Water Efficiency June 2012 : Page 26
service, Nelson says, and detection becomes critical. “People have to do more with less, and the Cityworks soft -ware has given us better tools to fi nd the leaks,” he says. A leak detection company working for a utility, or a utility’s own leak detection staff , can feed the results—the number of leaks found— into the soft ware platform, a service request can be produced automati-cally for the line manager and prioritized. “Th is reduces time and increases account-ability,” says Nelson. AMI ENTERS THE SCENE Partnering leak detection sensors with AMI is relatively new and several companies have done just that to offer products that integrate fixed network AMI and AMR technologies with leak detection equipment. Hannah, with Johnson Controls, says the most recent development is Itron’s fixed network ChoiceConnect AMR/AMI data collec-tion system that can collect data from its leak detection sensors. Itron leak sensors are attached to a service line immediately upstream of the water meter, and the leak sensors record vibrations on the service lines and use the Itron 100-W ERT radio to transmit the data. A battery powers both the leak sen-sor and AMR/AMI system radio. Th e technology is eff ective, says Hannah, but the utility must have the discipline and resources to use it. It is very eff ective in metallic distribution systems, but their eff ectiveness is diminished in nonmetallic pipes, which dampen vibra-tions. In metallic pipe, the vibration waves can propagate up to a thousand feet, but the vibrations can only travel between 500 feet and 700 feet in non-metallic pipe. Un-less you have sensors deployed every 500 feet, you will have gaps, he says. Aclara, part of the Utility Solu-tions Group of ESCO Technologies, has merged its STAR Network two-way fi xed-network AMI technology with Guter-mann International’s acoustic correlating loggers and Web-based ZoneScan net soft ware to create the STAR ZoneScan automated leak detection system. Aclara introduced the new system in January. Slejko, the water products manager at Aclara, explains that the original STAR Network is about 15 years old and was the fi rst fi xed network for water. Th e 26 WATER EFFICIENCY WWW.WATEREFFICIENCY.NET SIWA PLAN LEAK software package, company has made major upgrades to introduced in 2010, that ties into existing that product in the past two years. Th e leak detection and process control sys-original system was one-way—data were tems. SIWA PLAN LEAK can be installed transmitted from the endpoint to the on a commercial PC and will collect data computer when queried. Th e system being transmitted from the water distribu-is now two-way, and the computer can transmit time-synchronized data requests tion system automatically. A fl ow transmitter sends the data to for hourly feeds at the top of each hour. a supervisory control and data acquisition STAR ZoneScan, of course, can (SCADA) system or other device using the work in the early hours of the day when SIWA PLAN LEAK soft ware. Th e soft ware background noise is minimal. It works on all types of pipes and can be deployed both reading the data will identify fl ow vari-temporarily in lift and shift mode and per-ances aft er the baseline is established. Sensus developed its AMI commu-manently. Th e loggers attach magnetically nications network over the past decade as to valve stems throughout the distribution part of its “Aqua-system. Sense water solu-Th e STAR tion,” according to Network can also McCall. In 2009 it send information was upgraded to a to Gutermann’s two-way network acoustic data log-www.waterefficiency.net/leaks-and-audits with patented radio gers installed in the modulators and distribution system 20-year warrantied where adjacent log-batteries. Th e network is programmable gers record the sounds of a leak simulta-to open up every 60 seconds. Th e data are neously. Knowing the distance between sent to collector antennas, then over high-the loggers and the diameter of the pipe, speed access to a computer. the sounds are correlated, providing the Th e radios are attached to acoustic operator a pinpoint visual of where the leak detection devices, installed at various sound of the leak originates in the pipe, points along a distribution line, and con-explains Slejko. nected to the two-way real time network. A technician can be sent to within Th is opens up an umbrella across all me-a few feet of the detected leak and using ters, giving the utility the ability to cover sound correlators they can dig and fi nd the entire water system 24 hours a day, 7 the leak quickly. “Th is is the goal. If you days a week, in real time. can fi nd the leak quickly before it turns McCall says the most simple pieces into a catastrophic leak, that’s where a utility can save money,” says Slejko. of the AquaSense technology can be uti-Th is is a big deal to utilities,” he says. lized initially for AMR for billing purpos-Utility employees do not have to drive by es, then expanded later to more advanced to collect logger data, nor do they have to applications, including leak detection do fi eld correlations with correlators and a and linking to a SCADA system without couple of sensors on hydrants near loggers. further investment in the network. With STAR ZoneScan, he or she can look at the data in the comfort of the offi ce. ENIGMA COMBINES LOGGERS AND CORRELATORS Th e new technologies are automating data ADS introduced a full line of cost-efficient collection and the correlation process advanced water loss control products in without fi eld activities. Th is is reducing the 2009. The “Enigma” is a state-of-the-art, time and expense of labor, equipment, and eight-pod digital logging correlation transportation costs, Slejko says. system that can be installed throughout a designated district or pressure zone. It LEAK DETECTION SOFTWARE LINK TO SCADA combines leak noise logging and correla-Siemens Industry also offers a software tion into one operation. Each magnetic package that can link flow meters with pod is attached to a hydrant, valve, or any computers at a utility’s office. Martin other appurtenance attached to the pipe. Dingman, in the Industrial Automation The pods are retrieved after having done Division of Siemens Industry, is respon-their recording and placed in the case that sible for flow products. He describes the has an infrared “read” port, which reads for related articles:
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