Patent ID: 8639483
Filing Date: 2014-01-28
Classification: E03B,G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of performing a criticality analysis in a water distribution network model of an actual system, comprising the steps of: generating a model of the water distribution network based upon a set of elements, the set of elements including a plurality of pipes, a plurality of nodes and a plurality of isolating valves; automatically identifying, by a hydraulic modeling platform, segments of the water distribution network based at least on locations of the isolating valves in the model of the water distribution network to produce a list of the segments of the water distribution network, the segments being the smallest portion of the water distribution network, including a plurality of elements or portions of elements, that can be isolated by valving, at least some of the segments including one or more pipes or portions of pipes and one or more nodes; displaying, by the hydraulic modeling platform, the list of the segments on a display to a user; simulating an outage of each of the segments using the hydraulic modeling platform; calculating, by the hydraulic modeling platform, a criticality of each of the segments using one or more pressure dependent demand (PDD) functions, wherein the criticality of a segment includes a system demand shortfall defined as a ratio between actual demand satisfied by the water distribution network and total demand if the segment experienced the outage such that the plurality of elements of the segment are isolated from the rest of the water distribution network; displaying, by the hydraulic modeling platform, a list of the system demand shortfall for each of the segments on the display to the user; and displaying, by the hydraulic modeling platform, a criticality summary that includes an average system demand shortfall for the water distribution network on the display to the user.