Operation support system

Abstract

To provide an operation support system capable of guiding a suitable operation plan for a drainage pump.SOLUTION: An operation support system 10 that supports operation of drainage pumps 3 of a drainage pump station 1 capable of discharging water of a branch river K2 to a main river K1 joined by the branch river 2 executes water level prediction processing that predicts an inside water level being a water level of the branch river K2, and includes a water level prediction section 22 that prepares an operation plan of the drainage pump 3 based on an ascent rate of the water level in a predetermined period in the prediction result and a notification section 23 that notifies the operation plan, where at least one of the number of activated pumps and an activation timing of the drainage pumps 3 is included in the notification concerning the operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for an operation support system for supporting the operation of a drainage pump in a drainage pumping station. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, technology for an operation support system for supporting the operation of a drainage pump in a drainage pumping station has been publicly known, as described in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0003] The computer system described in Patent Document 1 calculates the number of operating storm water pumps that discharge water from culverts based on the water level in the culverts that collect storm water to storm water drainage facilities. The computer system also outputs the calculation results. An operator can determine an operation plan (start-up time, etc.) for the storm water pumps based on the information output from the computer system. In this way, the computer system can support the operation of the storm water pumps.

[0004] However, due to the effects of recent abnormal weather (such as torrential rains), there is concern that even if the number of storm water pumps to be operated is calculated based on the water level in the sewer, the drainage of the sewer may not be enough. Therefore, there is a demand for technology that can provide guidance on appropriate pump operation plans. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2864818 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described situation, and the problem to be solved is to provide an operation assistance system capable of providing guidance on an appropriate operation plan for a drainage pump. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The problem to be solved by one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above. Next, the means for solving this problem will be described.

[0008] In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an operation assistance system that assists in the operation of a drainage pump at a drainage pumping station that can discharge water from a first river into a second river into which the first river merges, and the system includes a calculation unit that executes a water level prediction process to predict the inland water level, which is the water level of the first river, and creates an operation plan for the drainage pump based on the rate of water level rise over a specified period of time in the prediction result of the water level prediction process, and a notification unit that notifies of the operation plan. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide guidance on an appropriate operation plan for a drainage pump.

[0009] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the operation plan includes at least one of the number of drainage pumps to be started and the start timing. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide guidance on the appropriate number of drainage pumps to be activated and the appropriate activation timing.

[0010] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the water level prediction process includes a first water level prediction process that predicts the inner water level assuming that a first operation is performed in which, when the inner water level rises to a first water level, one or more first drainage pumps among the multiple drainage pumps are started, and when the inner water level rises to a second water level higher than the first water level, one or more second drainage pumps among the multiple drainage pumps are started. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide guidance on an appropriate operation plan for the drainage pump depending on the rate of rise in the water level when the first operation is performed.

[0011] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the water level prediction process includes a second water level prediction process that predicts the internal water level assuming that a second operation is performed in which the number of the first drainage pumps to be started is increased compared to the first operation, and the calculation unit calculates the number of the drainage pumps to be started based on the rate of rise in the result of the second water level prediction process when the rate of rise in the result of the first water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide guidance on an appropriate number of drainage pumps to be activated depending on the rate of rise in the water level when the second operation is performed.

[0012] In one aspect of the present disclosure, when the rising rate as a result of the second water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value, the calculation unit creates an operation plan in which the start-up timing of the drainage pump is earlier than the second operation. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide guidance on more appropriate timing for starting the drainage pump.

[0013] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the water level prediction process includes a third water level prediction process that predicts the internal water level assuming that a third operation is performed in which the start timing of the drainage pump is earlier than the first operation, and the calculation unit calculates the start timing of the drainage pump based on the rise rate in the result of the third water level prediction process when the rise rate in the result of the first water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide guidance on appropriate timing for starting the drainage pump depending on the rate of rise in the water level when the third operation is performed.

[0014] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the calculation unit creates an operation plan in which the number of first drainage pumps to be started is increased when the rate of rise in the result of the third water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide guidance on an appropriate number of drainage pumps to be activated depending on the rate of rise in the water level when the third operation is performed.

[0015] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the start-up timing is advanced by at least one of a first setting change that lowers at least one of the first water level or the second water level by a predetermined value, or a second setting change that sets the start-up time of the drainage pump to a time that is a predetermined time earlier than the time when the internal water level rises to the first water level. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the start timing of the drainage pump can be easily advanced.

[0016] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the calculation unit calculates the rate of rise based on the prediction results of the first water level prediction process, for the time period after the inland water level rises to the first water level. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a more appropriate operation plan for a drainage pump can be provided.

[0017] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the calculation unit is capable of predicting the water level of the second river and creates an opening and closing plan for a gate to be installed between the second river and the first river based on the rate of rise in the water level over a specified period of time in the prediction result, and the notification unit notifies of the opening and closing plan. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide guidance on appropriate gate opening and closing timing.

[0018] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the system further includes a control unit that controls the drainage pump in accordance with the operation plan. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the workload of an operator can be reduced. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide guidance on an appropriate operation plan for a drainage pump. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram showing the main river, tributaries and drainage pumping station. [Diagram 2]1 is a block diagram showing a driving assistance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the water level prediction results. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing a driving determination process. [Figure 7] A diagram showing the predicted water levels in the event of a sudden rise in water level. [Figure 8] A diagram showing the predicted water level when four drainage pumps are started simultaneously. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing an additional determination process. [Figure 10] A graph showing the predicted water level results when the drainage pump start timing is advanced. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a driving determination process according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a predicted water level result when the start timing of the drainage pump is advanced in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] A driving assistance system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0022] The operation support system 10 is for supporting the operation of the drainage pumps 3 in the drainage station 1. First, the drainage station 1 will be described.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, a tributary K2 flows into a main river K1. When the water level of the main river K1 rises due to heavy rain or the like, there is a risk that water will flow back from the main river K1 into the tributary K2 or that the tributary K2 will overflow. The drainage pumping station 1 is installed at the confluence of the main river K1 and the tributary K2 to prevent flooding in the basin of the tributary K2. The drainage pumping station 1 is configured to allow water from the tributary K2 to flow into the main river K1 via a waterway. The drainage pumping station 1 is equipped with a gate 2 and a number of drainage pumps 3.

