Dynamic control of water distribution system based on network partitioning

The availability on the market of remote control valves for water distribution systems allows a more flexible implementation of the “divide and conquer” paradigm, that consists in dividing large networks into smaller district meter areas defining a water network partitioning (WNP), aiming at controlling water balance, pressure levels and water quality protection. The positioning of gate valves is carried out using optimization approaches to guarantee the network reliability that can be significantly reduced by WNP owing to the closure of several pipes by means of gate valves, decreasing topologic and energy redundancy. Anyway, starting from the optimal positioning of remote controlled gate valves, obtained with SWANP software, the paper investigates the effectiveness of dynamic control, in order to face hydraulic failure in fire estinguishment. The proposed methodology, based on heuristic optimization algorithm, finds the optimal layouts minimizing the number of valves to be opened and maximizing the system performance. The study highlights the advantages of adaptively reconfigurable networks starting from a partitioned system, confirming that a dynamic control represents a significant improvement for smart water networks.