Efficient Technique for Pipe Roughness Calibration and Sensor Placement for Water Distribution Systems

Abstract

The need to improve the accuracy of mathematical models describing hydraulic networks (e.g., water distribution systems) poses numerous challenges regarding the problems of parameter calibration and optimal sampling. In this paper, a comparison is made between different sensor placing strategies, including a novel, direct (iteration-free) algorithm. The approach used is based on maximizing both the sensitivity and the so-called hydraulic distance of the sampling points without the need for optimization. Based on these sampled measurements, the pipe roughness coefficient of each pipe is calibrated individually (without grouping) by solving the resulting underdetermined linear system with singular value decomposition. The efficiency of the approach is demonstrated on case studies, including artificial (e.g., Anytown and C-town) and real-life water distribution systems through detailed statistical comparison.