[0024] Gate 2 is used to switch the water flow state between the main river K1 and the tributary K2. Gate 2 is provided on the downstream side of the tributary K2 (the main river K1 side). Gate 2 is configured to be able to be opened and closed. Gate 2 is closed when the water level of the main river K1 (hereinafter referred to as the "outside water level") rises due to heavy rain or the like. This makes it possible to prevent water from flowing back from the main river K1 to the tributary K2.

[0025] The multiple drainage pumps 3 are for pumping up water that has flowed into the drainage pumping station 1 from the tributary K2 and discharging it into the main river K1. The multiple drainage pumps 3 can be operated independently. By operating the drainage pumps 3 with the gates 2 closed, the drainage pumping station 1 can prevent water from backflowing from the main river K1 to the tributary K2 and suppress a rise in the inland water level by forcibly discharging water on the tributary K2 side into the main river K1 side.

[0026] In this embodiment, the number of drainage pumps 3 is four, but the number of drainage pumps 3 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the gates 2 and drainage pumps 3 of the drainage pumping station 1 are manually operated by an operator.

[0027] Next, a basic operation plan for the drainage pumps 3 will be described. Basically, the drainage pumps 3 are started one by one in sequence as the inner water level rises. More specifically, when the inner water level rises to a first threshold, the first drainage pump 3 is started. When the inner water level rises to a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, the second drainage pump 3 is started. The third and fourth drainage pumps 3 are also started in sequence by comparing the inner water level with the threshold, similar to the first and second drainage pumps. Furthermore, the drainage pumps 3 are stopped one by one in sequence as the inner water level drops.

[0028] In this embodiment, the basic operation of the drainage pump 3 as described above is referred to as a “basic operation.” When the drainage pump 3 is operated by the basic operation, the first threshold value is appropriately set so that the first drainage pump 3 is started promptly after the gate 2 is closed.

[0029] Hereinafter, the internal water level (first threshold) when the first drainage pump 3 is started in basic operation will be referred to as the "first start-up water level." The internal water level when the second drainage pump 3 is started will be referred to as the "second start-up water level." Similarly, the internal water levels when the third and fourth drainage pumps 3 are started will be referred to as the "third start-up water level" and the "fourth start-up water level."

[0030] However, due to the influence of abnormal weather in recent years (such as sudden heavy rains), there is a concern that the drainage pump 3 will not be able to keep up with the drainage even if the drainage pump 3 is operated according to the basic operation. Furthermore, if the drainage pump 3 is operated so that the drainage can keep up based on the operator's experience and intuition, the operator's workload will increase.

[0031] The operation assistance system 10 of this embodiment notifies the operator to operate the drainage pumps 3 in an operation different from the basic operation depending on the weather conditions. For example, when a sudden rise in water level is predicted due to a sudden downpour or the like, the operation assistance system 10 notifies the operator to start multiple drainage pumps 3 simultaneously at an earlier timing than the basic operation after closing the gate 2. This makes it possible to achieve both appropriate operation of the drainage pumps 3 and a reduction in the workload of the operator.

[0032] Next, the configuration of the driving assistance system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The driving assistance system 10 includes a driving assistance server 20 and an operator terminal 30.

[0033] The driving support server 20 performs appropriate processing in response to requests from external devices. The driving support server 20 of this embodiment is configured as a virtual server built on a cloud server. The driving support server 20 includes an acquisition unit 21, a water level prediction unit 22, and a notification unit 23.

[0034] The acquisition unit 21 is for acquiring various kinds of information by communicating with external devices. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 21 is configured to be able to communicate with the weather information providing server S1 and the water level information providing server S2 via an Internet line. The method by which the acquisition unit 21 communicates with the weather information providing server S1, etc. is not particularly limited, and the acquisition unit 21 can communicate with the weather information providing server S1, etc. as appropriate via a dedicated line or a closed network (VPN, etc.).

[0035] The weather information providing server S1 is configured to be able to provide rainfall data. The rainfall data indicates the predicted rainfall per unit time from the present until a predetermined time later. The acquiring unit 21 can acquire rainfall data for areas where rainfall is considered to affect the outside water level and the inside water level by communicating with the weather information providing server S1.

[0036] The water level information providing server S2 is configured to be able to provide the water level of the river (for example, the water level observation results at a water level observation station). The acquiring unit 21 can appropriately acquire the outside water level and the inside water level by communicating with the water level information providing server S2. For example, the acquiring unit 21 can acquire the outside water level, etc. every 10 minutes.

[0037] The water level prediction unit 22 is for predicting the outside water level and the inside water level. The water level prediction unit 22 can predict the outside water level and the inside water level for each unit time from the present until a predetermined time later by appropriately performing calculation processing using various information related to changes in the outside water level and the inside water level. In this embodiment, the water level prediction unit 22 is configured to be able to predict the outside water level and the inside water level by inputting parameters such as the outside water level, the inside water level, rainfall data, and altitude into an RRI model (rainfall-runoff inundation model).

[0038] The outside water level and the inland water level input to the RRI model are the current (latest) outside water level and the inland water level, and are acquired by the acquisition unit 21. The rainfall data input to the RRI model is rainfall data for an area where rainfall is thought to affect the outside water level and the inland water level, and is acquired by the acquisition unit 21. The elevation input to the RRI model is the elevation for each mesh that divides the area including the main river K1 and the tributary K2, and is registered in advance in the driving assistance system 10. The parameters input to the RRI model described above are merely examples, and are not particularly limited.

