Final Report Summary - INFLATER (Development of a universal flood protection tool using the force of the water to protect against floods)
Executive Summary:
The INFLATER project started in October 2011 and finishes in January 2014, the duration of the project was 28 months.
The main objective of INFLATER was to prevent human and property damage caused by river or sea floods, sudden heavy rain causing flash flood or any other form of uncontrolled water. The prevention was developed based on taking preliminary measures to reduce the impact of floods on specic sensitive locations, from special industrial areas through individual residential buildings to downtown historic buildings. The developed INFLATER technology automatically responds to increasing water levels, protecting human life, land and property even when the owner is away. Possible end-users are individual household persons, weekend house owners, municipalities, water management agencies, disaster responding institutions, mobile flood protection producers, manufacturers and distributors.
Taking into consideration the results of the thorough market search and the technical system specification based on an extensive European end-user survey, INFLATER was designed with the assistance of sophisticated Finite Element Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling techniques. With the setting up of a complex mathemathical model, the most ideal shape and build material for INFLATER was selected to withstand the forces of water even in extreme conditions (high velocity paralell currents, waves, puncturing effects of debris, etc.). The design phase continued with the material characterisation and based on the inal CAD drawings of the prototype, INFLATER was manufactured.
After the manufacture of INFLATER in several lengths and fittings, the prototype was tested in HR Wallingford three times, in the framework of the BSi standard procedure. The mobile flood barrier passed static water leakage and wave tests and withstood the current tests for a considerable time period. The prototype is now able to protect against 1 meter water level. The prototype was also tested in real life conditions near the Tisza river at Algyő and at the Dublin seashore. Further validation and product cat-egorization is expected in the post-project phase and in the framework of the upcom-ing DEMO-INFLATER project, where additional features of the inflatable barrier will be introduced, including scale-up product specification and build material characterization, standardization, market entry and dissemination as a competitive product.
Consortium SME partners are dedicated to continue the vaildation and deminstration of the proven technology int he upcoming follow-up DEMO-INFLATER project.
Project Context and Objectives:
The flooding of rivers has always been a problem and thanks to advances in civil engineering humans learnt of methods to keep the river in its bed. In urban areas especially, but in rural areas as well, embankments have been built to keep the river where it belongs. Unfortunately even with embankments flooding occurs as we can see it all over Europe and the World. Due to global warming flooding is becoming more and more common and the water level sometimes is getting so high that the presently built embankments cannot cope with it. At present people use sandbags as the main protection against flooding. The advantage of sandbags is that they are cheap and sand is widely available, but it requires a lot of manpower and time to fill and to place the bags. The idea of the INFLATER project was to design and build a portable dam, which can be placed anywhere quickly, easily and does not require much manpower. The INFLATER device consists of two main parts. The first one includes the mechanical part with the inflatable section, the floating part and the supporting skirt. The second part involves the electrical sensors and the wireless communication system. The inflatable section is connected to the skirt and secured to the ground with spikes or pocketed weights. As the water level rises it lifts the floating part and the water is let inside the inflatable section. As the inflatable part is filled with water, the whole structure gets tight and avoids the water to flow to the protected area. The sensors of INFLATER can monitor the device itself so it can give a warning signal if it fails to operate within expected conditions or the water level gets too high. The attached sensors also monitor the river to help predict its behaviour and send warnings to the surrounding areas via wireless communication to help avoiding accidents or tragedy.
Main objectives:
Scientific objectives
• To gain an in-depth understanding of flood behaviour by studying past floods and by modelling possible scenarios.
• To create a Best Practice Guide with the help of FPA at the end of the validation process using the consequence of safety and prevention knowledge gathered from the case studies and surveys.
• To create a knowledge base for the different existing materials, and, using the information gathered during the flood case studies, define the specifications for the required INFLATER materials, including reinforced and multi-layered foils.
Technology related objectives
• To produce an on-demand flood protection device that can automatically rise from an original height of 0.5 m to 2.5 m, at the same speed as the water level rises, and deflate once the water level has decreased. This will be achieved through the development of a self-inflatable section and a hollow floating part (top part) that will give the lifting force. Once deflated, the inflatable layer will be folded up, secured under the 50 cm high top part. An inlet tube and valve will control the water flow. Each INFLATER section will be 5 m long and under 1 m wide to allow easy transportation but still fast and effective installation.
