Online Monitoring Framework For Pressure Transient Detection In Water Distribution Networks

Access to potable drinking water is a necessity and basic human right. Most North Americans obtain treated water through water distribution networks, an essential part of municipal infrastructure that is subject to decay and degradation. Amongst the factors influencing pipe failure are events that trigger abrupt pressure changes, or transients, which can cause pipe breakages in the short term, and general fatigue in the long term. The ability to quantify these transients as they occur is important for effective asset management, and for preventing and mitigating the occurrence of failure. Current practices take a largely reactive approach to event detection, and few systems capable of real-time transient detection have ever been implemented. This research addresses the need for an online monitoring framework aimed towards understanding pressure transient effects and behaviour. The proposed system uses an Internet of Things approach, combining pressure sensors with Raspberry Pi computers, as well as open-source tools that transmit and display the data. The data analysis combines computationally inexpensive methods in order to achieve an accurate decision-making tool for both transient detection and abnormal transient risk identification. The techniques used include different filtering and detrending methods, feature extraction for dimensionality reduction, three-sigma statistical process control, and classification using voting methods. The process also includes a second process, based on statistical process control and trained using transient data identified in the original process, in order to assign a risk for a transient to cause damage, as well as identify transients that are particularly severe. Data was collected from a unique laboratory water distribution network as well as a field installation in Guelph, Ontario. The results showed that the framework achieves real-time transient identification with reasonable detection and error rates. Further analysis illustrated the effect of factors such as transient source location, active flow in the pipes, and transient type, on transient propagation and detection. The performance of the framework proves the concept of IoT-based systems for pressure monitoring and event detection in municipal water infrastructure.

The objectives of this project were to verify that

Low or negative pressure transients (also called surge or water hammer) create temporary opportunities for external chemical and microbial contaminants at higher pressure to enter the water distribution system, creating potential health hazard and potential weakening of distribution pipes, leading to failure. This study investigates how such events as power outages, pump shutdowns, valve operations, main flushing, firefighting, and main breaks can create significant rapid, temporary drops in system pressure. The report offers useful recommendations for using surge models to optimally locate pressure monitors and to minimize the occurrence and impact from low- and negative-pressure transients.

The aim of the book is to provide latest research findings, innovative research results, methods and development techniques from both theoretical and practical perspectives related to the emerging areas of information networking and applications. Networks of today are going through a rapid evolution and there are many emerging areas of information networking and their applications. Heterogeneous networking supported by recent technological advances in low power wireless communications along with silicon integration of various functionalities such as sensing, communications, intelligence and actuations are emerging as a critically important disruptive computer class based on a new platform, networking structure and interface that enable novel, low cost and high volume applications. Several of such applications have been difficult to realize because of many interconnections problems. To fulfill their large range of applications different kinds of networks need to collaborate and wired and next generation wireless systems should be integrated in order to develop high performance computing solutions to problems arising from the complexities of these networks. This book covers the theory, design and applications of computer networks, distributed computing and information systems.

This book comprises the proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Hydraulics, Water Resources and Coastal Engineering (HYDRO 2021) focusing on broad spectrum of emerging opportunities and challenges in the field of soft computing and geospatial techniques in water resources engineering. It covers a range of topics, including, but not limited to, satellite derived data for hydrologic applications, GIS and RS applications in water resources management, rainfall and streamflow prediction, hydro-informatics, data driven and artificial intelligent based hydrological modelling, optimization of water resources systems, etc. Presenting recent advances in the form of illustrations, tables, and text, it offers readers insights for their own research. In addition, the book addresses fundamental concepts and studies in the field of Soft Computing and Geospatial Techniques in Water Resources Engineering, making it a valuable resource for both beginners and researchers wanting to further their understanding of hydraulics, water resources and coastal engineering.

Knowing how to manage the losses from water supply networks and how to get to the next level in bettering your system is a major problem and one that is most common in the majority of water companies worldwide. Sometimes water companies set their sights too high and cannot deliver due to non-realistic targets setting. Of course this is considered or seen as a failure within the company or country when it is really just exceeding expectations of what can be delivered. The aim of System Losses from Water Supply Networks is to assist water companies to identify where they are on the ‘water loss ladder’ and what is required to move to the next level. The book will provide an understanding of what the water companies need to achieve and where they should be aiming for in their efforts to reduce water losses. The book provides useful and practical information on non-revenue water (NRW) issues and solutions enriched with relevant case studies.

In this thesis, the pressure control in water distribution networks are discussed. First, the importance of efficient pressure control in water distribution networks as well as different pressure control methods are introduced. Then the governing equations for WDNs and pressure reducing valves are derived. Second, an isolated pressure reducing valve is implemented in MATLAB/SIMULINK. Through simulations, the performance of various control algorithm are contrasted. Finally, the control problem of transients in water pressure reducing valves is addressed through a case study. First, a water distribution network model including the transient behavior is developed using MATLAB/SIMULINK for the considered case study. Then, the current case study control strategy is reproduced using a simulator and contrasted with a redesigned control scheme.