A Multi-Variable Sensing Platform for Water Quality Monitoring in the Distribution Network
Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Sophomore
Major
Computer/Electrical Engineering Technology
Institution
Morehead State University
KY House District #
96
KY Senate District #
18
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Dr. Cheng Cheng
Department
Department of Engineering and Technology Management
Abstract
It is critically important to public health and homeland security that water utilities have the potential to detect contaminants (either natural or artificial, and accidental or deliberate) in a distribution water system in near to real time. In order to be able to safeguard the public, there is a clear need to be able to rapidly detect (and respond) to instances of accidental (or deliberate) contamination, due to the potentially severe consequences to public health and safety. Despite recent advances in biological monitors and microsensor technologies, there is no universal monitor for water quality monitoring and contaminant detection.
In this work, a multi-variable sensing platform is presented to monitor the quality of water in the distribution network. More reliable quality monitoring is achieved due to the large spatially distributed deployment and the possibility of correlating the quality measurements from various locations. This platform is controlled by Arduino ATmega2560 development board. Multiple sensors measuring the water temperature, pH, dielectric constant and electrical conductivity are integrated into the board. Water temperature and pH are evaluated by commercially available sensors, and dielectric constant and electrical conductivity are measured by a newly developed sensor. This innovative sensor utilizes integrated circuit (IC) ADuCM355 to add an AC signal on an interdigitated electrodes (IDE) that are immersed into water. Based on the measured impedance of water, dielectric constant and electrical conductivity can be extracted and measured. Therefore, by recording and documenting the measured data continuously, the spatiotemporal multi-parametric data collected can be fused and analyzed to reach complex decisions concerning the quality of drinking water.
A Multi-Variable Sensing Platform for Water Quality Monitoring in the Distribution Network
It is critically important to public health and homeland security that water utilities have the potential to detect contaminants (either natural or artificial, and accidental or deliberate) in a distribution water system in near to real time. In order to be able to safeguard the public, there is a clear need to be able to rapidly detect (and respond) to instances of accidental (or deliberate) contamination, due to the potentially severe consequences to public health and safety. Despite recent advances in biological monitors and microsensor technologies, there is no universal monitor for water quality monitoring and contaminant detection.
In this work, a multi-variable sensing platform is presented to monitor the quality of water in the distribution network. More reliable quality monitoring is achieved due to the large spatially distributed deployment and the possibility of correlating the quality measurements from various locations. This platform is controlled by Arduino ATmega2560 development board. Multiple sensors measuring the water temperature, pH, dielectric constant and electrical conductivity are integrated into the board. Water temperature and pH are evaluated by commercially available sensors, and dielectric constant and electrical conductivity are measured by a newly developed sensor. This innovative sensor utilizes integrated circuit (IC) ADuCM355 to add an AC signal on an interdigitated electrodes (IDE) that are immersed into water. Based on the measured impedance of water, dielectric constant and electrical conductivity can be extracted and measured. Therefore, by recording and documenting the measured data continuously, the spatiotemporal multi-parametric data collected can be fused and analyzed to reach complex decisions concerning the quality of drinking water.