The Use of Hydrants for Transient Test-Based Diagnosis of the Water Distribution Systems of Milan, Italy
Publication: Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 13, Issue 3
Abstract
In a pilot study for the diagnosis through transient tests of the water distribution systems of Milan, Italy, hydrants were used for both pressure measurement and pressure wave generation. In the field tests, the maneuver of the hydrant valve used for the pressure wave generation led to an increase in the measured pressures due to the trapping of the pressure waves inside the hydrant connection. In this paper, the trapping phenomenon was analyzed in time and frequency domains to evaluate analytically the effects of the connection geometric characteristics on the pressure variations. The results of field and laboratory tests are shown to confirm the theoretical considerations and extend the investigation to viscoelastic pipes. Because the same phenomenon can also take place in user connections, which present a similar combination of pipe impedance and geometry, the similarity of hydrant and user connections in terms of the response to transients was also explored. Results of the case study and their interpretation can be relevant for the diagnosis of water distribution systems through transient tests and for the design of hydrants and user connections.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This research has been funded by Metropolitana Milanese s.p.a. under the research project “Application of Innovative Techniques to the Condition Assessment and Diagnosis of Water Distribution System.” I wish to thank Chiara Adriani, Daniele Belli, Benedetta Busti, Elisa Morbidelli, Fabrizio Provvisiero, and Emanuele Volpe for their assistance on the data acquisition, and the personnel of Metropolitana Milanese, including and not limiting to Davide Bartocci, Serena Fracchia, Rocco Giannotta, and Massimiliano Vidiri, for their valuable help and assistance in the field tests.
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Published In
Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice
Volume 13 • Issue 3 • August 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 2, 2021
Accepted: Feb 19, 2022
Published online: Apr 27, 2022
Published in print: Aug 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Sep 27, 2022
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