Determination of Optimal Pressure Monitoring Locations of Water Distribution Systems Using Entropy Theory and Genetic Algorithm

The purpose of water distribution system is supplying water to users by maintaining appropriate pressure and water quality. For efficient monitoring of the water distribution system, determination of optimal locations for pressure monitoring is essential. In this study, entropy theory was applied to determine the optimal locations for pressure monitoring. The entropy which is defined as the amount of information was calculated from the pressure change due to the variation of demand reflected the abnormal conditions at nodes, and the emitter function (fire hydrant) was used to reproduce actual pressure change pattern in EPANET. The optimal combination of monitoring points for pressure detection was determined by selecting the nodes receiving maximum information from other nodes using genetic algorithm. The Ozger's and a real network were evaluated using the proposed model. From the results, it was found that the entropy theory can provide general guideline to select the locations of pressure sensors installation for optimal design and monitoring of the water distribution systems. During decision-making phase, optimal combination of monitoring points can be selected by comparing total amount of information at each point especially when there are some constraints of installation such as limitation of available budget.