Major flood defences repair helped by remote control boat!

This application is nothing if not relevant in current weather conditions in both Ireland and Britain (Jan/Feb 2014) is this imaginative idea.

A remote control boat equipped with a SonTek M9 Acoustic Doppler Profiler (ADP®), from Xylem, has been employed with HydroSurveyor software to create a 3-dimensional map of a damaged (and still submerged) flood barrier, following serious damage that took place during last December’s storms. Data from the survey enabled the British Environment Agency to act swiftly and effectively to repair the damage and thereby protect local industry and residents.

Seal Sands

Extreme weather conditions and the highest tide for 150 years resulted in serious damage to a flood bank at Seal Sands near Billingham in the North East of England. A large hole, some 60 to 80 meters across, was scoured from the barrier and enormous quantities of seawater flooded into an area of marshland, which is an important wildlife habitat. However, this area is also adjacent to a number of high value industrial assets, so this breach in the flood defences represented a serious threat and urgent remedial action was necessary.

Initially, military helicopters were recruited to help drop boulders into the hole, but it soon became clear that greater volumes were required so a temporary road was quickly constructed along the barrier so that fill material could be delivered by lorries.

Unfortunately, the extent of the damage to the submerged flood bank was not visible, even at low tide, so it was necessary to be able to survey the damage in order to be able to calculate the type and volume of material that would be necessary for the repair operation. Traditionally, such surveys would have been conducted manually from boats using gauging poles, but the Environment Agency now employs advanced remote control boats that have a range of 200 metres, so operators are able to remain on the bank.

The M9 ADP® on-board the remote controlled ‘ARC-Boat’ is a 5-beam depth sounding and velocity profiling device that scans the bed as the boat is guided across the water’s surface. Recorded data are analysed in real-time by the SonTek HydroSurveyor software to produce accurate depth and velocity measurements in addition to 3-D maps of the water body. The Agency’s Chris Train says, “The operation of the ARC-Boat was a great success; we were able to conduct a complete survey during about one hour of slack water at the top of the tide. As it happened, this was undertaken at night, but we attached navigation lights to the ARC boat, so the timing was of no consequence.

“The HydroSurveyor software created a superb map of the damage and demonstrated that the hole was significantly deeper than we had anticipated, so this data was essential in helping us to plan the remediation work.

“The main advantages of the ARC-Boat/HydroSurveyor system are the speed with which a survey is undertaken, the quality of the data, and improved safety because it is not necessary for staff to work on the water.”

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) recently gave a further application: Flood boat predicts river breaking banks (8/1/2014)

Analyser manufacturer in Water, Agrochemical, Environmental & Pharma Sectors appoints distributor!

OI Analytical (a Xylem brand!) has appointed Lab Solutions (previously Anaserv Ltd) as sole distributor for the company’s Automated Chemistry Analyser (ACA) line in both Britain and Ireland.

“We are very pleased to make this announcement,” said John Damiral, Sales Manager EMEAI for OI Analytical. “Lab Solutions is a specialist in ACA with over 20 years of experience in sales and customer support for methodologies covering ASTM/EPA and ISO standards in the Water, Agrochemical, Environmental and Pharmaceutical sectors.

“Lab Solutions is the ideal partner because many of their customers require dedicated support from their team of analysts who are able to help convert a specific application or method for the OI Analytical range of Chemistry Analysers.”

New portable water quality profilers

Xylem Analytics has announced the launch of a new range of portable multiparameter water quality meters that have been designed for spot measurements and profiling of pH, ORP, conductivity, temperature, depth and optical dissolved oxygen, in both marine and freshwater applications.

The new WTW MPP 900 IDS Multiparameter Sondes are able to take measurements at depths of up to 100m because of the IDS (intelligent digital sensors) technology which means that sensor output is converted to a digital signal within the sensors, so that data can be transmitted for longer distances without interference.

A further advantage of the IDS technology is that each sensor has its own identity which is recognised immediately by the meter when connected. In addition, calibration history is stored in the sensor which helps to further reduce any potential for error, and enables users to quickly switch sensors when necessary. Reinforced cables are available in lengths between 1.5m and 100m.

There are two versions of the new meter, both with a built-in depth sensor. The MPP 910 IDS has a single sensor port and the MPP 930 IDS has three sensor ports. All sensors also measure temperature and are used with the rugged Multi 3430 handheld meter.

Sales and Marketing Director Darren Hanson says: “The MPP900 instruments are an exciting addition to the range of portable water quality monitors offered by Xylem Analytics; with a built-in depth monitor and digital sensors the MPP900 is ideal for limnology and represents a lower cost alternative to the EXO multiparameter water quality logging sondes.”

Marine water quality

Xylem Analytics  and Aanderaa Data Instruments have launched a new marine water quality monitor which has been designed to enable wider deployment of water quality sensors on ferries and other marine vessels. The ‘SOOGuard’ will be launched at Ocean Business 2013 in April and Xylem’s David Goldsmith says: “In order to encourage the operators of ferries to allow the installation of monitoring equipment on their vessels, it is vitally important that the instrumentation is easy to maintain and reliable.

“Traditional FerryBoxes are expensive bespoke systems, but by combining considerable design experience with the latest sensor and datalogging technology, the SOOGuard offers improved performance at a substantially lower cost.”

Background
Ferries, container ships and other vessels continuously traverse ocean and coastal environments in repeated journeys that offer an excellent opportunity to generate high quality information on surface water quality. This data is extremely valuable for the management and protection of the oceans; for informing global meteorology and climate change research; for calibrating satellite imagery, and for the management of fisheries.

