Dynamic virtual infrastructure benchmarking: DynaVIBe

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 600-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Sitzenfrei ◽  
S. Fach ◽  
M. Kleidorfer ◽  
C. Urich ◽  
W. Rauch

In environmental engineering, identification of problems and their solutions as well as the identification of the relevant processes involved is often done by means of case study analyses. By researching the operation of urban drainage and water distribution systems, this methodology is suited to evaluate new technologies, strategies or measures with regard to their impact on the overall processes. However, data availability is often limited and data collection and the development of new models are both costly and time consuming. Hence, new technologies, strategies or measures can only be tested on a limited number of case studies. In several environmental disciplines a few virtual case studies have been manually developed to provide data for research tasks and these are repeatedly used in different research projects. Efforts have also been invested in tackling limited data availability with the algorithmic generation of virtual case studies having constant or varying boundary conditions. The data provided by such tools is nevertheless only available for a certain instance in time. With DynaVIBe (Dynamic Virtual Infrastructure Benchmarking), numerous virtual case studies are algorithmically generated with a temporal development of the urban structure (population and land use model) and infrastructure. This provides a methodology that allows for the analysis of future scenarios on a spatio-temporal city scale. By linking a population model with DynaVIBe's infrastructure models, socio-economics impacts on infrastructure and system coherences can be investigated. The problematic of limited case study data is solved by the algorithmic generation of an unlimited number of virtual case studies, which are dynamic over time. Additionally, this methodology can also be applied on real world data for probabilistic future scenario analysis.

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 923-932 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Sitzenfrei ◽  
M. Möderl ◽  
W. Rauch

Application of virtual case studies (VCS) is a well established technique in environmental engineering to test measures, approaches, models or software. However, preparation of VCS for an infrastructure network is a tedious task. In literature, approaches can be found which generate very simplified VCS, which are only partly comparable with real world case studies. VCS which are more comparable with real world case studies can be generated with the software VIBe (Virtual Infrastructure Benchmarking). With VIBe, a methodology for algorithmic generation of VCS with varying spatially distributed boundary conditions was presented. Therein the investigated infrastructure is constructed accordingly to the state-of-the-art design rules meeting the requirements of the generated virtual urban environment. In this paper the module for the generation of water distribution systems (WDS) is presented. The generated WDS are set in context with data from real world WDS and systematically investigated. A set of 75,000 virtual WDS with varying properties is characterized and stochastically analysed in order to identify system coherences e.g. impact of mesh degree on hydraulic, water quality performance and costs. An example involving the systematic investigation of a simple pipe sizing algorithm with the set of 75,000 WDS is shown.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 681-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Fiorini Morosini ◽  
O. Caruso ◽  
P. Veltri

Abstract The current paper reports on a case study investigating water distribution system management in emergency conditions when it is necessary to seal off a zone with isolation valves to allow repair. In these conditions, the pressure-driven analysis (PDA) is considered to be the most efficient approach for the analysis of a water distribution network (WDN), as it takes into account whether the head in a node is adequate to ensure service. The topics of this paper are innovative because, until now, previous approaches were based on the analysis of the network behaviour in normal conditions. In emergency conditions, it is possible to measure the reliable functioning of the system by defining an objective function (OF) that helps to choose the optimal number of additional valves in order to obtain adequate system control. The OF takes into account the new network topology by excluding the zone where the broken pipe is located. The results show that the solution did not improve significantly when the number of valves reached a threshold. The procedure applied to other real case studies seems to confirm the efficiency of the methodology even if further examination of other cases in different conditions is necessary.


2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Sitzenfrei ◽  
S. Fach ◽  
H. Kinzel ◽  
W. Rauch

Analyses of case studies are used to evaluate new or existing technologies, measures or strategies with regard to their impact on the overall process. However, data availability is limited and hence, new technologies, measures or strategies can only be tested on a limited number of case studies. Owing to the specific boundary conditions and system properties of each single case study, results can hardly be generalized or transferred to other boundary conditions. virtual infrastructure benchmarking (VIBe) is a software tool which algorithmically generates virtual case studies (VCSs) for urban water systems. System descriptions needed for evaluation are extracted from VIBe whose parameters are based on real world case studies and literature. As a result VIBe writes Input files for water simulation software as EPANET and EPA SWMM. With such input files numerous simulations can be performed and the results can be benchmarked and analysed stochastically at a city scale. In this work the approach of VIBe is applied with parameters according to a section of the Inn valley and therewith 1,000 VCSs are generated and evaluated. A comparison of the VCSs with data of real world case studies shows that the real world case studies fit within the parameter ranges of the VCSs. Consequently, VIBe tackles the problem of limited availability of case study data.


Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Attilio Fiorini Morosini ◽  
Olga Caruso ◽  
Paolo Veltri

The correct management of Water Distribution Networks (WDNs) allows to obtain a reliable system. When a pipe failure occurs in a network and it is necessary to isolate a zone, it is possible that some nodes do not guarantee service for the users due to inadequate heads. In these conditions a Pressure Driven Analysis (PDA) is the correct approach to evaluate network behavior. This analysis is more appropriate than the Demand Driven Analysis (DDA) because it is known that the effective delivered flow at each node is influenced by the pressure value. In this case, it is important to identify a subset of isolation valves to limit disrupting services in the network. For a real network, additional valves must be added to existing ones. In this paper a new methodological analysis is proposed: it defines an objective function (OF) to provide a measure of the system correct functioning. The network analysis using the OF helps to choose the optimal number of additional valves to obtain an adequate system control. In emergency conditions, the OF takes into account the new network topology obtained excluding the zone where the broken pipe is located. OF values depend on the demand deficit caused by the head decrement in the network nodes for each pipe burst considered. The results obtained for a case study confirm the efficiency of the methodology.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 202-203
Author(s):  
Amr Makady ◽  
Heather Stegenga ◽  
Alexandre Joyeux ◽  
Michael Lees ◽  
Pall Jonsson

INTRODUCTION:The Innovative Medicines Initiative, IMI-GetReal project aimed to explore incorporation of robust methods for real-world data (RWD) collection and synthesis earlier in the medicines development process, both by pharmaceutical companies and healthcare decision makers. The focus was on the potential use of RWD, alone or in combination with randomized controlled trials (RCTs), to demonstrate effectiveness of new interventions. Four case studies were conducted in multiple disease areas to examine methods for predicting drug effectiveness and the perspectives of different stakeholders on these methods. This study aimed to identify practical obstacles in accessing and using RWD and RCT data for effectiveness research conducted as part of these case studies.METHODS:Qualitative content analysis was conducted to identify and characterize key issues relating to accessing and analysing study data from external sources, both RWD and RCTs.RESULTS:Accessing RWD from registries proved difficult due to multiple reasons, including: complex and non-transparent application procedures, resistance from registry owners to discuss applications and datasets not being research-ready within project timeframes. There were also issues with the RWD eventually accessed, including a lack of individual participant data (IPD) and incomplete data. Where access to IPD from RCTs was obtainable, there were restrictions imposed on how it could be used. For example, it could not be used to target analysis on an individual product, but rather explore methodologies for data synthesis in a product-anonymised setting. This condition encouraged additional data sharing by other stakeholders.CONCLUSIONS:Despite the collaborative, multi-stakeholder nature of IMI-GetReal and proper disclosures with data owners, access to data proved challenging. Such barriers to data accessibility can delay effectiveness research, restrict opportunities for the development of methods incorporating RWD and diminish the potential use of RWD in decision making. Where data is intended to be used for this purpose, sufficient attention should be paid to these potential barriers.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 6221
Author(s):  
Jedrzej Bylka ◽  
Tomasz Mróz

The water supply system is one of the most important elements in a city. Currently, many cities struggle with a water deficit problem. Water is a commonly available resource and constitutes the majority of land cover; however, its quality, in many cases, makes it impossible to use as drinking water. To treat and distribute water, it is necessary to supply a certain amount of energy to the system. An important goal of water utility operators is to assess the energy efficiency of the processes and components. Energy assessments are usually limited to the calculation of energy dissipation (sometimes called “energy loss”). From a physical point of view, the formulation of “energy loss” is incorrect; energy in water transport systems is not consumed but only transformed (dissipated) into other, less usable forms. In the water supply process, the quality of energy—exergy (ability to convert into another form)—is consumed; hence, a new evaluation approach is needed. The motivation for this study was the fact that there are no tools for exergy evaluation of water distribution systems. A model of the exergy balances for a water distribution system was proposed, which was tested for the selected case studies of a water supply system and a water treatment station. The tool developed allows us to identify the places with the highest exergy destructions. In the analysed case studies, the highest exergy destruction results from excess pressure (3939 kWh in a water supply system and 1082 kWh in a water treatment plant). The exergy analysis is more accurate for assessing the system compared to the commonly used energy-based methods. The result can be used for assessing and planning water supply system modernisation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document