Optimized hydromodification management with active stormwater controls

• US 9,772,609 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2014
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OptiRTC, Inc. (Aliaxis SA)
• Original Assignee: OptiRTC, Inc. (Aliaxis SA)
• Inventors: Goodman, Judd, Quigley, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tri T
• Application Number:
  US14/287,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20140350737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 1/002 with disposal into the ground, e.g. via dry wells
• 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: G06F 2111/10 Numerical modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 10/30 Flood prevention; Flood or storm water management, e.g. using flood barriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 10/40 Controlling or monitoring, e.g. of flood or hurricane; Forecasting, e.g. risk assessment or mapping
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/152 Water filtration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/40 Protecting water resources

Abstract

A system, methodology, and programming logic for active stormwater controls to optimize sizing and design of Hydromodification Management (HM) structural Best Management Practices (BMPs) to achieve optimal flow duration control. Control logic enables the controlled release of stormwater from a BMP in a manner most akin to pre-development flow duration curves. Inputs to this logic include: flow duration curves based on continuous hydrologic simulation for pre- and post-development conditions; real-time measurement of water level within the BMP; and real-time measurement of discharge entering the BMP. This control logic can interact with control logic for other stormwater management objectives, such as harvest and reuse, infiltration, and combined sewer overflow prevention, and respective inputs, such as real-time weather forecast data, precipitation gage data, downstream flow gauge data, and water quality data, to meet those design objectives as well. New HM BMPs can be optimized to be smaller and, thus, more feasible to implement. Existing stormwater facilities designed for flood control or other management objectives can be retrofitted to provide hydromodification control as well. When utilized with real-time flow and water level monitoring equipment and data, the flow release logic can be adaptively adjusted without physical retrofit of the BMP'"'"'s outlet.

Claims

1. A method of enabling hydromodification management to compensate for changes in water runoff characteristics resulting from altered land use, the method comprising:

creating parameters of a pre- and post-development continuous hydrologic simulation model of a drainage management area of interest;

defining pre- and post-development flow duration data based upon the hydrologic simulation;

defining desired post-development flow duration data resulting from use of flow control;

creating flow rating data from the defined flow duration data;

defining the physical parameters of a runoff detention facility having a water outlet with a selectively adjustable opening;

defining control parameters for controlling the size of the outlet opening on the basis of the created flow rating data and the defined physical parameters;

programming a controller in communication with the outlet with the control parameters;

controlling, by the controller, the outlet opening based on the control parameters and thereby providing the flow control;

actively monitoring characteristics associated with the detention facility over time to define an actual post-development flow duration; and

comparing the actual post-development flow duration data with the previously defined post-development flow duration data and, if the actual post-development flow duration data differs from the previously defined post-development flow duration data,

recalibrating the continuous hydrologic simulation model parameters based upon the actively monitored characteristics,

redefining the pre- and post-development flow duration data based upon the recalibrated hydrologic simulation model parameters,

recreating the flow rating data from the redefined pre- and post-development flow duration data,

redefining the control parameters for controlling the size of the outlet opening on the basis of the recreated flow rating data and the defined physical parameters, and

reprogramming the controller with the control parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

revising the recreated flow rating data on the basis of water diverted to excess management processes associated with the hydrologic simulation model.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the excess management processes are selected from the group consisting of detention facility infiltration, runoff harvesting, and sub-critical low flow threshold discharge.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow rating data comprises a flow rating table and corresponding flow rating curve.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

revising the flow rating data on the basis of water diverted to excess management processes associated with the hydrologic simulation model.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the excess management processes are selected from the group consisting of detention facility infiltration, runoff harvesting, and sub-critical low flow threshold discharge.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the physical parameters of the detention facility comprises defining the outlet configuration of the detention facility.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the physical parameters of the detention facility comprises defining a number of vertically spaced stages within the detention facility and wherein defining the control parameters comprises defining a look up table of a control curve per respective stage, each curve defining the detention facility outlet opening according to the respective stage and detention facility in-flow.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a detention facility stage-storage curve based upon an assumed detention facility geometric configuration;

mathematically deriving simulated post-development flow duration data through the assumed detention facility geometric configuration;

comparing the simulated post-development flow duration data with the defined, desired post-development flow duration data and, if the simulated post-development flow duration data differs, within a range of interest by a predefined allowable tolerance, from the desired post-development flow duration data, repeating the steps of redefining the detention facility stage-storage curve based upon a revised, assumed detention facility geometric configuration, mathematically deriving the simulated post-development flow duration data through the redefined detention facility geometric configuration and comparing the simulated post-development flow duration data with the defined, desired post-development flow duration data until the difference between the simulated post-development flow duration data and the defined, desired post-development flow duration data, within the range of interest, is within the allowable tolerance.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the range of interest of the simulated post-development flow duration data and the defined, desired post-development flow duration data is above a critical low flow threshold.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of procuring and installing the detention facility as defined once the difference between the simulated post-development flow duration data and the defined, desired post-development flow duration data, within the range of interest, is within the predefined allowable tolerance.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the actively monitored characteristics associated with the detention facility comprise at least one of water level within the detention facility, detention facility in-flow rate, and detention facility out-flow rate.

