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Innovative Approaches in the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 31708

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Maria da Conceição Cunha

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Universidade de Coimbra, Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores de Coimbra (INESCC), Department of Civil Engineering, Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: water distribution systems; flexible design; deep uncertainty issues in decision making; static robust optimization; dynamic robust optimization; multi and many objective methods; multi-criteria decision analysis
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Prof. Angus Ross Simpson

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School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Interests: water distribution systems; transients; optimization; pipe condition assessment

Prof. Dimitri P. Solomatine

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IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, Netherlands
Interests: optimization of water systems; modelling; computational intelligence; hydroinformatics

Prof. Gianfranco Becciu

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Politecnico di Milano, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Milano, Italy
Interests: uncertainty on water demands; dynamic DMAs; multi-factorial link hierarchy

Dr. Olivier Alain Piller

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Irstea, Water Department, UR ETBX, F33612 Cestas, France
Interests: water distribution systems; network modelling; inverse problem; optimal sensor problem; leakage control; optimization; security and critical infrastructure

Dr. Raziyeh Farmani

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Centre for Water Systems, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
Interests: water distribution networks; modelling, optimisation; resilience; data-driven modelling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of optimization approaches to deal with water distribution systems (WDS) planning and management problems has a long history. However, the multiple challenges presented by such complex problems in modern societies, where there are great expectations about the performance of WDS in a context characterized by new drivers of change, opens up many novel avenues for research in this field.

Optimization approaches are perceived today as essential in helping decision makers to be better informed. They provide guidance for the efficient allocation of substantial investment in the design, construction, operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and monitoring of sustainable WDS.

In line with these ideas, the purpose of this Special Issue is to assemble papers that present new research findings likely to contribute to the planning and management of WDS, using cutting-edge optimization techniques and creating a bridge between science and engineering applications.

Prof. Maria da Conceição Cunha
Prof. Angus Ross Simpson
Prof. Dimitri P. Solomatine
Prof. Gianfranco Becciu
Dr. Olivier Alain Piller
Dr. Raziyeh Farmani
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Adapting WDS to future states of the world
Flexible approaches to the design of new WDS
Water and energy nexus for WDS management in smart cities
Management of intermittent water supply
Safety and security strategies and models
Multi-purpose sectorisation and sensor placements for WDS management
Management of reliability, resilience, vulnerability of WDS
IoT and WDS management
Big data and analytic challenges for the design and management of WDS
Optimization algorithms for dealing with large networks
Scaling-up optimization techniques
Multi-objective optimization of WDS
Many-objective challenges in WDS
Multi-criteria decision analysis and the integration of stakeholders’ perspectives

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sensitivity Analysis for Performance Evaluation of a Real Water Distribution System by a Pressure Driven Analysis Approach and Artificial Intelligence Method

by Attilio Fiorini Morosini, Sina Shaffiee Haghshenas, Sami Shaffiee Haghshenas, Doo Yong Choi and Zong Woo Geem

Water 2021, 13(8), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13081116 - 18 Apr 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3464

Abstract

Proper performance of water distribution networks (WDNs) plays a vital role in customer satisfaction. The aim of this study is to conduct a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the behavior of WDNs analyzed by a pressure-driven analysis (PDA) approach and the classification technique by using an appropriate artificial neural network, namely the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH). For this purpose, this study is divided into four distinct steps. In the first and second steps, a real network has been analyzed by using a Pressure-Driven Analysis approach (PDA) to obtain the pressure, and α coefficient, the percentage of supplied flow. The analysis has been performed by using three different values of the design peak coefficient k*. In the third step, the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) has been applied and several binary models have been constructed. The analysis has been carried out by using input data, including the real topology of the network and the base demand necessary to satisfy requests of users in average conditions and by assuming that the demand in each single one-hour time step depends on a peak coefficient. Finally, the results obtained from the PDA hydraulic analysis and those obtained by using them in the GMDH algorithm have been compared and sensitivity analysis has been carried out. The innovation of the study is to demonstrate that the input parameters adopted in the design are correct. The analysis confirms that the GMDH algorithm gives proper results for this case study and the results are stable also when the value of each k*, characteristic of a different time hour step, varies in an admissible technical range. It was confirmed that the results obtained by using the PDA approach, analyzed by using a GMDH-type neural network, can provide higher performance sufficiency in the evaluation of WDNs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks)

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21 pages, 18602 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Assessing the Impact of Partitioning on Optimal Installation of Control Valves for Leakage Minimization in WDNs

by Enrico Creaco, Dario Castagnolo and Giuseppe Pezzinga

Water 2021, 13(7), 1003; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13071003 - 6 Apr 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2478

