1. A method of constructing a water collection system comprising the steps of:
excavating earthen material within a predefined region to a desired depth for creating an excavated ground area;
depositing an under-layer of material on the excavated ground area to provide a bed on which the water collection system may be constructed;
erecting a waterproof lower barrier above the bed of said excavated ground area, said lower barrier defining a water holding space of a containment vessel;
depositing load-bearing objects within said water holding space above said waterproof lower barrier;
installing an inlet permitting flow of collected water into said holding space;
installing an outlet that permits flow of collected water out of said holding space;
installing an upper barrier above said plurality of load-bearing objects;
erecting a load-bearing structure above said upper barrier in a manner such that said load-bearing objects provide structural support for said structure.
2. A water storage system for collecting and retaining water for redistribution, the system comprising:
a collection system adapted to collect water from rain, irrigation andor other drainage water moving under force of gravity;
at least one containment vessel formed by a waterproof barrier and having an interior surface for retaining collected water within a retention space, said barrier being positioned above load bearing earthen material in a configuration that defines said retention space for retaining collected water;
at least one water inlet in fluid communication with said retention space for directing water into said retention space;
at least one water outlet in fluid communication with said retention space for directing water out of said retention space;
a collection conduit in fluid communication between said collection system and said at least one water inlet for providing a water communication path from said collection system to said at least one inlet and, thereby, to said retention space of said at least one containment vessel;
a distribution conduit providing a communication path from said at least one outlet of said at least one containment vessel for distribution of water retained in said retention space of said at least one containment vessel; and
a plurality of load-bearing objects positioned within said retention space, said load-bearing objects bearing against each other within said retention space in a manner to transmit load-bearing support from said load-bearing earthen materials to portions of a load bearing structure positioned above said retention space, such that said load-bearing materials and said load-bearing objects cooperate to provide structural support to said portions of said load-bearing structure;
said plurality of load-bearing objects further having surfaces that cooperate to define interstitial spaces between said load-bearing objects, said interstitial spaces being sufficient to hold collected water directed into said retention space by said at least one water inlet, and at least some of said interstitial spaces being in fluid communication with each other to allow retained water to flow within and be distributed from said retention space.
3. The system of claim 2 further comprising at least one collection device adapted to collect water, said at least one collection device in communication with said collection conduit system.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein said at least one collection device comprises at least one gutter member.
5. The system of claim 3 wherein said water collection system comprises at least one grate positioned over said at least one device.
6. The system of claim 2 further comprising at least one water distribution device.
7. The system of claim 2 wherein said distribution conduit system comprises at least one pipe andor at least one hose.
8. The system of claim 2 wherein said load-bearing objects comprises at least one of wash gravel, crushed granite, andor crushed marble.
9. The system of claim 2 further comprising a pump connected to said distribution conduit system for pumping water from said retention space through said at least one water outlet.
10. The system of claim 2 wherein said distribution conduit system is in communication with a water supply external to said containment vessel.
11. The system of claim 2 wherein said at least one containment vessel comprises at least two interconnected containment vessels.
12. The system of claim 2 wherein said collection conduit system comprises at least one downspout.
13. The system of claim 2 wherein said containment vessel is one of a pre-formed rigid vessel having polymer plastic walls, a bladder, and an open-topped basin.
14. The system of claim 2 wherein said waterproof barrier of said at least one containment vessel comprises a lower barrier installed on the bottom and sides of a ground area; and an upper barrier placed over said load-bearing objects.
15. The system of claim 2 wherein said structure comprises one of a concrete slab, a pier-and-beam foundation, and a driveway.
16. The water collection system of claim 2 wherein said structure comprises a concrete slab.
17. The water collection system of claim 2 wherein said structure comprises a pier-and-beam foundation.
18. The system of claim 2 wherein said structure comprises a driveway and said collection conduit system comprises at least one channel associated with said driveway.
