Wireless Moisture Monitoring for Remote Fluid Delivery Nodes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluid delivery systems face challenges in monitoring environmental conditions remotely due to impracticality of wired power and communication interfaces, leading to issues such as humidity levels exceeding target ranges, which can degrade system performance and cause damage to equipment.
Innovation Solution
A wireless moisture monitoring system with nodes that transmit sensed information via local and wide area networks, performing edge computations and adjusting power modes based on successful transmissions, allowing for distributed monitoring and control of fluid delivery systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If wired power and communication interfaces are used for monitoring environmental conditions, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but ease of operation and device complexity worsen due to impracticality in remote locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces wired mechanical interfaces with wireless communication technology. The moisture monitoring node transmits sensed information wirelessly to the building management system, eliminating the need for physical cables and power connections while maintaining monitoring accuracy in remote locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a wireless communication intermediary (the moisture monitoring node with wireless interface) that bridges the gap between remote sensor locations and the central management system, enabling data transmission without direct physical connections.
2Reliability
If continuous monitoring and transmission of sensed information is implemented, then reliability and measurement precision are improved, but use of energy increases reducing battery life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic monitoring and transmission instead of continuous operation. The moisture monitoring node periodically assesses environmental conditions and transmits data only when changes exceed predetermined thresholds, reducing energy consumption while maintaining system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the monitoring node based on detected conditions. The node adjusts its transmission behavior dynamically, transmitting full data sets only when moisture levels change significantly, otherwise entering low-power states.
3Ease of operation
If wireless moisture monitoring nodes are deployed in hard-to-reach locations, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of information may increase due to communication reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the moisture monitoring node receives acknowledgment signals from the building management system. If data transmission is not acknowledged, the node retransmits the information, ensuring data integrity despite remote location challenges.
Data Source
AI summary
A moisture monitoring system includes a wireless moisture monitoring node, a wireless gateway device, and a remote server that monitors environmental conditions associated with a fluid delivery system. The wireless moisture monitoring nodes are configured in a wireless local area network and communicate indications based on sensed information to the wireless gateway device. The wireless gateway device uses a wireless wide area network to communicate the indicators to the remote server, which provides, to a user, analytics and alerts based on the sensed information. The user may schedule maintenance or reconfigure the fluid delivery system based on the analytics or alerts. The moisture monitoring system can evaluate conditions in hard-to-reach locations and can provide information that may be used to improve performance of the fluid delivery system or reduce fluid or energy consumption of the fluid delivery system.