[0039] The water level prediction unit 22 is also configured to be able to predict the water level taking into consideration the open / closed state of the gate 2 and the operating state of the drainage pump 3. For example, for the time period when the gate 2 is predicted to be closed, the water level prediction unit 22 predicts the outside water level and the inside water level assuming that there is no flow of water between the main river K1 and the tributary K2. For the time period when the drainage pump 3 is predicted to be operated, the water level prediction unit 22 predicts the outside water level and the inside water level taking into consideration the discharge amount of the drainage pump 3. In this way, the water level prediction unit 22 can predict the outside water level and the inside water level when the drainage pump 3 is operated according to the basic operation, for example.

[0040] The method for predicting the water level is not limited to the RRI model, and it is also possible to predict the water level using a method other than the RRI model.

[0041] The notification unit 23 is for notifying various information to external devices. In this embodiment, the notification unit 23 is configured to be able to communicate with the operator terminal 30 via an Internet line. The notification unit 23 can provide WEB content to the operator terminal 30 by communicating with the operator terminal 30.

[0042] The operator terminal 30 is a communication-enabled device used by an operator. For example, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a smartphone, a tablet, etc. can be used as the operator terminal 30. The operator terminal 30 includes an input device (keyboard, touch panel, etc.) capable of inputting various information, a display device (display, touch panel, etc.) capable of displaying various information, a storage device (RAM, etc.), an arithmetic processing device (CPU, etc.), etc. An application (browser, etc.) capable of displaying web content is installed in advance in the operator terminal 30, and the web content provided by the notification unit 23 can be displayed on the display device.

[0043] An example of the WEB content provided from the driving support server 20 to the operator terminal 30 will be described below with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 5, the WEB content includes an information display screen 40 and a setting screen 50.

[0044] 3 is for displaying various information. The information display screen 40 shows a schematic representation of the main river K1, the tributary K2, the gate 2, the drainage pump 3, etc. The information display screen 40 also shows the water level, and information on the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3 in a status display section 41 and a prediction result display section 42.

[0045] The status display unit 41 is a section that displays the open / closed state of the gate 2. The prediction result display unit 42 is a section that displays the prediction results of the outside water level, etc. by the water level prediction unit 22. When predicting the water level by the water level prediction unit 22, the outside water level and the inside water level are predicted, and the water level up to a predetermined time later is calculated assuming that the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3 are operated according to the height of the predicted water level. The prediction result display unit 42 includes a water level display unit 42a and an operating status display unit 42b as sections that display the calculation results (prediction results).

[0046] The water level display unit 42a displays a graph showing the predicted results of the outer water level and the inner water level, a list of water levels after a predetermined time (1 hour, 2 hours, etc. in FIG. 3), etc. The graph of the predicted results is a graph with water level on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis, as shown in FIG. 4. The graph of the predicted results displays the current time with emphasis (see line L in FIG. 4). The graph of the predicted results also plots past actual measured values ​​of the outer water level and the inner water level. The graph of the predicted results also shows the predicted results of the outer water level and the inner water level from the present time until a predetermined time later (6 hours in FIG. 4).

[0047] The graph of the prediction results also displays the time when it is assumed that the gate 2 will be closed in the water level prediction, and the time when it is assumed that the drainage pump 3 will be started. Specifically, the times are plotted on the graph of the prediction results.

[0048] The operation status display unit 42b shown in Fig. 3 displays information about the drainage pump 3 that is assumed (predicted) to be started in the water level prediction by the water level prediction unit 22. For example, the operation status display unit 42b displays the start time of the drainage pump 3 in the water level prediction. By checking the water level display unit 42a and the operation status display unit 42b, the operator can understand the operation plan of the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3 notified by the operation support server 20. For example, the operator can understand the time to close the gate 2, the start time of the drainage pump 3, the number of pumps to be started, etc.

[0049] 5 is for setting parameters (calculation conditions) used in the water level prediction by the water level prediction unit 22. On the setting screen 50, the conditions for opening and closing the gate 2 ("open water level", "close water level") can be set.

[0050] The setting screen 50 also allows the user to set the operating conditions of the drainage pump 3. Specifically, the first to fourth start water levels ("operation start water levels"), which are the conditions for starting the drainage pump 3, and the conditions for stopping the drainage pump 3 ("operation stop water level") can be set. The setting screen 50 may also allow the user to input the discharge amount per unit time of the drainage pump 3 if the discharge amount per unit time of the drainage pump 3 ("pump drainage capacity") is adjustable.

[0051] The operation support server 20 is configured to be able to create (determine) an operation plan for the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3 by executing the operation determination process shown in Fig. 6. The contents of the operation determination process will be described below. The operation determination process is executed at an appropriate timing. For example, the operation determination process is executed when the acquisition unit 21 acquires information from the water level information providing server S2 or the like. The conditions for executing the operation determination process are not particularly limited.

[0052] When the driving support server 20 executes the driving judgment process, the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, the water level prediction unit 22 predicts the outside water level and the inside water level. As described above, in the water level prediction by the water level prediction unit 22, the outside water level and the inside water level are predicted, and the water level until a predetermined time is calculated assuming that the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3 are operated according to the height of the water level. In step S10, the water level prediction unit 22 executes a water level prediction assuming that the drainage pump 3 is operated according to the basic operation (i.e., assuming that the drainage pumps 3 are started one by one in order). In this way, as shown in FIG. 4, the time to close the gate 2, the start time of the drainage pump 3, and the water level until a predetermined time are predicted when the drainage pump 3 is started in stages according to the rise of the inside water level. As shown in FIG. 6, when the process of step S10 is completed, the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S20.

[0053] In step S20, if the prediction result of the outside water level in step S10 reaches the water level at which the gate 2 is closed (closing water level) (step S20: YES), the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S30.

