The Department of Environmental and Water Authority (DEWA) employs the technology to detect leaks in the water transmission network, which has resulted in water savings of 130 million gallons.
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has disclosed that the Smart Ball technology it has developed has been successful in locating substantial amounts of water leakage in subterranean water transmission pipes. Because of their depth, these leaks are typically difficult to identify using conventional leak noise monitoring procedures. Since it was first put into use in April 2021, the Smart Ball technology in Dubai has found 43 leaks in the water transmission network, which has resulted in a savings of 130 million imperial gallons (MIG) of water and 5.2 million AED.
The Smart Ball system consists of a sphere with a tiny diameter that is equipped with a very sensitive acoustic sensor. This sphere is introduced into the water network, where it is allowed to move around freely while being propelled by the water flow. It listens for noises that are produced when there is a leak and recognises gas pockets or anomalies, both of which have distinctive qualities. When the Smart Ball has been removed, the data that was generated is subjected to an analysis by software that makes use of mathematical techniques to pinpoint the specific position of any leaks, gas pockets, or abnormalities. The Smart Ball is able to move about freely inside the transmission pipes at a speed of around three kilometres per hour and may check more than thirty-five kilometres in a single day without disrupting the flow of water.
“We place a significant emphasis on increasing productivity across all of our business operations through the implementation of the most cutting-edge disruptive technologies and the applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the production, transmission, and distribution of electricity and water. This enables us to deliver our products and services in accordance with the highest possible standards of quality, availability, reliability, and productivity. “The Smart Ball technology contributes to reducing losses in water transmission and distribution networks, which are currently 4.5% currently, one of the lowest worldwide,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA. Al Tayer noted that the Water Smart Distribution Management System, which DEWA launched, improves automation, the efficiency of operations, and dependability. This is in addition to ensuring a round-the-clock supply of water and early detection of leaks to reduce wastage. In addition to cutting-edge, intelligent hardware and software, it possesses a centralised system that is capable of monitoring and controlling remotely at all times. The Remote Terminal Units, or RTUs, are put at the interconnections between the transmission pipes and the distribution pipelines. The system employs these. In addition to this, it is interconnected with sophisticated water SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems as well as hydraulic management systems. The method makes it easier to locate problems while simultaneously reducing associated expenditures.
According to Abdullah Obaidullah, Executive Vice President of Water & Civil at DEWA, the SCADA systems allow DEWA to monitor and remotely operate the water transmission network around the clock. This is connected to more than 8,500 smart devices that have been put on pumping stations, reservoirs, and the network of water transmission and distribution pipelines, which stretches for over 16,000 kilometres. He went on to say that the Smart Ball leak detection technology lowers operating costs since it allows for the treatment of minor breaches in water transmission pipelines before those cracks get larger and cause additional water to be wasted.
APN Settings Team