Technical Review

"Provides the comprehensive model management solution demanded by today's Water supply engineers"

InfoWorks WS (Water Supply)

InfoWorks WS, provides a comprehensive model management solution that will enable you to analyse and manage distribution network models more efficiently and accurately than ever before. InfoWorks WS may be configured as a component of a corporate Integrated Network Modeling Solution or as a standalone desktop application. The combination of a Relational Database, powerful Hydraulic engine and Spatial Analysis tools provides a single application that integrates flexible water supply network modeling with the requirements from asset management and business planning.

The software incorporates simultaneously linked views of the underlying data in a geographical analysis environment, including longitudinal sections, database grid editing and time varying graphical data.

The unique strength of InfoWorks is in the rapid and flexible way data can be imported, edited, managed, updated, reported and exported. These features dramatically simplify and enhance the network modeling process, and enable data from a wide variety of corporate systems to be brought together under audit trail to be used for the efficient planning and operations activites within the water supply network.

Hydraulic Engine

InfoWorks WS uses an enhanced version of the WesNet engine, world renowned for it's speed and ability to cope with 'difficult' networks. The engine is unique in a number of areas, and specifically offers comprehensive modeling of valve and pump behaviour rather than a simplified set of downstream hydraulic conditions offered by most other packages. This advanced capability enables real life pump and valve behaviour to be truly modeled rather than merely represented. Examples include correct sizing of Pressure reducing valves and effects of secondary pumping to a common outlet main. The ability to control simulation tolerance and to continue simulations through critical events enable the modeler to diagnose fully the location and magnitude of any simulation problem.

Workgroup Model Management System with Version Control & Audit Trail

Using an Industry Standard (JET) Relational Database, as used in Microsoft Access, InfoWorks WS provides the ability to review and actively manage current and historical model network versions. As well as providing full details of each modification made to the network geometry and control data, it also provides version ID's, date stamps and modeler details. The data flags feature shows origins of all source data and hence the confidence level in the quality of the model produced. A compare function allows the comparison of two model versions or sets of control data and the creation of a detailed report outlining the differences. This can even be applied to another network or control set to update changes. This functionality enables existing models to be updated rather than re-built when new infrastructure is commissioned in an modeled area, leading to enormous productivity and financial benefits.

InfoWorks WS may be configured as a Workgroup providing access to models stored in a central 'master' database. MSDE SQL Server and ORACLE format databases are also supported in addition to JET as the default. The centralised version control system preserves data integrity and avoids model replication via a model check in / check out procedure. Model data security, with respect to deletion and recovery, is provided through archive and back up of the 'master' model database. In addition, existing OS login priveleges can be asigned to control access to certain model groups and enablling the centralised control of multiple users on multiple projects.

Import/Export of data from GIS or other modeling applications

GIS Linking & Data Import

InfoWorks provides more options for data import than any other modeling software.

• InfoWorks WS can import network data from a variety of GIS systems, such as SmallWorld, ARC/Info, Intergraph etc. A full gateway interface is provided (InfoWorks CSV format) enabling third party data extraction tools to write out InfoWorks WS models from any corporate asset database providing a truly integrated solution.
• The direct link between InfoWorks WS and MapInfo Professional or ArcView GIS enable data to be converted directly into the InfoWorks WS database for model build. MapInfo and ArcView files can also be setup us geographic background maps.
• InfoWorks WS supports the direct import of the following models.
• WesNet
• WatNet for DOS
• WatNet for Windows
• Stoner (SynerGEE) - network only

Data Export

InfoWorks WS supports the export of network data and simulation results to specific layers in MapInfo Professional v5.0 and to ArcView GIS. InfoWorks WS provides facilities for the export of network, control and results data to WesNet and .CSV files. These may subsequently be imported into Microsoft Access or Excel.

As well as the specific import/export options it is also possibe to cut and paste a wide variety of data in graphical, tabular or geographic formats between InfoWorks WS and the MS Office suite for model building, reporting and presentation.

Model Building Tools

InfoWorks WS offers a number of Model building tools designed to cut down the time taken to construct and set up models for analysis.

The InfoWorks WS now incorporates an automatic tool for assigning elevation data to all nodes, spatial items or customer points. The UK Ordnance Survey Lanform Panorama data set is used and interpreted by the model this time with control on updates set by the data flags feature.

It is also possible to auto assign true internal pipe diameters and friction values based on pipe material, class, and age.

InfoWorks WS has the most comprehensive demand handling tools of any network modeling package.

Fully geo referenced seed point information such as Address Point can be imported and automatically allocated to nearest its logical pipe. This is achieved through an intelligent proximity analysis routine creating virtual service pipes to all water consumers. Full manual intervention is included at every stage of the process.

The user has the flexibility to apply endless demand types to any number of nodes by specifying property based demand with related consumption, average factored demands, and direct profiled demands. Any combination of these can be applied to 1 or more nodes and amounts adjusted by geographical, SQL or grid based selections in order to apply demand categories and rates of consumption by area or pipe/ node information.

