Reducing flood risk with high performance tech

Australia has been battered by the La-Nina phenomenon in the last three years, resulting in increasing flash flooding and extreme weather conditions. The latest floods in Australia have been among the worst the country has ever seen, causing enormous devastation and a limited supply of grocery staples. Many towns affected by the latest flooding have already seen cascading climatic events in recent years.

Globally, there has been a rise in movement and initiative to reverse the effect of climate change. However, it is unlikely to happen shortly. Therefore, we must devise a solution to mitigate flooding risk during the next extreme weather event. For example, a floodgate can be installed in the high-risk area to control the flow of floodwater when the flood alert is issued. There are intelligent water control and monitoring systems that can restrict the volume of flood water entering the mainland and compromising communities, which can prevent flooding.

Water level monitoring is the primary measurement in preventing flood or overflowing, a type of high-precision sensor technology. Millions of pressure transmitters have been used worldwide to monitor water levels in dams and overflow tanks in the wastewater treatment plant for flood prevention. When the water level reaches a dangerous level, the system will issue an alert, which automatically activates the flood prevention measure implemented by the local authorities.

Flood Gate Monitoring Systems

The pressure transmitter from KELLER has been widely used worldwide to design such systems. In particular, the KELLER 33X pressure transmitter is embedded in the floodgate systems in Venice due to its extremely high measurement accuracy of 0.01 per cent to detect even the tiniest fluctuation in pressure. The flood prevention system combines an independent data recorder and a remote transmitter to reliably transmit water levels and pressure data to the control room over the GSM mobile phone network via SMS, e-mail, or FTP to provide real-time flood warnings.

This system can be installed with hollow mechanical structures or electronically controlled gates. In the example above, the system is secured by a giant hinge set in concrete. When the flooding alert is issued, air is pumped into the gates, which causes them to rise to form a protective barrier. The gates lie retracted beneath when the water is at or below its average level. The Keller 33X was chosen for this application as high-precision data were required to control and monitor the gates.

Water Level Monitoring Systems

Monitoring the water level in the dam is required as a flood preventive measure, especially in the area where frequent flooding occurs.

General oil-filled gauge pressure transmitters are not generally suitable for use in areas that experience frequent flooding due to the high moisture content in the air. The new absolute-absolute level sensor from KELLER can be used to rectify this issue. The water level sensor from KELLER has also been used for water level monitoring applications, especially in the dam or wastewater tank. The Keller PAA-36XW pressure transmitter has a barometric pressure sensor and can communicate with MODBUS protocol. Furthermore, this pressure transmitter has additional lighting protection for outdoor applications and can withstand wet and humid environments, offering long-term measurement stability.

Automated flood warning systems

Traditionally, a unique map was created for high-risk areas, which hosts information on the flooding pattern and the actions to be taken. However, extreme weather events are becoming more common and challenging to predict. Therefore, there is now a possibility that flooding will hit a new municipality that is not equipped with a flood prevention system. As a result, the local government now needs to implement IoT-capable solutions to cover all the municipalities.

The design of IoT-capable flood warning systems includes a pressure transmitter and a remote data transmission unit. The ARC-1 battery-operated remote data transmission unit has a data-logging function and can be easily installed in the monitoring pipes. It can also periodically transmit the water level and pressure data via 2G, 3G, 4G, IoT, LTE or LoRaWAN. Data can be easily accessible via cloud-based monitoring software.

The High Precision Pressure Sensors from KELLER

The pressure transmitters from KELLER are known for their high accuracy, stability, and reliability. They use advanced microelectronic technology to produce pressure sensors and transmitters with a high signal-to-noise ratio, low-temperature coefficients, and excellent long-term stability. The sensors are designed to operate in harsh environments and can withstand exposure to extreme temperatures, pressure, and vibration.

With their modular design, KELLER pressure transmitters can be easily customizable, which provides high flexibility in industrial applications, especially for OEM manufacturers. For example, customers can choose from various options to configure the product to their specific application requirements, including different pressure ranges, output signals, and electrical connections.

With more than 40 years of industrial experience, Bestech Australia has worked with world-leading suppliers of high-precision sensor technology to support industrial testing and engineering validation requirements in Oceania. We have worked with local water authorities to supply a large quantity of high-precision sensor technology to commission the measurement system for wastewater management in Victoria. We pride ourselves in delivering high-quality equipment to fulfil your testing needs while providing full after-sales technical support to assist you until the completion of the project. Our engineers build long-term collaborative relationships with their clients and are always available to answer any doubts you have.

To speak with one of our specialists, contact us at 03 9540 5100 or enquiry@bestech.com.au. Alternatively, visit www.bestech.com.au for more information on our sensors and high-precision measurement system.