Pressure drop test as a hydroinformatic tool for preliminary network topology validation

Usage of the appropriate model of water distribution system (WDS) enables easier everyday operations and management decisions. Creating reliable model of WDS requires large amount of system response data for different case scenarios. Commonly used software for creating models of WDS is EpaNet. Ongoing processes in WDS, such as pipe bursts, permanently closed valves which are not registered in data base and other inconsistencies will change the WDS network topology, so the WDS validation tests are to be applied from time to time. This paper presents the WDS network topology validation test conducted on one Belgrade9s DMA with two inflows. Pressure drop test combined with genetic algorithm and ant colony optimization are simple hydroinformatic tools available for network topology validation. System9s reaction in pressure change during the isolation test was measured at two observation points. Obtained results are then compared with assumed WDS topology using 55 potential locations of inconsistencies in the EpaNet model. This step is repeated until good enough match between results from the real system and created model9s version is obtained. Heuristic optimization algorithms are used for speeding up the process of finding satisfactorily match (unknown locations of inconsistencies) by minimizing or maximizing defined criteria function.