Extended Period Simulation Model Research Articles

Simulation of Pressure Head and Chlorine Decay in a Water Distribution Network: A Case Study

Background: The main issue in the operation of water distribution systems arises from the pressure deficiency resulting from events such as loss from leaks and bursts and loss of hydraulic capacity due to deterioration of aging water pipes. Such conditions affect the hydraulic performance of the system and the quality of water. Objective This paper investigates the hydraulic and water quality behavior of a selected water distribution network in Makkah city using the EPANET software. Methodology: The system was simulated under different hydraulic conditions including a loss of hydraulic capacity with pipe age and the presence of 30% leakage in the network over varying time conditions by employing extended period simulation models. Results and Conclusion: The results show that increasing pipe roughness with pipe age resulted in significantly low-pressure heads at the end of the network-particularly during peak demand hours. It also resulted in an increase in the rate of chlorine decay. Leakage in the network significantly affects the pressure head, resulting in pressure deficiency at some points in the network to below the minimum requirement during regular operation. The highest leakage rate occurs at periods of low demand where the pressure head in the network is high.

Using Naturally Occurring Radionuclides To Determine Drinking Water Age in a Community Water System.

Drinking water quality in a community water system is closely linked to the age of water from initial treatment to time of delivery. However, water age is difficult to measure with conventional chemical tracers; particularly in stagnant water, where the relationship between disinfectant decay, microbial growth, and water age is poorly understood. Using radionuclides that were naturally present in source water, we found that measured activity ratios of (90)Y/(90)Sr and (234)Th/(238)U in discrete drinking water samples of known age accurately estimated water age up to 9 days old (σest: ± 3.8 h, P < 0.0001, r(2) = 0.998, n = 11) and 25 days old (σest: ± 13.3 h, P < 0.0001, r(2) = 0.996, n = 12), respectively. Moreover, (90)Y-derived water ages in a community water system (6.8 × 10(4) m(3) d(-1) capacity) were generally consistent with water ages derived from an extended period simulation model. Radionuclides differ from conventional chemical tracers in that they are ubiquitous in distribution mains and connected premise plumbing. The ability to measure both water age and an analyte (e.g., chemical or microbe) in any water sample at any time allows for new insight into factors that control drinking water quality.

Generalizing WDN simulation models to variable tank levels

In water distribution network (WDN) steady-state modelling, tanks and reservoirs are modelled as nodes with known heads. As a result, the tank levels are upgraded after every steady-state simulation (snapshot) using external mass balance equations in extended period simulation (EPS). This approach can give rise to numerical instabilities, especially when tanks are in close proximity. In order to obtain a stable EPS model, an unsteady formulation of the WDN model has recently introduced. This work presents an extension of the steady-state WDN model, both for demand-driven and pressure-driven analyses, allowing the direct prediction of head variation of tank nodes with respect to an initial state. Head variations at those nodes are introduced as internal unknowns in the model, the variation of tank levels can be analyzed in the single steady-state simulation and EPS can be performed as a sequence of simulations without the need for external mass balances. The extension of mass balance at tank nodes allows the analysis of some technically relevant demand components. Furthermore, inlet and outlet head losses at tank nodes are introduced and large cross-sectional tank areas are allowed by the model and reservoirs become a special case of tanks. The solution algorithm is the generalized-global gradient algorithm (G-GGA), although the proposed WDN model generalization is universal.

Unified parameter optimisation approach for leakage detection and extended-period simulation model calibration

Leakage detection is of great interest and significance for water utilities. There are different field testing apparatuses developed for leakage detection, but no systematic modelling approach was available for predicting the most likely leakage hotspots that might guide leakage detection crew to quickly locate exact leakage locations. In this paper, leakage is represented as pressure-dependent emitter flow at a node in a water distribution model. Leakage detection is formulated as a nonlinear parameter identification problem to search for the possible emitter node locations and the emitter coefficients while minimising the same objective function as model calibration, namely the distance between the field-observed and the model-simulated flows and hydraulic grades. Thus the leakage detection optimisation is developed as an integral component of the unified model parameter identification framework. The comprehensive methodology is applied to the water system of a district meter area (DMA) in the UK. It illustrates the effectiveness of the unified approach for both leakage hotspot detection and extended-period simulation model calibration using the real field data.

Extended Period Simulation Analysis Considering Valve Shutdowns

Planned (e.g., regular maintenance) and unplanned (e.g. pipe burst) interruptions occur regularly in water distribution systems leading to their reduced performance. This paper presents an extended period simulation model capable of assessing system’s performance under these conditions. The extended period simulation model is based on the recently developed steady-state pressure driven hydraulic model and is capable of calculating pressures, flows, and hence actual water demands delivered under modified network topology conditions (caused by the use of isolation valves). The model is accompanied by several reliability indicators which can be used to assess system’s performance under interruptions. The above-mentioned methodology is demonstrated on a real-life case study in Italy. The role of isolation valve design and uncertainty in valve operability is analyzed and discussed. The case study results obtained demonstrate that the least cost design/rehabilitation of water distribution systems is likely to r...