The impetus behind the development of this device was the fact that meters currently in use in the Czech Republic for underground water hydrants have a number of functional limitations and structural imperfections. These imperfections mean that measurements are insufficiently precise. In addition, there is no all-in-one device available in the market which would be able to simultaneously measure the hydrodynamic pressure, flow-rate and turbidity on water-mains hydrants in order to conduct a hydraulic analysis of the water supply network with the required precision. Currently, waterworks use standard fire hydrant attachments to which water meters are connected. They allow operational technicians to measure the volume of water flow over a period time, instead of the actual flow-rate. Current practice therefore lacks precision and does not provide sufficiently reliable results for calibrating the hydraulic models of water supply networks or water quality models.
These flaws in current practice have been remedied by Ing. Ručka with his employee’s invention “Measuring Attachment for Underground Water Hydrants", which is a newly developed device intended for use in waterworks, and which enables the parallel and continuous measurement of hydrodynamic pressure, flow-rate and turbidity in the water supply network. At present, there is no other device available in the market which would be able to measure all three parameters at the same time. The significant advantage for end users of this device is that, thanks to its compact size and low weight, the gauge is suitable for operating out in the terrain and does not need any external source of energy.
This employee invention has great potential as applied technology and can be used to measure by attaching it directly to underground water hydrants. Thanks to the advantages arising from use of this gauge, some water companies have already shown interest in the device because they see it as a useful operational instrument. For these reasons this device is expected to be commercially launched in 2013 with a partner from the industry.
Ing. Jan Ručka graduated from the Institute of Civil Engineering at BUT in May 2010, which is where he defended his doctoral thesis titled “Risk Analysis of Waterworks Distribution Systems”. Currently, he works as an expert lecturer at the Institute of Municipal Water Management of the Faculty of Civil Engineering. His professional specialty is the drinking water supply, where he focuses on water transport, the mathematical modelling of water supply networks and the issue of turbidity in water supply networks.
