Water Supply
- Pressure Sensors on Water Pipelines
The first
water pipelines were built by ancient civilisations. These pipelines
facilitated the irrigation of fields and the supply of water
to livestock and humans. A pressurised water pipeline extending
for more than 40 kilometres existed in Pergamon as early as the
second century BC. However, it wasn't until the second half of
the 19th century that reliable drinking water supply systems
gradually became widespread.
Such systems used water towers with connected pipelines. These
days, water is generally supplied via a permanent underground
system of pressurised pipes. A total of 99% of the population
of Europe has access to such a water supply and people in Europe
and elsewhere rely on the certainty that clean drinking water
will be available to them every day. In other words, secure water
pipeline networks form the backbone of our modern society. The
water flow rate in pipelines can be regulated by adjusting the
pressure in the system. If the flow rate gets too low, it can
have a major negative impact on water quality, as low flow rates
can increase germ content in the water and also lead to changes
in temperature, colour and taste.
Leaky pipes and
pipelines also pose a problem. Not only can leaks lead to the
valuable liquid being lost; escaping water can also damage the
subsoil, necessitating costly repairs. When new distribution
pipelines are to be laid, their leak-tightness is therefore tested
and documented before the pipes go into production. These pressure
tests require the pipelines to withstand pressure of 16 bar for
an hour. The manometer's display screen enables employees to
track pressure levels on-site throughout the test. A significant
drop in pressure during the test indicates a leaking pipeline,
which can be fixed while still in the production stage.
Once the measurement
process has been completed, a computer is used to read off the
measurements recorded by the manometer, which are then graphically
displayed. The end customer is thus able to see whether the pipelines
are operating smoothly. Here, the LEO Record from KELLER AG für
Druckmesstechnik is the tried-and-tested pressure measurement
device used for municipal water distribution systems. This battery-operated
system equipped with a digital display is autonomous and robust
and able to record both pressure and temperature levels over
long periods of time.
Because pressure
is influenced by temperature, the high-resolution measurement
values are also compensated. The basis for this process is a
temperature comparison performed at KELLER in special temperature
measuring furnaces. The data is used to create mathematical models
for each sensor that are then stored internally. The digital
measurement values thus attain a very high level of accuracy,
while the non-volatile memory ensures a high degree of data security.
KELLER supplies free Logger 5 software for configuring and reading
the data.
BRINER AG, a
leading service and retail company in the construction industry
that is headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, has been successfully
using KELLER's LEO Record autonomous data logger for this purpose
for many years and is very satisfied with the results.
"The LEO
Record is so easy to operate that even temporary staff can use
it unsupervised after a brief introduction", says Fabian
Lenz, Head of Supply System Sales at BRINER AG.
June 2021
