System and method for agent-based control of sewer infrastructure

• US 10,113,304 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xylem Vue, Inc. (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EmNet, LLC (Xylem, Inc.)
• Inventors: Montestruque, Luis, Ruggaber, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Suryawanshi, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US15/017,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20160378123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 700282
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 3/02 Arrangement of sewer pipe-lines or pipe-line systems
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 5/107 Active flow control devices, i.e. moving during flow regulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

The present invention is a method and system for control of sewer systems. The invention may implement ABRTC (RTC) to dynamically control of sewer systems to accomplish a desired outcome, such as CSO or SSO reduction or reduce water pollution or reduce surface flooding. In one embodiment, an Agent-Based RTC System assigns an agent to each sewer asset. Each agent measures the current state of its corresponding asset and assigns a virtual cost to any incoming flow to the asset based on the asset hydraulic or water quality state. The virtual cost is communicated to other assets upstream or downstream that may change the hydraulic or water quality state of the asset communicating the virtual cost. The network of agents may thus control the sewer to achieve the desired objective, such as asset hydraulic or water quality state.

Claims

1. A control system to control fluid flow through a sewer system having a plurality of supplying assets, said control system comprising:

a first supplying agent associated with a first supplying asset of said plurality of sewer supplying assets, wherein said first supplying agent assigns a first virtual cost to any fluid flow incoming to said first supplying asset, wherein said first virtual cost is based on a state of said first supplying asset;

a second supplying agent associated with a second supplying asset of said plurality of sewer supplying assets, wherein said second supplying agent assigns a second virtual cost to any fluid flow incoming to said second supplying asset, wherein said second virtual cost is based on a state of said second supplying asset;

a control agent associated with a control asset, wherein said control asset is adapted to direct said fluid flow from said control asset to said first supplying asset and/or said second supplying asset;

a computer network configured to accept said first virtual cost from said first supplying agent and said second virtual cost from said second supplying agent and to provide said first virtual cost and said second virtual cost to said control agent; and

wherein said control agent directs flow from the said control asset to said first supplying asset and/or said second supplying asset by minimizing a cost based on the said first virtual cost, said second virtual cost and a forecasted time delay of fluid flow from said control asset to one or both of said first supplying asset and said second supplying asset.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein said first supplying asset includes a first measuring device, and wherein said first supplying agent determines said state of said first supplying asset from an output of said first measuring device.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein said second supplying asset includes a second measuring device, and wherein said second supplying agent determines said state of said second supplying asset from an output of said second measuring device.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein said second supplying agent forecasts a future state of said second supplying asset.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein said first supplying agent forecasts a future state of said first supplying asset.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein said state of said first supplying asset or said state of said second supplying asset is a hydraulic state.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein said hydraulic state includes at least one state selected from a group comprising hydraulic capacity, fluid flow rate, fluid level, volume of said supplying asset, resident time of said fluid in said supplying asset, humidity, or fluid storage capacity of said supplying asset.

8. The control system of claim 1, said state of said first supplying asset and/or said state of said second supplying asset is a water quality state.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said control agent controls a valve of said control asset associated with said control agent, said valve directs fluid flow to said first supplying asset and/or said second supplying asset.

10. A method for controlling fluid flow through a sewer system, wherein said sewer system includes a control asset that provides flow to a first supplying asset and a second supplying asset, wherein said control asset has an associated control agent, wherein said first supplying asset has an associated first supplying agent, and wherein said second supplying asset has an associated second supplying agent, and wherein said control agent, said first supplying agent, and said second supplying agent are electronic devices in communication with each other over a network, said method comprising:

determining, using said first supplying agent, a first state of said first supplying asset;

calculating a first virtual cost of said first supplying asset from said determined first state;

providing said first virtual cost to said control agent over said network;

determining, using said second supplying agent, a second state of said second supplying asset;

calculating a second virtual cost of said second supplying asset using said determined second state;

providing said second virtual cost to said control agent over said network; and

in said control agent, determining a control action of said control asset based on said first virtual cost and said second virtual cost received over said network and a forecasted time delay of fluid flow from said control asset to one or both of said first supplying asset and said second supplying asset;

actuating said control asset, based on said control action from said control agent, to direct a flow to said first supplying asset and/or said second supplying asset; and

wherein said determining said control action of said control asset includes determining a control action to minimize a cost based on said first virtual cost and said second virtual cost.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first asset includes a first measuring device, and wherein said determining said first state of said first supplying asset includes utilizing an output of said first measuring device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said second asset includes a second measuring device, and wherein said determining said second state of said second supplying asset includes utilizing an output of said second measuring device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining said second state said second supplying asset includes forecasting a future state of said second supplying asset.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining said first state of said first supplying asset includes forecasting a future state of said first supplying asset.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said state of said first supplying asset or said state of second supplying agent is a hydraulic state.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said hydraulic state includes at least one state selected from a group comprising hydraulic capacity, fluid flow rate, fluid level, volume of said supplying asset, resident time of said fluid in said supplying asset, humidity, or fluid storage capacity of said supplying asset.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said state of said first supplying asset or said state of said second supplying agent is a water quality state.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining said control action of said control asset includes determining a control action to minimize a cost based on said first virtual cost and said second virtual cost.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein said actuating said control asset includes controlling a valve of said control asset to direct fluid flow to said first supplying asset and/or said second supplying asset.