Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) is looking to extend the lifespan of one of its most crucial assets – flume gates – using an innovative new algorithm.
Throughout GMW’s delivery network, there are more than 6000 flume gates.
Flume gates measure and control the amount of water passing through channels. They are controlled remotely, creating significant savings through the reduction of manual labour.
However, maintaining a fleet of thousands is a considerable undertaking. Flume gate motors, gearboxes and winch cables all degrade over time and eventually need replacement. The rate at which these components wear is largely dependent on how frequently the gates are raised and lowered.
GMW Water Delivery Services general manager Warren Blyth said GMW had identified an opportunity to potentially improve the longevity of these components.
“From analysing the telemetry from our gates we believed there was an opportunity to reduce the movement of the gates without affecting channel levels and flows,” he said.
“We created a group comprising of field staff, engineers, water planners, and IT experts to see if they could verify the current level of movement in the gates and prove it could be reduced.”
The group worked with the gate vendor – Rubicon Water – to upgrade the software that controls the movement of GMW’s flume gates to better protect that assets.
In early 2023, the upgraded software was trialled across 11 different sites with a combined total of 82 gates.
The trial showed a 50-80% reduction in gate movement at these sites and a 50% reduction in motor run time. These figures were achieved without downstream impacts.
“The results from the trial were very promising,” Mr Blyth said.
“Minimising movement within our flume gates fleet could create significant long-term savings, potentially reducing the frequency with which components need to be replaced while also creating labour efficiencies and increasing the reliability of our delivery network.”
From the data gathered during the trials, it is estimated the new algorithm could extend the lifespan of flume gates by up to six years.
GMW will now extend the trial to a further 100 sites encompassing 432 gates.
“It’s great that our staff have been proactive in identifying the potential efficiency, and assisting the delivery of a possible solution for it,” Mr Blyth said.
“Their initiative could benefit our customers for a very long time to come.”