[0054] On the other hand, if the prediction result of the outside water level does not reach the closing water level (step S20: NO), the water level prediction unit 22 does not perform the processes in and after step S30. If the information display screen 40 shown in Fig. 3 is displayed in this state, the prediction result display unit 42 does not display the time to close the gate 2 and the start time of the drainage pump 3.

[0055] In step S30 shown in FIG. 6, if the prediction result of the inland water level in step S10 reaches the first-unit activation water level (step S30: YES), the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S40.

[0056] On the other hand, if the predicted result of the inland water level does not reach the first pump start-up water level (step S30: NO), the water level prediction unit 22 does not perform the processes in and after step S40. When the information display screen 40 shown in Fig. 3 is displayed in this state, the prediction result display unit 42 displays only the time to close the gate 2 out of the time to close the gate 2 and the start-up time of the drainage pump 3.

[0057] In step S40 shown in FIG. 6, the water level prediction unit 22 judges whether or not there is a sudden rise in the water level in the prediction result of the inland water level in step S10 (graph in FIG. 4). For example, the water level prediction unit 22 calculates the rate of rise in the water level for a predetermined period in the prediction result of the inland water level, and judges whether or not the calculation result exceeds a predetermined threshold. As an example, the predetermined period in this embodiment is appropriately set between 10 minutes and 1 hour. In addition, the threshold is appropriately set to a speed that is large enough that the drainage of the tributary K2 cannot keep up with the basic operation. For example, the threshold is set assuming the rate of rise in the inland water level when a sudden downpour occurs.

[0058] The water level prediction unit 22 calculates the rising speed while changing the time period in the prediction result of the inland water level (graph in FIG. 4), and if any of the calculation results exceeds the predetermined threshold (step S40: YES), the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S80. On the other hand, if none of the calculation results of the rising speed exceed the predetermined threshold (step S40: NO), the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S50.

[0059] In step S50, the water level prediction unit 22 notifies the operator of the operation of the first drainage pump 3. More specifically, the water level prediction unit 22 causes the notification unit 23 to transmit information to the operator terminal 30 so that the operator can know that the first drainage pump 3 needs to be started and the start-up time.

[0060] In this embodiment, the notification unit 23 displays a graph showing the prediction result in step S10 as shown in Fig. 4 on the information display screen 40 shown in Fig. 3. The graph plots the time predicted (assumed) for closing the gate 2 in the water level prediction in step S10 and the time predicted for starting the first drainage pump 3 (see Fig. 4). The notification unit 23 also displays the predicted start time of the drainage pump 3 in the operation status display area 42b of the information display screen 40. As shown in Fig. 6, when the process of step S50 ends, the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S60.

[0061] In step S60, if the prediction result of the inland water level in step S10 reaches the second-unit activation water level (step S60: YES), the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S70.

[0062] On the other hand, if the predicted result of the inland water level does not reach the second drainage pump activation water level (step S60: NO), the water level prediction unit 22 does not perform the processes in and after step S70. When the information display screen 40 shown in Fig. 3 is displayed in this state, only the activation time of the first drainage pump 3 out of the four drainage pumps 3 is displayed in the prediction result display unit 42.

[0063] 6, similarly to the processing of step S50, the water level prediction unit 22 guides the operator to operate the second drainage pump 3. When the processing of step S70 ends, the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S90.

[0064] In step S80, which is performed if there is a sudden rise in the water level in step S40, the water level prediction unit 22 guides the operator on the operation of the drainage pumps 3 so as to start up the two drainage pumps 3 simultaneously.

[0065] More specifically, in step S10, the water level is predicted when a basic operation is performed in which the drainage pump 3 is started in stages according to the rise in the internal water level (see FIG. 4). In basic operation, the internal water level may rise suddenly if a large amount of rain falls in a short period of time, so in this case, it is desirable to operate the drainage pump 3 so as to discharge more water than in basic operation. Therefore, in step S80, the water level prediction unit 22 predicts the water level when it is assumed that two drainage pumps 3 are started simultaneously before the internal water level reaches the second unit start-up water level. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the water level is predicted when it is assumed that two drainage pumps 3 are started simultaneously when the internal water level reaches the first unit start-up water level.

[0066] In the following, the operation of starting multiple drainage pumps 3 at the same time is referred to as "simultaneous operation." With simultaneous operation, the number of drainage pumps 3 in operation when the internal water level reaches the first-unit startup water level can be increased compared to basic operation, so that the rise in the internal water level can be suppressed.

[0067] In step S80, the water level prediction unit 22 displays the prediction result of the water level in the above-mentioned simultaneous operation on the information display screen 40 shown in Fig. 3. In step S80, the operator is notified that simultaneous operation will be performed in this manner. As shown in Fig. 6, when the processing of step S80 is completed, the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S90.

[0068] In step S90, the water level prediction unit 22 determines whether the most recent prediction result of the inland water level reaches the third-unit startup water level. Note that the most recent prediction result of the inland water level is the prediction result of step S10 (basic operation) when moving from step S70 to step S90, and is the prediction result of step S80 (simultaneous operation) when moving from step S80 to step S90.

[0069] If the prediction result of the inland water level reaches the third-unit activation water level (step S90: YES), the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S100.

[0070] On the other hand, if the predicted result of the inland water level does not reach the third-unit activation water level (step S90: NO), the water level prediction unit 22 does not perform the processes in and after step S100. When the information display screen 40 shown in Fig. 3 is displayed in this state, the prediction result display unit 42 displays the activation times of the first two drainage pumps 3 out of the four drainage pumps 3.

