Reliability Evaluation of Water Distribution Networks Using a Valve Topology Model

Abstract:

A novel water distribution network (WDN) analysis model, segmentvalve diagram with flow directions (SVFD), is proposed to elaborate the reliability of WDNs in case of accident. By transforming a WDN valve topology model into a directed graph and marking directions of water flowing through valves with directed edges, this model can more accurately determine the valves to be closed when a pipe burst occurs, and is conducive to obtaining the really complete outage area. This paper takes advantage of SVFD to evaluate topological reliability of WDNs, and designs 5 new evaluation indicators oriented to accident impact, isolation difficulty and emergency disposal time. Reliability analysis of WDNs in 3 Chinese cities is conducted with these indicators, which shows that compared with the traditional classic indicators based on the segmentvalve diagram, the improved indicators can reflect the actual impact and disposing difficulty of pipe network accidents more accurately and clearly.