System for monitoring coastal underground water

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9964425-B2
Application number	US-201213699715-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2012
Priority date	Apr 26, 2012
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A system for monitoring coastal underground water is disclosed. The system includes a freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device that is inserted into an observation well used for observing coastal underground water and can move on a freshwater/saltwater interface according to a change of buoyancy; and a first measuring sensor that is inserted into the observation well so as to be placed at a position above the freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device and has a distance measuring unit used for measuring a first distance between the freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device and the first measuring sensor, wherein the first measuring sensor has a first signal output unit used for outputting a signal indicative of the measured first distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring coastal underground water, comprising:
a freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device that is inserted into an observation well used for observing coastal underground water and can move on a freshwater/saltwater interface according to a change of buoyancy; and
a first measuring sensor that is inserted into the observation well so as to be placed at a position above the freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device and has a distance measuring unit used for measuring a first distance between the freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device and the first measuring sensor,
and
a second measuring sensor inserted into the observation well so as to be placed in air, wherein the first measuring sensor has a first signal output unit used for outputting a signal indicative of the measured first distance,
wherein the first measuring sensor includes a water pressure measuring unit used for measuring a water pressure,
wherein the second measuring sensor includes an atmospheric pressure measuring unit used for measuring atmospheric pressure, and
wherein the second measuring sensor includes a second signal output unit used for outputting data of the measured atmospheric pressure,
wherein a freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device, comprising a buoyancy inducing unit comprising a pipe having an internal space, the buoyancy inducing unit being closed on a lower end thereof;
a sealing cap removably coupled to an upper end of the buoyancy inducing unit;
a variable metal member attached to a top of the sealing cap wherein the variable metal member includes multiple metal blades arranged in the horizontal plane defined by the top of the sealing cap and wherein the multiple metal blades are to be folded or unfolded in a circumferential direction so that the size of the variable metal member is extendable or contractible depending on a diameter of the underground water monitoring well.

2. The system for monitoring coastal underground water as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the distance measuring unit includes a sound wave generator and a sound wave receiver or a laser generator and a laser receiver.

3. The system for monitoring coastal underground water as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
a monitor used for monitoring a freshwater lens thickness or a freshwater/saltwater interface depth using both data outputted from the first signal output unit and data outputted from the second signal output unit.

4. The system for monitoring coastal underground water set forth in claim 3 , wherein the monitor includes an alarm unit used for raising an alarm when the freshwater lens thickness is less than a preset value or the freshwater/saltwater interface depth is greater than the reference preset value.

5. A system for monitoring coastal underground water, comprising:
a freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device that is inserted into an observation well used for observing coastal underground water and can move on a freshwater/saltwater interface according to a change of buoyancy;
a first measuring sensor that is inserted into the observation well so as to be placed at a position above the freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device and includes a distance measuring unit used for measuring a first distance between the freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device and the first measuring sensor and includes a water pressure measuring unit used for measuring water pressure;
a second measuring sensor including an atmospheric pressure measuring unit used for measuring atmospheric pressure;
a water surface measuring sensor used for measuring an underground water surface; and
a monitor that includes: a data base used for storing data measured by the first measuring sensor, data measured by the second measuring sensor and data measured by the water surface measuring sensor; a data operation unit used for operating the data stored in the data base; a compare unit used for comparing a value operated by the data operation unit with a preset value; and an alarm unit used for raising an alarm when the compare unit determines that the value operated by the data operation unit is less than the preset value,
wherein the data operation unit determines a second distance between the underground water surface and the first measuring sensor, which was measured by the water surface measuring sensor, using both the water pressure measured by the water pressure measuring unit of the first measuring sensor and the atmospheric pressure measured by the second measuring sensor, and determines a freshwater lens thickness by adding the first distance to the second distance,
wherein a freshwater/saltwater interface position tracking device, comprising:
a buoyancy inducing unit comprising a pipe having an internal space, the buoyancy inducing unit being closed on a lower end thereof;
a sealing cap removably coupled to an upper end of the buoyancy inducing unit;
a variable metal member attached to a top of the sealing cap wherein the variable metal member includes multiple metal blades arranged in the horizontal plane defined by the top of the sealing cap and wherein the multiple metal blades are to be folded or unfolded in a circumferential direction so that the size of the variable metal member is extendable or contractible depending on a diameter of the underground water monitoring well.

6. The system for monitoring coastal underground water as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the data operation unit determines a second distance between the underground water surface and the first measuring sensor, which was measured by the water surface measuring sensor, using both the water pressure measured by the water pressure measuring unit of the first measuring sensor and the atmospheric pressure measured by the second measuring sensor, and determines a freshwater lens thickness by adding the first distance to the second distance.

Assignees

• Kim Yongcheol
• Hee Yoon Sung
• Korea Inst Geoscience & Mineral Resources

Inventors

• Kim Yongcheol
• Hee Yoon Sung

Classifications

• G01F23/76

  characterised by the construction of the float · CPC title

• G01F23/0038 Primary

  using buoyant probes (with floats G01F23/30 - G01F23/76) · CPC title

• G01F23/68 Primary

  using electrically actuated indicating means · CPC title