Irrigation Network Optimization
In a time of water scarcity and political pressures, Optimatics helps irrigation authorities achieve best practice solutions, revealing smarter ways to use water.
Many irrigation authorities are exploring solutions such as replacing existing irrigation channels with pipes and/or implementing smart water ordering systems to reduce wastage, provide better service and optimize asset utilization.
Optimatics software and methodology significantly enhances planning and design by making the whole process faster, more efficient, transparent and cost-effective. You can optimize to:
- Identify superior designs
- Lower costs
- Reduce risk
- Answer “what if?” questions
- Enhance operator capabilities
- Improve efficiency
- Improve transparency.
Capital Works
As an irrigation authority, you need to plan the best use of existing infrastructure while obtaining funding for future infrastructure at a strategic level. A wide range of factors need to be considered.
Optimatics uses its expertise and advanced modelling capabilities to consider these factors, including irrigator demands, constraints, priorities and even regulatory policies to help you optimally plan and operate infrastructure.
Channels to Pipes Conversion
Building pipelines to replace inefficient channels and reduce water loss is standard practice in today’s market.
Optimatics adds value from project planning through to detailed design. At the conceptual stage, Optimatics carries out exhaustive options analyses using our suite of optimization software. Each option is fully optimized and can quickly be compared with alternative scenarios to incorporate management and financial decisions.
During detailed design, the system can also quickly be re-run if it is discovered that “on the ground” realities differ from design assumptions.
Reduce Energy Usage
By optimizing the overall energy requirement of a project, including electricity from pumping and the energy consumed in the manufacture of pipe materials, we calculate and optimize the total carbon footprint of a pipeline scheme.
Water Ordering
When Optimatics' software supports traditional water ordering systems, the operator can override general rules, providing extra water to customers with confidence that the system can deliver.
By using a hydraulic model, operators can instantly analyze a new order, to assess if it can be fulfilled. If the order cannot be met, an alternative, achievable rate of supply is selected. With more flexibility, growers use water more precisely, leading to better crop control and water savings.
Pumping Head Reduction
A pump is designed to supply water at a desired pressure and flow to a point at the furthest end of the system. Most of the time however, not all growers at the end of the system will be taking maximum flow. Thus, friction loss through the pipe will be less and the pump does not need to work at such a high head.
Using water orders in conjunction with a hydraulic model, Optimatics can assist by selecting a pump duty point that will provide only as much pump head as is needed at any given time. Over time, this amounts to large cost savings.
Expert Advice
Optimatics has optimized several major irrigation systems throughout Australia, a region that includes challenging conditions of drought, vast distances between urban centres and diverse agriculture.
John Gransbury, Optimatics' Technical Consultant: Irrigation Systems Optimization, has over 25 years experience in design and project management of irrigation systems world-wide. He has been closely involved with major Australian schemes such as the Willunga Basin Pipeline, Wimmera Mallee Pipeline, Murrumbidgee Irrigation network, Loxton pipeline and Woorinen pipeline.
For internal training or working with community groups to facilitate consensus among growers, John can add valuable input to any pipeline project and advise you on world's best practice for all your network and irrigation needs.
