Transient Flow Analysis and Simulation in Water Distribution Systems

The theory of unsteady pipe flow and the characteristic method are applied to solve the transient flow equations for transient flow modeling in water distribution systems (WDS), for the purpose of pipe failure prediction and prevention. Based on the investigations on the pipe strength and the pressure measurements with transient flow in pipes, hydraulic safety appraisal system based on transient flow modeling is put forward to predict the water pressure changes caused by the transient flows in the WDS. The characteristic method is improved for transient flow simulation in the complex water distribution systems by optimizing the time step and modifying the friction model, and the results show a feasible oppotunity for engineering application in operational safety management of urban water systems. A method of point rating is firstly applied in the model, and the principles of analysis boundary conformation according to different types of pipeline systems is established and the topologic structure and the date of the steady model is extracted to realize the simulation of the transient flow in complex water distribution systems.