Abstract - In this paper, we developed a conceptual

design of automated water distribution and metering system for residential building. The need and requirement for this system was emphasized. Prototype model of water metering system was developed for eight users. Simulation of this system model circuit was carried out in proteus 7.6 simulator for different real time input and output conditions. Finally, implementation of closed loop water metering system was done for two users and tested successfully. GUI also developed for this application.

Keywords - Water distribution and metering system

(WDMS), Electronic Flow Meter (EFM), Central Monitoring Computer (CMC), Automated water metering system, Closed loop water metering system, Flow monitoring and control system (FMCS).

I. INTRODUCTION Three basic things are essential for living being to survive in universe that is land, water and air. At present, all the primary resources were contaminated. Water is one of the primary resources, which were contaminated highly in urban areas. Nowadays water is one of the precious commodities in the world, because the potable water cost close to fuel cost. Surveys reveal that only one third of water resources available in land area on earth are suitable for drinking, though 70 percent of our earth covered with water.

In the present scenario, water distribution and metering system uses mechanical or electronic water meter for metering the consumption of water for residential building. They are standalone instruments and have no control over the consumption of water; hence, it works on open loop control system. The open loop WDMS system suffers with many drawbacks such as inefficient monitoring, no control on consumption of water, difficult management during water scarcity periods, lot of problems in existing distribution systems to the dwellers, water requirement prediction is difficult and revenue loss for water board authority. In order to overcome the above difficulties a closed loop WDMS was proposed and developed. It provide uniform distribution irrespective of pressure variation in the pipelines and geographical elevation, conservation on water consumption, to provide cost effective control on water consumption and to provide precise billing only for the consumed quantity.

Earlier work reports on process automation system based upon utilization of an industrial PLC and PC systems including all the network components represents the best way to improve the water distribution technological process. The water theft can be best monitored by the flow variations given by the flow sensors mounted on the channels [1, 2]. Long-range Monitoring System of Water-Supply based on Multi-Agent was proposed by yanget et.al. To control water supply system in real time, it requires system can make prompt response to measured data, including analyzing the data and producing the control signal fast, if break down occurs, it demands to notify the system manager in time [3]. The challenge in improving the water distribution process via a water distribution network that is designed to support optimum distribution by centrally monitoring and controlling the functionality of these points of distribution [4]. II. DESIGN OF CLOSED LOOP WATER METERING

SYSTEM Now a days fixing water meter to the residential became mandatory in many metros. In this system, it was implemented by installing a mechanical or electronic water meter in every inlet to the user. This system was implemented by installing a water meter that displays the quantity of water consumed by the user over a period.

A B C

D

TANK

W M

Inlet

A, B, C and D - USERS

W M – Water Meter

Fig. 1. Open loop watering system for multiple users

Figure 1 shows a typical open loop water metering

system for multiple users. This system suffers with disadvantage that there is no control on user utilization. This drawback is eliminated by introducing a closed loop control to monitor and control water consumption.

Design and Development of Automated Water Distribution and Metering System for Residential Buildings

Eswaran.P1, Aswin Kumar2 Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, SRM University

Kancheepuram Dt., Tamilnadu, 603203, India 1 (eswaran.p@ktr.srmuniv.ac.in)

978-1-4673-1344-5/12/$31.00 ©2012 IEEE

Figure 2. Shows the conceptual design of closed loop WDMS for multiple users. In this system the level of water are monitored in the sump and overhead tank. The quantity of water availability is estimated by CMC and it will automatically fix the quantity of water to be distributed to each user.

EFM measures water output to each user and the data are communicated to the FMCS controller, this controller keeps continuous track with the amount of water used and blocks user the when the limit is reached.

TANK

c

To Display

Control Signal

S

Electronic flow meter

C Solenoid valve

A

N

ATMEL 89C51

COMPUTER

TANK

µc for level monitoring and control

sump

User outlets

A

-

Fig. 2. Conceptual design of closed loop WDMS for multiple users. The proposed automated system fetches reading from EFM and calculates the water distribution to the entire users. The EFM are fixed in every user of inlet and outlet pipe, the level of water are monitored through level sensor, water in sump and tank is calculated and it will be equally distributed to all the user. The maximum quantity of water consumed by every user is calculated from pulses received from EFM. When the system is turned on the controller starts counting the pulses from respective channels and starts counting the pulses continuously. When the count reaches the set value in the system, it send control signal to close the solenoid valve.

III. IMPLEMENTATION OF TWO CHANNEL AUTOMATED WATER METERING SYSTEM

A. Hardware setup Figure 3 shows hardware setup for experimenting closed loop watering system for two users. This FMCS consists of a ATMEL 89C51 microcontroller , magnetic type water meter which has been modified into EFM [5], LCD display, MAX232, relay driver module, RS232 serial port to communicate to CMC, optocouplers and solenoid valve. The driver circuit and FMCS was developed to interface eight users.

Fig. 3. Hardware setup for experimenting closed loop watering system for two users.

B. Software

Figure 4 shows the Flowchart for monitoring and controlling WDMS. The algorithm is as follows.

Step 1: Start. Step 2: Levels of Water in Sump and overhead tank is

measured. Step 3: Calculate the maximum quantity of water to be

distributed to individual user based on availability in tank and sump.

