Pressure management in water distribution systems through PRVs optimal placement and settings

Area of Science:

• Hydraulic Engineering
• Water Resource Management
• Network Analysis

Background:

• Water loss minimization in water distribution systems (WDS) is crucial.
• Pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) are key to regulating pressure and reducing leakage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel algorithm for optimally positioning and setting pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) in WDS.
• To enhance leakage reduction strategies through effective PRV placement.

Main Methods:

• Hydraulic solution of WDS derived as a directed graph using EPANET 2.2.
• Depth-first search method to identify downstream networks.
• Prioritization of pipes with extended downstream networks and adequate pressure for PRV placement.

Main Results:

• Algorithm effectively identifies critical nodes for downstream pressure control.
• Optimal PRV allocation maintains minimum service pressure levels.
• Fast solution times, ranging from seconds to minutes depending on network complexity.

Conclusions:

• The proposed algorithm offers a realistic and efficient approach to PRV positioning for water loss minimization.
• It overcomes limitations of existing methods in conceptualizing leakage reduction.
• Demonstrated applicability across diverse WDS complexities for effective pressure management.