Author(s): Samuel Hutchinson; Joseph H. A. Guillaume; Philipp Braun

Linked Author(s):

Keywords: Digital twinning; Root cause analyses; Water balance anomalies

Abstract: Operators of irrigation networks face increased demand to verify and improve network performance, including closure of the water balance. Infrastructure automation initiatives not only bring performance improvements to the network, but also add value to capital investments through opportunity to analyse live telemetry data. This research investigates the potential for reducing the uncertainty of fault recognition and root cause analyses of water balance anomalies, harnessing infrastructural data and expertise available from the Murrumbidgee irrigation area of NSW, Australia. Extending methodology in the literature for generating leakage alarms from telemetered irrigation infrastructure (Bedjaoui and Weyer, 2011; Lami, 2022), this work explores the patterns discernible in the data impacting the water balance of key equipment in an operational network. Building upon this exploration, this work reports on a case study demonstrating the key contextual information provided from a digital twin of pivot weir regulators. This work contributes a methodology of incorporating information into a conceptual model of the components and behaviour of a regulator and how this model is integrated into the process of root cause analysis of water balance anomalies. Key examples throughout the operational irrigation season demonstrate a refined root cause analysis though clearer situational awareness, decreased analyst uncertainty, and more effective prioritisation. A further contribution of this work is a discussion on the value added to the understanding of the irrigation network by digital twinning functional components of the infrastructure. This is exemplified through a demonstration of how feeding back root cause analysis information can be used to assess components of the network for early warning signs of asset degredation. This work serves to highlight the importance of further harnessing the digital information of the rapidly expanding telemetry from infrastructure to ensure the management processes are resilient against changing relationships with our natural waterways in the context of climate change. The authors thank Murrumbidgee Irrigation Ltd for their collaboration and access to data from operational infrastructure for this project.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/iahr-hic2483430201-389

Year: 2024