Work

Development of a Tilt-Compensated Smart Water Level Measurement System for Urban Flood Management

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Urban flood damage is intensifying due to the expansion of impervious surfaces driven by urbanization and the increasing frequency of localized heavy rainfall events under climate change. These environmental shifts emphasize the need for intelligent flood-response systems capable of real-time water level monitoring and automated drainage control. This study proposes a water level monitoring technology for retention tanks that combines a magnetostrictive linear position sensor (MLPS), which utilizes magnetic field distortion, with a tilt compensation function. This hybrid design ensures accurate level measurement even under structural imbalances such as ground subsidence or installation slope. The research includes the fabrication of an MLPS module, comparative analysis of conductor materials, integration of a tilt sensor (ADXL362) for slope correction, and the design and experimental verification of a volume estimation algorithm. Experimental results showed that nickel (Ni)-based alloys exhibited excellent signal stability and durability, making them suitable for MLPS wire materials. The sensor achieved an average measurement error of –4.2 μm and a linearity of 0.999928, demonstrating high precision. In a scaled-down acrylic tank experiment designed to estimate retained volume, the maximum deviation was 0.16 L, and under a tilted condition of –4.09o, the measurement error remained within 0.075 L, validating the effectiveness of the tilt compensation algorithm. The proposed MLPS-based level monitoring system shows strong potential for application in real-time water level management of urban underground storage and retention systems. When integrated with AIoT technologies, it could serve as a core component in the development of smart, responsive flood-control infrastructure.

Source: 대한환경공학회지

DOI: 10.4491/ksee.2025.47.11.760

Authors: Sang-Leen Yun, Pill Jae Kwak, Kyeong Soo Kim, Dong Soo Choi, Hee Jae Oh

Institution: Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology

Language: English

Topic: Sensor Technology and Measurement Systems

Subfield: Computer Networks and Communications

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Sustainable cities and communities, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea