Making Hydraulic Models Useful for Operations, Maintenance and Management: Mobile and Condition/Performance Trends

Adam Rose, XP Solutions, Portland, OR, USA

ABSTRACT

Hydraulic models are useful tools for a number of evaluation and predictive needs. However, it is more rare for a hydraulic model, no matter how well developed or calibrated, to be used on a more weekly or monthly basis. Often the initial efforts required to develop a hydraulic model are directed only to its singular purpose for capital planning or facility review. The model quickly becomes less valuable as new data is created or after the initial modeling purpose is met.

This presentation will cover trends in data analysis, manipulation and management that assist with expanding the range and value of a hydraulic model without re‐inventing the platforms that develop them. These tools are platform‐independent and allow hydraulic model data to flow freely between computational engines, GIS platforms, and embedded and transactional databases on local and remote networks. These new workflows allow better data quality control and transmission to and from field staff and hydraulic modelers. The practical explanation of the tools, techniques and pitfalls of these trends will be discussed. Real-world examples from projects that have utilized these techniques will be covered as well as live [pending cellular or wi‐fi connectively], interactive audience demonstrations of model interactions.

Selected example topics and/or projects:

  • Odor/Corrosion Control
    • Development of sensors that feed model development
    • Field staff cell phone data to build automatically build and calibrate a hydraulic model
  • Flow
    • Pitfalls of extrapolation of model results – and ways to effectively reduce them
    • Field staff providing level of order hydraulic results as part of rou tine maintenance
  • Condition Assessments
    • Real-time field and model results databases – open for multi-user editing and review
  • Best Practices
    • Open source data/GIS management alternatives [embedded and transactional]

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