This tutorial explains the application of DIVA-GIS software in the digitization of a hydropower plant schematics. Here the use of the point, line, and polygon shapefiles is demonstrated. The tutorial also explained the creation of attribute tables to display data on a digital map.

1. How to digitize penstocks leading to
powerhouse of a hydropower plant
from the site maps?
Digitization by Examples
More Such Tutorials at baipatra.ws
Dr. Mrinmoy Majumder
A part of Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing
(Self Paced Certificate Course)

3. Benefits
The condition, load and disbursing or flow rate etc. in a penstock can be monitored in real
time if the digitized shape files of the penstock and its attribute tables can be connected to a
set of sensors which can measure and send the information about vital parameters( important
for condition monitoring of the penstocks in large scale hydropower plants).
The portability of the monitoring system is another reason for installation of such real-time
monitoring systems.
A GIS map can be used in any type of device if the map-codes can be exported to another
device.
Most of the tools used for GIS nowadays offer such features in their digitization tools.
The entire digitized maps of the power plant will also enable to identify vulnerable points and
erroneous portions which can be rectified by mitigation of the faults in the system.

4. Tools Required
DIVA GIS
Pipe network Analysis

5. Methodology
The entire process to
achieve the objective can be
divided into:
a)Digitization of the
sitemaps
b)Preparation of attribute
table for condition
monitoring
After the collection of site
maps of a hydro power
plant, the penstocks are
identified and digitized using
point and line shape file.
The points are used to
represent junction and lines
are used to depict the
length of the penstocks.
The source and sink of the
entire penstock is also
represented by the point
shape file connected to the
line shapefiles.

6. How to use
DIVA GIS ?
1)The projected coordinate system is selected or defined by
going to the Settings sub menu under the File menu.
2)The scanned picture of the site map is imported into the
software by using ‘Add Layers’ sub menu under the File menu.
3)After that the point shapefiles were used to digitize the
junctions of the penstocks.
4)The line shape files are used to digitize the pen stock length.
For both cases the menu item: ‘Draw Shapefile’ is used
5)For each shape file (point and line) different layers are created
on the base layer which is the image of the site map.
6)The colour, size and style was adjusted by right clicking on the
layers and going to the ‘Property’ submenu.

7. Creation of
Attribute
Table
1)The attribute table, shown after clicking into the Layers > Table menu , is
used to store the data for the parameters which were selected for
monitoring the pipeline condition.
2) Here each parameter is represented by separate columns of the attribute
table where as the rows were used to depict the data for the parameter
measured for that penstock junction or length.
3) The .dbf file can be opened with Excel and each column after latitude,
longitude and id, can be used for storing data of the selected parameters.
After adding the parameters the excel file can be saved as .dbf file which
can be edited in DIVA GIS.
4) The data for the parameter can be added real-time or manually. For real
time data collection, the attribute table of the shape files are connected to
the external data base of the instrument or data logger used for monitoring
the parameter.
5)The tables in the external data base must be same as the attribute table
with same number of columns and rows. To connect to an external data
base, go to Data > Import Point to Shape File > From MS Access or From
dbase files

8. Contd.
The same digital map can be exported to a
platform independent code so that
monitoring of the penstock network can be
possible from any device.
After the creation of attribute table, the
data stored can be used to depict the
condition of the penstocks directly through
the digital map created from the scanned
picture of the site map.

9. Idea 1: Development of indicator based real time penstock condition
monitoring system by the application of GIS and Cognitive tools
The GIS based condition
monitoring systems can be
developed to monitor the vital
parameters of penstock networks
which is used to carry water from
the source to the power house for
generation of energy.
01
The plant efficiency is often
compromised due to the reduction of
conveyance efficiency of the penstock
network. The reason for this decrease
can be attributed to the diminution in
the depth to width ration or increase in
roughness coefficient or increased
infiltration due to sedimentation or
erosion of the channel bed respectively.
02
The problem is the decrease in
efficiency will be different in
different locations of the penstock
network and this variation should
be monitored so that the most
vulnerable regions can be
identified.
03

10. Contd.
As a result, if a GIS based map of the network is developed and connected to the
tracking instruments used for monitoring the vital parameters which represent the
conveyance efficiency then a real-time system can be utilized to identify the most
vulnerable regions and adequate measures can be taken to mitigate the problem.
As all the vital parameters are not equally important in influencing the
conveyance efficiency, an indicator based system will be more efficient in
depicting the condition of the penstock network.
Selection of parameters in these cases can be done with cognitive tools like
Neural Networks or Particle Swarm Optimization algorithms etc.

11. Idea 2:
Development of
a Spatial
Predictive Model
for Estimation of
Flow Rate in
Penstock
Networks
A neural network model can be developed to predict flow rate at
different points of the penstock network in a hydropower plant.
The value of the parameters in the earlier junction can be used to
predict the value of the same parameters in the present junction.
A digitized map of the penstock network can be developed where each
junction and penstock length between the junctions are digitized and
the data of the vital parameters are stored in the attribute table linked
to the shape files.
The collected data stored and continuously updated in the attribute
table can be used to train a model for prediction by following the neural
network methodology.
Such models can be used to know the status of the penstocks at
different points of the network for different amount of intake.

12. Contd.
The collected data stored and
continuously updated in the attribute
table can be used to train a model for
prediction by following the neural
network methodology.
Such models can be used to
know the status of the penstocks
at different points of the network
for different amount of intake.