Patent ID: 7302372

Claim:
A method of optimizing an engineering model of a hydraulic network, including the steps of: (A) simplifying the model by identifying less sensitive hydraulic elements being elements that have a least influence on hydraulic responses in the network; (B) employing a genetic algorithm to generate best-fit element parameters for replacing the identified, less sensitive hydraulic elements; (C) replacing such elements with said best-fit element parameters to generate a simplified model; (D) employing said genetic algorithm to generate a population of trial solutions of a simplified hydraulic network; (E) presenting each trial solution generated to an associated hydraulic simulation program; (F) determining demand for the original model and redistributing the demand to the simplified model; (G) optimizing pipe conductance including a combination of pipe roughness and pipe diameter; (H) running a hydraulic simulation; and (I) suggesting an optimal representation for the network.