Step 4: Increment the software counter for individual user based on consumption.

Step 5: Check for the condition if user exceed set limit, if yes then, go to step 6, otherwise go to step 4

Step 6: Close the solenoid valve by activating it and access to the user is stopped for that day.

Step 7: Read electric pulses from EFM and in special case, if user wants extra amount of water for particular day, then go to step 8, otherwise go to step 12.

Step 8: check, the tank for surplus water, if it is available, the request is accepted otherwise it will check level in sump.

Step 9: If tank level is low then go to step 10 otherwise go to step 2

Step10: Motor ON to fill the tank for the quantity of customer requirement.

Step 11: Go to step 2 Step12: Stop

2012 IEEE International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Computing Research

Quantity of water consumption units are

updated for every seconds

If user exceed the

set limit

Start

Solenoid valve to be closed for that

user

Quantity of water to be metered from

distribution

Water level calculated in sump and tank

Stop

YES

NO

Press request button for the need of extra Water

Controller calculated Water level in sump and

tank

If user wants extra quantity of

water

If quantity in tank is low

Stop

Controller will activate sump motor to fill tank

YES

YES

NO

NO

Fig. 4.Flow chart for monitoring and control of WDMS.

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

A. Simulated results using proteus 7.6.

The schematic of two channel-closed loop WDMS

was as shown in the figure 5a.

Fig. 5a. Schematic of closed loop watering system for two users.

Fig. 5b. Simulation result for water level monitoring in tank.

In simulation, EFM condition was replaced with pulse generator. The software is dumped in the microcontroller and the customer database stored in the memory. Potentiometer is used to vary the voltage, which is analogy to the level sensor output. This simulated condition is shown in the figure 5b. If the water level in the tank goes low below the set level, the sump motor is switched ON to replenish the water and the status is as shown in the figure 5c.

Fig. 5c. Simulation result for showing Motor ON due to low water level in tank.

B. GUI of Automated water metering System.

The FMCS is interfaced with the host computer using serial interface and all the data collected is transferred to the CMC. This CMC act as host, where several such FMCS nodes can be connected. GUI was developed to display the individual customer details such as the quantity of water requirement per day, consumption of water data for every second, the history of previous consumption data and the quantity of extra water request and used. This system also has the provision for generating water bills to the user for the period specified and has the facility for blocking the access to the defaulter.

Fig. 6a. GUI of closed loop watering system for four users. Figure 6a. Shows the GUI of closed loop water metering system developed for four users. This shows the initial condition of the counters of all the users are zero and status indicator is in green states that it is ready to receive electrical pulses from EFM. Figure 6b. Shows that all the solenoid valves are open so that the user can access

2012 IEEE International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Computing Research

the water at any time till the 24:00:00 hrs. The consumer can use his registered quantity of water at any time in the time slot. If the user consumes earlier then the set time the access to the particular user will be blocked and this condition is as shown in figure 6c. In this user 1 (channel 1) completes his specified limit and his access will be blocked till the next cycle to start at 00:00:00 hours.

Fig. 6b. GUI of closed loop watering system shows users are active.

Fig. 6c. GUI of closed loop watering system shows user 1 (Channel 1) has reached the set value, the further access was blocked, and

other users are active.

V. CONCLUSION AND FURTHER DIRECTION Two channel closed loop automated water distribution and metering system was developed and implemented successfully. The problem with the present water distribution system and the need for the Automated WDMS was also discussed. We developed a standalone FMCS node for eight users and provision was made to communicate the data to CMC through serial bus. GUI was also developed and FMCS node was interfaced and tested successfully. Further, we planned to interface the system to the web to enable the access and place the request for the need of extra quantity of water. This concept is suitable for implementing and to integrate many apartments or the whole towns.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Author would like to thank the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering of SRM University to carrying this work successfully.

REFERENCES [1] Gouthaman.J, Bharathwajanprabhu.R & Srikanth.A

“Automated urban drinking water supply control and water theft identification system”, Proceeding of the 2011 IEEE Students' Technology Symposium , 14-16 January, 2011, IIT Kharagpur, pp. 1-5.

[2] Benzekri, A., Meghriche, K.; Refoufi, L.; “PC-Based Automation of a Multi-Mode Control for an Irrigation System”, International symposium on Industrial Embedded System, SIES 07, 4-6 July 2007, pp 310-315.

[3] LiZhi Yang, TingHong Zhao,JunHu Yang “Long-range Monitoring System of Water-Supply based on Multi-Agent”, 2nd international Conference on Genetic and Evolutionary Computing, 2008, WGEC ’08, 25-26, September 2008, pp. 66-69.

[4] P. G. Jayasekara, D.K. Illangasinghe, J.K. Dahanayake, K. Wickramage and Rohan Munasinghe “Improving Efficiency of Existing Water Distribution Networks by Centralized Monitoring”, Third international conference on information and Automation for Sustainability (ICIAFS), Sri Lanka, 2007, pp. 25-30.

[5] Eswaran.P, Aswin Kumar., “Conceptual design and development of water metering system for multiple family residential buildings”, International Journal of Advanced Compute Research, (Accepted for Publication), 2012.

2012 IEEE International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Computing Research