Water monitoring device and method
A water monitoring device monitors and maintains swimming pool chemistry. The device includes sensors that detect water chemistry. The water monitoring device can communicate with computers and servers. This system can be used to determine if corrections to the water chemistry are required to maintain water sanitation. The device can monitor: pH, air temperature, water temperature, free chlorine levels, oxidation reduction potential, alkalinity, oxygen demand, water movement and velocity, and electrical conductivity.
1. A method for testing a body of water comprising:
providing a water monitoring device having: a first reagent in a first storage cylinder, a first plunger in the first storage cylinder, a second reagent storage cylinder, a second plunger in the second storage cylinder, a gearing system coupled to the first plunger and the second plunger, a motor coupled to the gearing system, a light source, a flowcell coupled to the first storage cylinder and the second storage cylinder, a light sensor, and a processor coupled to the light sensor;
placing a first water sample from the body of water into the flowcell;
actuating the motor to rotate the gearing system and drive the first plunger into the first storage cylinder and drive the second plunger into the second storage cylinder;
transmitting a first volume of the first reagent into the flowcell by the movement of the first plunger into the first storage cylinder and a second volume of the second reagent into the flowcell by the movement of the second plunger into the second storage cylinder;
mixing the first reagent and the second reagent with the first water sample;
directing a light beam from the light source through the flowcell;
detecting light transmitted through first water sample in the flowcell by the light sensor at a first wavelength and a second wavelength;
determining light absorption by the first water sample mixed with the first reagent and the second reagent at the first wavelength and the second wavelength; and
determining a pH level of the first water sample based upon the light absorption at the first wavelength and the second wavelength.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
transmitting the pH level of the first water sample by a transmitter coupled to the processor;
receiving the pH level of the first water sample by a computing device; and
displaying the pH level of the first water sample by the computing device.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
transmitting the pH level of the first water sample by a transmitter coupled to the processor;
receiving the pH level of the first water sample by a smart phone; and
displaying the pH level of the first water sample by the smart phone.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
storing a volume of the body of water in a database coupled to the processor;
determining volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by the processor;
transmitting the volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by a transmitter coupled to the processor;
receiving the volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by a smart phone; and
displaying the volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by the smart phone.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the actuating the motor to rotate the gearing system causes the first plunger to move into the first storage cylinder at a rate that is different than the second plunger movement into the second storage cylinder.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first volume of the first reagent transmitted into the flowcell is greater than the second volume of the second reagent transmitted into the flowcell.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
flushing the first water sample from the flowcell
placing a second water sample from the body of water into the flowcell;
transmitting a third volume of a third reagent into the flowcell;
mixing the third reagent with the second water sample;
directing a light beam from the light source through the flowcell;
detecting light transmitted through the second water sample in the flowcell by the light sensor at a third wavelength;
determining light absorption by the second water sample mixed with the third reagent at the third wavelength; and
determining a first chemical characteristic of the second water sample based upon the light absorption at the third wavelength.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
flushing the second water sample from the flowcell
placing a third water sample from the body of water into the flowcell;
transmitting a fourth volume of a fourth reagent into the flowcell;
mixing the fourth reagent with the third water sample;
directing a light beam from the light source through third water sample in the flowcell;
detecting light transmitted through the flowcell by the light sensor at a fourth wavelength;
determining light absorption by the third water sample mixed with the fourth reagent at the fourth wavelength; and
determining a second chemical characteristic of the third water sample based upon the light absorption at the fourth wavelength.
9. A method for testing a body of water comprising:
providing a water monitoring device having: a first reagent in a first storage cylinder, a first plunger in the first storage cylinder, a second reagent storage cylinder, a second plunger in the second storage cylinder, a gearing system coupled to the first plunger and the second plunger, a motor coupled to the gearing system, a light source, a flowcell coupled to the first storage cylinder and the second storage cylinder, a light sensor, and a processor coupled to the light sensor;
placing a first water sample from the body of water into the flowcell;
actuating the motor to rotate the gearing system and drive the first plunger into the first storage cylinder and drive the second plunger into the second storage cylinder;
transmitting a first volume of the first reagent into the flowcell and a second volume of the second reagent into the flowcell;
mixing the first reagent and the second reagent with the first water sample;
directing a light beam from the light source through the first water sample in the flowcell;
detecting a light absorption by the first water sample mixed with the first reagent and the second reagent through the flowcell by the light sensor at a first wavelength;
identifying a first light absorption at the first wavelength;
repeating the actuating, the transmitting, the mixing, the directing, and the detecting until the light absorption at the first wavelength is greater than the first light absorption at the first wavelength;
determining a transition volume of the first reagent and a transition volume of the second reagent mixed with the first water sample when the light absorption at the first wavelength is greater than the first light absorption at the first wavelength; and
identifying a chemical characteristic of the first water sample corresponding to the transition volume of the first reagent and the transition volume of the second reagent mixed with the first water sample when the light absorption at the first wavelength is greater than the first light absorption at the first wavelength.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
transmitting a pH level of the first water sample by a transmitter coupled to the processor, wherein the pH level is the chemical characteristic of the first water sample;
receiving the pH level of the first water sample by a computing device; and
displaying the pH level of the first water sample by the computing device.