• To produce a sensor and warning module optionally placed inside the floating part and can be flexibly positioned at required intervals, so the user can optimise between price and warning capability.
• The information collected by the sensor and warning unit will be analysed by an internet software flood management tool for prediction, prevention, control, and maintenance issues. The behaviour of the flood along INFLATER will help flood forecast downstream the river.
• To develop INFLATER with intelligent water management feature. During flooding large amounts of water will be stored inside the inflatable part that will be released automatically when the water level decreases, but with a simple control mechanism the water can be kept inside and used in dryer seasons for watering.
• To fabricate two prototypes, each 5 metres in length, to be used for testing and validation. A sensor unit will also be included in one of the prototypes so it can be tested under real operation.
• A test facility will be set up at the premises of BME that can be used to test the system to at least of the standards of BSI that includes waves up to 0.1 m high and parallel currents up to 1.5 m/s.
• A complete field test and validation will be carried out by the whole consortium.
Economic objectives
• Assuming a modest market penetration of 1% at the beginning with steady growth it is estimated that 70 km of INFLATER will be implemented in the first 5 years.
• The estimated manufacturing and distributing cost of INFLATER is targeted to be €135 /m
• To develop a system that has simple setup and configuration requirements (100 m of protection can be placed by two people in a few hours), can be placed on different surfaces, and used for different purposes.
• To ensure that by the end of the validation, the partners have an action plan to fully certify INFLATER as a flood protection device.
Training, dissemination and exploitation objectives
• To design, prepare, test, and deliver comprehensive training by the RTDs, in order to ensure that SME-partners will be able to assimilate the results of the project. Training will be an on-going task and will take place throughout the project meetings. All partners will take part in the validation phase to ensure each partner has the essential know-how of the technology and understands INFLATER’s operation.
• To disseminate non-confidential information about the INFLATER project and its results within the consortium and to a wide and relevant audience to extend the impact of project results.
• To manage the foreground knowledge, as well as to protect and to use the research results to the best advantage of the SME proposers. A business plan will be defined to increase the competitiveness of the SME participants
Project Results:
Questionnaires on current and expected mobile flood protection technologies, legislation and incentives were prepared in English, French, German, Slovakian, Italian, Hungarian, Danish and Spanish languages and the resulting responses from individual households and industry contacts were incorporated into a market research survey in Deliverable 1.1
According to the received completed questionnaires/market survey in WP1, the "Flood, river and dike background study was prepared in Deliverable 2.1.
System Specification and a detailed and in-depth study was prepared analysing past floods and flood behaviour and the possible scenarios were modelled in Deliverable 2.2.
The FEM and CAD model designs of three proposed versions of the INFLATER prototypes were prepared and presented in Deliverable 3.1.
A detailed description of the material specification is found in Deliverable 2.2 and Deliverable 3.1 about existing materials that can be used for the INFLATER device.
A sensor and warning module was developed and manufactured to be optionally placed inside the floating part and to be flexibly positioned at required intervals, so the user can optimise between price and warning capability. (Deliverable 4.1)
Two prototypes (as Deliverable 5.1) each 5 metres in length were fabricated and used for testing and validation. The sensor unit was also included in one of the prototypes so it could be tested under real operation. The on-demand flood protection device can automatically rise from its original height at same speed as the water level rises and deflates once the water level has decreased. This was achieved through the development of a self-inflatable section and a hollow floating part (top part) that gives the lifting force. Once deflated, the whole system can be folded and transported easily. The production and fabrication process of the prototype and its components is described in Deliverable 5.2.
The BSi testing method capable pool of HR Wallingford was modified and setup so that it could be used to test the system to at least of the standards of BSi that included waves up to 0.1 m high and parallel currents up to 1.5 m/s. The modification of the HR Wallingford test facility is described in Deliverable 6.1.
The 2 x 5 meter long INFLATER prototype was gone under laboratory testing protocol in the modified test pool of HR Wallingford. The testing procedure and results were incorporated in Deliverable 6.2.