[0071] In step S100, the water level prediction unit 22 determines whether or not there has been a sudden rise in water level in the most recent prediction result of the inland water level (basic operation or simultaneous operation) by the same process as in step S40. If the water level prediction unit 22 determines that there has been a sudden rise in water level (step S100: YES), it proceeds to step S140. On the other hand, if the water level prediction unit 22 determines that there has not been a sudden rise in water level (step S100: NO), it proceeds to step S110.

[0072] In steps S110 to S130, the water level prediction unit 22 judges whether or not the most recent (basic operation or simultaneous operation) prediction result of the internal water level reaches the third and fourth start-up water levels, and guides the operation of the third and fourth drainage pumps 3 according to the judgment result. The method of judging the water level and the method of providing the operation guidance are the same as those in steps S50 to S70.

[0073] In step S140, the water level prediction unit 22 guides the operator to operate the drainage pumps 3 so as to start up all four drainage pumps 3 simultaneously. At this time, the water level prediction unit 22 predicts the water level assuming that all four drainage pumps 3 are started up simultaneously at least at a time before the start of the fourth drainage pump 3 in basic operation. For example, as shown in Fig. 8, the water level prediction unit 22 predicts the water level assuming that all four drainage pumps 3 are started up simultaneously at the time when the first drainage pump 3 is started up in basic operation.

[0074] The water level prediction unit 22 then displays the prediction result on the information display screen 40 shown in Fig. 3. For convenience of explanation, the graphs of the water level prediction results in Fig. 8 and subsequent figures are the same as those in Fig. 7, but in reality, the outer water level and the inner water level change depending on the number of drainage pumps 3 that are activated simultaneously and the activation time. When the process of step S140 shown in Fig. 6 ends, the operation support server 20 ends the operation judgment process. For convenience of explanation, in the above explanation of the operation judgment process, information is displayed on the information display screen 40 every time a process (steps S50 to S70, etc.) for guiding the operation of the drainage pump 3 is performed, but the operation plan may be displayed on the information display screen 40 after the final operation plan is determined (after the operation judgment process ends).

[0075] By executing the operation determination process in this manner, the notification unit 23 can notify the operator of the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started and the start timing (operation plan for the drainage pumps 3) via the information display screen 40 shown in Fig. 3. By checking the notification, the operator can operate the drainage pumps 3 without having to create an operation plan for the drainage pumps 3 from scratch based on experience or intuition, thereby reducing the workload of the operator.

[0076] In this embodiment, the number of drainage pumps 3 to be activated and the activation timing are notified based on not only the inland water level itself but also the rate of rise of the inland water level (steps S40 to S140). With this configuration, the water level prediction unit 22 can provide an appropriate operation plan for the drainage pumps 3. For example, as shown in range R in Figs. 7 and 8, when there is a possibility that the inland water level will rise suddenly due to the influence of a sudden downpour or the like, the water level prediction unit 22 can provide guidance to the operator to simultaneously activate multiple drainage pumps 3 (step S40: YES, step S80). By operating the drainage pumps 3 according to this guidance, the operator can discharge more water from the tributary K2 to the main river K1.

[0077] In this embodiment, instead of trying many patterns in the operation judgment process, only when it is predicted that the water level will rise rapidly in the basic operation (step S40: YES), the water level is predicted by an operation (simultaneous operation) that can suppress the rate of rise in the water level (step S80). This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the number of water level predictions and reduce the load on the operation support server 20.

[0078] The water level prediction unit 22 also calculates the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started (steps S40 to S130) based on the rate of rise in the water level when basic operation is performed (step S10). With this configuration, it is possible to provide a more appropriate operation plan by considering whether the drainage pumps 3 will be able to drain in time with basic operation.

[0079] Here, even if the four drainage pumps 3 are started simultaneously, it is assumed that the inland water level may still rise sharply depending on the predicted rainfall. Therefore, the water level prediction unit 22 may execute the additional determination process shown in Fig. 9 after step S140 of the operation determination process shown in Fig. 6, and notify the operator to advance the start timing of the drainage pumps 3 when a sudden rise in the inland water level is predicted. The contents of the additional determination process will be described below.

[0080] When the water level prediction unit 22 starts the additional judgment process, it proceeds to step S150, and determines whether or not there has been a sudden rise in water level in the most recent (concurrent operation) prediction result of the inland water level by a process similar to that of step S40. If the water level prediction unit 22 determines that there has been a sudden rise in water level (step S150: YES), it proceeds to step S160. On the other hand, if the water level prediction unit 22 determines that there has not been a sudden rise in water level (step S150: NO), it ends the additional judgment process.

[0081] In step S160, the water level prediction unit 22 notifies the operator to advance the start timing of the drainage pump 3. The method of notifying the operator is the same as that in step S80. That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the water level prediction unit 22 predicts the internal water level when the start timing of the drainage pump 3 is advanced, and displays the prediction result on the information display screen 40 shown in FIG. 3. Note that FIG. 10 shows an example in which the start timing (start time) of each drainage pump 3 is advanced by a predetermined time. Also, the start time of the drainage pump 3 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10 indicates the start time before the start timing is advanced.

[0082] Methods for advancing the start-up timing of the drainage pump 3 include a first method in which the first start-up water level (the water level at which four drainage pumps 3 are started simultaneously) is lowered by a predetermined value below step S140, and a second method in which the start-up time of the drainage pump 3 is set to a predetermined time earlier than the time at which the predicted internal water level rises to the first start-up water level.

[0083] In the first method, the start-up timing can be advanced by lowering the first-unit start-up water level ("first drainage pump internal water level" in FIG. 5) set on the setting screen 50 shown in FIG. 5. In the second method, the start-up timing can be advanced by subtracting a predetermined time from the time when the predicted internal water level rises to the first-unit start-up water level (the start-up time of the drainage pump 3 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10).

[0084] 9 ends, the water level prediction unit 22 ends the additional determination process. By operating the drainage pumps 3 according to the start timing calculated in the additional determination process, for example, when the rate at which the water level is rising is predicted to be relatively fast, multiple drainage pumps 3 can be started simultaneously early to suppress the rise in the internal water level.

