BROOMFIELD, CO, June 7, 2011 -- Bristol Water, United Kingdom, has selected Innovyze InfoWorks TS as its modeling solution for transient analysis of its potable water system.
Bristol Water, formed in 1846, serves over one million people in the City of Bristol, England, and its surrounding areas, covering approximately 930 square miles (2400 square kilometers). Its system contains 4100 miles (6600 km) of mains, 164 pumping stations and 139 storage reservoirs with an average daily supply of 75 MGD (282 million liters per day). Its treatment techniques vary from the normal microstraining and sand filtration to the latest technology, including ozone disinfection and granular activated carbon filtration. The company can also boast some of the lowest levels of leakage in the country, with almost half a million gallons (2 million liters) a day saved through its leakage prevention program.
InfoWorks TS will enable Bristol Water to continue to optimize its infrastructure by anticipating and controlling transient response, which is critical for ensuring the protection, integrity, and effective/efficient operation of water distribution systems.
Transient responses can introduce pressures of sufficient magnitude (upsurge) to burst pipes and damage equipment. The resulting repercussions can include extended service outages and loss of property and life. Transient responses can also produce subatmospheric pressures (downsurge) that can force contaminated groundwater into the distribution system at a leaky joint, crack or break, leading to grave health consequences. Sustained subatmospheric pressures may also lead to cavitation and water column separation, resulting in severe "water hammer" effects as the vapor cavity collapses.
The InfoWorks TS transient flow analysis solution addresses pressure surge analysis and its role in utility infrastructure management and protection. It allows engineers to quickly assess the effects of pump station power failures, pump startup, valve closures, rapid demand and pump speed changes, and the efficacy of any combination of surge protection devices. The software also simulates transient cavitation and water column separation, evaluates their intensity, and estimates their potential effects on the system.
This information helps water utilities predict the development of unacceptable operating conditions in their distribution systems, identify vulnerable areas and risks, evaluate and design sound protective measures, and determine improved operational plans and security upgrades.
