Rapid detection of sewer defects and blockages using acoustic-based instrumentation

Sewer flooding incidents in the UK are being increasingly associated with the presence of blockages. Blockages are difficult to deal with as although there are locations where they are more likely to occur, they do occur intermittently. In order to manage sewer blockage pro-actively sewer managers need to be able to identify the location of blockages promptly. Traditional closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection technologies are slow and relatively expensive so are not well suited to the rapid inspection of a network. This is needed if managers are to be able to address sewer blockages proactively. This paper reports on the development of an acoustic-based sensor. The sensor was tested in a full scale sewer pipe in the laboratory and it was shown that it is able to find blockages and identify structural aspects of a sewer pipe such as a manhole and lateral connection. Analysis of the received signal will locate a blockage and also provide information on its character. The measurement is very rapid and objective and so inspections can be carried out at much faster rates than using existing CCTV technologies.     

Rapid sonic characterisation of sewer change and obstructions.

This paper reports on the development of a low-cost, rapidly deployable sensor for surveying live sewers for blockages and structural failures. The anticipated cost is an order of magnitude lower than current techniques. The technology is based on acoustic normal model decomposition, The instrument emits short coded acoustic signals which are reflected from any sewer wall defect. The acoustic signals can be short Gaussian pulses or longer sinusoidal sweeps and pseudo-random noise. The processing algorithms used on the reflected signal can predict the extent and geometry of the pipe deformation, and the locations and approximate size of common blockages. The effect of the water level on the frequency of the fundamental mode has also been investigated. It is shown that the technique can be adapted to work reliably in relatively large 600 mm diameter sewer pipes.     

The efficiency of asset management strategies to reduce urban flood risk

In this study, three asset management strategies were compared with respect to their efficiency to reduce flood risk. Data from call centres at two municipalities were used to quantify urban flood risks associated with three causes of urban flooding: gully pot blockage, sewer pipe blockage and sewer overloading. The efficiency of three flood reduction strategies was assessed based on their effect on the causes contributing to flood risk. The sensitivity of the results to uncertainty in the data source, citizens' calls, was analysed through incorporation of uncertainty ranges taken from customer complaint literature. Based on the available data it could be shown that increasing gully pot blockage is the most efficient action to reduce flood risk, given data uncertainty. If differences between cause incidences are large, as in the presented case study, call data are sufficient to decide how flood risk can be most efficiently reduced. According to the results of this analysis, enlargement of sewer pipes is not an efficient strategy to reduce flood risk, because flood risk associated with sewer overloading is small compared to other failure mechanisms.     

Research of the performance of pulse electrohydrodynamics in blockage removal

In line with contemporary trends and seeking to develop new methods and technologies, a new, original technology was explored and designed based on a non-conventional process of electrical pulse discharge in a water chamber, referred to as 'Pulse Electrohydrodynamic Technology' (PELHYDT). The application of the PELHYDT in sewer blockage removal is presented in this paper. Existing machinery can remove two blockages of gully pot connections per hour. Three blockages of pipe conduits are generally removed during an 8-h working day. Applying PELHYDT technology, which allows for high rates of removal of mechanical obstructions, it is possible to achieve operating fluid pressures in the order of 10(3)-10(4) bars, a velocity of 100 m/s, a deformation acceleration of the model material structure of 10(6)-10(7) m/s2, and high-frequency hydraulic shock waves with a frequency of 10(3)-10(4) Hz. The applicability of this efficient technology in sewer blockage removal was proven under laboratory conditions at operating fluid pressures from 50 to 160 bars, which are standard for sewer maintenance. Water velocities generally achieved in sewers using existing flushing technologies range between 1 and 3 m/s and usually do not exceed 9 m/s. PELHYDT creates waves whose velocity is at least 100 m/s, and is therefore about ten times more efficient than existing technologies. PELHYDT generates an electrohydrodynamic wave very quickly, virtually in the form of an explosion. It was proven under laboratory conditions that the application of this technology for blockage removal in practice will not result in any sewer damage.     

