irrigation australia conference teaching new tricks

Irrigation Australia ConferenceTeaching New Tricks

Mike Budahazy Terry ClaphamManager, Irrigation Modernisation General Manager, Water Supply East

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What we will cover• Response to channel automation

● Customers● Staff

• Modernisation – An example of the “light in the very dark room”

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Customer responses to channel automation

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1. The accidental irrigation2. Off farm operation3. SRW operates outlets

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1. The accidental irrigation2. Off farm operation3. SRW operates outlets4. “More time to do other things”5. “It’s better for my wife too”6. Weeds on-farm

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1. The accidental irrigation2. Off farm operation3. SRW operates outlets4. “More time to do other things”5. “It’s better for my wife too”6. Weeds on-farm7. Full on-farm automation8. Daytime irrigation9. Younger farmers

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SAMPLE IRRIGATIONCarters Creek Sub-System

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40Time from Order Commencement (Hours)

Ord

ered

Flo

w o

n Fl

umeG

ate

(ML/

day)

SII 99.9%

SII 99.6%

SII 99.5%

SII 89.7%

SII 85.4%

4 hrs 19 hrs 9 hrs 5 hrs 1 hr

Midnight

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Staff responses

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Staff responses to channel automation

1. A changing system…a changing job…a changing workforce

2. OH&S…an operator’s

perspective3. “A light blub in a very dark room”

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Staff responses to channel automation

1. A changing system…a changing job…a changing workforce

2. OH&S…an operator’s

perspective3. “A light blub in a very dark room”4. Weeds in channels5. Planning and scheduling

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Successful Delivery Index

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What does it measure?• Two important aspects of supply are:

● Accuracy● managing what you measure

● Reliability● Changes to bay irrigation times● Changes to infiltration rates● Lead to on-farm inefficiencies or excess run-off or both

• The SDI provides a measure of supply reliability

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What is it?

Success or fail on the basis of whether the delivered flow was within ±10% of the ordered flow or

±0.5 ML/day (whichever is greater) for 95% of the order duration

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SAMPLE IRRIGATIONS FOR VARIOUS SII

Ordered Flow: 15 ML/day (SII=99%)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48Time (hrs)

Flowrate(ML/day)

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0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48Time (hrs)

Flowrate(ML/day) Upper Limit (+10%) 16.5 ML/day

Lower Limit (-10%) 13.5 ML/day

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0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48Time (hrs)

Flowrate(ML/day)

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0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48Time (hrs)

Flowrate(ML/day)

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Ordered Flow: 8 ML/day (SII=89%)Ordered Flow: 5 ML/day (SII=73%)

0

2

4

6

8

10

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36Time (hrs)

Flowrate(ML/day)

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Causal Factors

Supply SideSRW Controls

AutomationProcess controlSystem infrastructure

Delivery SideCustomer Controls

Customer infrastructureHigh groundUnauthorised usage

Mutual Obligation

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Root Cause AnalysisROOT CAUSE ANALYSISAll FlumeGate Deliveries

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Customer

& Deliver

y Side -

Custom

er Inf

rastru

cture

Supply S

ystem

- Infr

astructu

re

Process

Contro

l - Plan

ning Operat

ions (T

ransit

ional

Arrange

m...

Process

Contro

l - Plan

ning Operat

ions (A

utomate

d System

s)

Automati

on Tech

nology

- FlumeG

ates (

Hardware

or RTU

)

Process

Contro

l - Field

Man

agem

ent

Automati

on Con

trol -

Manual

Manag

emen

t of A

utomate

d Syst

ems

Automati

on Te

chnolo

gy - H

ost Sys

tem

Customer

& Deliver

y Side -

Unauthori

sed Mete

r Usag

e

Automati

on Contr

ol - Sys

tem Tu

ning

Process

Contro

l - Exte

rnal (Rub

icon o

r BAE)

Process

Contro

l - Exte

rnal (SRW Subco

ntracto

rs)

Automati

on Tech

nology

- Communic

ation

sPerc

enta

ge o

f Uns

ucce

ssfu

l Irr

igat

ions

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Root Cause Analysis

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Conclusion• Customer and staff acceptance along with grasping the

potential of the system has been very positive after some shaky beginnings!

• The benefits to production, the water savings, lifestyle, occupational health and safety - are real

• Modernisation produces a data rich environment highlighting the problems within the channel system

• Modernisation projects inherit the problems of the past• Modernisation projects are about change, the construction

is easy, the real challenge is managing the change resulting on both sides of the meter

24Questions?

irrigation australia conference teaching new tricks

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