11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
transmitting the pH level of the first water sample by a transmitter coupled to the processor, wherein the pH level is the chemical characteristic of the first water sample;
receiving the pH level of the first water sample by a smart phone; and
displaying the pH level of the first water sample by the smart phone.
12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
storing a volume of the body of water in a database coupled to the processor;
determining volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by the processor, wherein the pH level is the chemical characteristic of the first water sample;
transmitting the volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by a transmitter coupled to the processor;
receiving the volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by a smart phone; and
displaying the volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by the smart phone.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein the actuating the motor to rotate the gearing system causes the first plunger to move into the first storage cylinder at a rate that is different than the second plunger movement into the second storage cylinder.
14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
flushing the first water sample from the flowcell
placing a second water sample from the body of water into the flowcell;
transmitting a third volume of a third reagent into the flowcell;
mixing the third reagent with the second water sample;
directing a light beam from the light source through the flowcell;
detecting light transmitted through the flowcell by the light sensor at a third wavelength;
determining light absorption by the second water sample mixed with the third reagent at the third wavelength; and
determining a second chemical characteristic of the second water sample based upon the light absorption at the third wavelength.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
flushing the second water sample from the flowcell
placing a third water sample from the body of water into the flowcell;
transmitting a fourth volume of a fourth reagent into the flowcell;
mixing the fourth reagent with the second water sample;
directing a light beam from the light source through the flowcell;
detecting light transmitted through the flowcell by the light sensor at a fourth wavelength;
determining light absorption by the third water sample mixed with the fourth reagent at the fourth wavelength; and
determining a third chemical characteristic of the third water sample based upon the light absorption at the fourth wavelength.
16. A method for testing a body of water comprising:
providing a water monitoring device having: a first reagent in a first storage cylinder, a first plunger in the first storage cylinder, a gearing system coupled to the first plunger, a motor coupled to the gearing system, a light source, a flowcell coupled to the first storage cylinder, a light sensor, and a processor coupled to the light sensor;
placing a water sample from the body of water into the flowcell;
actuating the motor to rotate the gearing system and drive the first plunger into the first storage cylinder;
transmitting a first volume of the first reagent into the flowcell;
mixing the first reagent with the water sample;
directing a light beam from the light source through the flowcell;
detecting a light absorption by the water sample mixed with the first reagent through the flowcell by the light sensor at a first wavelength;
identifying a first light absorption at the first wavelength;
repeating the actuating, the transmitting, the mixing, the directing, and the detecting until the light absorption at the first wavelength is greater than the first light absorption at the first wavelength;
determining the volume of the first reagent mixed with the water sample when the light absorption at the first wavelength is greater than the first light absorption at the first wavelength; and
identifying a chemical characteristic of the water sample corresponding to the volume of the first reagent mixed with the water sample when the light absorption at the first wavelength is greater than the first light absorption at the first wavelength.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
transmitting the pH level of the water sample by a transmitter coupled to the processor, wherein the pH level is the chemical characteristic of the first water sample;
receiving the pH level of the water sample by a computing device; and
displaying the pH level of the water sample by the computing device.
18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
transmitting the pH level of the water sample by a transmitter coupled to the processor, wherein the pH level is the chemical characteristic of the first water sample;
receiving the pH level of the water sample by a smart phone; and
displaying the pH level of the water sample by the smart phone.
19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
storing a volume of the body of water in a database coupled to the processor, wherein the pH level is the chemical characteristic of the first water sample;
determining volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by the processor;
transmitting the volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by a transmitter coupled to the processor;
receiving the volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by a smart phone; and
displaying the volumes of chemicals to add to the body of water to correct the pH level of the body of water by the smart phone.
20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
flushing the first water sample from the flowcell
placing a second water sample from the body of water into the flowcell;
transmitting a second volume of a second reagent into the flowcell;
mixing the second reagent with the second water sample;
directing a light beam from the light source through the flowcell;
detecting light transmitted through the flowcell by the light sensor at a second wavelength;
determining light absorption by the second water sample mixed with the second reagent at the second wavelength; and
determining a second chemical characteristic of the second water sample based upon the light absorption at the second wavelength.
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:
flushing the second water sample from the flowcell
placing a third water sample from the body of water into the flowcell;
transmitting a third volume of a third reagent into the flowcell;
mixing the third reagent with the third water sample;
directing a light beam from the light source through the third water sample in the flowcell;
detecting light transmitted through the third water sample in the flowcell by the light sensor at a third wavelength;
determining light absorption by the third water sample mixed with the third reagent at the third wavelength; and
determining a third chemical characteristic of the third water sample based upon the light absorption at the third wavelength.
22. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
adding a buffer to the water sample before mixing the mixing the first reagent with the water sample.