Automation and remote control of water distribution networks and channels

Now automation and remote control systems are spreading among water management infrastructures, either in drinking water or irrigation water supply networks. The type of control you want to get these systems and the conditions in which they are located require to be comply with a number of requirements which do not be satisfied may result problems for managers and users of the infrastructure. The range of automation and remote management of networks and channels of distribution of water which Riegosalz designs, manufactures and installs complies with those needs offering the customer a system complete and adapted to its management.

Until less than two decades ago the management of large channels and networks of distribution of water in most of the regions of Spain based solely on manual control operations in which operators of productivity bodies monitored the status of each element, acting according to a rigid established protocols.

These procedures were a very slow ability to react to changes in demand of users and emergency. Separate they believed an expense disproportionate in underutilized staff and the necessary logistics to maintain the service.

To resolve this situation and driven by the increase in social awareness to the problems of availability of water, the managers of these infrastructures were added to its management technification elements that gave them great advances in electronicsinformation technology and telecommunications. Systems automation and telecontrol networks collection and distribution of water for use of mouth and large systems of canals and dams were being implemented in this way. However, today, are destined to irrigation water managers who are making a greater effort of technification to improve its management.

The vast majority of the projects of modernization or creation of new irrigation networks running at present covered by his philosophy the incorporation of technologies of automation and remote control with a dual objective: on the one hand the increase in efficiency in the management of the water; to get the maximum use of the resource and, on the other hand, the improvement of the conditions of service to the end user acquires so a greater say on when, how and where the water that is used. As well, through centralized control of hydrants or even in the sectors of irrigation within the same piece you can know in real time or on a retrospective basis what use is given to each litre of water and immediately (if necessary) to modify the strategy of irrigation or distribution.

However it must be stressed that the implementation of these technologies is not exclusively restricted to new pressurized irrigation networks but that its use is spreading in other infrastructure such as dams, abstractions in rivers and even in centuries-old networks of canals and ditches.

The rapid evolution of remote management tools gives wings to the managers responsible for irrigation infrastructure who comprise the enormous benefit that can be obtained in its management with a (relatively) little effort. But there is queser aware that the adaptation of these elements in a demanding environment is not without difficulties which, at times, have resulted in serious delays in the development of the systems or even in the most tragic situationsthey have led to its abandonment.

The experience of Riegosalz as company linked from its inception to the improvement of working conditions in the rural areas through the introduction of new technologies, is that the client expects to receive an installation that exceed basic conditions:

• Robustness. The environmental conditions where these teams are definitely have nothing to do with those of a laboratory, workshop, or industry. Here the teams will see subject to sudden changes in temperature, humidity, dust, vandalism attacks, electric shocks and other situations in which the system must maintain its operation without suffer, in addition, its useful life.

• Functionality. Operations that must make these elements must be adapted to the needs of the client and should enhance the best techniques of management but without denying their scheme of previous work.

• Reliability in communications. A system of remote control that does not give confidence of operation the user not you is no benefit because him induced to move to check that the orders sent to are effective or that signals that it receives are real.

• Autonomy in food. The points you wish to automate and/or telecontrolar do not have, generally, of nearby power supply. Therefore, that the system must be energetically self-sufficient. This is essential to minimize the energy consumption of the items to install to not increase the costs of electricity generation and accumulation.

• Simplicity. Facilities should have a degree of perfection in his design enabling easy handling by the user and easy detection of abnormalities.

• Security. Automation systems have to have elements of security and emergency allowing manipulation of infrastructure under non-standard conditions without harming people or to the elements on which they act.

• Cost. Obviously the economic threshold acceptable for the customer depends on the importance of the functions that the team will develop, but in any case are made subject to a minimum the costs of implementation and, above all, the maintenance and communication.

Being aware of the needs of the type of client to which targeted those facilities, Riegosalz designs, manufactures and installs elements of automation and remote control for channels and distribution networks that respond to such situations. The most important points of these technologies are as follows:

Electronic control equipment designed by Riegosalz incorporate the latest technology in telecommunications GSM-GPRS. This, combined with a protocol of communication perfectly adjusted for this purpose, means that the teams are able to transmit a large amount of information in a very small amount of data (less than 1 Mb per month). In this way the cost of transmitting this information never does not exceed the minimum established by the telephone companies in their tariffs.

The mixed system GSM-GPRS (fig. 1) assumes that each remote point can be controlled individually using a mobile phone and at the same time, to maintain connection with a central control post via the Internet. This conception of the remote control, which does not depend on the user to build a private network communication that link each point, is that it is applicable for installations made from a single point to "n" and that monitoring her can do the person responsible for from any place where there is coverage or any Office with connection to Internet.

The system of control channels and large networks of distribution of Riegosalz has been designed to provide a solution to the control of all the key points of these infrastructures:

• Control of level/pressure/caudal. teams with ability to monitor one or more probes of pressure, level, or flow with varied operating principles but that always allow a quick interpretation of the current status and user programmable alarms.

• Remote control of pumping. Acquisition of signals offered by automata of control (State of the pumps, revolutions of the regulators, instantaneous flow, pressure, alarmas…) and ability to control the March strike the installation immediately or programmatically.

• Automation and remote control of gates or valves (fig. 2). Equipment capable of controlling the position of a gate or the degree of opening of a valve and regulate this automatically based on a slogan value assigned to a variable that is monitoring (level/flow/pressure). The most important applications of this system are the regulation of flow in Weirs of derivation, shots of channel and outputs of reservoir. In all three cases is able to maintain a constant flow rate chosen by the user regardless of the conditions of level or pressure upstream from the element of regulation.

The vast majority of installations that you want to automate have more alternative power that using rechargeable batteries connected photovoltaic solar panels.

If the components of the system energy-intensive, accumulation and power generation elements acquire dimensions and very high costs. And in addition they carry a high risk of vandalism.

The elements of control and communication are designed to have a minimum energy consumption but it is necessary that the peripheral elements are equally efficient.

One of the most important aspects in this regard for the automation of gates and valves is the use of electric actuators at work 12 or 24V voltages and with very low consumption, are capable of operating on gates of large dimensions (fig. 3).

Automation systems that Riegosalz installed on mobile elements, always have security mechanisms through electromechanical systems of control, performance switches or manual drives. Thus minimizing the problems caused by a wrong order, a malfunction of a computer or a severe impact on the installation.

Automation and remote control systems are imposing ever more intensely in systems of management of reservoirs, canals and irrigation water distribution networks.

These systems must meet certain requirements to meet the real needs of managers and users of the infrastructure.

The product range of automation and remote control that Riegosalz designs, manufactures and installs meets these needs offering the customer a complete and adapted to its management system.