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•White Paper: SCADA/Model Integration - The Rules for Success

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems enable an operator to remotely view real-time measurements, such as the level of water in a tank, and remotely initiate the operation of network elements such as pumps and valves. SCADA systems can be set up to sound alarms at the central host computer when a fault within a water supply system is identified. They can also be used to keep a historical record of the temporal behavior of various variables in the system such as tank and reservoir levels.

When working with SCADA data, the modeler often has access to more data than can be easily processed. For example, the modeler may have several weeks of data from which to calibrate an extended-period simulation (EPS) model and must pick a representative day or days to use as the basis for calibration. Selecting the best modeling analysis period from these thousands of numbers, which may be in several sources, is extremely difficult. Usually, there is no day when all of the instrumentation is functioning properly, so selecting that day is often based on finding the day with the fewest problems.

Another challenge of working with SCADA data is that incorrect readings, time-scale errors, or missing values may not be readily apparent in the mass of raw data. Fortunately, the modeler can use any of several procedures to compile and organize SCADA information into a more usable format, usually in the form of a spreadsheet. The tables and graphs developed using these procedures can then be used directly for a range of applications, including EPS model calibration, forecasting of system operations, and estimating water loss during main breaks.

This white paper provides guidance for addressing these challenges and discusses the types of SCADA data, different data collection techniques and formats, interpretation and correction of errors in SCADA data, verification of the validity of SCADA data, and other general procedures for the handling and managing of SCADA data for the purpose of hydraulic modeling.

Click Here To Download:
•White Paper: SCADA/Model Integration - The Rules for Success