Abstract

This paper aims to assess the impact of partitioning on optimal installation of control valves for leakage minimization in water distribution networks (WDNs). The methodology used includes two main elements. The first element is a deterministic algorithm operating through the sequential addition of control valves, producing a Pareto front of optimal solutions in the trade-off between number of control valves installed and daily leakage volume, to be both minimized. The second element is a WDN partitioning algorithm based on the minimization of the transport function, for the partitioning of the WDN into a number of partitions equal to the number of WDN sources. The methodology is applied to two Italian WDNs with different characteristics. Due to variations in flow distribution induced by the partitioning, the valve locations optimally selected in the partitioned WDN prove slightly different from those in the unpartitioned WDN. Furthermore, the number of control valves being the same, better leakage reduction effects (up to 8%) are obtained in the partitioned WDN. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks)

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25 pages, 2929 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Robust Design of a Real-Life Water Distribution Network under Different Demand Scenarios

by Ina Vertommen, Karel van Laarhoven and Maria da Conceição Cunha

Water 2021, 13(6), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13060753 - 10 Mar 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4105

Abstract

In this paper a scenario-based robust optimization approach is proposed to take demand uncertainty into account in the design of water distribution networks. This results in insight in the trade-off between costs and performance of different designs. Within the proposed approach the designer is able to choose the desired degree of risk aversion, and the performance of the design can be assessed based on the water demand effectively supplied under different scenarios. Both future water demand scenarios and scenarios based on historical records are considered. The approach is applied to the design of a real-life water distribution network supplying part of a city in the Netherlands. From the results the relation between costs and performance for different scenarios becomes evident: a more robust design requires higher design costs. Moreover, it is proven that numerical optimization helps finding better design solutions when compared to manual approaches. The developed approach allows water utilities to make informed choices about how much to invest in their infrastructure and how to design it in order to achieve a certain level of robustness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks)

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20 pages, 4193 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Functional Feasibility in Optimal Evaluation of Water Distribution Network Performances

by Flavia Fuso, Maria C. Cunha and Gianfranco Becciu

Water 2020, 12(12), 3404; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123404 - 3 Dec 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2639

Abstract

The traditional approach for the optimization of water distribution networks (WDNs) does not always lead to consistent solutions from an operational point of view. The latest optimization algorithms identify solutions that are “the best solutions” in mathematical terms but that can be less than robust against changes in operating conditions, resulting in the worst case in hydraulically infeasible configurations. Thus, this paper aims to provide a methodology that can synthesize the network performance capabilities under the change in operating conditions with two convergent strategies. The first consists of the implementation of new performance indices (PIs), the demand deficit and the pressure range, and the evaluation of their ability to criticality highlight in operating conditions. The second is the introduction of a new approach to weight the infeasible solutions in the final result, which are those inconsistent with the real hydraulic network performances. The analysis shows that the use of these new indices makes it easier to understand the behavior of the network and to identify any weaknesses. This is true if these indices consider the hydraulically inconsistent solutions that may arise from the simulations of different operation conditions; otherwise, results that poorly represent the real behavior of the network would be obtained. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks)

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23 pages, 5070 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Energy-Based Domain Knowledge as Feedback to Evolutionary Algorithms for the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks

by Diego Páez, Camilo Salcedo, Alexander Garzón, María Alejandra González and Juan Saldarriaga

Water 2020, 12(11), 3101; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12113101 - 4 Nov 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2955

Abstract

The optimization of water distribution networks (WDN) has evolved, requiring approaches that seek to reduce capital costs and maximize the reliability of the system simultaneously. Hence, several evolutionary algorithms, such as the non-dominated sorting-based multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (NSGA-II), have been widely used despite the high computational costs required to achieve an acceptable solution. Alternatively, energy-based methods have been used to reach near-optimal solutions with reduced computational requirements. This paper presents a method to combine the domain knowledge given by energy-based methods with an evolutionary algorithm, in a way that improves the convergence rate and reduces the overall computational requirements to find near-optimal Pareto fronts (PFs). This method is divided into three steps: parameters calibration, preprocessing of the optimal power use surface (OPUS) results, and periodic feedback using OPUS in NSGA II. The method was tested in four benchmark networks with different characteristics, seeking to minimize the costs of the WDN and maximizing its reliability. Then the results were compared with a generic implementation of NSGA-II, and the performance and quality of the solutions were evaluated using two metrics: hypervolume (HV) and modified inverted generational distance (IGD+). The results showed that the feedback procedure increases the efficiency of the algorithm, particularly the first time the algorithm is retrofitted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks)

