This paper focuses on the generation of synthetic models of water distribution networks (WDN). Models are widely used in many fields related with WDN planning and operation. Therefore, the main contribution of this work is to provide an automatic procedure to build models with the well-known EPANET tool in a manner that, with a small amount of input data and a few clicks, the user can build a network topology and assign suitable pipe diameters. For that purpose, a new application, called WaterNetGen, was designed and implemented as an extension to the EPANET software. WaterNetGen can be used to generate synthetic models of WDN, with several hundred nodes and pipes, within a few minutes. The sizing capability allows the selection of commercial diameters, such that the final network design satisfies certain user-defined design constraints, like minimum diameter, maximum velocity and minimum pressure. The total water demand is allocated to the pipes taking into account their length and a demand coefficient. The water demand of each pipe is then assigned to its start and end nodes and follows a specific demand pattern.
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February 01 2012
WaterNetGen: an EPANET extension for automatic water distribution network models generation and pipe sizing Available to Purchase
João Muranho;
1IMAR – Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Eng. Civil, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos – Pólo II da Universidade, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal
E-mail: [email protected]
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Ana Ferreira;
Ana Ferreira
2Departamento de Eng. Civil, Escola Superior Tecnologia, Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco, Avenida do Empresário, 6000-767 Castelo Branco, Portugal
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Joaquim Sousa;
Joaquim Sousa
3Departamento de Eng. Civil, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Coimbra, Rua Pedro Nunes – Quinta da Nora, 3030-199 Coimbra, Portugal
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Abel Gomes;
Abel Gomes
4Instituto de Telecomunicações, Universidade da Beira Interior, Rua Marquês d'Ávila e Bolama, 6000-001 Covilhã, Portugal
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Alfeu Sá Marques
Alfeu Sá Marques
1IMAR – Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Eng. Civil, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos – Pólo II da Universidade, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal
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Water Supply (2012) 12 (1): 117–123.
Article history
Received:
April 13 2011
Accepted:
November 09 2011
Citation
João Muranho, Ana Ferreira, Joaquim Sousa, Abel Gomes, Alfeu Sá Marques; WaterNetGen: an EPANET extension for automatic water distribution network models generation and pipe sizing. Water Supply 1 February 2012; 12 (1): 117–123. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2011.121
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