Evaluation of a pressure head and pressure zones in water distribution systems by artificial neural networks

Water distribution system design is inherently associated with hydraulic calculations that require thorough evaluation of obtained results and accuracy of the applied solution. Currently, there are no programs that will replace a designer in these tasks, and there likely will not be such programs. However, some individuals are trying to develop computer programs featuring a certain degree of creativity to facilitate user decision making. In water distribution system design and hydraulic calculations, one should, inter alia, check pressure heads in different parts of the system. It is also important to establish whether the system should contain one or more pressure zones. This determination is connected with the appropriate location of booster and pressure reducing stations. In this paper, the nominal variable is defined. The classes of this variable describe problems related to a value of pressure and division of the water distribution system into pressure zones. By choosing one of the classes, an artificial neural network determines the problems that may arise in a given part of the water distribution system. The classification is conducted based on neural network input variables describing the specific parameters that affect water distribution system design, such as land relief, loss of pressure, pipe roughness and distance to a water supply. The paper presents a new approach that extends traditional methods of hydraulic calculations for water distribution systems by introducing the evaluation of a pressure head and the analysis of design concepts of pressure zones by using artificial neural networks.