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17 pages, 3382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Serious Sensor Placement—Optimal Sensor Placement as a Serious Game

by Georg Arbesser-Rastburg and Daniela Fuchs-Hanusch

Water 2020, 12(1), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12010068 - 23 Dec 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4390

Abstract

In this paper, we present a novel approach in water loss research combining two different topics: The optimal placement of pressure sensors to localize leaks in water distribution systems and Serious Gaming—games that are not only entertaining but that are also serving another purpose. The goal was to create a web interface, through which gamers could place sensors in a water distribution system model, in order to improve these sensor positions after they had been evaluated by a suitable algorithm. Two game objectives are to be pursued by the players: reaching a specified net coverage while not using more than a maximum number of sensors. For this purpose, an existing optimal sensor placement algorithm was extended and implemented, together with two hydraulic models taken from literature. The resulting Serious Game was then tested and rated in a case study. The results showed that human players are able to reach solutions that are similar regarding net coverage to those obtained by optimization, within in a short amount of time. Furthermore, it was shown that the implementation of the ideal sensor placement problem as a Serious Game motivates the players to get better and better results, while also providing them with an enjoyable gaming experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks)

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21 pages, 1377 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Solution Approaches for the Management of the Water Resources in Irrigation Water Systems with Fuzzy Costs

by Raquel Sanchis, Manuel Díaz-Madroñero, P. Amparo López-Jiménez and Modesto Pérez-Sánchez

Water 2019, 11(12), 2432; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11122432 - 20 Nov 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2814

Abstract

Currently, the management of water networks is key to increase their sustainability. This fact implies that water managers have to develop tools that ease the decision-making process in order to improve the efficiency of irrigation networks, as well as their exploitation costs. The present research proposes a mathematical programming model to optimize the selection of the water sources and the volume over time in water networks, minimizing the operation costs as a function of the water demand and the reservoir capacity. The model, which is based on fuzzy methods, improves the evaluation performed by water managers when they have to decide about the acquisition of the water resources under uncertain costs. Different fuzzy solution approaches have been applied and assessed in terms of model complexity and computational efficiency, showing the solution accomplished for each one. A comparison between different methods was applied in a real water network, reaching a 20% total cost reduction for the best solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks)

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17 pages, 3008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization Difficulty Indicator and Testing Framework for Water Distribution Network Complexity

by Donghwi Jung, Seungyub Lee and Hwee Hwang

Water 2019, 11(10), 2132; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11102132 - 14 Oct 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3031

Abstract

In the last three decades, benchmark water distribution networks (WDNs) have provided a common testbed for new optimization algorithms and design approaches. However, deriving generalized and reliable conclusions from such benchmark WDNs is difficult because their optimization difficulty levels (ODLs) are either too low or too high (i.e., biased). Final solutions do not consistently converge to a global optimum for a WDN problem with a high ODL. In addition, little effort has been given to quantifying and comparing the ODLs of WDNs with different characteristics and conditions. In this study, an ODL indicator was developed for WDNs: the coefficient of variation of the final solution fitness values. An ODL quantification framework was also developed with two phases: (1) generating network layouts with various topological characteristics, and (2) quantifying the statistics of the final solution quality and ODL by using a global parallel genetic algorithm. The proposed indicator and framework were applied to the design of a dense-grid B-city network and large C network, and the results demonstrated their applicability to generating a WDN benchmark problem with the target ODL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks)

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26 pages, 2513 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Self-Adaptive Models for Water Distribution System Design Using Single-/Multi-Objective Optimization Approaches

by Young Hwan Choi and Joong Hoon Kim

Water 2019, 11(6), 1293; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11061293 - 20 Jun 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4164

Abstract

This study compares the performance of self-adaptive optimization approaches in efficient water distribution systems (WDS) design and presents a guide for the selection of the appropriate method employing optimization utilizing the characteristic of each technique formulation. To this end, this study performs three types of analyses. First, the sensitivity analysis of each self-adaptive approach is conducted on single/multi-objective mathematical benchmark problems with various problem types (e.g., using solution shape or many local optimal solutions). Second, based on the applications and results of the mathematical problem, the performance of the algorithm is verified in the WDS design problem considering the minimum cost and the maximum system resilience under the single/multi-objective optimization framework. Third, the characteristics of search operators in the self-adaptive approach are compared according to the presence or absence of additional parameters and operators. Moreover, various performance indices are employed to compare the quantitative evaluation of each algorithm. Each algorithm is found to exhibit different characteristics depending on the problem scale and solution type. These results are expected to benefit future research in the formulation of new approaches and developments. Hence, this study provides rigorous testing of the performance of newly proposed algorithms in a highly simplified manner. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in the Optimization of Water Distribution Networks)

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