Multi-functional water quality sensor
A multi-functional water quality sensor assembly includes an electrically non-conductive substrate carrying electrically conductive traces that comprise one or more electrodes configured to sense at least one of oxidation reduction potential (ORP) or acidity (pH) of water. The electrodes are configured to be operated according to a dynamic mode, which includes establishing constant potentials or constant currents between the electrodes and documenting potentials between the electrodes as a measure of ORP and/or pH, and/or determining a differential in the potentials between first and second times as a measure of pH of the water, wherein the dynamic mode may be carried out without use of a silver chloride reference electrode.
1 . A sensor and housing assembly comprising:
a multi-functional water quality sensor assembly, including
an electrically non-conductive substrate carrying a circuit and sensor assembly configured to operate in a dynamic mode, and electrically conductive traces patterned out over a plurality of regions including
a proximal region disposed at a proximal end of the electrically non-conductive substrate,
an intermediary region, and
a distal region at a distal end of the electrically non-conductive substrate,
wherein the electrically conductive traces include:
a working electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode carried by the proximal region and configured to sense at least one of oxidation reduction potential (ORP) or acidity (pH) of water, and configured to be operated according to the dynamic mode, which includes:
establishing a first constant potential or a first constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting a first documented potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode as a measure of ORP of the water; and
establishing a second constant potential or a second constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting a second documented potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode at a first time and at a second time, and determining a differential in the second documented potential between the first and second times as a measure of pH of the water;
a housing for the multi-functional water quality sensor assembly;
a printed circuit board in the housing and having
a first end to which the electrically non-conductive substrate of the multi-functional water quality sensor assembly is mounted, and
a second end opposite the first end; and
an electrical connector mounted on the second end of the printed circuit board,
wherein the circuit and sensor assembly is potted and sealed in the housing, leaving the proximal region of the electrically non-conductive substrate being configured to be exposed to water flow.
2 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first constant potential is between 0.8 V and 2.0 V or between −0.8 V and −2.0 V and/or the second constant potential is between 0.8 V and 2.0 V or between −0.8 V and −2.0 V.
3 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 2 , wherein a difference between the first and second constant potentials is at least 0.2 V but not exceeding 0.6 V.
4 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first constant current is between 100 nA and 600 nA or between −100 nA and −600 nA and/or the second constant current is between 100 nA and 600 nA or between −100 nA and −600 nA.
5 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 4 , wherein a difference between the first and second constant currents is at least 100 nA but not exceeding 400 nA.
6 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the reference electrode is composed of platinum.
7 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the reference electrode is covered by an ion selective membrane, a gas permeable membrane, or a carbon coating.
8 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the ion selective membrane is Nafion, the gas permeable membrane is PVC, and the carbon coating is a Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) or a Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon (ta:C) coating.
9 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the carbon coating is modified with ligands.
10 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the ligands comprise ethylenediamminetetraacetate.
11 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the dynamic mode does not include use of a silver chloride reference electrode.
12 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
electronics interfaced with the printed circuit board to provide power and excitation patterns to the circuit and sensor assembly.
13 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the electronics and the circuit and sensor assembly are configured to operate the working, counter, and reference electrodes according to the dynamic mode.
14 . A sensor and housing assembly comprising:
a multi-functional water quality sensor assembly, including
an electrically non-conductive substrate carrying a circuit and sensor assembly configured to operate in a dynamic mode, and electrically conductive traces patterned out over a plurality of regions including:
a proximal region disposed at a proximal end of the electrically non-conductive substrate,
an intermediary region, and
a distal region at a distal end of the electrically non-conductive substrate,
wherein the electrically conductive traces include:
a plurality of electrodes including a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode carried by the proximal region and configured to sense at least one of oxidation reduction potential (ORP) or acidity (pH) of water, and configured to be operated according to the dynamic mode, which includes:
establishing a first constant potential or a first constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting a first documented potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode;
establishing a second constant potential or a second constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting a second documented potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode; and
determining a difference between the first and second documented potentials between the working and reference electrodes as a measure of pH of the water;
a housing for the multi-functional water quality sensor assembly;
a printed circuit board in the housing and having
a first end to which the electrically non-conductive substrate of the multi-functional water quality sensor assembly is mounted, and
a second end opposite the first end; and
an electrical connector mounted on the second end of the printed circuit board,
wherein the circuit and sensor assembly is potted and sealed in the housing, leaving the proximal region of the electrically non-conductive substrate being configured to be exposed to water flow.
