Remote Monitoring and Control Facilities
- Overview A water level observation station consists of water level measurement equipment, communication facilities, power supply facilities, zero-gauge calibration benchmarks that serve as the elevation reference, a Staff Gauge for direct visual reading of river water levels, safety signs, and an equipment shelter.
Equipment Configuration
| Measurement Unit (Water Level Gauge) | The primary gauge type is Float-type; at major river sites, a redundant configuration is used by operating a Float-type Water Level Gauge together with a Radar Water Level Gauge or a Pressure-type Water Level Gauge. Measurement Range: 1-100 m / Measurement Unit: 1 mm or 1 cm |
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| Control & Transceiver Unit | The RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) is the core device used to operate water-resources ICT facilities. Installed at hydrological observation stations (water level, precipitation, water quality, and weather), it transmits analog and digital data received from sensors over multiple communications networks. It supports various communication ports so that the primary VSAT satellite network can be used alongside WCDMA, xDSL, and leased lines, enabling reliable collection and transmission of measurement data. |
| Power Supply Unit | The power supply uses both commercial power and solar power, and consists of an automatic power recovery device, an intelligent Charge Controller, a Battery, and solar panels. |
| Staff Gauge |
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- Overview A precipitation observation station supports dam-operation decision-making by monitoring precipitation within a dam basin and estimating inflow to the dam. It consists of a Precipitation Sensor, Communication Device, and related equipment.
* Dam Basin: The entire land-surface area where rain or snow drains into a specific dam reservoir.
Equipment Configuration
| Measurement Unit (Rain Gauge) | Precipitation is expressed as the depth obtained by dividing the total amount of precipitation falling on a given area by the unit area, and in Korea, the unit of measurement is [mm]. The rain gauge most commonly used is the Tipping-Bucket-type self-recording rain gauge. Measurement Unit: 1 mm by default, with 0.5 mm used depending on site conditions. |
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| Tipping-Bucket-type Self-recording Rain Gauge | After rainfall is collected through a 20 cm diameter receiving funnel of the tipping bucket, the tipping cup tips and records the precipitation once the preset reference volume (0.5 or 1 mm) is filled. |
| Control Unit and Transmitting/Receiving Unit | The RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) is installed at hydrological observation stations (water level, precipitation, water quality, and weather) and transmits analog and digital data received through sensors over various communication networks. It is a core piece of equipment in the operation of water resources ICT facilities. It supports a variety of communication ports so that multiple communication networks, including the primary satellite communication network (VSAT) as well as WCDMA, xDSL, and dedicated lines, can be used simultaneously, thereby enabling the collection and transmission of measurement data. |
| Power Supply Unit | The power supply for the precipitation observation station uses both commercial power and solar power, and consists of an automatic power recovery device, an intelligent charge controller, batteries, and solar panels. |
- Overview
- As warning stations are critical facilities for preventing loss of life and property damage among residents downstream of dams, both field equipment and the control-center server are operated redundantly.
- Warning broadcasts are controlled through the warning control program on the alert server at the control station (dam operation branch office), allowing either system-wide broadcasting to all warning stations or broadcasting to selected individual stations.
Equipment Configuration
| Warning Control Unit | Receives control signals from the control station via wired and wireless networks (VSAT, LTE, etc.), then activates the alert broadcast audio and electronic siren audio stored in memory. It automatically transmits the control results to the control station and stores them in its internal memory (log). Built-in alert audio sources include dam gate discharge, power-generation discharge, and test broadcasts. |
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| Warning Broadcast Amplifier | The amplifier is a modular, card-type system that can be easily attached to or detached from the warning control unit. Each module provides 200W of output, and the system is expandable up to 1,200W with a maximum of six cards. It utilizes high-efficiency D-Class PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology. |
| Warning Broadcast Speakers | Each warning station installs 2 to 6 MDSA (Major Directional Speaker Array) directional speakers in a vertical arrangement for electronic sirens. When a broadcast command is received by the Warning Control Unit, the amplifier starts up and audio is broadcast through the speakers. Speaker sensitivity varies depending on how much of the input electrical signal is converted into acoustic energy and radiated; even at the same sound pressure level rating, a speaker with higher sensitivity produces higher output sound pressure. |
| Power Supply Unit | Consists of a Power Charger and Batteries. The Power Charger converts commercial AC power to DC to charge the batteries and supplies 12-24 V DC power to each device. In the event of a power outage, it provides the power required for uninterruptible operation to protect the equipment and includes power monitoring functions. The system is configured to enable warning broadcasts for at least two days without an external power supply. |
| Communication Equipment | Consists of VSAT satellite communication equipment and LTE wireless communication equipment, configured redundantly with the satellite network as the primary communication link and LTE as the secondary link. |
Remote Monitoring and Control Facilities
Overview
- Satellite communication refers to wireless communication in which an artificial satellite serves as a relay station.