13. The method of claim 1, where the step of programming the controller in communication with the outlet with the control parameters, the controller for controlling the outlet opening and thereby providing the flow control, comprises the controller controlling the operation of one of a modulating valve and a pump as the outlet opening.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of:

recalibrating the continuous hydrologic simulation model parameters based upon the actively monitored characteristics;

redefining the pre- and post-development flow duration data based upon the recalibrated hydrologic simulation model parameters;

recreating the flow rating data from the redefined pre- and post-development flow duration data;

redefining the control parameters for controlling the size of the outlet opening on the basis of the recreated flow rating data and the defined physical parameters, and

reprogramming the controller with the control parameters are performed if the actual post-development flow duration data differs from the previously defined post-development flow duration data by more than a predefined tolerance threshold.

15. A system for enabling hydromodification management to compensate for changes in water runoff characteristics resulting from altered land use, the system comprising:

a runoff detention facility having a water inlet and a water outlet, the water outlet having a selectively controllable opening;

at least one sensor in communication with the detention facility for sensing one of;

water in-flow rate;

water out-flow rate; and

water volume within the detention facility;

a controller, executing control logic code, in communication with the water outlet for selectively controlling the water outlet opening in accordance with the control logic code;

memory associated with the controller for storing the control logic code; and

a memory interface enabling selective reprogramming of the control logic code within the memory;

wherein the control logic code is defined according to the steps of

creating parameters of a pre- and post-development continuous hydrologic simulation model of a drainage management area of interest,

defining pre- and post-development flow duration data based upon the hydrologic simulation,

defining desired post-development flow duration data resulting from use of flow control,

creating flow rating data from the defined flow duration data,

defining the physical parameters of the detention facility and water outlet,

defining control parameters for controlling the size of the water outlet opening on the basis of the created flow rating data and the defined physical parameters,

programming the controller with the control parameters by downloading the control logic code into the memory, the controller for controlling the water outlet opening and thereby providing the flow control on the basis of the control parameters in the control logic code;

actively monitoring characteristics associated with the detention facility over time with the at least one sensor to define a measure of actual post-development flow duration; and

comparing the actual post-development flow duration data with the previously defined post-development flow duration data and, if the actual post-development flow duration data differs from the previously defined post-development flow duration data,

recalibrating the continuous hydrologic simulation model parameters based upon the actively monitored characteristics,

redefining the pre- and post-development flow duration data based upon the recalibrated hydrologic simulation model parameters,

recreating the flow rating data from the redefined pre- and post-development flow duration data,

redefining the control parameters for controlling the size of the water outlet opening on the basis of the recreated flow rating data and the defined physical parameters, and

reprogramming the controller with the control parameters by downloading the control logic code into the memory.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

revising the recreated flow rating data on the basis of water diverted to excess management processes associated with the hydrologic simulation model.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the flow rating data comprises a flow rating table and corresponding flow rating curve.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

revising the flow rating data on the basis of water diverted to excess management processes associated with the hydrologic simulation model.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein defining the physical parameters of the detention facility comprises defining a number of vertically spaced stages within the detention facility.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein defining the physical parameters of the detention facility comprises defining a number of vertically spaced stages within the detention facility and wherein defining the control parameters comprises defining a look up table of a control curve per respective stage, each curve defining the detention facility water outlet opening size according to the respective stage and detention facility in-flow.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the actively monitored characteristics associated with the detention facility comprise at least one of water level within the detention facility, detention facility in-flow rate, and detention facility out-flow rate.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the control logic code is further defined according to the steps of:

recalibrating the continuous hydrologic simulation model parameters based upon the actively monitored characteristics;

redefining the pre- and post-development flow duration data based upon the recalibrated hydrologic simulation model parameters;

recreating the flow rating data from the redefined pre- and post-development flow duration data;

redefining the control parameters for controlling the size of the water outlet opening on the basis of the recreated flow rating data and the defined physical parameters; and

reprogramming the controller with the control parameters by downloading the control logic code into the memory

if the actual post-development flow duration data differs from the previously defined post-development flow duration data by more than a predefined tolerance threshold.