Water Treatment Plant Control Using Intermediary Index Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water treatment plants face challenges in accurately measuring and responding to variations in pollution components like silica and calcium, which are not directly related to typical water quality indexes, due to the high cost of measurement devices and infrequent manual sampling, leading to potential operational abnormalities.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines correlations between water quality indexes and pollution components using periodic sample analysis, allowing for statistical estimation of pollution component concentrations without costly devices, enabling precise operation of the water treatment plant based on these estimates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If costly measurement devices are used to directly measure pollution components, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses water quality indexes (conductivity, turbidity, absorbance, pH, oxidation-reduction potential) as intermediary parameters to indirectly estimate pollution component concentrations. Instead of directly measuring difficult-to-measure components like silica and calcium, the system measures easily obtainable water quality indexes that correlate with pollution components, thereby achieving measurement precision without requiring costly direct measurement devices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a statistical model that copies the relationship between water quality indexes and pollution component concentrations based on historical data. This model allows the system to estimate pollution component concentrations by analyzing the correlation patterns between measured water quality indexes and previously measured pollution components, eliminating the need for expensive direct measurement equipment
2Measurement precision
If manual sampling is performed frequently to accurately grasp water quality variation, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time and labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous monitoring of water quality indexes using sensors that automatically measure conductivity, turbidity, absorbance, pH, and oxidation-reduction potential in real-time. This continuous measurement approach replaces infrequent manual sampling, allowing the system to accurately grasp water quality variations without requiring operators to collect and analyze samples manually, thereby eliminating time and labor losses while maintaining high measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously feeds back water quality index measurements to the control unit, which automatically updates the statistical model and estimates pollution component concentrations in real-time. This feedback mechanism enables the system to respond immediately to water quality variations, eliminating the delay inherent in manual sampling schedules while maintaining accurate measurement precision
3Loss of time
If manual sampling is performed infrequently to reduce labor and time, then loss of time is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous monitoring of water quality indexes using sensors that automatically measure conductivity, turbidity, absorbance, pH, and oxidation-reduction potential in real-time. This continuous measurement approach replaces infrequent manual sampling, allowing the system to accurately grasp water quality variations without requiring operators to collect and analyze samples manually, thereby eliminating time and labor losses while maintaining high measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual sampling and analysis system with an automated sensor-based measurement system. Instead of operators manually collecting water samples and performing laboratory analysis, the system uses electronic sensors to continuously measure water quality indexes, which are then processed by a control unit to estimate pollution component concentrations. This substitution of mechanical/manual processes with automated electronic measurement and computation systems achieves both reduced time loss and maintained measurement precision
4Ease of operation
If typical industrial instruments are used to measure water quality indexes, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision of pollution components deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses water quality indexes (conductivity, turbidity, absorbance, pH, oxidation-reduction potential) measured by typical industrial instruments as intermediary parameters to indirectly estimate pollution component concentrations. These indexes serve as mediators that correlate with pollution components through statistical analysis, allowing the system to maintain ease of operation with standard instruments while achieving precision in pollution component estimation through the intermediary relationship between water quality indexes and pollution components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameters from direct pollution component concentration to water quality indexes that can be easily measured by typical industrial instruments. By measuring conductivity, turbidity, absorbance, pH, and oxidation-reduction potential instead of directly measuring pollution components like silica and calcium, the system achieves ease of operation with standard equipment while maintaining measurement precision through statistical correlation analysis between the indexes and pollution components
Data Source
AI summary
A water treatment plant controlling method including: determining whether or not there is a correlation, in water to be treated, between a water quality index and a concentration of a pollution component having no causal relationship with the water quality index, from a result of sample analysis of the water to be treated performed periodically; and (a) under a condition that there is a correlation, statistically analyzing a distribution of measurement values of the water quality index in a previous certain period of the water to be treated, and based on a result of the statistical analysis and the correlation, estimating the concentration of the pollution component of the water to be treated; and determining an operating condition of a water treatment plant for treating the water to be treated, based on the estimated concentration of the pollution component of the water to be treated; or (b) on a condition that a correlation is absent, statistically analyzing a distribution of concentration of the pollution component in all past sample analyses of the water to be treated, and based on a result of the statistical analysis, estimating the concentration of the pollution component of the water to be treated.