An Energy Methodology for the Design of Water Distribution Systems

Water distribution system minimum-cost design is probably the most commonly addressed modeling problem in hydraulic engineering. In the last decades, metaheuristic algorithms have been established as the most effective methods to solve this problem. However, because of their stochastic nature, a huge number of hydraulic simulations are needed before adequate results are found. An alternative approach based on the understanding of the hydraulic behavior of optimal designs is presented in this paper. It attempts to replace the tiresome search process undertaken by metaheuristics. The methodology focuses on establishing efficient ways in which energy is dissipated and flow is distributed. The algorithm was tested on two benchmark systems reaching similar results to those of previous works but in an amply reduced number of iterations. This novel approach shows plenty of potential in other water distribution modeling applications.