| Product(s): | WaterSight |
| Version(s): | 10.00. |
| Area: | Documentation |
Overview
The user has the autonomy to add new sensors or update existing ones, as long as they belong to the same system/digital twin. If you are interested in adding sensors to new systems/locations, please contact your Bentley point of contact. The following are best practices for adding new sensors or updating existing ones.
Procedure for Adding New Sensors or Smart Meters
1. Adding in WaterSight
- Access the Administration >> Sensors or Smart Meters >> add a new sensor.
- The user can add a new sensor or smart meter directly through the interface by clicking the (+) button located above the table, or by importing an Excel file.
- If importing new sensors or smart meters through the Excel template, make sure to download the latest version (Configuration template or Current configuration) directly from the application (under Admin >> Download) and clean the file first.
- When importing an Excel file, it is recommended to load the Excel file only with the new sensors to be added, and these will be added to the existing ones.
- Whether adding new sensors through the interface or through Excel, it is mandatory to complete the required columns/fields marked with an asterisk in the template.
- It is important to mention that the “sensor tag” field must match the name/ID that appears in the origin data source, otherwise time series values will not be brough to the application
- If there are errors during the template import process, notifications with more detailed information about the errors can be accessed through the notifications button located in the upper right corner of the page.
- Some general tips on how to fill the template can be found here, under the chapter 3 (Recommended configuration workflow).
2. Data Connection Using Data Pusher (OFOSC)
To bring the time series values for each sensor or smart meter a connection to the time series data source needs to be previously established - more information here. Assuming that the OFOSC connection is set up and working, there might exist two different cases:
- The new sensor to be added into WaterSight already existed already (in the origin/database) by the time the Data Pusher (OFOSC) was configured - in that case, if the connection was correctly set up, it should be enough to add a new sensor in WaterSight as mentioned above. No further change or update is required (please note that the “sensor tag” field must match the name/ID that appears in the origin data source)
- The new sensor to be added into WaterSight did not not existed yet by the time the Data Pusher (OFOSC) was configured - in that case, besides the steps mentioned above, it is also required to access the machine or server where the Data Pusher (OFOSC) is installed and add it to the OFOSC configuration (using the WaterGEMS SCADA signals tool). Reach to your Bentley point of contact for help if required.
3. Data Connection Using RestAPI
To bring the time series values for each sensor or smart meter a connection to the time series data source needs to be previously established - more information here. Assuming that the rest API connection is set up and working, in addition to what is mentioned above under point 1, it is also required:
- Confirm that the water utility/consultant or the sensor /smart meter provider has already included the new sensor in the available API. Check that the sensor tag/ID in the API matches the one added in WaterSight
- When adding a new sensor in WaterSight, either directly by the interface or using the Excel template, it is mandatory to fill the "Provider" column with the right name of the API provider. One Provider name for each different API being used.
4. Formula based sensors - Derived Signals
Derived Signals can be created to calculate values based on a combination of values from other signals. This is only supported if using OFOSC connection, it is not available while using restAPI connection.
For example, you could clean a messy signal by ignoring negative values, or convert a signal that reports Hydraulic Grade to Pressure by subtracting the elevation and multiplying by the appropriate conversion factor. A common use of Derived Signals is to convert the tank level to HGL (by summing the base elevation of the tank to the level) so it can be used by WaterSight to automatically adjust levels in the tanks for the all period of the simulation run. More information here.
To create a derived signal, follow below steps:
- Access the machine/server where the OFOSC / data pusher is running
- Stop the Openflow Onsite Coordinator service
- Access the copy of the WaterGEMS model that is being used by the data pusher (OFOSC). Open the SCADA Signals tool and right click on the Derived folder that is automatically added when creating the connection to the datasource inside the SCADA signals tool, and select New.
You can then then use a formula to define this new signal. On the Formula tab, define the exact formula for which the new signal will be calculated. Most mathematic operations are included and can be defined. See WaterGEMS Help documentation for more details on derived signals.
- Save the WaterGEMS file inside the Models folder, inside the OpenFlows Onsite Coordinator folder, with the same name as the previous WaterGEMS file.
- Make sure the derived signal gets data in WaterGEMS
- Restart the Openflow Onsite Coordinator service
- Make sure to add the derived signal to the list in WaterSight (Admin >> sensors) with the same tag as the one in WaterGEMS model
Procedure for Updating Sensors or Smart Meters
To update information for existing sensors or smart meters, and if there are multiple changes, the quickest and simplest way is through the Excel template.
In this case, it's very important that the user always downloads the current template directly from the application (download >> current configuration). The current template already contains all the most up-to-date digital twin information, so the user only needs to edit/change the desired columns and re-upload the modified file. To do this, access the administration >> sensors menu and click the import button located above the table.
If there are errors during the template import process, notifications with more detailed information about the errors can be accessed through the notifications button located in the upper right corner of the page.
Finally, it's important to note that it is only possible to delete elements (sensors, zones, reservoirs, pumps, etc.) directly through the application interface, by explicitly selecting the delete button. Importing a new template will never delete existing elements.
Adding new sensors to the Hydraulic Model
This step is not required to have sensor data arriving to WaterSight and to take advantage of the alerting, event management, water audits, pump performance and tank performance. However this step is required in order to guarantee the model is running in real time, with the new sensor data being used as input/boundary conditions for the hydraulic model runs, as well to successfully run the geolocation of leaks tool.
To add new sensors to the hydraulic model, download the WaterGEMS model from WaterSight, under Admin >> Numerical Model >> Previous Simulations. Then make sure to add SCADA elements and map those to the correct model elements and with the SCADA signals. This article describes the requirements and workflow in more detail and also includes a video - Preparing WaterGEMS model for real time simulation in WaterSight.
See Also
Sensor Data Acquisition Requirements
Preparing WaterGEMS model for real time simulation in WaterSight