15 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of electrodes is further operated according to the dynamic mode, which further includes:
establishing a third constant potential or a third constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting a third documented potential between the working electrode and the counter electrode at a first time and at a second time, and
determining a differential in the third documented potential between the first and second times as another measure of pH of the water.
16 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the plurality of electrodes is further operated according to the dynamic mode, which further includes:
establishing another constant potential or another constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting another documented potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode as a measure of ORP of the water.
17 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the dynamic mode does not include use of a silver chloride reference electrode.
18 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 14 , further comprising:
electronics interfaced with the printed circuit board to provide power and excitation patterns to the circuit and sensor assembly.
19 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 18 , wherein the electronics and the circuit and sensor assembly are configured to operate the working, counter, and reference electrodes according to the dynamic mode.
20 . A sensor and housing assembly comprising:
a multi-functional water quality sensor assembly, including
an electrically non-conductive substrate carrying a circuit and sensor assembly configured to operate in a dynamic mode, and electrically conductive traces patterned out over a plurality of regions including
a proximal region disposed at a proximal end of the electrically non-conductive substrate,
an intermediary region, and
a distal region at a distal end of the electrically non-conductive substrate,
wherein the electrically conductive traces include:
a plurality of electrodes including a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode carried by the proximal region and configured to sense at least one of oxidation reduction potential (ORP) or acidity (pH) of water, and configured to be operated according to the dynamic mode, which includes:
establishing a constant potential or a constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting a documented potential between the working electrode and the counter electrode at a first time and at a second time, and
determining a differential in the documented potential between the first and second times as a measure of pH of the water;
a housing for the multi-functional water quality sensor assembly;
a printed circuit board in the housing and having
a first end to which the electrically non-conductive substrate of the multi-functional water quality sensor assembly is mounted, and
a second end opposite the first end; and
an electrical connector mounted on the second end of the printed circuit board,
wherein the circuit and sensor assembly is potted and sealed in the housing, leaving the proximal region of the electrically non-conductive substrate being configured to be exposed to water flow.
21 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the plurality of electrodes is further operated according to the dynamic mode, which further includes:
establishing a second constant potential or a second constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting a second documented potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode;
establishing a third constant potential or a third constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting a third documented potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode; and
determining a difference between the second and third documented potentials between the working and reference electrodes as another measure of pH of the water.
22 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the plurality of electrodes is further operated according to the dynamic mode, which further includes:
establishing another constant potential or another constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting another documented potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode as a measure of ORP of the water.
23 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the dynamic mode does not include use of a silver chloride reference electrode.
24 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 20 , further comprising:
electronics interfaced with the printed circuit board to provide power and excitation patterns to the circuit and sensor assembly.
25 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 24 , wherein the electronics and the circuit and sensor assembly are configured to operate the working, counter, and reference electrodes according to the dynamic mode.
26 . A sensor and housing assembly comprising:
a multi-functional water quality sensor assembly, including
an electrically non-conductive substrate carrying a circuit and sensor assembly configured to operate in a dynamic mode, and electrically conductive traces patterned out over a plurality of regions including:
a proximal region disposed at a proximal end of the electrically non-conductive substrate,
an intermediary region configured to be insulated from a media by being enclosed within a housing, and
a distal region at a distal end of the electrically non-conductive substrate,
wherein the electrically conductive traces include:
a plurality of electrodes including a working electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode carried by the proximal region and configured to sense at least one of oxidation reduction potential (ORP) or acidity (pH) of water, and configured to be operated according to the dynamic mode, which includes:
establishing a first constant potential or a first constant current between the working electrode and the counter electrode and documenting a first documented potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode as a measure of ORP of the water;
a housing for the multi-functional water quality sensor assembly;
a printed circuit board in the housing and having
a first end to which the electrically non-conductive substrate of the multi-functional water quality sensor assembly is mounted, and
a second end opposite the first end; and
an electrical connector mounted on the second end of the printed circuit board,
wherein the circuit and sensor assembly is potted and sealed in the housing, leaving the proximal region of the electrically non-conductive substrate being configured to be exposed to water flow.
27 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 26 , wherein the dynamic mode does not include use of a silver chloride reference electrode.
28 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 26 , further comprising:
electronics interfaced with the printed circuit board to provide power and excitation patterns to the circuit and sensor assembly.
29 . The sensor and housing assembly according to claim 28 , wherein the electronics and the circuit and sensor assembly are configured to operate the working, counter, and reference electrodes according to the dynamic mode.