Aguas de Barcelona: leak detection in a sectorized network with Topkapi

Optimizing the network's yield is a major concern in a drinkable water distribution system. For a large scale network such as that in Barcelona (over 4,000 Km), sectorized analysis is required.

Sectorizing the distribution network of Aguas de Barcelona improves yield through an in-depth analysis of the operating data, relying on extended knowledge of the technical and economical aspects.

ADASA, a Topkapi distributor in Spain, implemented a control center dedicated to sectorizing for Aguas de Barcelona. 200 dataloggers were installed (extended to 400 in the near future), Multilog by RADCOM and INT2500 by ADASA; they measure consumptions precisely, and record them at a high frequency; they send their data through the wired telephone (PSTN) or GSM network to the control center, fitted with two Topkapi V3.0 redundant server PCs under Windows 2000, four fixed client stations, and five client stations with a floating license (Open Client).

Communication with each of the dataloggers is ensured daily through 20 PSTN lines managed simultaneously by the two servers; the data is recovered by Topkapi, transferred (TRANSFER function) to an ORACLE database, then analyzed in detail. At this stage, we must insist on the interest of the TIME-STAMPED Data and MULTIMODEM functions in Topkapi, which considerably facilitate communication and processing.

This application is rather important with 200 field devices, 500 synoptics (checkpoints, sector grouping), and the matching analysis/control curves.

Using its CALC_DT function, TOPKAPI can perform differed time calculations on the history data acquired on check points, hence obtaining the network flow from volumes counted.
 

This article was written by Gloria BENITO from ADASA. We thank her, as well as Agbar, who authorized us to publish this information.