Using the WCM for transient modeling of water distribution networks

Abstract

Recent water quality studies have emphasized the need for transient analysis of large pipe networks to properly assess the potential level of intrusion associated with negative pressure and the resulting effect on disinfectant residual efficiency. Transient analysis is computationally demanding even for simple pipe systems, and the computational effort for large pipe networks can be substantially high. Moreover, computational effort and accuracy of solution are interdependent. Therefore, understanding the computational efficiency and the accuracy of solution associated with the available transient analysis methods is essential for efficient handling of transients in large pipe distribution networks. This research investigated the numerical accuracy of solution and the computational efficiency of two popular methods for transient analysis—the wave characteristic method (WCM) and the method of characteristics—and elucidated their implications for practical applications. The authors offer a guideline for selecting the number of friction orifices for the WCM. In addition, this research demonstrated the superior performance of the WCM in both numerical accuracy of solution and computational effort for transient analysis of large water distribution networks.