Automation of Water Flow in Networks

Abstract

Disclosed is a control system for a water network. The control system includes a plurality of remotely-located monitoring and or monitoring and automatic control stations each including an automation controller for local control and automation, and each in communication via a dual-ring communication topology for system or wide-area control. The dual-ring facilitates redundant peer-to-peer data exchange to provide upstream and downstream water flow and water quality information. Systems described herein may calculate flow differential based on water flow data from each of the monitoring stations, and control flow based on the calculated flow differential.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water flow control system comprising:
 a flow control station including:
 a control automation controller; and, 
 a control communications device; 
   a first monitoring station including:
 a first flow sensor in communication with a first channel; 
 a first adjustable gate associated with the first channel; 
 a first automation controller in communication with the first flow sensor to receive signals therefrom related to water flow through the first channel and in communication with the first adjustable gate for controlling a position of the first adjustable gate; and, 
 a first communication device using a plurality of communication protocols; 
 the first automation controller in communication with the control automation controller via the first communication device and the control communications device; 
   a second monitoring station including:
 a second flow sensor in communication with a second channel; 
 a second adjustable gate associated with the second channel; 
 a second automation controller in communication with the second flow sensor to receive signals therefrom related to water flow through the second channel and in communication with the second adjustable gate for controlling a position of the second adjustable gate; and, 
 a second communication device using a plurality of communication protocols; 
 the second automation controller in communication with the control automation controller via the second communication device and the control communications device; 
   and   wherein the first and second channels allow water to flow therebetween.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control automation controller is configured to:
 receive first channel flow information;   receive second channel flow information;   send control signals to the first or second monitoring stations based on the first and second channel flow information.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the control automation controller is configured to calculate a flow differential using the first and second channel flow information. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the control automation controller is further configured to detect an anomaly based on the flow differential. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the control automation controller is further configured to store flow differential information over time. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the flow control station further comprises:
 a third flow sensor in communication with a third channel;   a third adjustable gate associated with the third channel; and,   wherein the control automation controller is in communication with the third flow sensor and the third adjustable gate.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the control automation controller is configured to calculate a flow differential from the first flow information, second flow information, and third flow information from the third flow sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control communications device comprises two radio communications devices, one of which facilitates communication with the first communications device, and the other of which facilitates communication with the second communications device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first communications device comprises another two radio communications devices, one of which facilitates communication with the control communications device, and the other of which facilitates communication with the second communications device.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the second communications device comprises another two radio communications devices, one of which facilitates communication with the control communications device, and the other of which facilitates communication with the first communications device.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 one of the radio communications devices facilitates a plurality of communication protocols with the first automation controller;   the other of the radio communications devices facilitates the plurality of communication protocols with the second automation controller; and,   the radio communications devices are in communication with each other using another communications protocol.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second communications devices facilitate radio communications between the first and second automation controllers using a single protocol. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control communications device, the first communications device, and the second communications device each comprise a pair of radio communications devices, and wherein the pairs of radio communications devices form a dual-ring topology. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a fertilizer delivery point in communication with one of the control automation controller, the first automation controller, and the second automation controller, configured to add fertilizer to a water channel in response to a control signal. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a micro-hydro-generation turbine in electrical communication with one of the flow control station, the first monitoring station, and the second monitoring station, configured to supply electrical power to the associated flow control station, first monitoring station, or second monitoring station. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control automation controller is configured to signal for adjustable gate position change based on predetermined time intervals. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first automation controller monitors power consumed by the adjustable gate and communicates power consumption information to the control automation controller, and wherein the control automation controller is configured to optimize which of the first and second gates are active based on the power consumed. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the control automation controller, first automation controller, and second automation controller comprise a communications interface for communication with a portable device, and are configured to transmit information from any of the flow control station, first monitoring station, and second monitoring station to the portable device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the communications interface comprises a wireless communications interface. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third monitoring station including:
 a third flow sensor in communication with a third channel;
 a third flow sensor in communication with a third channel; 
 a third adjustable gate associated with the third channel; 
 a third automation controller in communication with the third flow sensor to receive signals therefrom related to water flow through the third channel and in communication with the second adjustable gate for controlling a position of the third adjustable gate; and, 
 a third communication device facilitating communication using a plurality of protocols with the first automation controller and the second automation controller, 
 
 wherein the first and second automation controllers are in communication via the third communication device. 
   
