Drain Safety and Pump Control Device with Verification

Abstract

A drain protection device and pump controller for pools, spas, fountains and other fluid containment and circulation systems has a vacuum sensor for sensing a level of vacuum present in the suction conduit leading to the pump(s). The vacuum level is monitored by a computer that controls a vent valve and the pump(s) to reduce the vacuum exerted at a drain. Vacuum criteria may be adjustable and empirically based. Control and monitoring may be verified.

1 . A fluid circulation system having a motor-driven pump, comprising:
 (A) a sensor for sensing operational parameters of the fluid circulation system indicative of the operational state of the pump;   (B) a computer for receiving the output of said sensor, said computer programmed with a control program and data representing a plurality of criteria values corresponding to a plurality of potential functional states of said pump, said program comparing sensor output to said criteria and selectively generating control outputs to said pump to control the operation of the pump and defining an intended pump state, said program checking output from said sensor to verify that an actual functional state of the pump is consistent with the intended pump state and terminating pump operation when an inconsistency exists.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the intended state of said pump is OFF and the output from said sensor has a value indicating a pump ON state, thereby representing an inconsistency. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the intended state of said pump is ON and the output from said sensor has a value indicating a pump OFF state, thereby representing an inconsistency. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said pump is a multi-speed pump, the intended state of said pump is low speed and the output from said sensor has a value indicating high speed. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said control program checks the output of said sensor after generating control output to said pump to change the functional state of said pump. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said control program checks the output of said sensor before generating control output to said pump to change the functional state of said pump. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said circulation system has a fluid receptacle with a fluid outlet through which fluid exits the receptacle, a fluid inlet for returning fluid to the receptacle, said pump moving the fluid from the fluid outlet to the fluid inlet, a suction conduit providing fluid communication between the fluid outlet and said pump and a return conduit providing fluid communication between the pump and the fluid inlet, further including a vent valve having at least two positions, a first position which fluidly connects the suction conduit to matter outside the suction conduit and a second position which isolates the suction conduit from matter outside the suction conduit; said program comparing sensor output to said criteria and selectively generating control output to said vent valve to control the position of the vent valve, such that when the actual functional state of the pump is inconsistent with the intended pump state, said vent valve is placed in the first position. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said sensor is a vacuum sensor which communicates with said suction conduit when said vent valve is in the second position. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , further including a plurality of pumps, and wherein said sensor senses operational parameters of the fluid circulation system indicative of the operational state of said plurality of pumps. 
   
   
       10 . A controller system for a fluid containment and circulation system having a fluid receptacle with a fluid outlet through which fluid exits the receptacle, a fluid inlet for returning fluid to the receptacle, a pump that moves the fluid from the fluid outlet to the fluid inlet, a suction conduit providing fluid communication between the fluid outlet and the pump and a return conduit providing fluid communication between the pump and the fluid inlet, comprising:
 (A) a sensor for sensing operational parameters of the fluid containment and circulation system indicative of the operational state thereof and producing corresponding output;   (B) a vent valve having at least two positions, a first position which fluidly connects the suction conduit to matter outside the suction conduit and a second position which isolates the suction conduit from matter outside the suction conduit;   (C) a computer for receiving the output of said sensor, said computer programmed with a program that compares the sensor output to at least one predetermined criteria and selectively generates first control output to said vent valve to control the position of said vent valve and to the pump to control the operation of the pump, based upon said sensor output, said computer testing output from said sensor after generating said first control output to verify that said first control output has resulted in achieving an intended functional state of said fluid containment and circulation system and said controller system associated with said first control output.   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sensed operational parameter is a level of vacuum present in the suction conduit and said sensor is a vacuum sensor. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the computer generates second control output to turn said pump OFF and open said vent valve when the intended functional state associated with said first control output is not verified. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12 , further including a perceptible alarm and wherein said second control output include an output to turn said alarm ON when the intended functional state is not verified. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the intended functional state is a reduction in pump output relative to a prior functional state and an expected associated sensed parameter is a reduced vacuum level relative to that which persisted prior to the control output intended to reduce pump output. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the reduction in pump output is to nil resulting in an expected corresponding vacuum level of approximately nil. 
   
   
       16 . A method for controlling a fluid pump in a fluid circulation system having a sensor for sensing operational parameters of the fluid circulation system indicative of the operational state of the pump, a computer for receiving the output of said sensor, the computer programmed with a control program and data representing a plurality of criteria values corresponding to a plurality of potential functional states of the pump, comprising the steps of:
 (A) the control program selectively generating control output to the pump to control the operation of the pump, thereby defining an intended pump state;   (B) the control program comparing output from the sensor to a criteria value to verify that the actual functional state of the pump is consistent with the intended pump state; and   (C) terminating pump operation when an inconsistency exists.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step (B) is conducted after a control output is generated to change the pump from an ON state to an OFF state, to verify that the previously running pump has actually been turned OFF. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step (B) is conducted before a control output is generated to change the pump from an OFF state to an ON state, to verify that the pump which was expected to be OFF based upon the program and the data pertaining to the state of the pump is actually OFF. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the sensor is a vacuum sensor and the criteria pertains to vacuum level. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the circulation system has a fluid receptacle with a fluid outlet through which fluid exits the receptacle, a fluid inlet for returning fluid to the receptacle, the pump moving the fluid from the fluid outlet to the fluid inlet, a suction conduit providing fluid communication between the fluid outlet and the pump and a return conduit providing fluid communication between the pump and the fluid inlet, a vent valve having at least two positions, a first position which fluidly connects the suction conduit to matter outside the suction conduit and a second position which isolates the suction conduit from matter outside the suction conduit, further comprising the step of generating a control output to said vent valve to place the vent valve into the first position when the actual functional state of the pump is inconsistent with the intended pump state. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the intended pump state is a state of being primed and further comprising the steps of measuring a first time required for achieving the state of being primed; recording the first time; using the recorded first time in a priming time criteria; subsequently running the system to achieve the state of prime and measuring a subsequent time to achieve the state of being primed; comparing the subsequent time to the priming time criteria; and invoking error processing if the subsequent time does not meet the priming time criteria. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the step of using includes expanding the first time with a tolerance range to define the priming time criteria. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , further including the step of adjusting the priming time criteria to adapt to changes in resistance to fluid flow. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the intended pump state is a state of being primed and said sensor is a vacuum sensor disposed in communication with a suction side of the pump and wherein said step of comparing includes comparing a present vacuum level indicated by the vacuum sensor to a prior vacuum level while the pump is priming to ascertain when the vacuum level stops increasing and recording the time as an endpoint in a time period defining a time for priming. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of utilizing a vacuum value present at the endpoint in the time for priming in calculating a vacuum criteria value. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the steps of calculating a priming time criteria by adding a range period to the period defining a time for priming and adding a vacuum range value to the vacuum value present at the endpoint in said step of calculating the vacuum criteria. 
   
   
       27 . A fluid circulation system having a motor-driven pump, comprising:
 (A) a sensor for sensing operational parameters of the fluid circulation system indicative of the operational state of the pump, including the pressure level present on the suction side of the pump;   (B) a computer for receiving the output of said sensor, said computer programmed with a control program and data representing a criteria value, said data at least partly derived from empirical data output from the sensor obtained from a first running of the system, said program comparing subsequent sensor output to said criteria value and selectively generating control outputs to said pump to control the operation of the pump, said criteria value being adjustable based upon the subsequent sensor output to adapt to changes in fluid flow resistance in the system.   
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the criteria is automatically adjusted so long as the resultant adjusted criteria value falls within a previously defined acceptable range.