On-line monitoring of water distribution networks

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with the development of a computer-based, real-time monitoring scheme which is a prerequisite of any form of on-line control. A new concept, in the field of water distribution systems, of water system state estimation is introduced. Its function is to process redundant, noise-corrupted telemeasurements in order to supply a real-time data base with reliable estimates of the current state and structure of the network. The information provided by the estimator can then be used in a number of on-line programs. In view of the strong nonlinearity of the network equations, two methods of state estimation, which have enhanced numerical stability, are examined in this thesis. The first method uses an augmented matrix formulation of a classical least-squares problem, and the second is based on a least absolute value solution of an over determined set of equations. Two water systems, one of which is a realistic 34-node network, are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed methods .The problem of bad data processing and its extension to the validation of network topology and leakage detection is also examined. It is shown that the method based on least absolute values estimation provides a more immediate indication of erroneous measurements. In addition, this method demonstrates the useful feature of eliminating the effects of gross errors on the final state estimate. The important question of water system observability is then studied. Two original combinatorial methods are proposed to check topological observability. The first one is an indirect technique which searches for a maximum measurement-to-branch matching and then attempts to build a spanning tree of the network graph using only the branches with measurement assignment. The second method is a direct search for an observable spanning tree. A number of systems are used to test both techniques, including a 34-node water supply network and an IEEE 118-bus power system. The problem of minimisation of distributed leakages is solved efficiently using a state estimation technique. Comparison of the head profile achieved for the calculated optimal valve controls with the standard operating conditions for a 25-node network indicates a major reduction of the volume of leakages. In the final part of this thesis a software package, which simulates the real-time operation of a water distribution system, is described. The programs are designed in such a way that by replacing simulated measurements with live telemetry data they can be directly used for. water network monitoring and control.