25 October 2004
MUSCAT -- The Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation has announced that all of the country's domestic water meters are to be replaced with Severn Trent Services' SmartMeters, a press release from Qatar said.
At a press conference in Qatar, Abdul Monaom Darwish, corporation's water distribution manager, said this decision was taken because of the corporation's desire to go high-tech.
He added that the corporation's aim was to provide the customers with maximum satisfaction through the best possible service.
The metering project is worth QR15 million ($4 million). Severn Trent Services has already installed 8,000 meters over the three years that it has been working in the country. So far, contracts have been awarded for the purchase of 14,000 metres.
Besides the capital Doha, the new meters have already been installed in the Al Khor and Shamaal areas.
The Water Corporation is now beginning to focus on areas outside Doha, and has said that where old, mechanical meters are found to be faulty they will be replaced by the new electronic SmartMeters.
The corporation undertook a rigorous two-year testing regime of various types of meters in direct sunlight before opting for the SmartMeter, which performed exceptionally well in the trials.
The system is proving increasingly popular throughout the Middle East because of its ability to withstand high temperatures and to read accurately even if there is air or sand present in the distribution system.
With no mechanical parts to jam or wear out, the solid state SmartMeter has none of the shortcomings associated with conventional meters. Sand and air can cause considerable problems for conventional meters with moving parts, causing them to record inaccurately.
The SmartMeter is guaranteed to give accurate readings throughout its long life, and only requires a new battery every 10 years. The meter is compatible with any AMR (automated meter-reading) technology and is ideal for use in Qatar, where the corporation is also seeking an AMR solution as part of its metering programme. The technology behind the SmartMeter is highly advanced, using 'fluidic oscillation', where the flow enters the meter through the nozzle in the form of an accelerated jet.
The jet then enters the fluidic oscillator flow chamber, which is shaped like a flattened figure-of-eight with the entry and exit points across the middle of the eight. It is then drawn to one of two diffuser walls, where it travels before exiting the flow chamber. At this point, a small proportion of the flow will become caught in the entry point of the feedback channel, either the top or the bottom loop of the eight - at the end of the diffuser walls.
This is returned to the base of the incoming jet, causing it to flip to the other side of the chamber, from where it will travel along the other diffuser wall and so on.
This oscillation occurs at a frequency proportional to the rate of flow through the chamber. Electrodes placed next to each diffuser wall measure the oscillation by means of an electrical current, which is induced in the jet by a pair of extremely powerful magnets embedded in the flow chamber. The electrodes sense the passage of the jet from this induced current, and measure the rate of oscillation over time so that total flow can be derived.
The oscillation varies considerably with flow; the oscillation can be as low as once every five seconds, and can reach up to 50 times a second at high flows. Such a range makes it ideal for measuring domestic water flows with accuracy as each oscillation sends just 8.8ml of water down one diffuser wall.
Severn Trent Services is also working closely with the Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation in evaluating its larger PPS meter, based on the same technology, which is capable of measuring the higher flows to larger commercial premises. The company is confident that its SmartMeter technology is able to satisfy a wide spectrum of the marketplace and be price-competitive in all areas.
Distributor David Smith says: "With water such a valuable commodity in the Middle East, inevitably it is the focus of attention. Where countries were subsidising water very substantially, they have realised that this can no longer go on. They are all focusing on stopping their losses."
"With mechanical meters, they were not getting their true revenues and were using more water than necessary. The SmartMeter is able to solve these problems. It is a very complex system but very simple to operate and the Severn Trent Services range of meter-related technologies can provide a total solution that satisfies all of a utility's needs and overcome the problems found with mechanical systems."
MUSCAT -- The Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation has announced that all of the country's domestic water meters are to be replaced with Severn Trent Services' SmartMeters, a press release from Qatar said.
At a press conference in Qatar, Abdul Monaom Darwish, corporation's water distribution manager, said this decision was taken because of the corporation's desire to go high-tech.
He added that the corporation's aim was to provide the customers with maximum satisfaction through the best possible service.
The metering project is worth QR15 million ($4 million). Severn Trent Services has already installed 8,000 meters over the three years that it has been working in the country. So far, contracts have been awarded for the purchase of 14,000 metres.
Besides the capital Doha, the new meters have already been installed in the Al Khor and Shamaal areas.
The Water Corporation is now beginning to focus on areas outside Doha, and has said that where old, mechanical meters are found to be faulty they will be replaced by the new electronic SmartMeters.
The corporation undertook a rigorous two-year testing regime of various types of meters in direct sunlight before opting for the SmartMeter, which performed exceptionally well in the trials.
The system is proving increasingly popular throughout the Middle East because of its ability to withstand high temperatures and to read accurately even if there is air or sand present in the distribution system.
With no mechanical parts to jam or wear out, the solid state SmartMeter has none of the shortcomings associated with conventional meters. Sand and air can cause considerable problems for conventional meters with moving parts, causing them to record inaccurately.
The SmartMeter is guaranteed to give accurate readings throughout its long life, and only requires a new battery every 10 years. The meter is compatible with any AMR (automated meter-reading) technology and is ideal for use in Qatar, where the corporation is also seeking an AMR solution as part of its metering programme. The technology behind the SmartMeter is highly advanced, using 'fluidic oscillation', where the flow enters the meter through the nozzle in the form of an accelerated jet.
The jet then enters the fluidic oscillator flow chamber, which is shaped like a flattened figure-of-eight with the entry and exit points across the middle of the eight. It is then drawn to one of two diffuser walls, where it travels before exiting the flow chamber. At this point, a small proportion of the flow will become caught in the entry point of the feedback channel, either the top or the bottom loop of the eight - at the end of the diffuser walls.
This is returned to the base of the incoming jet, causing it to flip to the other side of the chamber, from where it will travel along the other diffuser wall and so on.
This oscillation occurs at a frequency proportional to the rate of flow through the chamber. Electrodes placed next to each diffuser wall measure the oscillation by means of an electrical current, which is induced in the jet by a pair of extremely powerful magnets embedded in the flow chamber. The electrodes sense the passage of the jet from this induced current, and measure the rate of oscillation over time so that total flow can be derived.
The oscillation varies considerably with flow; the oscillation can be as low as once every five seconds, and can reach up to 50 times a second at high flows. Such a range makes it ideal for measuring domestic water flows with accuracy as each oscillation sends just 8.8ml of water down one diffuser wall.
Severn Trent Services is also working closely with the Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation in evaluating its larger PPS meter, based on the same technology, which is capable of measuring the higher flows to larger commercial premises. The company is confident that its SmartMeter technology is able to satisfy a wide spectrum of the marketplace and be price-competitive in all areas.
Distributor David Smith says: "With water such a valuable commodity in the Middle East, inevitably it is the focus of attention. Where countries were subsidising water very substantially, they have realised that this can no longer go on. They are all focusing on stopping their losses."
"With mechanical meters, they were not getting their true revenues and were using more water than necessary. The SmartMeter is able to solve these problems. It is a very complex system but very simple to operate and the Severn Trent Services range of meter-related technologies can provide a total solution that satisfies all of a utility's needs and overcome the problems found with mechanical systems."
© Times of Oman 2004
