertures are involved, leading to inconsistent flow rates and difficulty in measuring actual water usage.
Innovation Solution
A water purifier system that includes a flow rate sensor, a flow rate control valve with an opening and closing degree measurement unit, and a concentrated water ratio calculation unit, which calculates the ratio of purified to concentrated water based on the valve's opening degree, allowing for precise measurement of actual water usage and filter replacement time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional methods integrate flow rates of water flowing into the filter or actual usage time to calculate filter lifespan, then the calculation is simple, but the calculated amount differs from the actual water used due to unaccounted concentrated water discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a concentrated water ratio calculation unit as an intermediary component that computes the ratio of concentrated water to total water based on flow rates from multiple discharge apertures. This intermediary calculation enables accurate determination of actual water consumption without requiring direct measurement at each discharge point, thus improving measurement precision while avoiding the complexity of installing sensors everywhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring flow rates at different discharge apertures and using this information to dynamically calculate the concentrated water ratio. This feedback mechanism allows the filter lifespan calculation to be continuously updated based on actual operating conditions, improving accuracy without requiring a completely complex measurement system.
2Measurement precision
If flow rate sensors are installed on all water discharging sides to measure actual water usage, then measurement accuracy improves, but installation difficulty increases due to structural characteristics of the water purifier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement requirement from all discharge points and concentrates it on the inlet side by measuring only the total flow rate entering the filter. Combined with the concentrated water ratio calculation based on aperture flow rates, this extraction approach achieves accurate water usage measurement without the need to install sensors on multiple difficult-to-access discharge locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow rate sensor installed at the inlet serves multiple functions: it measures the total water flow entering the filter, provides data for calculating the concentrated water ratio when combined with aperture flow rates, and enables accurate determination of actual water consumption. This multi-functionality reduces the number of sensors needed while maintaining measurement accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple water discharge apertures are used to provide purified water to users, then water delivery flexibility improves, but calculation of actual water used becomes difficult due to variable concentrated water ratios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the water discharge system into multiple apertures with individual flow rate measurements, allowing each aperture to operate independently with different flow rates. The concentrated water ratio calculation unit then processes these segmented flow rate data to compute the overall ratio, enabling accurate water usage calculation while maintaining the flexibility of multiple discharge points.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the concentrated water ratio calculation based on changing flow rate parameters at different apertures. By continuously monitoring flow rate parameters and recalculating the ratio accordingly, the system maintains measurement accuracy even as operating conditions and discharge configurations change, thus supporting adaptable multi-aperture operation.
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
Enables accurate calculation of actual water usage and extends the filter replacement time by considering the flow rate control valve's opening degree, improving the precision of filter lifespan estimation.
Implementation Method 1
When the water purifier includes a reverse osmosis membrane filter, water flowing into the filter passes through the filter to provide purified water
Data Source
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AI summary
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a water purifier comprises: a filter unit including at least one filter filtering water flowing therein and generating purified water; a flow sensor for measuring the flow rate of the water flowing into the filter unit; a concentrated water flow channel for discharging concentrated water filtered by the filter unit; an extraction unit including at least one purified water extraction hole for extracting the purified water; a flow control valve for controlling the flow rate of the purified water flowing into the purified water extraction hole; an opening and closing degree measurement unit for measuring an opening and closing degree of the flow control valve; a concentrated water ratio calculation unit for calculating, according to an opening and closing degree of the flow control valve, the ratio of the purified water and the concentrated water generated by the filter; and a control unit using the flow rate of the water measured by the flow sensor and the calculated ratio of the purified water and the concentrated water so as to measure the amount of water used, integrating the amount of water used during a service life of the water purifier, and using the integrated amount of water used so as to calculate the lifespan of the filter.