After the WP6 laboratory tests, INFLATER was tested on the field in two locations, Hungary and Dublin. The testing procedure and results are described in Deliverable 7.2 along with a report detailing the actions to be taken in order to certify INFLATER by a recognised body (Deliverable 7.1) and a Best Practice Guide that was created in Deliverable 7.3 at the end of the validation process using the consequence of safety and prevention knowledge gathered from the installation case studies of INFLATER.
The developed system has simple setup and configuration requirement (100 m of protection can be placed by two people in a few hours), can be placed on different surfaces, and used for different purposes, like protecting along sear, river or lakesides or can be installed around commercial or residential buildings.
Comprehensive technical trainings were designed, prepared, tested and delivered by the RTDs, ensuring that the SME-partners are now able to assimilate the results of the project. Training was an on-going task and took place throughout the project meetings. All partners took part in the validation phase to ensure each partner had the essential know-how of the technology and understands INFLATER’s operation.
Non-confidential information was disseminated about the INFLATER project and its results within the consortium and to a wide and relevant audience to extend the impact of project results. Several dissemination channels were utilized in order to spread non-confidential information: website, logo, flyer, poster, newsletter, creation of contact lists, attending related conferences and networking event
The foreground knowledge was managed, as well as to protect and to use the research results to the best advantage of the SME proposers. A business plan was defined to increase the competitiveness of the SME participants.
Potential Impact:
The main result: the complete INFLATER system, based on the self-inflating capability using mechanical means.
Other Result: the monitoring unit capable of sending warning signals and information about the flood behaviour and the structural integrity of the dam.
Potential impact: The successful market entry of the INFLATER product will provide the participating SMEs and Europe as a whole, with a competitive advantage in efficient flood protection systems. From an EC investment point of view, the essential contribution of the project activities is to increase flood protection and decrease overall economic damage for local governments and industry in the range of 5 to 10 % through INFLATER technology, which would have a significant economic impact in the flood protection environment at European level.
Flood protection is unchangeably important from socio-economic point of view as floods caused billions of dollars in losses and dominated the natural catastrophe statistics for the first half of 2013, according to a study released by Munich Re . “Around 47 percent of the overall losses and 45 percent of the insured losses derived from inland flooding that occurred in Europe, Canada, Asia and Australia.”
Hence the market potential of INFLATER is very promising, as target end users can be just about anyone endangered by floods, since the need for protection is not limited to any one sector of business or society.
The report points out that at “around $45 billion, losses from natural catastrophes were below the average amount for the past ten years ($85 billion). Insured losses totalled approximately $13 billon (ten-year average: $22 billion).”
By far the most expensive natural catastrophe in the first half-year was the flooding in southern and eastern Germany and the neighbouring states in May and June, which gave rise to an overall loss of more than €12bn (US$ 16bn) and an insured loss in the region of €3bn plus (US$ 3.9bn). The majority of the insured losses occurred in Germany.
“It is therefore important to sharpen risk awareness. Rivers need room so that flood waves can disperse without causing serious damage. And the flood risk needs to be considered in the designation of land for industrial or residential areas. The flooding in Germany and the neighbouring countries to the east was caused by an atmospheric trough across central Europe, drawing moist air from the Mediterranean and southeast European area northwards over eastern Europe.
In neighbouring countries like the Czech Republic and Austria, the flooding also caused high losses, although in contrast to 2002 the old city centre of the Czech capital Prague escaped largely unscathed, thanks to enhanced flood control measures. Austria experienced numerous mudflows as a result of the heavy rain. In Vienna, some of the floodwater was diverted into the “New Danube” relief canal, enabling the flooding to be restricted to a few streets. The floods in Slovakia and Hungary were limited to the swollen Danube, as the two countries themselves were not affected by the heavy rain. In Bratislava and Budapest, the flood control measures proved their worth, with only a few streets right next to the river being flooded.
“Debate in climate research is currently focusing on what the causes of such changes in weather patterns could be and what role climate change might play in this. But it is naturally not possible to explain single events on this basis”, Höppe added.
The event with the severest consequences in humanitarian terms was the disaster caused by flash floods in northern India and Nepal as a consequence of exceptionally early and extremely heavy monsoon rains. Hundreds of roads and bridges were washed away, making the job of rescue workers all the more difficult. Over 1,000 people were killed.
