Patent ID: 6555379
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: B23Q,G01N,Y02A,Y10T

Abstract:
An apparatus for monitoring a processing liquid, said apparatus comprising:at least one processing tank; a closed chamber; at least one sensor for measuring a parameter of said processing liquid and generating a monitoring signal indicative of the condition of said liquid; a device for maintaining the operability of said at least one sensor; a signal processor for receiving said monitoring signal from said sensor, evaluating the condition of said processing liquid based on said monitoring signal and generating a control signal based on the condition of said processing liquid; and a device responsive to said control signal for adjusting the composition of said processing liquid on the basis of specified criteria or nominal quantities; wherein said sensor is an oxygen sensor mounted in said closed chamber into which said processing liquid can be introduced, and said sensor measures oxygen consumption in said processing liquid as a function of temperature, and said signal processor determines an aerobic microorganism content of said processing liquid based on the measured oxygen consumption and the temperature; and wherein said closed chamber is separate from said at least one processing tank.