Gulf Construction Online - Smart platform boosts network efficiency

Water Management

BIONS offers a comprehensive in-depth vision of the water supply network.

Smart platform boosts network efficiency

01 August 2020

In line with its commitment to achieving efficient integrated water cycle management, Acciona has launched BIONS (Business Intelligence of Network Solutions), a cloud-based data intelligence platform.

The platform integrates several sources to provide value-intelligence to the business and improve the management of the water supply system through water efficiency, says Julio Ratia, Acciona O&M Middle East Director for water solutions.

BIONS offers a comprehensive in-depth vision of the service and the water supply network as well as the “health” of the network itself, with the aim of recording all events taking place in the supply network.

“It integrates several data sources: smart water meters for domestic use, district metered area (DMA) sensors, management systems for users and incidents, tank levels, GIS, meteorological data or calendar variables. The result is a platform with a graphic and mobile interface, where you can view what is happening in the water distribution network in real time,” he explains.

Its architecture comprises the following modules: data intake, cloud gateways, data lake, algorithm and machine learning management, and visualisation. This centralised information is later used in decision-making, as well as to define strategic actions and practices that optimise the performance of facilities.

Ratia says this new tool helps to understand the network operations better, optimise supply planning and service levels and thereby ensure the best water access for citizens. “One of the main objectives of BIONS is to improve response times to leaks, breaks and pressure failures in the water supply network. To do that, the platform manages and shows all the information that helps to prevent and avoid important water cuts as well as identify the causes of dirty water complaints or issues with the supply, among others. Ultimately, it allows identifying failures in the facilities before they occur,” he adds.

This apart, BIONS performs analysis and management of water levels in tanks and deposits. This way, it can track the status of events (pressures, tank levels, etc) and anomalies from the beginning, thus ensuring enhanced water services for users.

Predictive models

“Furthermore, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology, BIONS enables going one step further, anticipating leaks and other anomalies, predicting the demand by tracking patterns and trends and solving supply problems in a preventive manner,” Ratia says. “For example, the demand can be predicted based on an estimate of the minimum night flow rate; non-revenue water can be analysed based on algorithms to calculate the water balance by district.”

Incorporating AI enables going even further in terms of the analysis and management of services and water facilities. With BIONS, data are turned into knowledge and predictive actions that achieve savings, thanks to the early detection of hidden or underground leaks, improving response times to leaks, breaks and incidents in the water supply network, and ultimately ensuring greater water service efficiency.

“It is a step beyond the classical approach focused on mathematical solutions and daily operations planning, towards a new model based on the recognition of patterns and machine learning,” he remarks.

Advantages

BIONS offers advantages in terms of efficiency of the operations and maintenance of the network, shortening the cycles of repair and incident resolution, Ratia claims. It is a multi-channel platform, which can be accessed and operated from mobile devices, tablets and personal computers.

“Because it is cloud-based, it is fully scalable and can grow in parallel with the technological evolution of the network and the systems installed. Another important aspect is its flexibility, since it can be implemented in systems with different levels of technological development and different control and sensor systems.

“The tool can be adapted to the information existing in each service. On the other hand, the integration of the BIONS platform with the GIS positioning system has the advantage of providing a user interface based on a hydraulic model of the network, something that guarantees that the user experience will be swift and adoption easy,” he explains.

Cybersecurity

“The BIONS cybersecurity architecture ensures not only protection from potential attacks to service remote control systems (industrial security), but also the security of data (industrial and transactional), of the IT network, and of the cloud platform,” Ratia points out.

Cybersecurity risks are successfully reduced taking into account security criteria from the platform design phase, through the implementation of a comprehensive security architecture concept, integrating appropriate technologies and subsequent improvements in processes and measures dealing with the organisation, access and users’ roles in systems.

The end goal for BIONS is to be a smart management platform for all of Acciona’s water supply services, he adds.

“BIONS is not just technology or digitalisation, it is an initiative that provides real and tangible benefits to the business and, as ultimate beneficiaries, citizens receive a better service,” Ratia concludes.