The influence of non-uniform blockages on transient wave behavior and blockage detection in pressurized water pipelines

Blockages in piping systems are formed from potentially complex combinations of bio-film build up, corrosion by-products, and sediment deposition. Transient-based methods seek to detect blockages by analyzing the evolution of small amplitude pressure waves. In theory, such methods can be efficient, nearly non-intrusive and economical but, thus far, studies have only considered symmetrical blockages, uniform in both the radial and longitudinal directions. Laboratory experiments are described here that involve pipe blockages with various levels of irregularity and severity; the way the transient response is affected by a non-uniform blockage is investigated. The differences between uniform and non-uniform blockages are quantified in terms of the rate that wave envelopes attenuate and the degree that phases are shifted. Two different methods for modeling these impacts are compared, namely through an increase in pipe roughness and through a wave scattering model. Wave scattering is shown to play a dominant role in explaining both wave envelope attenuation and phase shift. The accuracy of existing transient-based methods of blockage detection in the frequency domain is also examined, and is found that the predictions of rough blockage locations and sizes by current method are in good agreement with data, with relatively larger discrepancies for rough blockage lengths.     

440t／h锅炉对流过热器管失效分析

简要介绍了440t锅炉系统及对流过热器结构，对对流过热器管失效管样进行了测量分析，认为引起对流过热器管爆漏的主要原因是停炉启动后管内被带入大量氧化皮及以前检修过程中遗留的金属物在管内形成堵塞，从而发生短期过热爆管，最后提出了具体的预防爆管的建议。     

The acoustic attenuation and hydraulic roughness in a large section sewer pipe with periodical obstacles.

The acoustic attenuation, relative sound pressure levels and the equivalent Nikuradse wall roughness under variable flow conditions in a 600 mm concrete sewer pipe are experimentally investigated. The values of the acoustic attenuation are obtained in the case of airborne sound propagation in the dry pipe. A range of values of the equivalent wall roughness is artificially generated by deploying a periodical array of engineering bricks. A novel method of rapid evaluation of the acoustic attenuation is proposed. The method relies upon sound reflections from the adjacent manholes. The results demonstrate that the acoustic attenuation depends strongly on the value of the equivalent wall roughness. This work can pave the way to the efficient methodology for the in-situ, physical evaluation of the equivalent hydraulic roughness of new and existing sewer networks.     

SIPSON--simulation of interaction between pipe flow and surface overland flow in networks.

The new simulation model, named SIPSON, based on the Preissmann finite difference method and the conjugate gradient method, is presented in the paper. This model simulates conditions when the hydraulic capacity of a sewer system is exceeded, pipe flow is pressurized, the water flows out from the piped system to the streets, and the inlets cannot capture all the runoff. In the mathematical model, buried structures and pipelines, together with surface channels, make a horizontally and vertically looped network involving a complex interaction of flows. In this paper, special internal boundary conditions related to equivalent inlets are discussed. Procedures are described for the simulation of manhole cover loss, basement flooding, the representation of street geometry, and the distribution of runoff hydrographs between surface and underground networks. All these procedures are built into the simulation model. Relevant issues are illustrated on a set of examples, focusing on specific parameters and comparison with field measurements of flooding of the Motilal ki Chal catchment (Indore, India). Satisfactory agreement of observed and simulated hydrographs and maximum surface flooding levels is obtained. It is concluded that the presented approach is an improvement compared to the standard "virtual reservoir" approach commonly applied in most of the models.     

Estimation of uncertainty in long term combined sewer sediment behaviour predictions, a UK case study.

There are regulatory driven requirements for UK water companies to reduce the number of properties at risk of sewer flooding. One of the potential causes of sewer flooding is the presence of persistent sediment deposits in sewers. This is a common problem in many combined sewers. Although the regulation is risk based, there is a gap in current knowledge on how risk assessment is affected by the uncertainty in sewer solids behaviour prediction. This paper describes a UK case study exploring the possibility of estimating uncertainty in sewer sediment deposit level predictions, using Monte Carlo simulations combined with a response database.     

