Detecting vacuum presure and anomalous cylcing in a vacuum sewer system

Abstract

An example apparatus is for use in a system that includes a sewage pit, a suction pipe in the sewage pit, and a valve between the suction pipe and a vacuum pipe that connects to a sewer system. The apparatus includes a controller configured to perform operations that include: detecting a vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe, determining that the vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe is below a predefined pressure, and preventing the valve from opening in response to determining that the vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe is below the predefined pressure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for use in a system comprised of a sewage pit, a suction pipe in the sewage pit, and a valve between the suction pipe and a vacuum pipe that connects to a sewer system, the apparatus comprising:
 a controller configured to perform operations comprising:
 detecting a vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe; 
 determining that the vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe is below a predefined pressure; and 
 preventing the valve from opening in response to determining that the vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe is below the predefined pressure. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise:
 determining that the vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe is above the predefined pressure; and   controlling a duration that the valve is open based on a magnitude of the vacuum pressure above the predefined pressure.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the operations comprise:
 opening the valve for a first duration if the magnitude of the vacuum pressure is within a first range; and   opening the valve for a second duration if the magnitude of the vacuum pressure is within a second range;   wherein the second range includes vacuum pressures that are below vacuum pressures in the first range; and   wherein the second duration is longer than the first duration.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the operations comprise:
 determining the duration based on the vacuum pressure.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the operations comprise:
 determining the duration based on the vacuum pressure and based on vacuum pressures experienced by one or more other sewage pits in the sewer system.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise receiving data from a remote computing system indicating a presence of a waterlog in the sewer system; and
 wherein the valve is prevented from opening based also on the data received from the remote computing system.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the operations comprise:
 receiving data from the remote computing system indicating that the waterlog has cleared; and   controlling the valve to open based on the data indicating that the waterlog has cleared.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for use in a system comprised of a sewage pit, a suction pipe in the sewage pit, and a valve between the suction pipe and a vacuum pipe that connects to a sewer system, the apparatus comprising:
 a controller configured to perform operations comprising:
 detecting a waterlog in the sewer system that affects the sewage pit; and 
 preventing the valve from opening in response to identifying the waterlog. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein detecting the waterlog comprises:
 detecting a vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe; and   determining that the vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe is below a predefined pressure.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein detecting the waterlog comprises:
 receiving data from a remote computing system indicating a presence of the waterlog.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein, absent a waterlog, the operations comprise:
 detecting a vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe;   opening the valve for a first duration if a magnitude of the vacuum pressure is within a first range; and   opening the valve for a second duration if the magnitude of the vacuum pressure is within a second range;   wherein the second range includes vacuum pressures that are below vacuum pressures in the first range; and   wherein the second duration is longer than the first duration.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the operations comprise:
 controlling the valve to evacuate the sewage pit as part of a sequence of evacuations of sewage pits in the sewer system;   wherein the sequence comprises evacuating sewage pits starting with a first sewage pit that is closest to a vacuum station physically and that previously reported a vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe that is below a predefined value and then evacuating sewage pits that are successively less close to the vacuum station physically until a final sewage pit is reached that reports a vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe that exceeds the predefined value.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the operations comprise:
 receiving data from a remote computing system indicating that the waterlog has cleared;   wherein controller is configured to control the valve based on receipt of the data.   
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 a suction pipe extending into a sewage pit;   a valve between the suction pipe and a vacuum pipe connected to a sewer system, the vacuum pipe having vacuum pressure, the valve being controllable to open to allow content to flow from the sewage pit, through the suction pipe, and into the vacuum pipe;   a sensor to detect the vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe; and   a controller to compare the vacuum pressure to a predefined pressure and to control the valve not to open in a case that the vacuum pressure is less than the predefined pressure.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the sensor is part of the controller. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:
 determining that the vacuum pressure in the vacuum pipe is above the predefined pressure; and   controlling a duration that the valve is open based on a magnitude of the predefined pressure above the predefined pressure.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the operations comprise:
 opening the valve for a first duration if the magnitude of the vacuum pressure is within a first range; and   opening the valve for a second duration if the magnitude of the vacuum pressure is within a second range;   wherein the second range includes vacuum pressures that are below vacuum pressures in the first range; and   wherein the second duration is longer than the first duration.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the operations comprise:
 determining the duration based on the vacuum pressure.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the operations comprise:
 determining the duration based on the vacuum pressure and based on vacuum pressures experienced by one or more other sewage pits in the sewer system.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising receiving data from a remote computing system indicating a presence of the waterlog; and
 wherein the valve is prevented from opening based also on the data received from the remote computing system.   
     
     
         21 - 50 . (canceled)