Real-time urban drainage system modelling using weather radar rainfall data

This paper introduces an urban drainage system (UDS) modelling approach called RHINOS (Real-time urban Hydrological Infrastructure and Output modelling Strategy) developed specifically for use in predictive real-time control (RTC) applications. RHINOS uses quantitative distributed rainfall forecasts to predict pipe flows at locations throughout the pipe network. The paper highlights, with the use of a case study, the contribution weather radar systems can make to the RTC of UDS. The RHINOS procedure differs from existing urban hydrological modelling approaches in several ways including: (i) the way in which the UDS is represented; (ii) the parameter identification/estimation algorithm, and (iii) the techniques developed for flow prediction. RHINOS has been developed to produce supplementary information to any sewer telemetry system and enable global predictive control strategies to be implemented. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. Ail rights reserved.