Improving Urban Drainage Systems Resiliency Against Unexpected Blockages: A Probabilistic Approach

Considering the increase of flood hazards in many large cities, the rehabilitation of hydro-urban infrastructures is an important concern for the municipal authorities. A probabilistic approach based on Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) is presented in this study to improve the resiliency of urban drainage systems when they are subject to unexpected structural blockages. The approach is integrated with SWMM simulation model and an evolutionary search algorithm to find the best set of rehabilitation measures under a significant number of blockage scenarios. Experimental results on the west zone of main drainage system in Tehran city indicate that proposed approach outperforms the conventional hydraulic-based methodology in terms of cost effectiveness and functionality. Results also show that adding the redundancy to the system by bypass lines in bottlenecks is considerably more efficient for flood mitigation and the increase of system resiliency under blockage incidents rather than using conventional methods such as detention ponds and enlargement of the channel sizes.     

Identification of sewer pipes to be cleaned for reduction of CSO pollutant load.

To reduce the CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) pollutant discharge, one of the effective options is cleaning of sewer pipes before rainfall events. To maximize the efficiency, identification of pipes to be cleaned is necessary. In this study, we discussed the location of pipe deposit in dry weather in a combined sewer system using a distributed model and investigated the effect of pipe cleaning to reduce the pollutant load from the CSO. First we simulated the dry weather flow in a combined sewer system. The pipe deposit distribution in the network was estimated after 3 days of dry weather period. Several specific pipes with structural defect and upper end pipes tend to have an accumulation of deposit. Wet weather simulations were conducted with and without pipe cleaning in rainfall events with different patterns. The SS loads in CSO with and without the pipe cleaning were compared. The difference in the estimated loads was interpreted as the contribution of wash-off in the cleaned pipe. The effect of pipe cleaning on reduction of the CSO pollutant load was quantitatively evaluated (e.g. the cleaning of one specific pipe could reduce 22% of total CSO load). The CSO simulations containing pipe cleaning options revealed that identification of pipes with accumulated deposit using the distributed model is very useful and informative to evaluate the applicability of pipe cleaning option for CSO pollutant reduction.     

Energy losses at three-way circular drop manholes under surcharged conditions

Energy loss at manholes is of importance in the design of storm sewer networks and in flood-analysis. Some researchers have already investigated the energy loss at three-way manholes under surcharged conditions. However, formulation to calculate the energy loss at manholes, including all variables of structural elements of the pipes and of the manhole has not yet been accomplished. Therefore, more study to formulate the energy loss at three-way drop manholes is needed. In this study, the ratio of the diameter between inflow pipes and an outflow pipe, the ratio of flow rates between those pipes, water depth in a manhole and the drop gaps between those pipes are considered and the energy loss at three-way circular drop manholes is examined. Finally, a modified formula, more accurate than that in the U.S. Federal Highway Administration's 2001 Urban Drainage Design Manual is proposed. The proposed formula takes the influence of the ratio of the diameter between inflow pipes and outflow pipe and drop gaps between those pipes into consideration. The calculated energy loss coefficients in both straight-through and lateral pipes successfully reproduce the measured values.     

单立管排水系统通水能力的试验研究

研究单立管排水系统的通水能力和气压波动情况,考察底部排出横管管径和排出横管连接弯头等因素对立管压力波动的影响.结果表明,当公称外径dn110的排水立管底部采用2个45.弯头连接dn110的排出横管时,单立管伸项通气系统的通水能力约为4.8 L/s;放大底部排出横管管径并不能有效提高单立管系统的通水能力;设置2个45°弯头连接排出横管稍微改善了立管底部排出的水力条件;本试验测出单立管不伸顶通气系统的通水能力约为3.2 L/s.     

齿墩数量对齿墩式内消能工消能率影响试验

针对洞塞式消能工对消能体型的过流能力有较大影响的缺点,为尽可能减小其影响,进行了齿墩式内消能工物理模型试验,设计了面积收缩比为0.375条件下不同齿墩数量的3种方案来试验分析齿墩式内消能工过流能力、局部水头损失系数、消能效果、脉动压强特性及脉动流速特性。试验结果表明:齿墩数量对齿墩式内消能工的消能效果起着一定的作用,在试验范围内,随着齿墩数量的增加,过流能力增强,局部水头损失系数减小,消能率降低;紊动强度在距齿墩段进口1.5D(D为管道内径)处达到最大,7D后趋于平稳;脉动压强在距齿墩段进口1.3D~1.6D达到最大,然后急剧衰减,在距进口5.6D处趋于平稳。     

