WATHAM Product Description

MODEL BUILDING FUNCTIONS

This section describes the functions provided by WATHAM and how users can best apply these functions to projects.

OPEN a job

Input data is stored in job files. Users create the files using the application or import substantial portions of the data from external sources.  The files are managed in two formats (a proprietary binary format and a text format that can be used as an open interchange format.

Old WATHAM datasets without any mapping data can still be opened and used in the application.  In this case, data is edited manually using the in-built text editor instead of the mapping / graphical user interface.

The application can convert old, unmapped datasets into the new data format and in the process automatically create a diagrammatic (not-to-scale) map of the model.

CUSTOMISE a job's map / model

Users customise the appearance of a network map's colours, symbol sizes, standard pipe sizes/materials and data validation limits.

Organisations can set company standards as default colour settings.  While users have the ability to customise individual jobs to their own requirements without losing the company standards.

To help users analyse the data colour bands can be set for:
   - pipe diameter
   - pipe head gradient
   - pipe velocity
   - node pressure
   - hydraulic level
   - flow
   - pap lines, text and symbols

Data entries can be validated within practicable upper and lower bounds limits for:
   - pipe length
   - pipe diameter
   - pipe roughness or Hazen Williams coefficient
   - pipe fitting headloss coefficient

IMPORT model and map data

Information for all components can be imported for a new job from a:
   - DXF file (an AutoCAD drawing exchange file); or
   - INP file (an EPANET input data file)

Information for selected components can be imported for new or existing jobs from a:
   - DXF file (an AutoCAD drawing exchange file);
   - node coordinate file (in HCP compliant format);
   - text file (space or comma delimited);
   - copy and paste from an open source; or
   - ODBC compliant database / spreadsheet

EXPORT model data, map data and simulation results

The export facility enables map data to be converted into formats usable in:
   - Design teams working with computer aided drafting (CAD) tools.
          This interchange is based on AutoDesk's DXF file standard for CAD drawing data exchange.
   - Project teams working with geographic information system (GIS) tools.
          This interchange is based on ESRI's SHAPE file standard for GIS data exchange.
          This standard works with a suite of three files (.SHP, .SHX and .DBF) to manage information in the SHAPE format.
   - Database environments.
          This interchange is based on the dBASE Inc's DBF file standard as a foundation for importing into more complex database environments.

   The export facility currently only converts simulation results into database format.

NAVIGATE around the map

Pan, zoom and home functions typical of CAD applications are provided.

Users have the flexibility to use diagrammatic (not to scale) drawing coordinates or real geocentric mapping coordinates.
This allows diagrams of simple systems to be drawn in the application with real pipe lengths manually added to the pipe data.  Most modelling jobs however use geocentric mapping coordinates with the length of pipes automatically calculated by the application from the pipe geometry.

Many of the editing functions are available by pointing to a component on the map and using a right-mouse click to reveal actions that are possible for the selected component.

EDIT model and map data

A model can contain up to 100 sub-systems.  The application provides separate data management tools for:
   - GLOBAL DATA (applies to all sub-systems)
   - SUB-SYSTEM DATA;(assets in separate sub-systems)
   - PROTECTION DATA (only affects transient behaviour.)

Users can view and edit data within tables of multiple assets or detailed dialog forms for a single asset.

VALIDATE model and map data

Prior to each simulation the application scans the data and prepares a log file.  All errors are reported in the log file, which describes which component (pipe label, node label, etc.) contains the error and the nature of the error.

STEADY-STATE FUNCTIONS

SIMULATE real-time and steady-state hydraulics

The transient application can simulate steady-state hydraulics for a single instant or a real-time period up to 2 hours long.  Control logic is applied to pump and valve operation during the real-time period.  Data validation occurs before hydraulic simulation begins.  Simulation progress is seen as time of the current hydraulic event being simulated.

Any of the steady-state events in a real-time simulation can be selected as the starting point for a transient analysis.

BROWSE steady-state simulation results

The application presents steady-state hydraulic results as:
   - User-selected attributes on a map
   - Static and animated vertical sections along user-defined routes
   - Time based graphs (traces) of any component in the network.

During browsing, users control the content displayed on the map:
   - flow rates through pipes, pumps and valves
   - velocity through pipes
   - hydraulic level in pipe segments
   - residual head in pipe segments
   - hydraulic gradient in pipes
   - discharge (demand) from nodes
   - residual head at nodes
   - hydraulic level at nodes
   - valve and pump operating status (on / off / modulating)

REPORT on steady-state simulation results

This function allows users to select, preview, print or export a user-defined set of time-based graphs of hydraulic information.

TRANSIENT ANALYSIS FUNCTIONS

VALIDATE transient data

The application validates transient input data before executing a transient simulation and reports inconsistencies in a log file.  Users browse the error conditions reported in the text log file to discover the location (row and field) of errors and their error type.

Transient data from the mapping / graphical user interface should always be valid. The validation step exists to reveal errors introduced by manually changing transient data with the in-built text editor.

SIMULATE transient results

WATHAM simulates transient conditions caused by user-defined scenarios starting with a user-selected steady state condition. 

The graphical user interface makes it easy to create a number of scenarios and select steady state conditions for transient analysis.

BROWSE transient results

Transient effects within a network can be viewed as:
   - animated long-sections through the network along user-defined routes; or
   - time-based graphs (traces) at critical points in the network.

Long-section routes are either created in the:
   - mapping environment by pointing to desired start and end nodes; or
   - browser's Route Manager by selecting successive links along a route.

Animations show a velocity envelope (max, min), current velocity; a hydraulic level envelope (max, min), current hydraulic level and the ground profile.

 

WATHAM controls animations with a video-player-like    interface that can:

• play
• fast forward
• pause to allow bitmaps to be captured at the current time
• step forward to the next time step
• step back to the previous time step
• rewind to the start
• jump to the end of the simulation
• stop the animation browser

Users can combine parameters into meaningful graphs for project reports. 

REPORT on transient results

WATHAM creates bitmap images of the current long section snapshot (time instant) or time trace displayed on the screen.

These images can be readily incorporated into any form of report prepared with office software.

EXPORT transient results

A WATHAM trace file in spreadsheet format is structured to act as an automatic export of the time traced variables to other software.

The spreadsheet format is a fixed width text format that can be readily read and converted by spreadsheet and database applications.