Automated GSM-Based Weir Monitoring System

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A Technical Paper
Presented to the Faculty of the College of Engineering and Technology
Holy Cross of Davao College
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In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Subject
CpE Design Projects
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by
Cagulang, Randy
Elminero, Ronell
Geronimo, Joanna Rhey
Mosqueda, Ramil Jr.

Engr. Roumel Faustino
Adviser

November 2011
Chapter 1

The Problem and Its Scope

Weir plays a vital role in valuable water resources. In most cases it takes the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure. This means that it helps alter the flow characteristics of rivers and streams. Without proper monitoring facilities, this may cause floods that may lead to damage to the community.

The need for automated performance monitoring systems is increasing as the personnel resources available for dam safety monitoring remains limited. A properly designed and implemented automated monitoring system can save labor and improve the quality of the data and the ability of the person in charge to detect a developing safety condition.

According to the Hydrology Department of Henan Province in China (2011), Banqiao Reservoir Dam connected in River Ru in Zhumadian infamously failed in 1975, causes approximately 26,000 people died from flooding. In addition, about 5,960,000 buildings collapsed, and 11 million residents were affected. Unofficial estimates of the number of people killed by the disaster have run as high as 230,000.

In an article written in the Philippine Star (2009), widespread flooding caused by heavy rains in October 2009 has isolated the major population of Lingayen, Pangasinan, Philippines. Rains and water discharged late from a dam inundated 30 out of 46 towns along the Agno River in the province, Pangasinan provincial information officer Boots Velasco said. Villasis town Mayor Nonato Abrenica said rain and water released from the dams caused floods to rise quickly, isolating his town.

Last January 2011, an article written in mb.com.ph by Elena L. Aben and Ellalyn De Vera, a flashflood occurred early that morning at Barangay Darong, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, due to heavy downpour and high tide which triggered the overflowing of Sibulan River where the Sibulan Weir is directly connected. Eighty families were evacuated and temporarily housed at Darong barangay hall, chapel, and Almendras gymnasium. The barangay is also experienced power interruption.

These concerns provide the designers a good background to develop a system in which the nearby communities and concerned government agencies would be aware of the weir’s status and can prepare for an emergency release of excess water from the weir during heavy rainfall. Hence, damage due to flooding will be minimized.

Theory/Concept

The ultrasonic sensor which will be used by the proponents as the measuring device for flow meter of the system has the basic principle that employs the frequency shift (Doppler Effect) of an ultrasonic signal when it is reflected by suspended particles in motion. This metering technique utilizes the physical phenomenon of a sound wave that changes frequency when it is reflected by moving discontinuities in a flowing water. Ultrasonic sound is transmitted into a pipe with flowing waters, and the discontinuities reflect the ultrasonic wave with a slightly different frequency that is directly proportional to the level and rate of flow of the water.

Doppler flowmeters are named for the Austrian physicist and mathematician Christian Johann Doppler (1803–1853), who in 1842 predicted that the frequencies of received sound waves depended on the motion of the source or observer relative to the propagating medium. To use the Doppler effects to measure flow in a pipe, one transducer transmits an ultrasonic beam of ~0.5 MHz into the flow stream. Liquid flowing through the pipe must contain sonically reflective materials such as solid particles or entrained air bubbles. The movement of these materials alters the frequency of the beam reflected onto a second, receiving transducer. The frequency shift is linearly proportional to the rate of flow of materials in the pipe and therefore can be used to develop an analog or digital signal proportional to flow rate.

Ultrasonic systems use high frequency sound waves. In most applications ultrasonic signals are used to probe a material or object. The signals pass through the material similar to an X-Ray but the ultrasonic waves are harmless. For the water level measuring device a conductance probe sensor will be used as it is used by the previous proponents of the “Automated Dam Monitoring System”. They used the concept of Peter Elgar (1998), that a pair of wires can be used as a water level sensor. This particular sensor is called conductance probe. Based on thomasnet.com, conductance probe is being described as a sensor which can provide trouble free level measurement. In order to monitor the level of water which the sensor is measuring, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can be used. Moreover, LEDs can provide the same display as liquid crystal displays (LCDs). However, LEDs are less expensive than that of LCDs. Through this theories and concepts, the proponents believed that this proposed project is really possible to be implemented given that there are many theories available that will support its concepts.

Objectives of the Study

The study aims to develop an automated weir monitoring system that informs and alerts the government officials, the communities living nearby, and the residents living beside the weir on its status.

Specifically, this study attempts to meet the following research objectives:

1. To design and construct an automated system that would measure the weir’s water level and flow rate.

2. To calibrate the system’s sensors.

3. To test the automated system.

4. To evaluate the functionality of the automated system.

Significance of the Study

Residents living beside the weir and communities near the weir are the primary beneficiary of this study. This is because whenever there is a need to release excessive water from the weir they can be informed ahead.

The government and owner of the weir can also get benefits from this study. This is because through this design the government will have a reduced emergency response time during emergencies. And for the owner of the weir, the study will improve the distribution and use of manpower which means less cost.

Scope and Delimitation

The system’s measuring devices will measure water level in the 2 Weirs located in the Sibulan Plant of Hedcor and also another measuring device will measure flow rate of the water flowing in the pipe leading to the turbines of the Sibulan Plant. The system includes database tool for management and presentation of the collected data, a device in which historical instrumentation data is recorded. The system can detect water levels like low, normal, warning and critical. The system also includes notification alarms to concerned individuals most specially the subscribers about the status of the weir if it is approaching critical level. And the system is intended for Weirs located in Sibulan Plant B, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

Definition of Terms

The following are the terms that will be used in the implementation of the study. These terms are defined as to its operation in the system.