19. A water collection and storage system comprising:
at least one gutter member installed along eaves of a roof structure to receive water flowing therefrom;
at least one downspout having a first end and a second end, said first end being connected to said at least one gutter member;
at least one containment vessel having a waterproof barrier defining the shape thereof and in communication with said second end of said at least one downspout;
load-bearing objects contained within an interior chamber of said at least one containment vessel;
a foundation positioned over said at least one containment vessel in a manner such that said foundation is supported in part by said load-bearing objects; and
at least one water distribution device in fluid communication with said at least one containment vessel.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for measuring the mass of particulate matter in a particle laden gas stream, comprising:
a mass detector;
first means for providing a particle free gas stream otherwise substantially identical to said particle laden gas stream;
switching means for causing said particle laden gas stream and said particle free gas stream to alternately engage said mass detector during successive measurement time periods; and
second means for determining a difference between a first reading provided by the mass detector for a current measurement time period and a second reading provided by the mass detector for a successive measurement time period, which difference intrinsically corrects for volatilization losses occurring during the current measurement time period, and for determining from said difference a measure of the mass or concentration of particulate matter in the particle laden gas stream.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first means comprises particle removal means for removing substantially all particulate matter from said particle laden gas stream to provide said particle free gas stream.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said particle removal means removes said particulate matter from said particle laden gas stream while maintaining gas stream temperature, pressure and flow rate substantially the same.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said particle removal means comprises an electrostatic precipitator.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said electrostatic precipitator operates in a low current, positive corona mode.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a dryer for reducing water vapor in the particle laden gas stream and in the particle free gas stream.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a reading provided by the mass detector comprises a mass rate rating.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mass detector comprises an oscillating element microbalance.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switching means causes:
(a) the particle laden gas stream to engage the mass detector during each of odd numbered ones of the successive measurement time periods, and
(b) said particle free gas stream to engage the mass detector during each of even numbered ones of the successive measurement time periods; and
wherein, when the detector is engaged by the particle laden gas stream, the detector measures mass gain, and, when the detector is engaged by the particle free gas stream, the detector measures mass loss; and
wherein the second means effectively adds the measured mass loss to the measured mass gain to determine the measure of the mass or concentration of the particulate matter in the particle laden gas stream.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the mass lost represents mass of volatile component of said particulate matter.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of said successive measurement time periods lasts for no more than about fifteen minutes.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of said successive measurement time periods lasts for no more than about a minute.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said measure of the mass of particulate matter in the particle laden gas stream comprises a corrected mass concentration determined in accordance with the following relationships:
(1)n1(mBt)n(1)n(mAt)n(mt)n
and
2
(
MC
)
n
=
(
m
t
)
n
(
1
F
)
=
m
V
n
where:
t represents a time interval of a measurement time period,
n represents a measurement time period index,
for even n’s, the particle free gas stream engages the mass detector, and
for odd n’s, the particle laden gas stream engages the mass detector,
mAt represents mass rate measured by the mass detector during an odd n measurement time period,
mBt represents mass rate measured by the mass detector during an even n measurement time period,
mt represents corrected mass rate,
Vn represents the volume of gas sampled during measurement period n,
F represents flow, and
MC represents corrected mass concentration.
14. Apparatus for measuring the mass of particulate matter, including volatile components thereof, in a particle laden gas stream, comprising:
a mass detector;
means for directing said stream to continually engage said mass detector;
particle removal means upstream of said mass detector for removing substantially all particulate matter from said stream when said particle removal means is activated;
control means for activating said particle removal means for alternate successive measurement time periods; and
second means for determining a difference between a first reading provided by the mass detector for a current measurement time period and a second reading provided by the mass detector for a successive measurement time period, which difference intrinsically corrects for volatilization losses occurring during the current measurement time period, and for determining from said difference a measure of the mass or concentration of particulate matter in the particle laden gas stream.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said particle removal means comprises an electrostatic precipitator.
16. In a particle mass measurement method in which a particle laden gas stream engages a mass detector, the mass detector collects a current particle sample from said stream during a current measurement time period and measures mass gain due thereto, the improvement comprising:
measuring, with said mass detector during a consecutive time period, a loss of mass due to volatilization of collected volatile particles for said current measurement time period; and
determining a corrected particle mass measurement for said current measurement time period by adding said measured loss of mass to said measured mass gain.
17. The improved method of claim 16 wherein said mass detector provides an inertia-based measurement of said mass gain and of said loss of mass.