[0085] 10 shows an example in which the start-up timing of all the drainage pumps 3 is advanced, but this is just one example, and it is also possible to advance the start-up timing of some of the drainage pumps 3. For example, it is also possible to advance the start-up timing of only the first and second drainage pumps 3 out of the four drainage pumps 3.

[0086] As described above, the driving assistance system 10 of this embodiment is an driving assistance system 10 that assists in the operation of a drainage pump 3 of a drainage pumping station 1 that can discharge water from a tributary K2 (first river) into a main river K1 (second river) into which the tributary K2 merges, and is equipped with a water level prediction unit 22 (calculation unit) that executes a water level prediction process to predict the internal water level, which is the water level of the tributary K2, and creates an operation plan for the drainage pump 3 based on the rate of rise of the water level over a specified period of time in the prediction result, and a notification unit 23 that notifies the operation plan.

[0087] With this configuration, it is possible to provide an appropriate operation plan for the drainage pump 3.

[0088] The operation plan includes at least one of the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started and the start timing.

[0089] With this configuration, it is possible to provide guidance on the appropriate number of drainage pumps 3 to be activated and the appropriate activation timing.

[0090] The water level prediction process also includes a first water level prediction process (prediction process performed in step S10) that predicts the inner water level assuming that a first operation (basic operation) has been performed in which, when the inner water level rises to a first water level (e.g., the first start-up water level), one or more first drainage pumps 3 of the multiple drainage pumps 3 are started, and when the inner water level rises to a second water level higher than the first water level (e.g., from the second start-up water level to the fourth start-up water level), one or more second drainage pumps 3 of the multiple drainage pumps 3 are started (see Figure 4).

[0091] With this configuration, it is possible to provide guidance on an appropriate operation plan for the drainage pump 3 according to the rate of rise in the water level when the first operation (basic operation) is performed.

[0092] In addition, the water level prediction process can include a second water level prediction process (prediction process performed in steps S80 to S140) that predicts the internal water level assuming that a second operation (simultaneous operation) is performed in which the number of the first drainage pumps 3 to be started is increased from the first operation (basic operation).If the rate of rise in the result of the first water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value (step S40: YES), the water level prediction unit 22 calculates the number of the drainage pumps 3 to be started based on the rate of rise in the result of the second water level prediction process (steps S80 to S140). The second water level prediction process is a water level prediction process that is performed again by changing the calculation conditions of a process that predicts the water level once (the first water level prediction process or the second water level prediction process) (increasing the number of drainage pumps 3 that are activated).

[0093] With this configuration, it is possible to provide guidance on the appropriate number of drainage pumps 3 to start depending on the rate at which the water level rises when the second operation (simultaneous operation) is performed. For example, when it is predicted that the rate at which the water level rises is relatively fast in the first operation (basic operation) (step S40: YES), it is possible to provide guidance on starting the drainage pumps 3 simultaneously.

[0094] In addition, when the rising rate as a result of the second water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value, the water level prediction unit 22 creates an operation plan in which the start-up timing of the drainage pump 3 is earlier than the second operation (simultaneous operation).

[0095] With this configuration, it is possible to provide guidance on more appropriate timing for starting the drainage pump 3. For example, when the rate at which the water level will rise is predicted to be relatively fast, it is possible to provide guidance to promptly start the drainage pump 3.

[0096] In addition, the start-up timing can be advanced by at least one of a first setting change that lowers at least one of the first water level (e.g., the first unit start-up water level) or the second water level (e.g., from the second unit start-up water level to the fourth unit start-up water level) by a predetermined value, or a second setting change that sets the start-up time of the drainage pump 3 to a time that is a predetermined time earlier than the time when the internal water level rises to the first water level.

[0097] With this configuration, the start timing of the drainage pump 3 can be easily advanced.

[0098] The water level predicting unit 22 according to this embodiment is one embodiment of a calculation unit according to the present invention.

[0099] Although the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims.

[0100] For example, the drainage pumping station 1 in this embodiment is installed at the confluence of the main river K1 and the tributary K2, but the drainage pumping station 1 may be installed at the confluence of two rivers, and does not necessarily have to be installed at the confluence of the main river K1 and the tributary K2. For example, it may be installed at the confluence of a secondary tributary and a primary tributary.

[0101] In addition, in this embodiment, in the basic operation based on the first water level prediction process (prediction process in step S10), an example has been shown in which the drainage pumps 3 are started in stages one by one, but it is also possible to start two or more drainage pumps 3 simultaneously at each stage, for example.

[0102] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the water level is first predicted taking into account the operation of the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3 (step S10, prediction during basic operation), and a decision is made on whether to perform simultaneous operation (simultaneous start of the drainage pump 3) based on this result, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to first predict the water level assuming that the drainage pump 3 and the like are not operating, without considering the operation of the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3, and then decide whether to perform simultaneous operation based on the predicted water level. In this way, by omitting the prediction process assuming basic operation, the process of predicting the water level can be simplified, and the load on the operation support server 20 can be reduced.

[0103] In steps S40-S100, the water level prediction unit 22 determines whether or not there is a sudden rise in water level for all time periods in the water level prediction results, but it is also possible to check whether or not there is a sudden rise in water level for only some time periods in the prediction results. For example, it is also possible to determine whether or not there is a sudden rise in water level during a time period when the inland water level is relatively high. Possible examples of such time periods include a time period after the time when the inland water level prediction results reach the first unit activation water level, a time period after the gate 2 is closed, etc. This configuration allows the drainage pump 3 to be operated more appropriately.

[0104] As described above, in the driving assistance system 10, the water level prediction unit 22 calculates the rate of rise based on the prediction result of the first water level prediction, for the time period after the inland water level rises to the first water level.

