Automatic routing of water supply pipelines

ABSTRACT This paper presents an algorithm capable of calculating the optimal route for pipelines that traverse terrain with or without additional displacement constraints to the difference in ground elevations and head losses to be overcome by pumping. The criterion used to determine the pipeline diameter and calculate feasible routes was minimizing the annual cost, which results from the sum of (i) annualized costs related to the acquisition of the pipeline and (ii) costs of payment for electric power to operate the system throughout its useful life. The geometry of the shortest routes in the multidimensional search space is calculated by the proposed algorithm, called BAGDA (Busca pelo Ajuste Geométrico da Despesa Anual, in Portuguese, or Search for the Annual Cost of Geometric Tuning, in English), thus obtaining the optimal combination of length and manometric head of the pipeline. The performed applications show the efficiency of the algorithm in providing subjectivity-free routes sensitive to the most important variables considered in the design of piping systems.