In recent years, marine scientists have installed continuous monitoring systems on ‘ships of opportunity’ to routinely collect spatial and temporal oceanographic data. These instruments are known as ‘FerryBoxes’ and monitor the quality of water that is pumped from a subsurface inlet – often the engine cooling water supply.

The FerryBox concept is now recognised worldwide for its potential to provide much needed data, cost-effectively. FerryBoxes have now been installed in many countries including Australia, Chile, Japan and the USA. In Europe projects such as EMECO (European Marine Ecosystem Observatory) and COSYNA (Coastal Observation System for Northern and Arctic Seas) are utilising the technology to deliver data to a wide user community.

The SOOGuard FerryBox – what’s new
In the past, FerryBoxes have been custom-built and as a result, some of the older systems are complex and difficult to service or maintain. A key objective for the SOOGuard design team was therefore to develop a FerryBox that would meet the needs of most vessels whilst requiring the minimum of operational support.

The system’s four sensors (conductivity, temperature, optical dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll a) are fitted onto the door of a flow-through cell - a design that allows simple and rapid cleaning. The sensors are very stable and require calibration checks less than once a year in most environments. Further flow-though cells can be fitted to allow for the measurement of additional parameters.

The British National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOC) has worked with FerryBoxes since 1999 and their staff helped design the SOOGuard. The NOC’s David Hydes says: “Our experience has shown that these systems need to be simple to operate and must avoid issues such as air bubbles, biofouling and sedimentation. The compact robust design of the Aanderaa Smart Sensors suits a system that is easily maintained by a ship’s crew and can be easily fitted to almost any ship or boat. The deployment of sensors in a small flow-through chamber means that installation is simpler and fouling is reduced.”

A SOOGuard system has been fitted to the NOC’s 20 metre coastal research catamaran, the RV Callista, and Gary Fisher, who manages Southampton University’s vessels, says “The system has been very straight forward to operate; we have a computer on-board displaying real-time results and these are also stored in the system’s datalogger. We have not experienced any significant sedimentation, so we are very pleased with the design.”

The system is complemented by a hull temperature sensor to support the chamber measurements, and a flow sensor provides confirmation that the system has a continuous feed of water.

While readings are stored locally in the system’s datalogger, communication via GSM, GPRS and Iridium satellite is also possible. Additionally, users can access transmitted data via a web-based interface.

Summarising, David Goldsmith says: “Only a few ships are fitted with FerryBoxes at the moment, and these are run by specialist groups. We believe that the SOOGuard will enable that number to grow substantially and provide data reliably to a much wider community of marine and aquatic scientists because of its low cost, small size, easy installation and low requirement for routine support.”

• Visitors to Ocean Business 2013 (9-11 April) will be able to see a SOOGuard on the Xylem Analytics stand (H2-4) where live data from the system installed on RV Callista will be streamed.

Marine & coastal business!

Water monitoring specialist Xylem Analytics has appointed David Goldsmith as Director of Marine and Coastal Business.

David has extensive experience in marine technologies, having worked closely with AADI for many years in the oceanographic sector.

 He will be responsible for bringing the YSI, SonTek and AADI brands together under the Xylem Analytics umbrella and says "This is an exciting opportunity because each of these three brands is a major player in the oceanography market and the new division will therefore provide a broader capability to meet the marine monitoring requirements of our customers."

Acquisition leads to standalone water entity

ITT Corporation has completed its acquisition of YSI Incorporated,  (see report Merger agreement announced 11/7/2011) forming a water-focused analytics business with annual revenue of approximately $300 million. YSI is a leading developer and manufacturer of sensors, instruments, software, and data collection platforms for environmental water monitoring, with facilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

The new water company will be named Xylem ('zi-lem) and will consist of the Water & Wastewater (including wastewater transport; biological, filtration and disinfection treatment and analytics), Residential & Commercial Water and Flow Control businesses.
The name Xylem, derived from classical Greek, is the tissue that transports water in plants. It signifies the company's unique position in the marketplace as a leading equipment and service provider of a broad product line that addresses the full cycle of water – from collection, distribution and use to the return of water to the environment. Xylem also highlights the engineering efficiency of our water-centric business by linking it with the best water transportation of all - that which occurs in nature.

"YSI’s product offering complements our existing water portfolio and enables us to better serve our global customers and build on our commitment to solve challenges that our customers face across the water industry,” said Gretchen McClain, president of ITT's Fluid and Motion Control business, and future chief executive officer of Xylem, the new standalone water company separating in a tax-free spinoff from ITT later this year - see box!

“YSI’s expertise in field and outdoor, environmental applications strongly enhances and broadens our analytical instrumentation platform,” said Chris McIntire, president of ITT’s Analytics business area.

YSI, with a legacy of invention and innovation, was founded in 1948, and reported 2010 global revenues of $101 million. Since 1990, YSI has demonstrated a commitment to its core values and good corporate citizenship through the YSI Foundation.

ITT Analytics is a leading manufacturer of premium field, portable, laboratory and online analytical instruments used in water and wastewater, environmental, medical, and food and beverage applications. The company’s meters, sensors, analyzers and related consumables are used every day by thousands of end-users worldwide to analyze and control quality in countless industrial applications where precise measurement is required. ITT Analytics’ products are sold under the globally recognized brands WTW, SI Analytics, OI Analytical, Royce Technologies, Aanderaa Data Instruments (AADI), Global Water Instrumentation, ebro and Bellingham & Stanley.