Abstract
In this paper, we propose an operation procedure for our previously developed in-pipe robotic system that is used for water quality monitoring in water distribution systems (WDS). The proposed operation procedure synchronizes a developed wireless communication system that is suitable for harsh environments of soil, water, and rock with a multi-phase control algorithm. The new wireless control algorithm facilitates smart navigation and near real-time wireless data transmission during operation for our in-pipe robot in WDS. The smart navigation enables the robot to pass through different configurations of the pipeline with long inspection capability with a battery in which is mounted on the robot. To this end, we have divided the operation procedure into five steps that assign a specific motion control phase and wireless communication task to the robot. We describe each step and the algorithm associated with that step in this paper. The proposed robotic system defines the configuration type in each pipeline with the pre-programmed pipeline map that is given to the robot before the operation and the wireless communication system. The wireless communication system includes some relay nodes that perform bi-directional communication in the operation procedure. The developed wireless robotic system along with operation procedure facilitates localization and navigation for the robot toward long-distance inspection in WDS.
Highlights
Water Distribution Systems (WDS) are responsible to carry potable water to residential areas
The spring mechanism and the battery of the robot are characterized to prevent failure during operation considering the maximum drag force applied on the robot that is computed with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) work
Wireless communication in underground applications is challenging since the environments of water, pipe, and soil attenuate radio signals [10], and the communication channel is dynamic in which the volumetric water content and the sand-clay composition in soil are variable and affect the path loss in soil [10]
Summary
Water Distribution Systems (WDS) are responsible to carry potable water to residential areas. Aging pipelines cause leaks and water loss in the system. The amount of water loss is unavoidable; around 15%-25% and 20% of the purified water is reported for water loss in the US and Canada, respectively [1], [2], it is required to periodically assess the condition of pipelines and localize the leak location. The traditional methods for leak detection primarily depend on user experience [3]. In addition to condition assessment and leak detection, utility managers need to measure water parameters periodically to ensure the health of the water. It is an extremely challenging task to access all parts of the distribution network as the pipelines are long, composed of
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