This methodology enables swift predictive analysis of leakage and Per capita consumption changes.

InfoWorks WS enables the modeler to redefine imported or pre-allocated demand under control of the audit trail. This allows predictive modeling flexibility whilst protecting the demand derived for calibrated networks, ensuring a total quality approach to demand growth and peak week demand scenarios.

A spatial data interface has been incorporated to allow the user to import any type of geo referenced data to support the hydraulic modeling exercise. This could be customer complaints, pipe bursts etc. which can then be allocated to the nearest main and pipes graded by structural as well as hydraulic condition. This approach pushes InfoWorks WS to the forefront of true asset modeling rather than purely hydraulic.

Merging of existing models into a larger combined model is performed quickly and accurately, utilising the copy and paste networks facility. It is also possible to make model subsets and re-run simulations instantly using the originally specified control parameters.

InfoWorks WS provides comprehensive SQL facilities that not only allow the query of physical information such as node and link tables, but full dynamic result investigations to facilitate levels of service reporting and identify critical mains. All queries can be subsequently saved for future use.

The user has the ability to create network display themes based on any aspect of the network or simulation data. Displays can be static or change dependant upon results from the simulation playback.

A full simulation replay interface is included to let the user watch the system change dynamically over time with scenarios such as progress of a mains burst, tank storage, low pressures and pollutant tracing. Simultaneous graph and geoplan views will show the progress of the playback toward toward a particular event, for example peak hour flow.

Real-time links with telemetry & logger data systems

InfoWorks WS offers an interface into a variety of Telemetry system formats using the TSD (Time Series Data Interface) for the purpose of model calibration. Pump on/off operating profiles and pressure/ flow results can also be dynamically linked to modeled items enabling for example pumps to react in real time to the generated Telemetry data.

Similar capabilities are provided when incorporating recorded data from portable data logging equipment. InfoWorks WS has the ability to utilise recorded information downloaded from all commonly used data loggers: Spectrascan, Radcom, Technolog and Wessex using the SLI (Standard Logger Interface) and specific links to WISDOM and Wessex formats. The SLI facility is also capable of importing user defined logger data. InfoWorks WS ensures that links between model identifiers and the SLI/TSD files are managed effectively and enables the modeler to view graphs and edit data of all linked live data points.

Live Data Links also enable transfers and fixed heads to be updated automatically at a frequency determined by field data download. This allows the simulated network to reflect current hydraulic behaviour making the model a true operational tool.

Water Quality Module

The Dynamic Water Quality module uses the well proven EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, USA) mathematical model, which is equipped to model reactions within the bulk flow, reactions at the pipe wall and mass transport between the bulk flow and pipe wall. In addition to substance (conservative or non-conservative) concentration calculations in all nodes and pipes, water age and source tracing analyses within networks are also available. The water quality module is fully integrated with the hydraulic simulator for increased speed and efficiency. A user can create multiple scenarios of chlorine behaviour or hazardous pollution with various substances within the network and under real-time conditions. The results of the water quality simulation can be displayed as thematic maps, diagrams or numerical tables. The InfoWorks WS results analysis options will provide multiple simulation and multiple point comparisons, dynamic data replays and impressive 2D and 3D mapping views.

Auto-calibration Module

Enhancing the powerful WesNet calibration options, InfoWorks WS provides a new Automatic Calibration Module. This module significantly improves efficiency in calibrating large all mains models where friction factors have a predominant role in achieving a good match between real and simulated behaviour. The Auto Calibration method is based on repetitive peak-demand snapshot analysis during which friction factors are variably changed by scaling until the minimum sum of differences (model versus field data) in pressure and flow observation points is reached. The method can include pipe ageing and material parameters, thus modeling the underlying physical mechanism of deposit build-up in the pipes. This method outperforms various 'blind' numerical methods that randomly change friction factors for several orders of magnitude - an average size model (1000 nodes) takes less then a second to calibrate compared to several hours with other purely numerical schemes. In GIS based modeling environments where number of pipes reaches hundreds of thousands this is an invaluable tool for providing improved and sometimes the only estimate of friction factors for various hydraulic analyses.

WatSed (Sediment) Module

As a result of Wallingford Software's business alliance with WRc, the WatSed module has now been written into InfoWorks WS. The module is a powerful tool to indicate sedimentation behaviour in any water supply and distribution network. Using the well established Ackers-White formula for sedimentation, 5 input parameters are entered defining the characteristics of the solid and its suspension and deposition limits. The results are then calculated throughout the hydraulic simulation process to determine the pipe carrying capacities of each pipe in the network and whether suspension, deposition or variable conditions are occuring. InfoWorks WS powerful thematic displays can then be used to fully illustrate results.

Distribution of InfoWorks WS

InfoWorks WS is a 32-bit application distributed on CD-ROM, and is available for Windows '’98/NT/2000/XP.

Wallingford Software has appointed a number of agents around the world and their details can be found under the 'Partners' section of this Web Site.