Proportional chemical feeding system

Claim 2

In a treatment system for pumping a liquid into receiving means, said treatment system comprising tank means holding said liquid and having an outlet and controllable pump means having an inlet for cyclically pumping said liquid into said line receiving means, the improvement comprising a calibration/measuring system for determining the volume of said liquid pumped each cycle of operation by said pump means and for controlling the operation of said pump means in response thereto, said calibration/measuring system comprising first and second sensor means, hollow container means connected to the outlet of said tank means and in fluid communication therewith for receiving said liquid from said tank means, measuring means, and control means, said hollow container means having an outlet connected to the inlet of said pump means and in fluid communication therewith to serve as the supply of said liquid to said pump means, said tank means serving to selectively provide said liquid to said container means, said pump means pumping said liquid from said container means into said receiving means, said first sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a first signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a first position and said second sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a second signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a second position located below said first position, said container means defining a first predetermined volume between said first and second positions, said control means establishing a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said pump means to pump said first predetermined volume from said container means into said receiving means and for providing a third signal indicative thereof, said measuring means responsive to said first and second signals for determining the actual number of cycles of said pump means required to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means and for providing a fourth signal indicative thereof, said control means comparing said third and fourth signals and providing an output signal responsive thereto, said pump means being controlled in response to said output signal.

Claim 3

The calibration/measuring system of claim 1 wherein said treatment system includes flow rate sensing means for determining the flow rate of said liquid in said line and for providing a seventh signal indicative thereof, said calibration/measuring system operating in response to said seventh signal to provide said output signal to control said pump means in response to changes in the flow rate of said liquid in said line.

Claim 4

The calibration/measuring system of claim 1 additionally comprising display means operatively coupled to said fourth signal for providing a display in response thereto.

Claim 5

The calibration/measuring system of claim 3 additionally comprising alarm means operatively coupled to said fourth signal for providing an alarm in response thereto.

Claim 6

In a treatment system for pumping a liquid into receiving means, said treatment system comprising tank means holding said liquid and having an outlet and controllable pump means having an inlet for cyclically pumping said liquid into said receiving means, the improvement comprising a calibration/measuring system for determining the volume of said liquid pumped each cycle of operation by said pump means, said calibration/measuring system comprising first and second sensor means, hollow container means connected to the outlet of said tank means and in fluid communication therewith for receiving said liquid from said tank means, measuring means, and control means, said hollow container means having an outlet connected to the inlet of said pump means and in fluid communication therewith to serve as the supply of said liquid to said pump means, said tank means serving to selectively provide said liquid to said container means, said pump means pumping said liquid from said container means into said receiving means, said first sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a first signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a first position and said second sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a second signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a second position located below said first position, said container means defining a first predetermined volume between said first and second positions, said control means establishing a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said pump means to pump said first predetermined volume from said container means into said receiving means and for providing a third signal indicative thereof, said measuring means responsive to said first and second signals for determining the actual number of cycles of operation of said pump means required to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means and for providing a fourth signal indicative thereof, said control means comparing said third and fourth signals and providing an output signal responsive thereto, said container means being filled by said liquid from said tank means to a third position above said first position and corresponding to the level of liquid in said tank means, said calibration/measuring system also determining the number of cycles of operation of said pump means necessary to cause the level of liquid in said container means to reach said first position from said third position and for providing a fifth signal indicative of said number of cycles.

Claim 7

In a treatment system for pumping a liquid into receiving means, said treatment system comprising tank means holding said liquid and having an outlet and controllable pump means having an inlet for cyclically pumping said liquid into said receiving means, the improvement comprising a calibration/measuring system for determining the volume of said liquid pumped each cycle of operation by said pump means, said calibration/measuring system comprising first and second sensor means, hollow container means connected to the outlet of said tank means and in fluid communication therewith for receiving said liquid from said tank means, measuring means, and control means, said hollow container means having an outlet connected to the inlet of said pump means and in fluid communication therewith to serve as the supply of said liquid to said pump means, said tank means serving to selectively provide said liquid to said container means, said pump means pumping said liquid from said container means into said receiving means, said first sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a first signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a first position and said second sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a second signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a second position located below said first position, said container means defining a first predetermined volume between said first and second positions, said control means establishing a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said pump means to pump said first predetermined volume from said container means into said receiving means and for providing a third signal indicative thereof, said measuring means responsive to said first and second signals for determining the actual number of cycles of operation of said pump means required to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means and for providing a fourth signal indicative thereof, said control means comparing said third and fourth signals and providing an output signal responsive thereto, said container means being filled by said liquid from said tank means to a third position above said first position and corresponding to the level of liquid in said tank means, said calibration/measuring system also determining the number of cycles of operation of said pump means necessary to cause the level of liquid in said container means to reach said first position from said third position and for providing a fifth signal indicative of said number of cycles.

Claim 8

The calibration/measuring system of claim 5 wherein the volume of liquid per unit length of said container means is known and is correlated to the shape of said tank means, said control means providing a sixth signal indicative of the volume of liquid in said tank means in response to said fifth signal.

