Pressure management to reduce leaks in water distribution systems by means of a pressure reducing valve
Résumé
This paper proposes a pressure management method for water distribution systems considering the mathematical model under the water hammer equations. Two water systems are analyzed: a simple pipeline and a hydraulic network with two branches. A Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) is modeled together with the dynamical model for controlling the pressure. This PRV works as the primary actuator, which controls the water flows under a free-leak and leakage scenario. The control strategy is based on a proportional Integral (PI) controller. The simulation results show a small but significant reduction of water losses over long periods.