It is also important to note that losses are not limited to floodplains, as off-floodplains have an important contribution to total flood losses (40% of winter events and 80% of thunderstorm events
List of Websites:
www.inflater.eu
The INFLATER project started in October 2011 and finishes in January 2014, the duration of the project was 28 months.
The main objective of INFLATER was to prevent human and property damage caused by river or sea floods, sudden heavy rain causing flash flood or any other form of uncontrolled water. The prevention was developed based on taking preliminary measures to reduce the impact of floods on specic sensitive locations, from special industrial areas through individual residential buildings to downtown historic buildings. The developed INFLATER technology automatically responds to increasing water levels, protecting human life, land and property even when the owner is away. Possible end-users are individual household persons, weekend house owners, municipalities, water management agencies, disaster responding institutions, mobile flood protection producers, manufacturers and distributors.
Taking into consideration the results of the thorough market search and the technical system specification based on an extensive European end-user survey, INFLATER was designed with the assistance of sophisticated Finite Element Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling techniques. With the setting up of a complex mathemathical model, the most ideal shape and build material for INFLATER was selected to withstand the forces of water even in extreme conditions (high velocity paralell currents, waves, puncturing effects of debris, etc.). The design phase continued with the material characterisation and based on the inal CAD drawings of the prototype, INFLATER was manufactured.
After the manufacture of INFLATER in several lengths and fittings, the prototype was tested in HR Wallingford three times, in the framework of the BSi standard procedure. The mobile flood barrier passed static water leakage and wave tests and withstood the current tests for a considerable time period. The prototype is now able to protect against 1 meter water level. The prototype was also tested in real life conditions near the Tisza river at Algyő and at the Dublin seashore. Further validation and product cat-egorization is expected in the post-project phase and in the framework of the upcom-ing DEMO-INFLATER project, where additional features of the inflatable barrier will be introduced, including scale-up product specification and build material characterization, standardization, market entry and dissemination as a competitive product.
Consortium SME partners are dedicated to continue the vaildation and deminstration of the proven technology int he upcoming follow-up DEMO-INFLATER project.
Project Context and Objectives:
The flooding of rivers has always been a problem and thanks to advances in civil engineering humans learnt of methods to keep the river in its bed. In urban areas especially, but in rural areas as well, embankments have been built to keep the river where it belongs. Unfortunately even with embankments flooding occurs as we can see it all over Europe and the World. Due to global warming flooding is becoming more and more common and the water level sometimes is getting so high that the presently built embankments cannot cope with it. At present people use sandbags as the main protection against flooding. The advantage of sandbags is that they are cheap and sand is widely available, but it requires a lot of manpower and time to fill and to place the bags. The idea of the INFLATER project was to design and build a portable dam, which can be placed anywhere quickly, easily and does not require much manpower. The INFLATER device consists of two main parts. The first one includes the mechanical part with the inflatable section, the floating part and the supporting skirt. The second part involves the electrical sensors and the wireless communication system. The inflatable section is connected to the skirt and secured to the ground with spikes or pocketed weights. As the water level rises it lifts the floating part and the water is let inside the inflatable section. As the inflatable part is filled with water, the whole structure gets tight and avoids the water to flow to the protected area. The sensors of INFLATER can monitor the device itself so it can give a warning signal if it fails to operate within expected conditions or the water level gets too high. The attached sensors also monitor the river to help predict its behaviour and send warnings to the surrounding areas via wireless communication to help avoiding accidents or tragedy.
Main objectives:
Scientific objectives
• To gain an in-depth understanding of flood behaviour by studying past floods and by modelling possible scenarios.
• To create a Best Practice Guide with the help of FPA at the end of the validation process using the consequence of safety and prevention knowledge gathered from the case studies and surveys.
• To create a knowledge base for the different existing materials, and, using the information gathered during the flood case studies, define the specifications for the required INFLATER materials, including reinforced and multi-layered foils.
Technology related objectives
• To produce an on-demand flood protection device that can automatically rise from an original height of 0.5 m to 2.5 m, at the same speed as the water level rises, and deflate once the water level has decreased. This will be achieved through the development of a self-inflatable section and a hollow floating part (top part) that will give the lifting force. Once deflated, the inflatable layer will be folded up, secured under the 50 cm high top part. An inlet tube and valve will control the water flow. Each INFLATER section will be 5 m long and under 1 m wide to allow easy transportation but still fast and effective installation.
