MABY5345 Water Infrastructures and Sensor Networks Course description

This course is about the technologies required for building and retrofitting urban water pipe systems. The course covers both dig and NO-dig methods, as well as groundwork in infrastructure projects (e.g. district heating systems, electricity supply cables, and broadband). It addresses how to adapt piping systems for sustainable surface water management and emphasizes the importance of lifelong infrastructure management, taking into consideration climate change impacts and environmental risks.

Additionally, the course seeks to enhance understanding of urban water infrastructure, which includes drinking water supply, sewage pipe network, and wastewater treatment works. It provides insights into the use of sensors and models for decision-making and system diagnostics in urban water systems. The students will learn about sensor data utilization for decision support and diagnostic purposes, and model-based inference to understand a system's state.

Real-life cases will be used for teaching, and software such as Matlab, Python, SWMM, Mike+, Epanet, Scalgo, or REN grøft.

Language of instruction: English

None.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student will

• have insight in strategies to build robust pipe systems with reduced groundwork
• have knowledge in various sensor types used in urban water
• know about current state-of-the-art of sensor technology and their usage in model-based decision support, strategies for establishing robust pipe systems requiring reduced ground work and digging
• have knowledge about trenches, developing of NO-dig methods and decision models for when to use the different methods
• have insight in holistic methods for ground works also in relation to non-water infrastructure (district heating, energy supplying and broadband cables).

Skills:

the student can

• design and evaluate technology and systems in water resource engineering
• design and implement hydraulic models
• do sensor data analysis and reconciliation
• carry out critical analysis of uncertain or incomplete information in design and optimization of urban pipe network systems
• use a model to assess sensor data and balance conflicting data.

General competence:

the student is able to

• understand the resource efficiency of urban pipe systems
• use advanced models for stormwater
• to evaluate different urban water systems
• put knowledge into practice and solving complex problems
• perform critical assessment of sensor data.

The teaching will consist of a combination of:

• Lectures & discussions
• Independent studies including video recordings and online exercises
• Coursework assignments
• Practical use of tools and software
• Field excursions.

Live in-person and online lectures will be recorded, and the material will be made available to students on CANVAS.

The following coursework requirements should be completed and approved in order for the student to take the exam:

• 2 project reports (including supporting information/appendices), reported in max. 1500 words each, must be approved.
• 1 field excursion. Hand in a report from the field excursion (approx. 300 words)
• A written exercise for missing attendance at the field excursion.

Students who fail to meet the coursework requirements can be given up to one re-submission opportunity before the exam

The exam is a Portfolio, consisting of the following:

1) One individual project including use of a suitable computational software to be handed in as a written document of maximum 3000-4000 words.

2) One individual written project, approximately 2000-3000 words.

The exam result can be appealed.

In the event of failed or valid absence of exam, the postponed exam will be given as either an oral or written examination.

All aids allowed as long as rules for source referencing are followed.

Graded scale A-F

One internal examiner. External examiners are used regularly

Benedek György Plosz

This course overlaps 5 ECTS with MABY5340 Water Infrastructure, Trenches and No-Dig and MABY5350 Sensor Networks and Model Based Decisions Support .