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Steady state analysis of water distribution systems: from looped topology to an

equivalent tree network

Conference Paper · June 2018

DOI: 10.3850/978-981-11-2731-1_206-cd

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Proc. of the 5th IAHR Europe Congress — New Challenges in Hydraulic Research and Engineering
Editor(s) Aronne Armanini and Elena Nucci
doi:10.3850/978-981-11-2731-1_206-cd
Copyright
c 2018 5th IAHR Europe Congress Organizers. All rights reserved.
Steady state analysis of water distribution systems: from looped topology
to an equivalent tree network
Z. Hafsi, S. Elaoud & M. Akrout
Laboratory of Applied Fluids Mechanics, Process and Environment Engineering, National Engineering
School of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
A. Hassine
Laboratory of probability and statistics, Sfax university, Sfax, Tunisia.
ABSTRACT
In this paper a hydraulic looped network is studied
under its actual topology and an equivalent tree
network is also built and analyzed. Obtained flow
rates through pipes and pressure values in nodes are
compared for both network layouts and thus, the
reliability of the equivalent network is discussed.
1 INTRODUCTION
The steady state analysis of Water Distribution
Networks (WDNs) requires, in the general case,
solving systems of nodes and loops equations. To
write loops equations, a set of independent loops is
to be determined prior to the equilibrium procedure
[1, 2]. The selection of the independent loops makes
the analysis troublesome mainly for networks of
complex topologies. For networks of tree layout
with no closed loops, the hydraulic analysis is much
easier to accomplish as only nodes equations are
required leading to a simple linear system of
equations to solve [2]. Hydraulic network analysis is
of crucial importance for controlling existing
networks (determination of flow rates in
underground pipes and pressure in nodes) to judge
about their efficiency and potential possibility of
extension. Also, Hydraulic study is a major step in
design of water supply networks (layout, pipes
materials and dimensions, etc.).
The numerical analysis of WDNs reposes on the
resolution of nodes and loops equations. For non
linear systems describing network featuring one or
more closed loop, several techniques were used to
numerically obtain flow rates in pipes and pressures
in nodes. In literature, Hardy Cross method was
widely used to equilibrate hydraulic looped
networks. Also, Newton Raphson method as well as
linearization procedure were utilized to solve non
linear systems of nodes and loops equations.
Through, this paper the distribution of flow rates
in pipes and pressure in different nodes resulted
from an algorithm of hydraulic equilibrium of a
looped network are presented. The numerical
algorithm is tested in a benchmark representing the
water supply network Fossolo. Also, the equivalent
111
tree network satisfying same consumers’ demands is
built and analyzed. The Comparison of obtained
flow rates and pressure values for both cases allows
to judge about the efficiency of the layout
modification.
2 HIDRAULIC NETWORK ANALYSIS:
LOOPED AND TREE TOPLOGIES
2.1 Looped network analysis: basic formulations
For a looped network featuring p pipes and n
nodes (from which n0 are source nodes), the number
l of independent loops is given by [1].
l = p - n + n0 (1)
Once a set of independent loops is determined,
loops equations are written basing on the fact that
the algebraic sum of head losses in a closed loop is
null. The head loss trough a pipe is given by Darcy
Weisbach formula written as
8lL
DH = q2 (2)
p 2 gD 5
where l is the friction coefficient, g is the
gravitational acceleration, D is the pipe diameter and
L is its length.
For the presented work, obtained nodes and loops
equations were written under matrix form and
Newton Raphson method was used to solve the non
linear system for the flow rate vector Q as unknown.
2.2 From looped to equivalent tree network layout
Obviously a tree network topology is easier to
analyze and to control. Nevertheless, for most cases,
WDNs are already built and looped topologies are
usually encountered. The WDN Fossolo (a
neighborhood of the Italian city Bologna) was taken
as a benchmark by several researchers to test
different numerical techniques [3, 4]. The latter
network adopts a looped topology featuring 58
pipes, 36 consumption nodes and one source node
giving rise to 22 independent loops according to
Eq.(1). An equivalent tree network is a network
supplying the same number of consumers with same
 112 5th IAHR Europe Congress — New Challenges in Hydraulic Research and Engineering

demands (same flow rates in the consumption nodes
as for the looped topology). Following the latter
definition, and considering the network layout as a
graph edges-vertices, the Minimum Spanning Tree
(MST) can be considered, topologically, as an
equivalent tree network. To built an MST, each loop
of the network has to be “broken” by removing one
of their edges. For Fossolo network the equivalent
tree topology is built following the algorithm of
Kruskal [5]. The MST is obtained by removing 22
pipes (as the network features 22 independent loops)
from the initial looped topology. The original
topology and the obtained equivalent tree layout for
Fossolo network in the (X,Y) coordinates plane are
plotted in figure 1 in which the source node (ID37)
is labelled S.

Figure 1. Toplogy of Fossolo network (a: Looped layout; b: Equivalent tree layout)
obtained tree network to optimize the topology
without altering the main objective of the hydraulic
2.3 Hydraulic analysis results for looped and
installation.
equivalent tree layouts
For the sake of brevity, required data to study
Fossolo network (nodes coordinates, pipes
characteristics, supply and demand values, etc.) are
not presented as they were reported in several
literature references [3, 4]. Results of the hydraulic
analysis algorithm i.e. flow rates through pipes and
pressures in the demands nodes are reported
respectively in tables 1 (for some randomly chosen
pipes) and figure 2 for both the original looped and
the equivalent tree topologies.
Table 1. Distribution of the flow rates (l/s) within looped and Figure 2. Pressure values in demands nodes
tree topologies for some pipes (pipes with no discharge values
are removed in the tree layout and minus signs indicate flow
direction comparing to initially supposed ones [2]) REFERENCES
Pipe Looped Tree Pipe Looped Tree
ID topology topology ID topology topology
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1 1.247 1.27 30 2.502 2.98 identification of loops in water distribution
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tree network and to satisfy same consumers metaheuristics. Dissertation, University of
demands, the pressure have reached excessive values Stellenbosch.
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Thus, the layout simplification is not systematic and subtree of a graph and the travelling salesman
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