The invention relates to a measuring device for the evaluation of physical and/or chemical properties of gases, fluids and/or solid materials with an arithmetic-logic unit which is connected to a sensor at a technical installation. The invention also relates to a method of evaluating physical and/or chemical properties of gases, fluids and/or solid materials, in which measurement data are passed on from a sensor at a technical installation to an arithmetic-logic unit.
A measuring device of this kind and method of this kind are generally known in the field of metrology. Measuring devices of this kind can be purchased commercially, in particular, for the analysis of fluids and/or gases.
In a measuring device of this kind, a pH value sensor, for example, is provided as the sensor which is immersed in a fluid to be analyzed. The raw data measured by the sensor are prepared by electrical circuitry for subsequent transfer to the arithmetic-logic unit as measurement data. With the aid of the arithmetic-logic unit, the measurement data can, for example, be displayed on a monitor.
In the case of larger technical installations, in particular, in the case of waste treatment plants or the like, for example, there is often a desire on the part of the plant operator not to want to be bothered further with the preparation of the measurement data provided by the sensor, but rather to have measurement data that have already been prepared. Finally, the plant operator wants to reduce his own expenses regarding the measurement data.
The object of the invention is to create a measuring device and a method for evaluating the physical and/or chemical properties of gases, fluids and/or solid materials, which entails a lowest possible expense for the plant operator.
The object is achieved according to the invention by means of a measuring device in that the arithmetic-logic unit and the sensor are linked by means of a communications medium and the arithmetic-logic unit and a piece of equipment at the technical installation are linked by means of an additional communications medium. In the case of a method for evaluating the properties of gases, fluids, and/or solid materials, the object is achieved according to the invention by the measurement data being transmitted over a communications medium from the sensor to the arithmetic-logic unit, by data and/or program packages being generated by the arithmetic-logic unit from the measurement data, and by the data and/or program packages being transmitted over a further communications medium from the arithmetic-logic unit to equipment at the technical installation.
The arithmetic-logic unit is intended to process the measurement data from the sensor. The arithmetic-logic unit communicates the fully prepared measurement data in the form of the data and/or program packages to the equipment at the technical facility. In the final analysis the data is sent to the plant operator. As a result of this method, it is possible that the plant operator need not have anything to do with the preparation of the measurement data. To do this, it is only necessary that the arithmetic-logic unit on which the processing of the measurement data takes place is not run by the plant operator but, for example, by a service provider. The plant operator then receives only the completed, prepared measurement data transmitted to his equipment from this service provider, for example, and he can accept and further analyze this prepared data immediately.
It is essential in the method of proceeding according to the invention that, on the one hand, an arithmetic-logic unit is in place which is intended specifically for preparing the transmitted measurement data and, that, on the other hand, equipment is in place in the technical facility which is independent of the arithmetic-logic unit, and to which the prepared measurement data in particular are communicated by the arithmetic-logic unit. Through this separation of the arithmetic-logic unit and the equipment, it is possible that the preparation of the measurement data can be contracted out by the plant operator to an external service provider, so that the plant operator himself needs to expend no additional effort on the preparation of the measurement data.
In advantageous embodiments of the measuring device according to the invention, or the method according to the invention, the arithmetic-logic unit and the sensor are linked with one another over a radio link and/or over a telephone connection and/or over an Internet and/or Intranet connection and/or over a communications link superposed on a power grid and/or similar. The measurement data is transmitted by radio and/or by telephone and/or over the Internet and/or Intranet and/or over a power grid and/or the like.
The link between the arithmetic-logic unit and the sensor over the communications medium, or the transmission of the measurement data over the communications medium, is achieved, therefore, with the assistance of one or more of the aforementioned communication means. The aforementioned communication means have the advantage that they do not have to be created completely from nothing, but are already in place at least partially or completely. For example, transmission of the measurement data by telephone can be achieved simply by providing a modem or similar at both ends of the telephone line, with the help of which the measurement data is fed into the telephone network or is picked up from it. Modems of this kind are known and can be purchased inexpensively on the market.
The same applies to the transmission of the measurement data over the Internet or Intranet. Here it is particularly advantageous if the sensor is employed as a so-called client and the arithmetic-logic unit as a so-called server. In this way there is minimal resulting expense for the setup of the Internet connection between the sensor and the arithmetic-logic unit.
An additional advantage of the aforementioned possibilities in communications media lies in the fact that with a telephone connection, for example, or an Internet connection, any locations whatsoever can be linked with each other. This means that the measurement data can be transmitted anywhere at all. In comparison to the known, closed-circuit measuring device, this represents a substantial advantage with respect to the flexibility and utility of the present invention.
It is advantageous if the arithmetic-logic unit and the equipment are linked by a mail service and/or over a radio link and/or over a telephone connection and/or over an Internet connection and/or over an Intranet connection and/or over a communications link superposed on a power grid. The data and/or program packages are then communicated by mail and/or transmitted by radio and/or by telephone and/or over the Internet or Intranet and/or over a power grid and/or the link.
In this way, as already explained, already existing communications media are utilized for the measuring device according to the invention. This brings with it the advantage of a simple and inexpensive setup for the measuring device.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the measuring device according to the invention, several sensors are linked with the arithmetic-logic unit over a multiplexer or the like. For this, known commercial multiplexers, or demultiplexers respectively, can be used, which can be obtained as hardware products or also as a software module. With the assistance of the multiplexers, or demultiplexers, the measurement data can then be transmitted from the sensors to the arithmetic-logic unit.
It is particularly advantageous if the arithmetic-logic unit is implemented in the form of a personal computer. This means that no special arithmetic-logic unit is required, which has to be purchased at great expense. Instead, a standard commercially available personal computer can be bought and used. The program packages which are required for the analysis of the measurement data generated by the sensors, for example, can be installed on the personal computer. Similarly, program packages can be installed on the personal computer, which are suitable for generating lists of the measurement data or similar, for example.
The personal computer can be equipped, for example, very simply with a modem or the like, with which the transmission of the measurement data from the sensor(s) to the personal computer can be accomplished. The purpose of the modem can be to set up a telephone connection, but it is likewise possible to set up an Internet and/or an Intranet connection with the help of the modem.
Through the use of the personal computer, all the possibilities are opened up which are available in connection with a personal computer of this kind and are available for purchase. The measuring device according to the invention can be expanded in a simple and inexpensive way and adapted to the specific conditions of its application.
The use of the measuring device according to the invention is particularly practical in the analysis of fluid and/or gas and/or in measuring humidity in fluids and/or gases.
Additional features, potential applications and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description of practical examples of the invention, which are shown in the drawing. All the features described or portrayed in themselves or in combined in whole or part form the subject of the invention, independently of their summary in the patent claims or the retroactive references therein and independently of their formulation or representation in the description or in the drawing.