# US 10,871,391 B2 · Tool for managing multiple water resources

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- Number: US 10,871,391 B2
- Document ID: US10871391B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/320,479
- Filed: 2017-07-27
- Published: 2020-01-23
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-29
- Assignees: Veolia Environnement Ve
- Applicants: Veolia Environnement Ve
- Inventors: Magali Dechesne; Sébastien Kech; Boris David; Johann Mazzella; Pierre Mandel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871391B2

## CPC

- G01F 22/00: Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for
- E03B 1/00: Methods or layout of installations for water supply (E03B3/00, E03B9/00 take precedence)
- E03B 1/02: for public or like main supply {for industrial use}
- E03B 3/06: from underground {(consolidating foundation soil by draining, e.g. by lowering the water level E02D3/00; subsoil filtering E21B43/02)}
- E21B 43/00: Methods or apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials or a slurry of minerals from wells (applicable only to water E03B)
- G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence)
- G06F 3/05: Digital input using the sampling of an analogue quantity at regular intervals of time {, input from a/d converter or output to d/a converter}
- G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply
- G05B 2219/2625: Sprinkler, irrigation, watering
- G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- E03B: INSTALLATIONS OR METHODS FOR OBTAINING, COLLECTING, OR DISTRIBUTING WATER (drilling wells, obtaining fluids in general from wells E21B; pipe-line systems in general F17D)
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A system for quantitative water management comprises: at least two interconnected water production entities (U), at least one water resource (S) linked to one at least of the production entities (U), at least one demander element (D) requesting water produced defined by a pre-established temporal curve of water demand produced as a function of time, each link between production entities (U), water resources (S) and demander elements (D) being ensured by a transfer work (C) having a predetermined maximum flowrate and being able to be interconnected, each production entity (U) and each water resource (S) furthermore being associated with a weighting function P, and a calculator adapted to minimize the global weighting function Pg of the system while guaranteeing compliance with the pre-established temporal curve of water demand produced of each demander element (D) under constraint of compliance with the maximum flowrates of the various elements of the system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A quantitative water management system comprising the following elements:
at least two water production units (U) that are interconnected, directly or indirectly, each production unit (U) being defined by a maximum rate of production,
at least one water resource (S) feeding the at least one production unit (U), each water resource (S) being defined by a maximum harvest flow rate,
at least one user (D) of produced water defined by a pre-set time curve of demand for produced water as a function of time,
each connection between the production units (U), the water resources (S) and the users (D) being provided with a transfer structure (C) having a pre-set maximum flow rate, wherein said transfer structures (C) may be interconnected,
each production unit (U) and each water resource (S) being further associated with a weighting function P,
said system being characterized in that it comprises a first computer adapted to minimize the overall weighting function Pg of the system, which is the sum of all weighting functions P of the various elements of the system, while ensuring compliance with the pre-set time curve of demand for produced water of each user (D) and with the constraint of respecting the maximum flow rates and/or minimum flows of the different elements of the system,
in that it further comprises a second computer adapted to define production strategies to meet the demand while minimizing enemy consumption, each strategy corresponding to a percentage of the pre-set time curve of the user (D), and said second computer being connected to the first computer so that said first computer generates a minimum value of the overall weighting function Pg for each production strategy, said second computer being further adapted to determine an optimal strategy defined as the strategy providing the maximum percentage of meeting demand for a variation ratio of the overall weighting function Pg for a variation of the minimized demand.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the satisfaction of the pre-set time curve of demand for produced water of each user (D) of produced water is further constrained to respect the volume of harvestable water from the water resources (S), the volume of water produced by the production units (U) and system constraints.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the different transfer structures (C) comprise valves (V) controlled by the first computer so that the system gives to users (D) in real time, produced water according to the pre-set time curve minimizing the overall weighting function Pg, while respecting the constraints of the system.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the production unit (U) associated with the lowest weighting function P transmits produced water prioritizing the water production unit (U) associated with the highest weighting function P and/or transmits produced water prioritizing the user (D) associated with the highest weighting function P.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, characterized in that a production unit (U) connected to multiple water resources (S) prioritizes harvesting a volume of water from the source associated with the lowest weighting function P.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a third computer adapted to define the hydrology of the resources (S) and the pre-set time curve of demand for produced water for the users (D), according to historical data analysed by statistical algorithms.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one water resource (S) is an aquifer, the volume of harvestable water of which is determined on the basis of the water table.

### Claim 8

A method of quantitative water management of a system comprising the following elements:
at least two water production units (U) that are interconnected, directly or indirectly, each production unit (U) being defined by a maximum rate of production,
at least one water resource (S) connected to the at least one of the production units (U), each water resource (S) being defined by a maximum harvest flow rate,
at least one user (D) of produced water defined by a pre-set time curve of demand for produced water as a function of time,
each connection between the production units (U), the water resources (S) and the users (D) being assured by a transfer structure (C) having a predetermined maximum transfer flow, said transfer structures (C) being interconnected,
each production unit (U) and each water resource (S) being further associated with a weighting function P, said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
determination of all global weighting functions Pg, and
selection, by a first computer, of the lowest overall weighting function Pg said method being characterized in that it further comprises the following steps:
definition, by a second computer, of production strategies to meet the demand while minimizing energy consumption, each strategy corresponding to a percentage of the pre-set time curve of the user (D),
determination, by the second computer, of an optimal strategy defined as the strategy providing the maximum percentage of meeting demand for a variation ratio of the overall weighting function Pg for a variation of the minimized demand,
generation, by the first computer, of a minimum value of the overall weighting function Pg for each production strategy,
said second computer being connected to the first computer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises a step of determining, on the basis of the water table, a volume that is available and/or harvestable from a system water resource (S).

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the step of determining, on the basis of the water table, a volume of water that is available and/or harvestable from a water resource (S) comprises the steps of:
determination of historical time series of the aquifer at the harvesting point by measuring the pseudo-static water table of the water resource (S) for a predefined duration;
determination of a relationship between the pseudo-static water table and the transmissivity at the harvesting point;
determination of the critical operating level at the harvesting point;
selection of a regional reference water table;
determining an empirical relationship between the monthly average regional reference water table and the monthly average pseudo-static water table at the harvesting point.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the step of determining, on the basis of the water table, a volume of water that is available and/or harvestable from a water resource (S) further comprises the steps of:
transforming the measured average monthly regional reference water table into a monthly average pseudo-static water table at the harvesting point by applying the empirical relationship;
calculating the maximum allowable drawdown at each moment by linear interpolation;
calculation of the maximum volume of harvestable water.