- Satellites are classified by orbit as Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geostationary Orbit (GEO). K-water utilizes geostationary satellites that orbit at the same angular rate as the Earth’s rotation, so they appear stationary over a point on the ground.
* Orbit Altitudes: LEO (300–1,500 km), MEO (1,500–10,000 km), GEO (36,000 km and above)
System Architecture
The K-water satellite communication system consists of a geostationary satellite (Mugunghwa 6A), hub stations, control stations, and terminal stations. When a control station (dam operation office) requests field data, the data are retrieved from the terminal stations via the hub stations (Headquarters and Gunnam) and satellite antennas.
Operational Mode (Double-Star Topology)
- The K-water satellite communication network is operated from two hub stations (Daejeon and Gunnam), which control the frequencies, time slots, and related parameters for control stations and terminal stations (water level stations and warning stations) nationwide to maintain optimized network operations.
- Under normal conditions, the network operates in an Active-Standby mode, with one hub station controlling all terminals. During the flood season, terminals are divided into two groups and controlled in an Active-Active configuration to maximize the use of limited satellite network resources. If one hub station goes down, the terminal stations automatically switch over to the other hub station, ensuring service continuity and network stability.
Centralized Monitoring and Control System
Operational Objectives
- Real-time Monitoring and Control, and Information Processing
- Data Collection and Integration
- Control and Status Monitoring of Field Equipment
- Real-time Data Display and Management
- Database (DB) Storage
Basic Concept
- A SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and HMI (Human–Machine Interface)-based system that enables operators to monitor the status of remote facilities
Program Components
- System Engine Controls the execution environment, collects data and stores it in the DB, manages events, and supports data sharing
- System Builder Manages system configuration, TAG settings, and directory-based project management
- Graphics Management Displays hydrological data, supports monitoring and control of remote (observation) stations, and supports HMI screen authoring
- Driver Management Monitors and checks the operational status of communication drivers registered as startup programs
Operating Mode: Active-Standby Redundant Configuration
Active-Standby Operation
- While the primary (active) server is operating, the standby server remains in a ready state
- If the primary server loses communication or the engine stops, the system automatically fails over to the standby server
- During failover, the primary server’s DB connection is deactivated
* When the primary server recovers, Standby → Primary: automatic switchover
Key Operational Screens (HMI)
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Main Screen and Functions -
Control and Monitoring of Field Equipment Information -
Monitoring the Operational Status of Communication Servers
Operational Objectives
- Control of warning broadcasts during dam releases
- Remote control and status monitoring of field equipment
- Real-time monitoring of warning broadcast status
- Management of warning broadcast result history
Basic Concept
- A SCADA- and HMI-based system that enables efficient control and monitoring of warning broadcast facilities
Key Functions
| Warning Broadcasts | Controls warning facilities by discharge type (spillway discharge or power-generation discharge) and provides real-time monitoring of broadcasts |
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| Surveillance & Inspection | Monitoring and inspection functions for warning broadcast facilities (warning control unit, speakers, amplifiers) |
| Network Management | Communication path selection and automatic switchover (Primary: VSAT, Secondary: LTE) |
| History Management | Logging and history management of broadcast results and network operation status (log storage) |
Operating Mode (Redundant Operation Mode)
Configured with Master/Slave redundancy. The servers monitor each other in real time via the UDP protocol, and when the Master server fails, the system automatically switches (failover) to the Slave server to maintain warning broadcast control (Active & Standby)
Operational Screen
Key Functions
| Hydrological Data Storage | The tag values of data collected by each dam’s hydrological observation server (SmartTM) are stored in the database at 1-minute intervals using the DB conversion program (iSTM2DB).
* Key functions of the DB conversion program (iSTM2DB): sequential storage of hydrological data, file storage in the event of transmission errors, recovery of missing data, log generation, etc |
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| Hydrological Data Management |
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| Hydrological Data Processing |
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| Hydrological Data Transmission & Utilization |
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Information System
Overview
- The real-time hydrological information system is an advanced water-management system designed to support situation-centered, intuitive decision-making by providing functions to collect, store, and transmit hydrological data (water level, discharge/flow, precipitation, water quality, etc.) for dams and weirs acquired from sensors in real time at 1-minute intervals, perform validation and calibration of hydrological data, and integrate hydrological data with CCTV footage and other information.
