Evaluation of a pressure head and pressure zones in water distribution systems by artificial neural networks

Abstract The development of computational models for analysis of the operation of water supply systems requires the calibration of pipes' roughness, among other parameters. Inadequate values of this parameter can result in inaccurate solutions, compromising the applicability of the model as a decision-making tool. This paper presents a metamodel to estimate the pressure at all nodes of a distribution network based on artificial neural networks (ANNs), using a set of field data obtained from strategically located pressure sensors. This approach aims to increase the available pressure data, reducing the degree of freedom of the calibration problem. The proposed model uses the inlet flow of the district metering area and pressure data monitored in some nodes, as input data to the ANN, obtaining as output, the pressure values for nodes that were not monitored. Two case studies of real networks are presented to validate the efficiency and accuracy of the method. The results ratify the efficiency of ANN as state forecaster, showing the high applicability of the metamodel tool to increase a database or to identify abnormal events during an operation.

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Near–Real Time Burst Location and Sizing in Water Distribution Systems Using Artificial Neural Networks

Water ◽

10.3390/w13131841 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 1841

Author(s):

Miguel Capelo ◽

Bruno Brentan ◽

Laura Monteiro ◽

Dídia Covas

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Distribution Systems ◽

Water Distribution ◽

Water Distribution Systems ◽

Pressure Head ◽

Distribution Networks ◽

Management Tool ◽

Artificial Data ◽

Pipe Burst ◽

Artificial Neural

The current paper proposes a novel methodology for near–real time burst location and sizing in water distribution systems (WDS) by means of Multi–Layer Perceptron (MLP), a class of artificial neural network (ANN). The proposed methodology can be systematized in four steps: (1) construction of the pipe–burst database, (2) problem formulation and ANN architecture definition, (3) ANN training, testing and sensitivity analyses, (4) application based on collected data. A large database needs to be constructed using 24 h pressure–head data collected or numerically generated at different sensor locations during the pipe burst occurrence. The ANN is trained and tested in a real–life network, in Portugal, using artificial data generated by hydraulic extended period simulations. The trained ANN has demonstrated to successfully locate 60–70% of the burst with an accuracy of 100 m and 98% of the burst with an accuracy of 500 m and to determine burst sizes with uncertainties lower than 2 L/s in 90% of tested cases and lower than 0.2 L/s in 70% of the cases. This approach can be used as a daily management tool of water distribution networks (WDN), as long as the ANN is trained with artificial data generated by an accurate and calibrated WDS hydraulic models and/or with reliable pressure–head data collected at different locations of the WDS during the pipe burst occurrence.

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