Santiago Espin

Automatic Validation of Flowmeter Data in Transport Water Networks: Application to the ATLLc Water Network

In this paper, a methodology for data validation and reconstruction of flow meter sensor data in water networks is presented. The raw data validation is inspired on the Spanish norm (AENOR-UNE norm 500540). The methodology consists in assigning a quality level to data. These quality levels are assigned according to the number of tests that data have passed. The methodology takes into account not only spatial models but also temporal models relating the different sensors. The methodology is applied to real-data acquired from the ATLLc Water Network. The results demonstrate the performance of the proposed methodology in detecting errors in measurements and in reconstructing them.

Sensor Data Validation and Reconstruction

In a real water network, a telecontrol system must periodically acquire, store and validate sensor data to achieve accurate monitoring of the whole network in real time. For each sensor measurement, data are usually represented by one-dimensional time series. These values, known as raw data, need to be validated before further use to assure the reliability of the results obtained when using them. In real operation, problems affecting the communication system, lack of reliability of sensors or other inherent errors often arise, generating missing or false data during certain periods of time. These data must be detected and replaced by estimated data. Thus, it is important to provide the data system with procedures that can detect such problems and assist the user in monitoring and processing the incoming data. Data validation is an essential step to improve data reliability. The validated data represent measurements of the variables in the required form where unnecessary information from raw data has been removed. In this chapter, a methodology for data validation and reconstruction of sensor data collected from a water network is developed, taking into account not only spatial models, but also temporal models (time series of each sensor) and internal models of the several components in the local units (e.g., pumps, valves, flows, levels). The methodology is illustrated by means of its application to flow and level meters of the Catalonia Regional Water Network.