Nature-Based Solutions and Real-Time Control: Challenges and Opportunities

Nature-based solutions (NBS) as green infrastructures to urban drainage are an effective mitigation strategy both in terms of quantity and quality of runoff. Real-time control (RTC) can complement both flood mitigation and improvement of water quality by controlling elements of the drainage and sewage system. This study assessed the improvement opportunities with RTC of three NBS-related techniques commonly applied in urban drainage with different spatial scales: green roof, bioretention and detention basin and the remaining challenges to integrate both methods. Additionally, our investigations showed that the main difficulties reported involve the planning and monitoring stages of the RTC system. All of the studied devices can benefit from RTC. It is possible to observe that, despite the good results reported in the literature, the application of RTC to NBS studies on urban drainage are very recent. There are several opportunities that can be explored to optimize the performance.

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Modifications of rainfall runoff and decision finding models for on-line simulation in real time control

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1999.0477 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 39 (9) ◽

pp. 201-207

Author(s):

Andreas Cassar ◽

Hans-Reinhard Verworn

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Urban Drainage ◽

Rain Event ◽

Rainfall Runoff ◽

Real Time Control ◽

Design Storm ◽

Time Control ◽

Timing Data ◽

On Line ◽

Rainfall Runoff Model

Most of the existing rainfall runoff models for urban drainage systems have been designed for off-line calculations. With a design storm or a historical rain event and the model system the rainfall runoff processes are simulated, the faster the better. Since very recently, hydrodynamic models have been considered to be much too slow for real time applications. However, with the computing power of today - and even more so of tomorrow - very complex and detailed models may be run on-line and in real time. While the algorithms basically remain the same as for off-line simulations, problems concerning timing, data management and inter process communication have to be identified and solved. This paper describes the upgrading of the existing hydrodynamic rainfall runoff model HYSTEM/EXTRAN and the decision finding model INTL for real time performance, their implementation on a network of UNIX stations and the experiences from running them within an urban drainage real time control project. The main focus is not on what the models do but how they are put into action and made to run smoothly embedded in all the processes necessary in operational real time control.

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A novel approach to the real-time modelling of large urban drainage systems

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1997.0638 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 36 (8-9) ◽

pp. 19-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Richard Norreys ◽

Ian Cluckie

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Dynamic Models ◽

Drainage System ◽

Radar Data ◽

Urban Drainage ◽

Real Time Control ◽

Empirical Modelling ◽

Time Control ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Non Linear Systems

Conventional UDS models are mechanistic which though appropriate for design purposes are less well suited to real-time control because they are slow running, difficult to calibrate, difficult to re-calibrate in real time and have trouble handling noisy data. At Salford University a novel hybrid of dynamic and empirical modelling has been developed, to combine the speed of the empirical model with the ability to simulate complex and non-linear systems of the mechanistic/dynamic models. This paper details the ‘knowledge acquisition module’ software and how it has been applied to construct a model of a large urban drainage system. The paper goes on to detail how the model has been linked with real-time radar data inputs from the MARS c-band radar.

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Energy optimization of the urban drainage system by integrated real-time control during wet and dry weather conditions

Urban Water Journal ◽

10.1080/1573062x.2018.1480726 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 362-370 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Stefan Kroll ◽

Alessio Fenu ◽

Tom Wambecq ◽

Marjoleine Weemaes ◽

Jan Van Impe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Energy Optimization ◽

Drainage System ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Urban Drainage ◽

Real Time Control ◽

Urban Drainage System ◽

Time Control

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Combined Application of Real-Time Control and Green Technologies to Urban Drainage Systems

Water ◽

10.3390/w12123432 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 3432

Author(s):

Margherita Altobelli ◽

Sara Simona Cipolla ◽

Marco Maglionico

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Water Volume ◽

Urban Drainage ◽

Real Time Control ◽

Green Technologies ◽

Drainage Systems ◽

Combined Application ◽

Time Control ◽

Urban Drainage Systems

The increase in waterproof surfaces, a typical phenomenon of urbanization, on the one hand, reduces the volume of rainwater that naturally infiltrates the subsoil and, on the other, it determines the increase in speeds, flow rates, and outflow volume surface; at the same time, it causes a qualitative deterioration of the water. This study researched the optimal management of urban drainage systems via the combined application of real-time control and green technologies. A hydraulic model of the sewer system of the suburbs of Bologna (Italy) was set up using the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to evaluate the reduction in water volume and the masses of pollutants discharged in water bodies. The combined application of these technologies allows significantly reducing both the pollutants released into the receiving water bodies and the overflow volumes, while optimizing the operation of the treatment plants. Green technologies cause an average reduction equal to 45% in volume and 53% of total suspended solids (TSS) sent to the receiver. The modeled cases represent only some of the possible configurations achievable on urban drainage systems; the combined use of different solutions could lead to further improvements in the overall functioning of the drainage system.