Main Features
- Displays hydrological data such as dam water level, precipitation, and water quality at 1-minute intervals
- Displays summary status information on hydrological operations for each dam basin
- Provides integrated monitoring of hydrological conditions, including spillway gate opening status and power generation output
- Provides historical trends at 1-minute, 10-minute, 30-minute, 60-minute, and daily intervals
- Links and displays data from related agencies such as Flood Control Offices (water levels), the Korea Rural Community Corporation (water levels, discharges, etc.), the Korea Meteorological Administration (weather), and the Korea Forest Service (forest fires)
Menu Composition
| Hydrological Status | Provides numerical hydrological information for dams and weirs nationwide, rainfall status, and border-area status, and displays flood-analysis data by integrating GIS information, maps, and video information |
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| Weather Status | Displays major weather information nationwide, meteorological forecasts and prediction information from the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), and synoptic-chart information such as satellite and radar imagery |
| Water Quality Status | Displays water-quality information for dams and weirs nationwide and the issuance status of the algae alert system, and provides visualized algae-monitoring information using images and charts. |
| Power Generation Status | Provides information on large-scale and small-scale hydropower generation status for dams and weirs nationwide, and presents region-based renewable energy generation information and generation performance in chart form |
| Water Supply Status | Quantifies and displays key information on dedicated water-supply dams and water-intake and water-treatment facilities nationwide |
| Integrated Status | Integrates dam and water-supply information to provide schematic information by region |
| Related Agencies | Displays hydrological information from related organizations such as flood control offices, local governments, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation |
| Dam/Weir Operations | Displays integrated hydrological information such as precipitation, water level, and storage volume by each dam and weir nationwide |
System Configuration and Functions
- The Real-time Hydrological Data Quality Management System (HDIMS) is a system designed to produce and manage high-quality hydrological data through structured quality management activities
- It provides functions for querying and trending data to manage and monitor collected hydrological data, Cal/Val screens, reliability statistics, and user management required for system administration
Error & Missing Data Management and Detection
- A procedure-based detection process periodically detects errors and missing values in hydrological data, and provides the detected records in a list format for review.
- Provides configuration functions for error/missing-data detection, including dam (weir) operation data and station-specific thresholds (upper-limit exceedance, lower-limit undercut, rate-of-change range, no-change duration, etc.)
Hydrological Data Validation and Calibration (Val/Cal)
- In the hydrological data validation and calibration interface, multiple algorithms are applied according to the characteristics of the hydrological data to improve user convenience, and recommended values are presented when performing validation and calibration
Integrated Situation Room
In the integrated water-management situation room, dam operation personnel monitor integrated real-time screens—including hydrological data, CCTV, weather imagery, digital twins, and power generation status—via a smart big board, and the room supports optimal water-management decision-making through multi-party video conferencing and other tools.
Equipment Configuration
| LED Display | Arranges LED elements composed of one pixel made up of three RGB colors in a modular layout |
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| LED Controller | Adjusts display input/output power, brightness, luminance, and related parameters |
| Situation Monitoring Integrated Controller | Provides integrated control of the situation-display system |
| Hybrid Wall Controller | Outputs video inputs (IP, HDMI) in user-defined layouts |
| Situation Display Server | Operates and manages smart big-board content |
Key Content
| Screen Name | Displayed Data | Screen Name | Displayed Data |
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| 1. Initial Screen | Nationwide hydrology, water quality, and power generation status | 9. Hydrological Analysis | Monthly hydrological data by dam; flood analysis results |
| 2. Hydrological Status | Hydrological data and discharge status for dams and weirs | 10. Dam Safety Management | Real-time instrumentation and seismic monitoring; trend analysis |
| 3. Detailed Hydrological Status | Watershed schematics; comparative charts of hydrological data | 11. Drought Status | Drought status/outlook/statistics; drought briefing materials |
| 4. Flow Status | Inflow, discharge, storage volume, and storage rate for dams and weirs | 12. Groundwater Status | Weir/groundwater levels; national monitoring network statistics |
| 5. Water Level Status | Water level trends by watershed/dam; comparison with historical-year data | 13. Continuous Monitoring | Hydrology, weather, video, and power generation status |
| 6. Related Organizations | Data from Flood Control Offices, local governments, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation | 14. Operations System | Linkage with water resources/water supply information systems |
| 7. Weather Status | Weather information; synoptic charts; radar imagery | 15. ICT System | Operational status of dam/weir systems and networks |
| 8. Rainfall Status | Rainfall status; cumulative rainfall and trends for dams and weirs | 16. CCTV | Upstream and downstream video for dams and weirs |