Abstract
This paper explores numerically the benefits of water discharge prediction in the real time control (RTC) of water distribution networks (WDNs). An algorithm aimed at controlling the settings of control valves and variable speed pumps, as a function of pressure head signals from remote nodes in the network, is used. Two variants of the algorithm are considered, based on the measured water discharge in the device at the current time and on the prediction of this variable at the new time, respectively. As a result of the prediction, carried out using a polynomial with coefficients determined through linear regression, the RTC algorithm attempts to correct the expected deviation of the controlled pressure head from the set point, rather than the currently measured deviation. The applications concerned the numerical simulation of RTC in a WDN, in which the nodal demands are reconstructed stochastically through the bottom-up approach. The results prove that RTC benefits from the implementation of the prediction, in terms of the closeness of the controlled variable to the set point and of total variations of the device setting. The benefits are more evident when the water discharge features contained random fluctuations and large hourly variations.
Highlights
Nowadays, water utility managers often choose to perform active pressure control in their water distribution networks (WDNs) due to the many associated benefits [1], which include leakage and pipe burst reduction and the extension of network infrastructure useful life [2]
After the WDN is subdivided in pressure zones [5], active pressure control requires a suitable pressure control device to be installed in the pipe(s) connecting each pressure zone to its source(s)
Recent studies have proven that active pressure control can be more cost effective when the device setting is controlled in real time, in order to meet WDN demand variations in time [6]
Summary
Water utility managers often choose to perform active pressure control in their water distribution networks (WDNs) due to the many associated benefits [1], which include leakage and pipe burst reduction and the extension of network infrastructure useful life [2]. Another benefit of pressure control lies in the possibility of recovering energy from the WDN through turbines or similar devices [3,4]. Whereas the proportional algorithms of Campisano et al [9,10,12] only
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