Claim 9

In a treatment system for pumping a liquid into receiving means, said treatment system comprising tank means holding said liquid and having an outlet and controllable pump means having an inlet for cyclically pumping said liquid into said receiving means, the improvement comprising a calibration/measuring system for determining the volume of said liquid pumped each cycle of operation by said pump means, said calibration/measuring system comprising first and second sensor means, hollow container means connected to the outlet of said tank means and in fluid communication therewith for receiving said liquid from said tank means, measuring means, and control means, said hollow container means having an outlet connected to the inlet of said pump means and in fluid communication therewith to serve as the supply of said liquid to said pump means, said tank means serving to selectively provide said liquid to said container means, said pump means pumping said liquid from said container means into said receiving means, said first sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a first signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a first position and said second sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a second signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a second position located below said first position, said container means defining a first predetermined volume between said first and second positions, said control means establishing a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said pump means to pump said first predetermined volume from said container means into said receiving means and for providing a third signal indicative thereof, said measuring means responsive to said first and second signals for determining the actual number of cycles of operation of said pump means required to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means and for providing a fourth signal indicative thereof, said control means comparing said third and fourth signals and providing an output signal responsive thereto, said calibration/measuring system additionally comprising means for determining the specific gravity of said liquid.

Claim 10

In a treatment system for pumping a liquid into receiving means, said treatment system comprising tank means holding said liquid and having an outlet and controllable pump means having an inlet for cyclically pumping said liquid into said receiving means, the improvement comprising a calibration/measuring system for determining the volume of said liquid pumped each cycle of operation by said pump means, said calibration/measuring system comprising first and second sensor means, hollow container means connected to the outlet of said tank means and in fluid communication therewith for receiving said liquid from said tank means, measuring means, and control means, said hollow container means having an outlet connected to the inlet of said pump means and in fluid communication therewith to serve as the supply of said liquid to said pump means, said tank means serving to selectively provide said liquid to said container means, said pump means pumping said liquid from said container means into said receiving means, said first sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a first signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a first position and said second sensor means being operatively coupled to said container means for providing a second signal when the level of liquid in said container means reaches a second position located below said first position, said container means defining a first predetermined volume between said first and second positions, said control means establishing a predetermined number of cycles of operation of said pump means to pump said first predetermined volume from said container means into said receiving means and for providing a third signal indicative thereof, said measuring means responsive to said first and second signals for determining the actual number of cycles of operation of said pump means required to pump said first predetermined volume into said receiving means and for providing a fourth signal indicative thereof, said control means comparing said third and fourth signals and providing an output signal responsive thereto, said calibration/measuring system additionally comprising means for determining the specific gravity of said liquid.

Claim 11

The calibration/measuring system of claim 7 wherein said specific gravity determining means comprises reference means located adjacent said container means for producing a detectable interface, the position of which with respect to the surface of the liquid in said container means being a function of the specific gravity of said liquid, said calibration/measuring system providing an eighth signal when said interface reaches said first position, said measuring means being responsive to said first and eighth signals for determining the number of cycles of said pump means to cause said interface to reach said first position, the volume of liquid per unit length of said container means being known by said calibration/measuring means, whereupon said calibration/measuring means provides a ninth signal indicative of the specific gravity of said liquid.

Claim 12

The calibration/measuring system of claim 8 wherein said reference means comprises a hydrometer including a portion defining said interface, and wherein said hydrometer is located within said container means and floating adjacent the surface of the liquid therein with the distance between said interface and the surface of said liquid being a function of the specific gravity of said liquid.

Claim 13

The calibration/measuring system of claim 9 wherein said first sensor means provides said first and eighth signals.

Claim 16

The method of claim 11 additionally comprising filling said container means with said liquid to a third position higher than said first position and corresponding to the level of liquid in said tank means, determining the number of cycles of operation of said pump necessary to cause the level of said liquid in said container means to reach the first position from said third position and providing a fifth signal indicative thereof.

Claim 17

The method of claim 12 wherein the volume of liquid per unit length of said container means is known and correlated to the shape of said tank means, whereupon the volume of liquid in said tank means is determined in response to said fifth signal.

Claim 18

The method of claim 11 additionally comprising determining the specific gravity of said liquid.

Claim 19

The method of claim 14 wherein the determination of the specific gravity of said liquid is accomplished by coupling reference means to said container means to produce a detectable interface whose position with respect to the surface of the liquid in said container means is a function of the specific gravity of said liquid, determining the number of cycles of operation of said pump to cause said interface to reach said first position and providing a ninth signal indicative thereof, determining the number of cycles of operation of said pump to cause said liquid surface to reach said first position and providing a tenth signal indicative thereof, providing an eleventh signal indicative of the volume of liquid per unit length of said container means, and providing a twelfth signal indicative of the specific gravity of said liquid in response to said ninth, tenth and eleventh signals.