[0105] With this configuration, it is possible to provide guidance on a more appropriate operation plan for the drainage pumps 3. For example, it is possible to provide guidance on simultaneously starting up a plurality of drainage pumps 3 only when the water level of the tributary K2 is rising.

[0106] The water level prediction unit 22 is configured to inform the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started and the timing of starting the drainage pumps 3, but it is also possible to inform other information. For example, it is also possible to inform the timing of stopping the drainage pumps 3. In this case, it is possible to determine the timing of stopping the drainage pumps 3 based on the water level at which operation is stopped as shown in FIG.

[0107] In this embodiment, the operation plan for the drainage pump 3 is created in the operation judgment process shown in Fig. 6, but in addition to this, it is also possible to create an operation plan for the gate 2. The operation plan for the gate 2 can be created according to the rising speed of the outside water level (the prediction result in step S10). For example, the water level prediction unit 22 can guide the user to advance the timing of closing the gate 2 when the rising speed of the outside water level exceeds a predetermined threshold. For example, it can notify the user to lower the closing water level of the gate 2 set on the setting screen 50 shown in Fig. 5.

[0108] As described above, in the driving assistance system 10, the water level prediction unit 22 is capable of predicting the water level (outside water level) of the main river K1, and creates an opening / closing plan for the gate 2 provided between the main river K1 and the tributary K2 based on the rate of rise in the water level over a specified period in the prediction result, and the notification unit 23 notifies the opening / closing plan. In addition, the opening and closing plan for Gate 2 includes, in addition to the closing water level of Gate 2 mentioned above, the time to close Gate 2, the opening water level of Gate 2, etc.

[0109] By configuring in this manner, it is possible to provide guidance on appropriate timing for opening and closing the gate 2, thereby effectively preventing backflow of water from the main river K1 to the tributary K2.

[0110] In this embodiment, the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3 are manually operated by an operator, but the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3 may be automatically controlled by the system. For example, the operation support server 20 or other servers may be configured to be able to communicate with the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3, and the operation support server 20 or the like may open / close the gate 2 or start the drainage pump 3 according to the result of the operation judgment process shown in Fig. 6, thereby automatically controlling the gate 2, etc.

[0111] In this way, the operation assistance system 10 further includes a control unit (a server capable of communicating with the gate 2 and the drainage pump 3) that controls the drainage pump 3 in accordance with the operation plan information.

[0112] By configuring in this way, the workload of the operator can be reduced.

[0113] In addition, the notification unit 23 notifies various kinds of information by displaying WEB content on the operator terminal 30, but the method for notifying information is not limited to WEB content and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the notification unit 23 can also notify information by email, a message app, or the like.

[0114] In addition, since the present embodiment assumes the use of four drainage pumps 3, the number of drainage pumps 3 that are started simultaneously can be increased up to four depending on the rate of rise of the inland water level in the example of Fig. 6, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the number of drainage pumps 3 that are started simultaneously in Fig. 6 can be arbitrarily set depending on the number of drainage pumps 3 installed.

[0115] In the example of FIG. 6, two or four drainage pumps 3 are started simultaneously, but the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started simultaneously can be changed as desired. For example, the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started simultaneously can be determined between two and four depending on the rate of rise in the water level. Also, for example, when there is a sudden rise in the water level, it is possible to predict the water level each time the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started simultaneously is increased by one, and to determine the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started simultaneously that can prevent the sudden rise in the water level. In other words, it is possible to determine the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started simultaneously by repeatedly increasing the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started simultaneously and re-predicting the water level until the sudden rise in the water level is resolved (or until the number of drainage pumps 3 installed is reached).

[0116] The driving assistance system 10 according to the second embodiment will be described below.

[0117] In the following description, devices configured in the same manner as in the driving assistance system 10 according to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0118] The driving assistance system 10 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the contents of the driving decision-making process, so the contents of the driving decision-making process according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0119] 11, if there is no sudden rise in the water level in step S40 (step S40: NO), the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S230. On the other hand, if there is a sudden rise in the water level (step S40: YES), the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S210.

[0120] In step S210, the water level prediction unit 22 predicts the water level when the start timing of the drainage pump 3 is advanced from the basic operation, as shown in FIG. 12. Hereinafter, the operation in which the start timing of the drainage pump 3 is advanced from the basic operation is referred to as "early operation". The method of advancing the start timing is the same as that in the first embodiment. For example, the water level prediction unit 22 can advance the start timing by lowering the first start water level to the fourth start water level (the water levels in the first to fourth drainage pumps shown in FIG. 5) by a predetermined value. Note that FIG. 12 shows an example in which the start timing (start time) of each drainage pump 3 is advanced by a predetermined time. Also, the start time of the drainage pump 3 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 12 indicates the start time before the start timing is advanced. As shown in FIG. 11, when the process of step S210 is completed, the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S220.

[0121] In step S220, the water level prediction unit 22 determines whether or not there is a sudden rise in the water level in the prediction result of the inland water level in step S210 (early operation). If there is no sudden rise in the water level (step S220: NO), the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S230. On the other hand, if there is a sudden rise in the water level (step S220: YES), the water level prediction unit 22 proceeds to step S240.

[0122] In step S230, the water level prediction unit 22 guides the operation of one to four drainage pumps 3 according to the most recent (step S10 or step S210) prediction result of the internal water level by processing similar to steps S50 to S70 and S110 to S130 shown in Fig. 6. When the processing of step S230 ends, the water level prediction unit 22 ends the operation determination processing.

[0123] In step S240, the water level prediction unit 22 guides the simultaneous operation of the plurality of drainage pumps 3. At this time, the water level prediction unit 22 guides the simultaneous operation of the plurality of pumps 3 by the same processes as steps S80 to S140 shown in Fig. 6. When the process of step S240 ends, the water level prediction unit 22 ends the operation determination process.

