Detect the turbidity

Hello good day!
I need a simple circuit to detect the turbidity of the reuse water from the washing machine, that is, discard the 1st water and reuse the others, a very simple circuit for a low-income community. Thank you Marcos

Marcos Loyola wrote:
> Hello good day! I need a simple circuit to detect the turbidity of
> the reuse water from the washing machine, that is, discard the 1st
> water and reuse the others, a very simple circuit for a low-income
> community. Thank you Marcos
> 

On a good day, you can measure the turbidity using an Arduino, a LED, a
phototransistor, and a resistor.

The problem normally has more to do with how to keep the optical window
clean.(*)  That might be easier with a clothes washer, because the flow
is pretty strong and frequently has a lot of detergent and bubbles,
which should help.

It'll need some experimenting, though.

How high-tech is your setup?  I assume you have a storage tank, but how
does the water get in and out, and how is that controlled?

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

(*) If you have the time, and a nearby library can get a copy, Mark
Johnson's "Photodetection and Measurement" is an excellent read.  Mark
was the head of quality assurance for a bit water utility in England,
and really knows turbidity measurements.  A lot of it is quite
accessible at hobbyist level.

-- 
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal Consultant
ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics
Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510

http://electrooptical.net
http://hobbs-eo.com

On Wednesday, August 24, 2022 at 3:54:04 PM UTC-3, Phil Hobbs wrote:
> Marcos Loyola wrote: 
> > Hello good day! I need a simple circuit to detect the turbidity of 
> > the reuse water from the washing machine, that is, discard the 1st 
> > water and reuse the others, a very simple circuit for a low-income 
> > community. Thank you Marcos 
> >
> On a good day, you can measure the turbidity using an Arduino, a LED, a 
> phototransistor, and a resistor. 
> 
> The problem normally has more to do with how to keep the optical window 
> clean.(*) That might be easier with a clothes washer, because the flow 
> is pretty strong and frequently has a lot of detergent and bubbles, 
> which should help. 
> 
> It'll need some experimenting, though. 
> 
> How high-tech is your setup? I assume you have a storage tank, but how 
> does the water get in and out, and how is that controlled? 
> 
> Cheers 
> 
> Phil Hobbs 
> 
> (*) If you have the time, and a nearby library can get a copy, Mark 
> Johnson's "Photodetection and Measurement" is an excellent read. Mark 
> was the head of quality assurance for a bit water utility in England, 
> and really knows turbidity measurements. A lot of it is quite 
> accessible at hobbyist level. 
> 
> -- 
> Dr Philip C D Hobbs 
> Principal Consultant 
> ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics 
> Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics 
> Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 
> 
> http://electrooptical.net 
> http://hobbs-eo.com
Grateful for the feedback