• To produce a sensor and warning module optionally placed inside the floating part and can be flexibly positioned at required intervals, so the user can optimise between price and warning capability.
• The information collected by the sensor and warning unit will be analysed by an internet software flood management tool for prediction, prevention, control, and maintenance issues. The behaviour of the flood along INFLATER will help flood forecast downstream the river.
• To develop INFLATER with intelligent water management feature. During flooding large amounts of water will be stored inside the inflatable part that will be released automatically when the water level decreases, but with a simple control mechanism the water can be kept inside and used in dryer seasons for watering.
• To fabricate two prototypes, each 5 metres in length, to be used for testing and validation. A sensor unit will also be included in one of the prototypes so it can be tested under real operation.
• A test facility will be set up at the premises of BME that can be used to test the system to at least of the standards of BSI that includes waves up to 0.1 m high and parallel currents up to 1.5 m/s.
• A complete field test and validation will be carried out by the whole consortium.
Economic objectives
• Assuming a modest market penetration of 1% at the beginning with steady growth it is estimated that 70 km of INFLATER will be implemented in the first 5 years.
• The estimated manufacturing and distributing cost of INFLATER is targeted to be €135 /m
• To develop a system that has simple setup and configuration requirements (100 m of protection can be placed by two people in a few hours), can be placed on different surfaces, and used for different purposes.
• To ensure that by the end of the validation, the partners have an action plan to fully certify INFLATER as a flood protection device.
Training, dissemination and exploitation objectives
• To design, prepare, test, and deliver comprehensive training by the RTDs, in order to ensure that SME-partners will be able to assimilate the results of the project. Training will be an on-going task and will take place throughout the project meetings. All partners will take part in the validation phase to ensure each partner has the essential know-how of the technology and understands INFLATER’s operation.
• To disseminate non-confidential information about the INFLATER project and its results within the consortium and to a wide and relevant audience to extend the impact of project results.
• To manage the foreground knowledge, as well as to protect and to use the research results to the best advantage of the SME proposers. A business plan will be defined to increase the competitiveness of the SME participants
Project Results:
Questionnaires on current and expected mobile flood protection technologies, legislation and incentives were prepared in English, French, German, Slovakian, Italian, Hungarian, Danish and Spanish languages and the resulting responses from individual households and industry contacts were incorporated into a market research survey in Deliverable 1.1
According to the received completed questionnaires/market survey in WP1, the "Flood, river and dike background study was prepared in Deliverable 2.1.
System Specification and a detailed and in-depth study was prepared analysing past floods and flood behaviour and the possible scenarios were modelled in Deliverable 2.2.
The FEM and CAD model designs of three proposed versions of the INFLATER prototypes were prepared and presented in Deliverable 3.1.
A detailed description of the material specification is found in Deliverable 2.2 and Deliverable 3.1 about existing materials that can be used for the INFLATER device.
A sensor and warning module was developed and manufactured to be optionally placed inside the floating part and to be flexibly positioned at required intervals, so the user can optimise between price and warning capability. (Deliverable 4.1)
Two prototypes (as Deliverable 5.1) each 5 metres in length were fabricated and used for testing and validation. The sensor unit was also included in one of the prototypes so it could be tested under real operation. The on-demand flood protection device can automatically rise from its original height at same speed as the water level rises and deflates once the water level has decreased. This was achieved through the development of a self-inflatable section and a hollow floating part (top part) that gives the lifting force. Once deflated, the whole system can be folded and transported easily. The production and fabrication process of the prototype and its components is described in Deliverable 5.2.
The BSi testing method capable pool of HR Wallingford was modified and setup so that it could be used to test the system to at least of the standards of BSi that included waves up to 0.1 m high and parallel currents up to 1.5 m/s. The modification of the HR Wallingford test facility is described in Deliverable 6.1.
The 2 x 5 meter long INFLATER prototype was gone under laboratory testing protocol in the modified test pool of HR Wallingford. The testing procedure and results were incorporated in Deliverable 6.2.
After the WP6 laboratory tests, INFLATER was tested on the field in two locations, Hungary and Dublin. The testing procedure and results are described in Deliverable 7.2 along with a report detailing the actions to be taken in order to certify INFLATER by a recognised body (Deliverable 7.1) and a Best Practice Guide that was created in Deliverable 7.3 at the end of the validation process using the consequence of safety and prevention knowledge gathered from the installation case studies of INFLATER.
