Method and system for analyzing the effect of inflow and infiltration on a sewer system

• US 6,832,166 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADS Incorporated (Insurity Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADS Incorporated (Insurity Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schutzbach, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US10/724,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 702/45, 702/50, 702/55, 702/66, 702/67, 702/100, 702/156, 702/176, 702/188, 731/95, 732/15, 738/612.3, 738/616.3, 137/1, 137/236.1
• US Class Current: 702/50
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 7/00 Other installations or implements for operating sewer systems, e.g. for preventing or indicating stoppage; Emptying cesspools
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/00 Details of, or accessories for, apparatus of groups G01F1/00 - G01F13/00 insofar as such details or appliances are not adapted to particular types of such apparatus

Abstract

A method and system for determining the effect of precipitation on flow within a sewer network includes identifying a modeled response of the sewer to a precipitation event. Once the modeled response is identified, scaled responses to future precipitation events may be predicted, in real time, by measuring intervals of the precipitation event and calculating the scaled response as a function of the modeled response and the precipitation quantity measured during the precipitation event.

Claims

1. A sewer network flow analysis system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a rain gauge in communication with the processor; and

a flow monitor in communication with the processor,

the processor being programmed to accept, from the rain gauge, data representative of a first measured rain quantity at a first location over a first time interval that is less than a twenty-four-hour period;

the processor being further programmed to generate a plurality of possible rain responses, each possible rain response comprising a distribution of possible flow volumes at a second location over a second time interval, the second time interval having a duration that is longer than a duration of the first time interval;

the flow monitor being configured to measure a flow volume distribution at the second location over the second time interval;

wherein the processor is further programmed to compare the plurality of possible rain responses to the measured flow volume distribution, and to select one of the possible rain responses using a result of the comparison; and

wherein the memory is configured to store the selected rain response, the first measured rain quantity, and the first time interval.

2. The sewer network flow analysis system of claim 1,

wherein the processor is further programmed to accept, from the rain gauge, data representative of a second measured rain quantity at a first location over a third time interval; and

wherein the processor is further programmed to calculate a scaled rain response, the scaled rain response comprising a function of the selected rain response and the second measured rain quantity; and

wherein the processor is further programmed to report, in real time, the scaled rain response.

3. The sewer network flow analysis system of claim 2, wherein the second location is a location within a sewer network, and wherein the processor is further programmed to calculated the scaled rain response using no additional data relating to either the sewer network or any substance flowing within the sewer network.

4. The sewer network flow analysis system of claim 2,

the processor being further programmed to convert the measured flow distribution into data representative of a measured flow at the second location, and to subtract a baseline flow from the measured flow to obtain a result comprising data representative of an adjusted flow, wherein the baseline flow corresponds to a non-precipitation event;

and

the processor being further programmed to compare the adjusted flow to the selected rain response to determine whether the adjusted flow substantially corresponds to the selected rain response.

5. The sewer network flow analysis system of claim 4,

wherein, when the processor determines that the adjusted flow does not substantially correspond to the selected rain response, the processor is further programmed to report an alert.

6. The sewer network flow analysis system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to select one of the possible rain responses by performing a goodness of fit test on the measured flow volume distribution and the plurality of possible rain responses.

7. The sewer network flow analysis system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to graphically represent the selected rain response as a curve on a graph on which a y-axis represents at least one of inflow and infiltration and an x-axis represent time.

8. The sewer network flow analysis system of claim 1, wherein the duration of the first time interval is shorter than a duration of a corresponding precipitation event.