[0124] According to the operation judgment process of this embodiment, when the rate at which the inside water level is rising is predicted to be fast (step S40: YES), the operator can be notified to speed up the start of the drainage pump 3 (see FIG. 12). By starting the drainage pump 3 based on the notification, the operator can effectively suppress the rise in the inside water level.

[0125] In this way, the operation assistance system 10 can change the start-up timing of the drainage pumps 3 with priority over the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started, and notify the operator of the result (operation plan of the drainage pumps 3).

[0126] 12 shows an example in which the start-up timing of all the drainage pumps 3 is advanced, the water level prediction unit 22 does not necessarily need to advance the start-up timing of all the drainage pumps 3, and it is also possible to advance the start-up timing of only some of the drainage pumps 3. For example, it is also possible to advance the start-up timing only for the drainage pumps 3 that are started during a time period when a sudden rise in water level is expected, or immediately before or after that time period.

[0127] As described above, in the driving assistance system 10 of this embodiment, the water level prediction process includes a third water level prediction process that predicts the internal water level assuming that a third operation (early operation) is performed in which the start timing of the drainage pump 3 is earlier than the first operation (basic operation) (step S210), and if the rising speed in the result of the first water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value (step S40: YES), the water level prediction unit 22 calculates the start timing of the drainage pump 3 based on the rising speed in the result of the third water level prediction process (steps S230-S240).

[0128] With this configuration, it is possible to provide guidance on the appropriate timing to start the drainage pump 3 according to the rate of rise in the water level when the third operation (early operation) is performed. For example, when a sudden rise in the water level is predicted due to a sudden downpour or the like (step S40: YES), it is possible to provide guidance to promptly start the drainage pump 3.

[0129] In addition, if the rising speed as a result of the third water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value (step S220: YES), the water level prediction unit 22 creates an operation plan that increases the number of the first drainage pumps (drainage pumps 3 to be activated when the internal water level reaches the first activation water level) (step S240).

[0130] With this configuration, it is possible to provide a more appropriate number of drainage pumps 3 to be activated.

[0131] In the above embodiment, an example of creating an operation plan according to the rising speed of the inland water level predicted by the water level prediction unit 22 has been described. However, in addition to the rising speed of the inland water level, an upper limit value may be set for the inland water level, and the operation plan may be created taking this upper limit value into consideration. For example, when the predicted inland water level exceeds the upper limit value, it is also possible to create an operation plan by increasing the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started (simultaneous operation) or accelerating the start timing. In this case, it is also possible to create an operation plan by prioritizing the upper limit value of the inland water level over the rising speed of the inland water level. For example, even if the rising speed of the inland water level does not exceed a predetermined threshold, when the inland water level exceeds the upper limit value, an operation plan may be created to increase the number of drainage pumps 3 to be started or to advance the start timing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 1 Drainage pump station 3. Drainage pump 10 Driving assistance systems 22 Water Level Forecasting Division 23 Notification Department K1 Honkawa K2 tributary

Claims

1. An operation support system that supports an operation of a drainage pump of a drainage pumping station that is capable of discharging water of a first river into a second river into which the first river merges, a calculation unit that executes a water level prediction process to predict an inland water level, which is a water level of the first river, and creates an operation plan for the drainage pump based on a rate of rise of the water level for a predetermined period in a prediction result of the water level prediction process; A notification unit that notifies the operation plan; Equipped with Driving assistance system.

2. The operation plan includes: At least one of the number of drainage pumps to be started and the start timing of the drainage pumps is included. The driving assistance system according to claim 1 .

3. The water level prediction process includes: a first water level prediction process for predicting the inner water level assuming that a first operation is performed in which, when the inner water level rises to a first water level, one or more first drainage pumps of the plurality of drainage pumps are started, and, when the inner water level rises to a second water level higher than the first water level, one or more second drainage pumps of the plurality of drainage pumps are started; The driving assistance system according to claim 2 .

4. The water level prediction process includes: a second water level prediction process for predicting the inside water level on the assumption that a second operation is performed in which the number of the first drainage pumps started is increased compared to the first operation; The calculation unit is when the rising speed in the result of the first water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value, calculating the number of drainage pumps to be started based on the rising speed in the result of the second water level prediction process; The driving assistance system according to claim 3 .

5. The calculation unit is creating an operation plan in which the start timing of the drainage pump is earlier than that of the second operation when the rising speed in the result of the second water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value; A driving assistance system according to claim 4.

6. The water level prediction process includes: a third water level prediction process for predicting the inside water level on the assumption that a third operation is performed in which the start timing of the drainage pump is earlier than that of the first operation, The calculation unit is when the rising speed in the result of the first water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value, calculating a start timing of the drainage pump based on the rising speed in the result of the third water level prediction process; The driving assistance system according to claim 3 .

7. The calculation unit is When the rising speed in the result of the third water level prediction process exceeds a predetermined value, an operation plan is created in which the number of the first drainage pumps to be started is increased. A driving assistance system according to claim 6.

8. The start timing is The start time of the drainage pump is advanced by at least one of a first setting change that lowers at least one of the first water level or the second water level by a predetermined value, or a second setting change that sets the start time of the drainage pump to a time advanced by a predetermined time from the time when the internal water level rises to the first water level. A driving assistance system according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. The calculation unit is Calculating the rate of rise for a time period after the inland water level rises to the first water level from the prediction result of the first water level prediction process; The driving assistance system according to claim 3 .

10. The calculation unit is A method for predicting a water level of the second river and creating an opening and closing plan for a gate to be provided between the second river and the first river based on a rate of rise in the water level for a predetermined period in the prediction result; The notification unit is notifying said opening and closing plan; The notification unit is The driving assistance system according to claim 1 .

11. Further comprising a control unit for controlling the drainage pump according to the operation plan. The driving assistance system according to claim 1 .

Images