Automated Weir Monitoring System. It is a system that monitors the level and flow rate of water in the weir and alerts the community through the use of text message.

Automation. It is a process that converts the manually monitoring of the water level by seeing the marks on the wall of the weir switching to conductance probe sensor that will be used to monitor the water level of the weir.

Conductance Probe. It is a device that is used to measure the water level in the system.

Dam. It is an artificial barrier that has the ability to impound water, wastewater, or any liquid-borne material for the purpose of storage and control of water.

Database. It is a systematized collection of measured data given by the measuring devices of the system that can be accessed immediately and manipulated by the system for monitoring purpose.

Microcontroller. It is a microprocessor that controls the identifying and processing of datas from the measuring devices up to sending these datas to the data center. It is an integrated chip that works as the brain of the system.

Printed Circuit Board(PCB). It is a plastic board wherein the circuit of the design is being printed. This is also where the components are being placed or soldered.

Sendfar. It is a device used to send the processed data by the PIC to the data center of the system in Weir 1.

Short Message Service (SMS). It is a standardized communications protocol allowing the sending of short text message from the data center of the system to the mobile telephone devices of the subscribers.

Ultrasonic Sensor. It is a device that is used to measure the volumetric flow rate of the water passing through the pipes leading to the turbines of the power plant.

Chapter 2

Process Design

In this chapter, the process of determining the workflow, devices needed, and implementation requirements of the design are discussed. This chapter includes the discussion of the design of the study. It also includes the discussion of the system’s block diagram, the block diagram, and the procedure of the study. for a particular process.

Design of the Study

Since the aim of this study is to develop a device that involve a blend of theory and practice. This blend is most obvious in developmental research, those studies that involve the production of knowledge with the aim of improving the processes of instructional design, development, and evaluation. Such research is based on either situation-specific problem solving or generalized inquiry procedures. Developmental research according to Seels and Richey (1994), as opposed to simple instructional development, it has been defined as “the systematic study of designing, developing and evaluating instructional programs, processes and products that must meet the criteria of internal consistency and effectiveness”. Developmental research methodologies facilitate the study of new models, tools, and procedures so that we can reliably give advance thought to their effectiveness and efficiency and, at the same, time address the problems of this field. Developmental research techniques not only expand the empirical methodologies of the field, but also expand the substance of instructional technology research. As such, it can be an important vehicle in our field’s efforts to enhance the learning and performance of individuals and organizations alike.

Discussion of the Block Diagram

In this system, 2 different devices will be installed in the Sibulan Power Plant. From Weir 1 of the power plant, a conductance probe sensor will be installed to measure the water level of the weir. This device will pass this measured data to its own PIC. Each sensor device is connected to its own PIC. The pic will process and identify the data and pass it to the data center of the system through sendfar. Another conductance probe sensor will be installed in Weir 2 of the Power Plant. Like the conductance probe sensor installed in Weir 1 it will operate the same. It will also pass its measured data to its PIC. After being identified and processed the PIC will also send this data to data center of the system. Since the PIC device will be installed near the location of the data center this will be connected through wires. Another device will be installed in the pipes of the power plant where the turbine is directly connected. This device is the ultrasonic sensor which will measure the flow rate of the water in this pipe. The data that will be measured by the ultrasonic sensor will be sent to its PIC. This will again process and identify the received data and will send it to the data center. The PIC device of the ultrasonic sensor will also be installed near the data center, so it will also be connected through wire. All the data that will be received by the data center from the different PIC devices will be recorded and stored in the database of the system. If the data center will receive a notification alarm, it will automatically send text message to the mobile telephone devices of the subscribers through the GSM Module. The subscribers of the system are the residents living near the weir and concerned government agency.

Block Diagram

Figure1. Block Diagram of the System

Procedures of the Study

The following procedures will be observed in the implementation of the study:

Design Research. In making a design, data must be gathered first. It is necessary to gather all the important data that is needed in the design for proper documentation. Like the identifying of the problems that the proponents want to be solved or if not minimized, the types of sensor device to be used in the implementation, the basic operation this sensor device, and also how to implement the design.

Hardware and Software Design. The designers will make the block diagram in order to be guided in making the hardware design. The block diagram discusses the parts of the system and the direction of the flow of program for the design. Schematic diagram will then be created after the block diagram. The schematic diagram contains the needed materials and as well as the voltage requirements. While making the block diagram the software design for the interfacing will also be designed.

Cellphone, PIC Interfacing. The designers will program the PIC in order to send text message from the data center to the subscribers.

Sensor Testing and Calibration. The designers tested and calibrated the water level sensor and flow rate sensor by measuring the weir’s water level and the pipe water flow rate.

PIC Testing with the Circuit and Device Simulation. While testing the PIC with the circuit the simulation of the sensor device will also be tested.

Testing the System and Troubleshooting. After finalizing the circuit, the designers then tested if all circuits are working properly. Transferring a working circuit from breadboard to printed circuit board (PCB) does not ensure its 100% workability. The designers checked the connections and terminals if all are connected in accordance to the schematic diagram.

Packaging and Finalizing. The proponents will packaged the circuit to a presentable look and will finalize the system’s functionality.

Evaluation. The proponents will let the Officials from Hedcor and CET Faculty to test and evaluate the system.

----------------------- Subscribers

Sendfar

PIC

Water Level Measuring Device @Weir 1

GSM Module

PIC

Water Level Measuring Device @Weir 2

Flow Rate Measuring Device

Data Center

PIC