Drinking Water Sampling Device Sensor Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sampling devices for measuring drinking water contamination by microorganisms in pipes are inefficient and lack user-friendly, cost-effective automation for monitoring multiple locations within a building's water system.
Innovation Solution
A sampling device with a sensor unit integrated within a sampling unit to detect contamination risk parameters, including temperature and flow rate, and a control unit to predict contamination probability, combined with features like dispersion units to break down agglomerates and decoupling units to prevent vibration interference, ensuring efficient and automated monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If drinking water contamination is measured by taking samples and analyzing them in a laboratory, then measurement precision is achieved, but loss of time occurs due to lengthy analysis procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/chemical laboratory analysis system with an optical detection system. The measuring device uses light sources and detectors to optically analyze water samples for contamination, eliminating the need for lengthy laboratory procedures while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The sampling device collects and stores water samples in advance within the measuring device. This preliminary sampling action allows the device to be ready for immediate analysis when contamination is detected, reducing the overall time loss by having samples prepared beforehand rather than collecting them during the analysis process.
2Measurement precision
If drinking water contamination is measured by frequent sampling and analysis, then measurement precision is maintained, but device wear increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measuring device performs self-diagnosis and automatic contamination detection without requiring frequent manual intervention or sampling. The device monitors its own operation and only activates full measurement sequences when contamination is detected, reducing mechanical wear from frequent sampling operations while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous or frequent sampling, the device uses periodic monitoring with sensor units that detect contamination risk parameters. Full measurement and sampling operations are performed only periodically when needed, based on sensor triggers, thereby reducing device wear while maintaining measurement precision through targeted analysis.
3Device complexity
If sensor unit is integrated within sampling unit, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision may be affected by vibration and interference
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into functionally independent modules: the sampling unit with sensor for contamination risk detection, and the measuring device for actual contamination analysis. This segmentation allows the sensor unit to be integrated in the sampling device for simplicity, while the measuring device remains separate to avoid vibration and interference, thus resolving both the complexity and precision requirements.
4Productivity
If automated monitoring is implemented at multiple locations, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sampling device and measuring device are designed as universal, multi-functional units that can be deployed at multiple locations within a building's water system. The devices perform multiple functions including sampling, sensor-based risk detection, optical analysis, and contamination prediction, eliminating the need for different specialized devices at each location and thus improving productivity without proportionally increasing system complexity.
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 continuous, time-saving prediction of drinking water contamination with reduced measurement frequency, improving efficiency and accuracy while minimizing device wear and maintaining measurement integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the sensor unit be located at least partially within the sampling unit and be designed to sense at least one contamination risk parameter
Implementation Method 2
sense at least one contamination risk parameter
Implementation Method 3
features like dispersion units to break down agglomerates
Implementation Method 4
decoupling units to prevent vibration interference
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a sampling device for a measuring device (14) that is stationarily associated with at least one drinking water line (12) and provided for measuring drinking water contamination in the drinking water line (12) by microorganisms (16), said sampling device comprising at least one drawing unit (18) for drawing drinking water and at least one sensor unit (20). According to the invention, the sensor unit (20) is arranged at least partly in the drawing unit (18) and is provided for sensing at least one contamination-risk characteristic variable.