The developed system has simple setup and configuration requirement (100 m of protection can be placed by two people in a few hours), can be placed on different surfaces, and used for different purposes, like protecting along sear, river or lakesides or can be installed around commercial or residential buildings.
Comprehensive technical trainings were designed, prepared, tested and delivered by the RTDs, ensuring that the SME-partners are now able to assimilate the results of the project. Training was an on-going task and took place throughout the project meetings. All partners took part in the validation phase to ensure each partner had the essential know-how of the technology and understands INFLATER’s operation.
Non-confidential information was disseminated about the INFLATER project and its results within the consortium and to a wide and relevant audience to extend the impact of project results. Several dissemination channels were utilized in order to spread non-confidential information: website, logo, flyer, poster, newsletter, creation of contact lists, attending related conferences and networking event
The foreground knowledge was managed, as well as to protect and to use the research results to the best advantage of the SME proposers. A business plan was defined to increase the competitiveness of the SME participants.
Potential Impact:
The main result: the complete INFLATER system, based on the self-inflating capability using mechanical means.
Other Result: the monitoring unit capable of sending warning signals and information about the flood behaviour and the structural integrity of the dam.
Potential impact: The successful market entry of the INFLATER product will provide the participating SMEs and Europe as a whole, with a competitive advantage in efficient flood protection systems. From an EC investment point of view, the essential contribution of the project activities is to increase flood protection and decrease overall economic damage for local governments and industry in the range of 5 to 10 % through INFLATER technology, which would have a significant economic impact in the flood protection environment at European level.
Flood protection is unchangeably important from socio-economic point of view as floods caused billions of dollars in losses and dominated the natural catastrophe statistics for the first half of 2013, according to a study released by Munich Re . “Around 47 percent of the overall losses and 45 percent of the insured losses derived from inland flooding that occurred in Europe, Canada, Asia and Australia.”
Hence the market potential of INFLATER is very promising, as target end users can be just about anyone endangered by floods, since the need for protection is not limited to any one sector of business or society.
The report points out that at “around $45 billion, losses from natural catastrophes were below the average amount for the past ten years ($85 billion). Insured losses totalled approximately $13 billon (ten-year average: $22 billion).”
By far the most expensive natural catastrophe in the first half-year was the flooding in southern and eastern Germany and the neighbouring states in May and June, which gave rise to an overall loss of more than €12bn (US$ 16bn) and an insured loss in the region of €3bn plus (US$ 3.9bn). The majority of the insured losses occurred in Germany.
“It is therefore important to sharpen risk awareness. Rivers need room so that flood waves can disperse without causing serious damage. And the flood risk needs to be considered in the designation of land for industrial or residential areas. The flooding in Germany and the neighbouring countries to the east was caused by an atmospheric trough across central Europe, drawing moist air from the Mediterranean and southeast European area northwards over eastern Europe.
In neighbouring countries like the Czech Republic and Austria, the flooding also caused high losses, although in contrast to 2002 the old city centre of the Czech capital Prague escaped largely unscathed, thanks to enhanced flood control measures. Austria experienced numerous mudflows as a result of the heavy rain. In Vienna, some of the floodwater was diverted into the “New Danube” relief canal, enabling the flooding to be restricted to a few streets. The floods in Slovakia and Hungary were limited to the swollen Danube, as the two countries themselves were not affected by the heavy rain. In Bratislava and Budapest, the flood control measures proved their worth, with only a few streets right next to the river being flooded.
“Debate in climate research is currently focusing on what the causes of such changes in weather patterns could be and what role climate change might play in this. But it is naturally not possible to explain single events on this basis”, Höppe added.
The event with the severest consequences in humanitarian terms was the disaster caused by flash floods in northern India and Nepal as a consequence of exceptionally early and extremely heavy monsoon rains. Hundreds of roads and bridges were washed away, making the job of rescue workers all the more difficult. Over 1,000 people were killed.
It is also important to note that losses are not limited to floodplains, as off-floodplains have an important contribution to total flood losses (40% of winter events and 80% of thunderstorm events
List of Websites:
www.inflater.eu