Eight borewell pumps (numbered 4–11) discharged into a common underground header. The DCS had pump status and discharge pressure—but no permanent flowmeters on the individual lines.
That left a clear operational gap: pressure and running status were visible; groundwater production was not.
Fitting a permanent flowmeter on every line was not practical in the time available. The problem was treated as measurement characterization: can existing pressure (plus running status) support a usable estimate of flow for monitoring?
A portable ultrasonic flowmeter was used to map pressure–flow behaviour under different operating counts. Those relationships were implemented in the Ovation DCS as calculated flow, then integrated to daily and cumulative consumption.
1. Existing system
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pumps | Pump-4 … Pump-11 (eight units) |
| Out of service during campaign | Pump-4 |
| Header | Common underground header |
| Max simultaneous pumps | Three |
| Available in DCS | Running status, discharge pressure, history |
| Missing | Direct flow |
2. Reference instrument
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Portable ultrasonic flowmeter |
| Model | FSSE1EC1-BY |
| Calibration date | 17 December 2024 |
| Role | Temporary reference only—not a permanent installation |
Purpose: answer what flow corresponds to measured discharge pressure under defined operating conditions?
3. Field method
Measurements under three conditions:
- One pump running
- Two pumps running
- Three pumps running
For each condition, discharge/header pressure and ultrasonic flow were recorded at several points.
Because all discharges share a header, the hydraulic operating point changes when more pumps run. One universal curve for all states is not justified.
Operating condition + header pressure
→ measured ultrasonic flow
→ pressure–flow data
→ characteristic per pump count