Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1185716
Smart technology New leak detection technology is being used by SES Water to save money for customers and avoid the need for new infrastructure. Alec Peachey speaks to some of the people behind SmartBall. The Knowledge Innovation Zone J . Murphy & Sons Limited (Murphy) used SmartBall on a project in Surrey, to survey an existing water main for SES Water. The Murphy team worked closely with the Water Research Centre (WRc), Pure Technologies (a Xylem com- pany) and the client, SES Water. A…er using SmartBall - a rolling pipe inspection tool that uses acoustic and magnetic sensors to locate leaks and features in pipe mains - the initial results showed that the capacity of the pipeline could be increased without the need to install a new 2.5km long water pipe at a cost of £2.7 million. "Innovation is vital for us and a key part of our strategy in the future. It's about using our assets smarter and keep- ing costs down for customers. This was a great collaborative effort across all four companies to do just that," said Simon Thomson, project manager, SES Water. Murphy project manager, Kevin Mullan said that innovation with supply chain partners is one of the key driving points at Murphy. "We are always looking for the best ideas, technologies and partners to work with to deliver the best solutions for our clients. We were aware of the challenges we would face by building a new water pipe through third party land, so we looked hard for an alternative solution." The technology works by flowing through the main and using a variety of techniques to determine the condition of the main and makes an assessment upon its life expectancy. Steve Webber, commercial director frameworks at WRc, explains: "Smart- Ball is a free swimming tool specifically developed to allow the inspection of long lengths of water main, while the main is live, and is unaffected by increased drag as the survey distance increases. "SmartBall combines a number of sensors (acoustic, magnetic, accelerometer) set inside a small metallic sphere. These sen- sors collect data on the pipe as SmartBall moves through the section of water main being inspected. Acoustic data is used to detect leakage or gas (air) pockets on the pipeline, the magnetic sensors and accel- erometers are used to detect information on the pipe material and the line (route) of the pipe. "The small metallic sphere is placed inside a sphere-shaped foam jacket, form- ing SmartBall. It is inserted into the live main upstream end of the pipeline section being inspected and released. It rolls along the bottom of the pipe collecting data as it travels. At the downstream end of the surveyed section, the SmartBall is extracted using a catch net. The data is downloaded from SmartBall and analysed to provide the survey results. "The maximum survey length will be determined by the length of the pipe- line, the flow rate and other specific site considerations. The key to success with a SmartBall survey is careful and thorough planning. This will ensure the maximum benefit is gained from the surveys and that any risks are reduced." Inspecting pipelines Regular inspection of pipelines is of mas- sive importance not only in helping to reduce leakage but also in ensuring that assets are replaced when necessary. "Regular monitoring of the network enables better management of the assets to maximise their life and provides better all-round value to water companies and clients," remarked Mullan. "For contrac- tors like Murphy it also ensures that our main energies are focused on the areas of greatest need so that we are delivering the best services to our clients and their customers." Webber adds: "Evidence from Smart- Ball and other highly sensitive leak detec- tion techniques such as WRc's Sahara Inspection System shows that old, large diameter, cast iron pipelines – which form the majority of the UK trunk mains water network are prone to leakage at the joints. These leaks can go undetected for many years leading to a greater risk of cata- strophic failure and increasing water loss 24 | DECEMBER 2019 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk A er using the SmartBall technology SES Water discovered that there was no need to install a new 2.5km long water pipe.