New Directions In Real-time Control For Green InfrastructureMarcus Quigley, PE, D.WREAaron Poresky, PEDan Pankani, PE

Thursday September 16, 2010

The Big Picture

What roles can and should technology play in addressing specific urban water control problems?

Can passive approaches achieve optimal solutions given the realities of the built environment?

What can we do with dynamic intelligent controls?

What is the state of the art? Where are we heading? What is the larger vision for Water Information

Systems?

Initial ResearchReal-Time Tide Gate Retrofit for Salt Mash Restoration

Patent # 60/850,600 and 11/869,927

Forecast-Controlled Distributed Detention and On-Site Stormwater Use Systems

Intelligent Distributed Infrastructure

Real-Time Control – EPA 2006

Local Manual Control

Local Automatic Control

Supervisory Control

Automatic (Remote) Regional Control

Automatic System-wide Global Control

Predictive System-wide Global Control

Recent Innovation by Others EmNet, Inc.(Timothy Ruggaber et al., 2008)

Novel Optimization Strategies (Wan and Lemmon)

Roof Runoff

Overflow

Conventional Underground Detention System

Passive Detention

Discharge to Combined Sewer• Substantial aggregate discharges

during storms• Compulsory, distributed storage

widespread

Roof Runoff

Overflow

Controlled Discharge to

Combined Sewer

Forecast-Controlled Distributed Detention Systems

• Installed Cost $3 - $4 per gallon

• Cheaper, compelling retrofit opportunities

Non-potable Use

Roof Runoff

Irrigation

Overflow

Controlled Discharge to

Combined Sewer

Intelligent Distributed Detention with Integrated Harvesting Systems

• Water savings benefit at low incremental cost

• Mitigates total flows to Combined Sewers

Advanced Rainwater Harvesting

Simplest Definition

Drain storage in advance of predicted rainfall or other trigger

Modeling

Continuous simulation - USEPA SWMM 5 Hourly rainfall data (DCA) 3900 sf of roof area Drain a 2500 gallon, 6-ft deep tank when

full in 12 hours (orifice) Both an uncontrolled cistern and a

forecast controlled cistern were modeled Selected model years: 01/1/1965 -

12/31/1974

Flow Comparison

Jan-65 Jul-67 Jan-70 Jul-72 Jan-750

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

1/1/1965 to 12/31/1974

Flo

w (

cfs)

Baseline

Uncontrolled CisternControlled Cistern

May-07 May-14 May-210

0.005

0.01

0.015

0.02

0.025

0.03

0.035

0.04

May 1972

Flo

w (

cfs)

Baseline

Uncontrolled CisternControlled Cistern

Flow Comparison

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct0

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

10/1/1965 to 9/30/1966

Flo

w (

cfs)

Baseline

Uncontrolled CisternControlled Cistern

0

0.005

0.01

0.015

0.02

0.025

0.03

0.035

0.04

0.045

10/1/1965 to 9/30/1966

Flo

w (

cfs)

Baseline

Uncontrolled CisternControlled Cistern

Baseline: Runoff without detention storageUncontrolled Cistern: Runoff with passive orificeControlled Cistern: Runoff with active orifice

Cistern Depths

Controlled Cistern DepthUncontrolled Cistern Depth

Tank Storage Volumes

Uncontrolled Cistern Depth

Controlled Cistern Depth

Cistern Depth Frequencies

Mean Daily Water Depth = 0.064 feet

Mean Daily Water Depth = 4.7 feet

Wet-Weather Runoff Volumes Summation of runoff volume during

times when baseline flow is greater than zero

Baseline runoff volume: 12,680 cf/yr

Uncontrolled wet-weather runoff volume: 11,326 cf/yr (11% reduction)

Controlled wet-weather runoff volume: 3,899 cf/yr(69% reduction)

Inverted Siphon Downspout Design(Note: location of cistern is shown close to building for illustrative purposes only)

Existing Downspout Connection to

Combined Sewer

Proposed Connection

to Combined Sewer4” Automatic Drain Valve

Open During Automated Cleaning

Cycle and When Cistern is Full

Flow Splitter/Filter Installed on

Existing Downspout

Inverted Siphon Downspout Pipe(Extends 8’-10’ Above Ground

Level)

Flow During Typical

Use

Flow During

Emergency

Bypass

Flow During Cleaning Cycle or When

Cistern Full

Automated Cistern Drain

Green Harvesting Cube

Automatic watering of green harvesting cube.

Green Roof & Planter Boxes

Water Budget Analysis

A

CB

Water Budget Analysis

A

CB

Technology Developments

Traditional RTC Limited functionality Abundant input and

control relay devices Size and form-factor

issues

Advanced RTC Wide-ranging,

customizable functionality

Access to web-based information streams

Integrate modeling software

Ubiquitous remote access and control

OptiRTC/OptiStorm Solution

Uses Internet feeds (e.g., NWS Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts and POP) and real-time sensors to control detention function of water storage

Operate autonomously or as integrated system via server-side solution

Web interfaces can be independent of server-side solution.

Internet Based Weather Forecast

or other data source or

Web service API

OptiStorm User Interface Web Services and

User Dashboards

OptiStorm Data Aggregator and Decision Space

Opti Storm Node

Compete Harvesting System Monitoring and Control(Sensors, Valves, and

Actuators)

O p t iS to rm

D a ta

W a re h o u s e

OptiStormData

Warehouse

SYSTEM 1 SYSTEM 2 SYSTEM 3

DECISION DATASET 1

DECISION DATASET 2

DECISION DATASET 3

System Operation

Interfaces with in-the-field measurement devices and internet data feeds

Logs data to internet connected servers Runs models on logged data – producing

“Decision Space” data With measured data, decision-space data, and

conditional logic… Actuates devices in the field Sends internet-based communications

Client-specific data visualization dashboards at optistorm.geosyntec.com (coming soon)

OptiRTC/OptiStorm is….

A means for adding real-time monitoring, conditional decision-making, control, and communications to existing infrastructure and making passive BMP technologies active

A method of making existing and future active BMP technologies adaptive to changing environmental conditions

Where are we headed – Short Term?

RTC modeled hydrograph matching Embedded Models (VS-SWMM) Actuated Green Roofs Retrofit wetlands Retrofit Flood Control Facilities Etc…

The Really Big Picture

Availability of an omnipresent physical computing aggregation, analysis, and

actuation engine.

Ambient Information

Goal Information Conveyed to Individual Target Outcomes

Reduce Consumptive Use Waste

Individual feedback on instantaneous and/or monthly cumulative water use, water pricing data, and/or system demand. Information regarding irrigation consumption best practice based on weather and/or climatic data. Indicating and alerting individuals to changes in local regulatory actions relative to consumptive use such as irrigation bans.

Reductions in consumptive use and changes in timing of use as a result of feedback and awareness of impacts.

Optimize Storm Water Control Usage

Information on how to optimize use of storm water controls that require individual participation (e.g., rain barrel, blue roof, or cistern management).

Optimal use of Rain Barrels or other controls which require operator control and decision making (e.g., drain or leave full) for volume control in urbanized areas.

Reduce CSO Impacts

Information regarding receiving water quality and CSO status in combined sewer areas.

Consumptive use changes based on direct impacts on receiving waters. These could include but are not limited to timing or other decisions about consumptive use and decisions about waste water quality (e.g., what do I send down the drain at a given time).