WET News

14 WET NEWS AUGUST 2018 | wwtonline.co.uk Smooth operator There are various problems associated with ine cient net- work operation, including mains bursts, supply interrup- tions, leakage and wasted energy. A number of technologi- cal solutions are available to gather and act on data to deliver superior e ciency while o er- ing additional bene ts such as predicting problems and extending asset life. Here we examine some of the available options. PIPEMINDER (Syrinix) PIPEMINDER from Syrinix is an end-to-end solution that ena- bles data-driven decisions con- cerning infrastructure and net- work behaviour, from high-resolution pressure log- ging to leak detection. PIPEMINDER-S is a smart pressure monitoring tool for clean water that o ers high-res- olution data with intelligent and immediate noti cations of net- work events. Measuring pres- sure continuously at 128 sam- ples per second, it can highlight patterns of events such as tran- sients or 'water hammer', and is also capable of recognising oscillations that cause pipeline fatigue. The equipment integrates into RADAR, a cloud-based por- tal for data analysis. Along with automated email or SMS alerts for critical events, RADAR can also export data via FTP into utility SCADA systems. Meanwhile, PIPEMINDER-T is a leak detection system specif- ically for large diameter pipe- lines in critical locations. It pro- vides early warning identi cation of emerging and emergent leaks, o‹ en the pre- cursor to a catastrophic failure Servelec o ers an end-to-end water solution for the network Syrinix Pipeminder is one tech solution for a smoother network Œ INSIGHT WATER NETWORKS Numerous new technologies can help improve network operation, ensuring water is delivered at the correct pressure and minimising bursts and wastage By Robin Hackett and incorporates a geophone to detect vibro-acoustic signals within the pipeline, a hydro- phone to detect signals in the water, and signi cant data anal- ysis to locate incipient leaks. End-to-end water solution (Servelec Technologies) Servelec Technologies' end-to- end solution uses hardware and so‹ ware to improve water net- work operation by simplifying automation tasks and exploiting data in real-time. The solution typically incor- porates three main components: the Seprol range of remote telemetry units (RTUs) for data acquisition; SCOPE, a scalable SCADA platform that o ers a secure platform for monitoring and controlling a diverse range of assets; and OptiMISER, the real-time automated water net- work control so‹ ware. Wessex Water, the rst com- pany to implement the end-to- end solution, is now using Opti- MISER in its £230 million water supply grid, which was com- pleted in March this year. The so‹ ware manages the transfer of water in several directions along the trunk main by auto- matically controlling pumps and valves based on demand and the telemetry data col- lected. Servelec Technologies expects OptiMISER to deliver annual electrical and chemical cost savings of 10 to 15 per cent on the grid. The end-to-end solution can be improved further through the company's complementary so‹ - ware products, which include the self-learning leakage-detec- tion system Datective FlowSure – which aims to predict network events before they happen – and web-based decision sup- port so‹ ware PIONEER, which informs planning decisions for all operational asset types. Demand Driven Distribution (Grundfos) Danish pump manufacturer and water solutions company Grundfos' Demand Driven Dis- tribution system uses pressure management to reduce leakage losses, increase energy e - ciency and cut down operation and maintenance costs. Pressure management involves managing system pres- sures to optimal levels to ensure they are e cient without becoming excessive, which eliminates the transients and faulty level controls that cause unnecessary leakage. Demand Driven Distribution sees the installation of bat- tery-driven network pressure sensors in critical areas of the distribution network to provide accurate measurements, with data transmitted once a day, allowing for low energy use and long lifespan. A pumping sta- tion then acts on the data to keep the pressure optimal, with the option to lower pressure at times of lower usage, such as at night. Grundfos says lowering pres- sure at night can reduce burst rates by 50 per cent, while the system can reduce leakage over- all by up to 20 per cent, depend- ing on pipe materials and types of leak, and that it helps to defer the need to renew assets. It is also capable of cutting energy costs. The company cites the examples of Bucharest, which saw energy consumption reduce by around 15 per cent, Skagen in Denmark, which saw a drop of around 17 per cent, and Talca in Chile, which saw a fall of around 28 per cent a‹ er installing the system in 2013. Aquasuite OPIR (Royal HaskoningDHV) OPIR optimises operation of water production and distribu- tion facilities by predicting future drinking water consump- tion 72 hours in advance, using machine learning and¡ AI to assess demand patterns. Part of Royal Haskoning- DHV's Aquasuite range of smart water solutions, the system is designed to achieve more stable production £ ow, reducing pres- sure in the distribution network and minimising variations in water quality. The control so‹ ware – which connects to the existing SCADA system to take real-time meas- urements and send setpoints – uses an adaptive short-term forecasting model to predict water demand in each supply area of the system. The water demand Smooth operator Syrinix Pipeminder is one tech solution for a smoother network

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