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Transfer Function Modelling of Urban Drainage Systems, and Potential Uses in Real-Time Control Applications

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1994.0689 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 29 (1-2) ◽

pp. 409-417 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Andrea G. Capodaglio

Keyword(s):

Transfer Function ◽

Real Time ◽

Sewage Treatment ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Urban Drainage ◽

Real Time Control ◽

Control Applications ◽

Time Control ◽

Function Modelling ◽

Transfer Function Modelling

According to the present state-of-the-art, sewerage systems, sewage treatment plants and their subsequent improvements are often planned and designed as totally separate entities, each subject to a specific set of performance objectives. As a result, sewage treatment efficiency is subject to considerable variability, depending both on general hydrologic conditions in the urban watershed (wet versus dry periods), and on specific “instantaneous” operating conditions. It has been postulated that the integration of urban drainage and wastewater treatment design and operation could allow minimization of the harmful effects of discharges from treatment plants, overflows and surface water runoff. This “ideal condition” can be achieved through the introduction of so-called “real-time control” technology in sewerage collection and treatment operations. To be a feasible goal, this technology poses the demand for more powerful simulation models of either aspect of the system - or, ideally, of a unified sewer-and-treatment plant model - than most of those currently available. This paper examines the requirements of rainfall/runoff transformation and sewer flow models with respect to real-time control applications, and focuses on the methodology of stochastic, transfer function modelling, reporting application examples. Modalities and limitations of the extraction of information from the models thus derived are also analyzed.

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Water Quality-based Real Time Control of Integrated Urban Drainage Systems: A Preliminary Study from Copenhagen, Denmark

Procedia Engineering ◽

10.1016/j.proeng.2014.02.188 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 70 ◽

pp. 1707-1716 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

L. Vezzaro ◽

M.L. Christensen ◽

C. Thirsing ◽

M. Grum ◽

P.S. Mikkelsen

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Real Time ◽

Urban Drainage ◽

Real Time Control ◽

Drainage Systems ◽

Time Control ◽

Urban Drainage Systems ◽

Preliminary Study

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Real-time control of sewer systems using turbidity measurements

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2011.159 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 63 (11) ◽

pp. 2628-2632 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

C. Lacour ◽

M. Schütze

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Measurement Techniques ◽

Quality Characteristics ◽

Water Quantity ◽

Urban Drainage ◽

Data Sets ◽

Real Time Control ◽

Time Control ◽

Sewer Systems ◽

Combined Sewer

Real-time control (RTC) of urban drainage systems has been proven useful as a means to reduce pollution by combined sewer overflow discharges. So far, RTC has been investigated mainly with a sole focus on water quantity aspects. However, as measurement techniques for pollution of wastewater are advancing, pollution-based RTC might be of increasing interest. For example, turbidity data sets from an extensive measurement programme in two Paris catchments allow a detailed investigation of the benefits of using pollution-based data for RTC. This paper exemplifies this, comparing pollution-based RTC with flow-based RTC. Results suggest that pollution-based RTC indeed has some potential, particularly when measurements of water-quality characteristics are readily available.

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Real time control (RTC) of urban drainage systems – A discussion of the additional efforts compared to conventionally operated systems

Urban Water Journal ◽

10.1080/1573062x.2013.790980 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 293-299 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

T. Beeneken ◽

V. Erbe ◽

A. Messmer ◽

C. Reder ◽

R. Rohlfing ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Urban Drainage ◽

Real Time Control ◽

Drainage Systems ◽

Time Control ◽

Urban Drainage Systems

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Real time control of the integrated urban wastewater system using simultaneously simulating surrogate models

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2002.0066 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 109-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

J. Meirlaen ◽

J. Van Assel ◽

P. A. Vanrolleghem

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Real Time ◽

River Water ◽

Control Strategy ◽

Treatment Plant ◽

River Water Quality ◽

Urban Wastewater ◽

Real Time Control ◽

Time Control

The urban wastewater system (sewer and treatment plant) has a major impact on the river water quality of urban streams. To minimise this impact, real time control is a valuable option. Since the ultimate goal of any control strategy is to optimise the quality of the river system, it is useful to take pollutant immissions into account when determining the control strategy and/or the setpoints of the controller. However, a simultaneously simulating model of the complete system is needed in order to allow design and evaluation of such control strategies. In this work an integrated model of the urban wastewater system is created. This has been accomplished by implementing surrogate models of the three subsystems within a single software platform. The coupled submodels are subsequently used in a semi-hypothetical case study to optimise the resulting river water quality. An ammonia sensor in the river has been used to control the amount of water treated biologically in the treatment plant. It was shown that this integrated control could lower the peak ammonia concentration in the part of the river downstream of the treatment plant. Hence, a proof of principle has been given that the use of measurements in the river to perform control actions in the sewer system and the treatment plant is a promising option.

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