结点局部能量损失对管网水力计算的影响

对于管径较大、管段长度较短的管网,结点处的动量交换和局部能量损失显著影响管网中管段通过流量的计算结果。进行管网水力计算时,忽略结点处的局部能量损失或采用不变的局部能量损失系数均是不合适的。文中分别应用三种计算方法,即忽略结点处局部能量损失、采用恒定不变的结点局部能量损失系数,以及根据试验成果所得的与水流条件有关的半经验公式,针对短管段构成的管网系统进行了计算比较,管段流量的计算结果相差很大。研究结果还表明,与同一结点相接的各管段间存在显著的能量交换,因此,忽略或采用恒定不变的能量损失系数均不能正确地反映这些水流现象。     

Interaction between the treatment plant and the sewer system in Halmstad: Integrated upgrading based on real time control

In Halmstad, Sweden great efforts have been made during the 1990's to improve the functionality and to reduce the environmental impact of the sewer system and the wastewater treatment plant The investment and rehabilitation program includes to a great extent an effective use of existing resources. The wastewater treatment plant is reconstructed to meet increased nutrient removal demands. A five year rehabilitation plan for the sewer system is under completion, where the measures mainly are motivated by the aim to reduce the combined sewer overflow volumes and to minimize the risk of local flooding. It was soon realized that an integrated use of storage volumes at the wastewater treatment plant and within the sewer system could improve the general conditions for the treatment at the plant. To implement this strategy a real time control system was introduced by installing controllable weirs and flow control devices in the main sewer. The article describes the background of the sewerage master plan, how the upgrading work has been carried out by means of simulations and measurement, gives examples of some expected potential benefits, and outlines plans for the future.     

Heuristic Optimization Model for the Optimal Layout and Pipe Design of Sewer Systems

The design of urban stormwater systems and sanitary sewer systems consists of solving two problems: generating a layout of the system and the pipe design which includes the crown elevations, slopes and commercial pipe sizes. A heuristic model for determining the optimal (minimum cost) layout and pipe design of a storm sewer network is presented. The hierarchical procedure combines a sewer layout model formulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem which is solved using the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) and a simulated annealing optimization procedure for the pipe design of a generated layout was developed in Excel. The GAMS and simulated annealing models are interfaced through linkage of Excel and GAMS. The pipe design model is based upon the simulated annealing method to optimize the crown elevations and diameter of pipe segments in a storm sewer network using layouts generated using GAMS. A sample scenario demonstrates that using these methods may allow for significant costs saving while simultaneously reducing the time typically required to design and compare multiple storm sewer networks.     

大型倒虹吸工程水头损失及水力计算

针对三个泉倒虹吸实际过流能力富余、小洼槽倒虹吸实际过流能力不足的问题,基于工程特点及水力设计习惯,借鉴当量糙度的取值方法,分析了不同流量下三个泉与小洼槽倒虹吸的沿程水头损失,并与实测值对比。结果表明:对于三个泉倒虹吸的PCCP管和钢管,用柯尔布鲁克公式计算所得的水头损失与实测值更接近,明显小于水力设计时采用谢才公式所得值;对于小洼槽倒虹吸的玻璃钢管,用柯尔布鲁克公式计算所得的水头损失与实测值也更接近,但明显大于水力设计时采用谢才公式所得值。在此基础上,利用计算获得的沿程水头损失反算得出糙率n值和当量糙度Δ值,发现实际过流能力出现偏差的主要原因是水力设计时采用的谢才公式不适用于大口径倒虹吸管道内的流态。     

香港岛南区雨水管网改造总体规划概述

香港岛南区雨水管网整体规划设计是临海、临江城市雨水管网规划设计的典型实例。重点介绍了该工程如何使用水力模拟软件辅助设计的基本方法以及其它相关内容:确定潮汐水位对雨水管网排水能力的影响,划分集水分区防洪级别,利用HydroWorks和MIKE11建立、校核、调整雨水管网的水文水力模型(以下简称模型)以保证模拟结果的可靠性,根据现状模型的运行结果对管网进行现状评价和洪水风险评估,利用规划模型辅助管网改造设计和方案最优化。