     
     
         21 . A wide-area water flow control system, comprising:
 a first monitoring station comprising
 a first flow sensor in communication with a first channel; 
 a first adjustable gate associated with the first channel; 
 a first automation controller in communication with the first flow sensor to receive signals therefrom related to water flow through the first channel and in communication with the first adjustable gate for controlling a position of the first adjustable gate based on the received signals; and, 
 a first communication device comprising a pair of radio communications devices in communication with each other using a first communication protocol, and each facilitating communications from the first automation device using a second and third communications protocol; 
   a second monitoring station comprising
 a second flow sensor in communication with a second channel; 
 a second adjustable gate associated with the second channel; 
 a second automation controller in communication with the second flow sensor to receive signals therefrom related to water flow through the second channel and in communication with the second adjustable gate for controlling a position of the second adjustable gate based on the received signals; and, 
 a second communication device comprising a pair of radio communications devices in communication with each other using the first communication protocol, facilitating communications from the second automation controller using the second and third communications protocols; 
   a third monitoring station comprising
 a third flow sensor in communication with a third channel; 
 a third adjustable gate associated with the third channel; 
 a third automation controller in communication with the third flow sensor to receive signals therefrom related to water flow through the third channel and in communication with the third adjustable gate for controlling a position of the third adjustable gate based on the received signals; and, 
 a third communication device comprising a pair of radio communications devices facilitating communications from the third automation controller using the second and the third communications protocols; 
   wherein the first, second and third communications devices comprise a dual ring topology;   wherein the first automation controller is configured to
 calculate a flow differential using flow information from each of the first, second, and third monitoring stations, and 
 send control signals to the second and third automation controllers based on the calculated flow differential. 
   
     
     
         22 . The wide-area water flow control system of  claim 21 , further comprising a fourth monitoring station comprising a fourth automation controller and a fourth communication device facilitating communication with the second and third communications devices,
 wherein the second and third automation controllers are in communication via the fourth communications device.   
     
     
         23 . A water flow control system comprising:
 a plurality of adjustable gates, each associated with one of a first, second, and third channels;   a plurality of flow sensors, each associated with one of the first, second, and third channels;   each adjustable gate and each flow sensor in communication with one of a first, second, and third automation controllers, each of the first, second, and third automation controllers local with one of the first, second, and third channels;   the first, second, and third automation controllers configured to receive signals related to water flow from associated flow sensors of the plurality of flow sensors, and to provide local control by signaling an associated adjustable gate of the plurality of adjustable gates based on the received signals related to water flow;   each of the first, second, and third automation controllers associated with a pair of radio communication devices configured to communicate in a dual-ring topology;   one automation controller of the first, second, and third automation controllers configured as a control station controller configured to receive information from each of the other automation controllers and provide wide-area control to each of the other automation controllers.   
     
     
         24 . The water flow control system of  claim 23 , wherein each of the first, second, and third automation controllers are in communication using a first and a second communication protocol, wherein such communication is facilitated by its associated pair of radio communications devices. 
     
     
         25 . The water flow control system of  claim 24 , wherein each pair of radio communications devices is in communication using a third communication protocol. 
     
     
         26 . The water flow control system of  claim 23 , wherein the control station controller is configured to calculate a water flow differential using water flow information from its associated water flow sensor and information communicated from the other automation controllers. 
     
     
         27 . The water flow control system of  claim 26 , wherein the control station controller is further configured to detect an anomaly based on the flow differential. 
     
     
         28 . The water flow control system of  claim 23 , wherein each of the automation controllers comprises a communications interface for communication with a portable device, and are configured to transmit information from any of the automation controllers to the portable device. 
     
     
         29 . The water flow control system of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a fourth automation controller configured to receive signals related to water flow from an associated flow sensor and to provide local control by signaling an associated adjustable gate, and associated with a pair of radio communication devices configured to communicate in the dual-ring topology.