Ina Vertommen

• Master of Engineering
• Team manager at KWR Water Research Institute

Besluiten over het gebruik van drinkwaternetten worden veelal gebaseerd op simulaties. Ze gaan echter voor een groot deel voorbij aan de onzekerheden in diverse invoeren van deze modellen. In dit artikel worden een benadering (probabilistische simulaties), een softwarebibliotheek (PHS) en een bureaubladapplicatie (VlinderNET) gepresenteerd, die het...

Modelling and, as a consequence, decision-making for water distribution networks is ordinarily performed using the deterministic paradigm in which a single set of input conditions gives rise to a single output “truth”. Reality is not so accommodating, however, and it is readily apparent that significant uncertainties remain in both our knowledge of...

Numerical optimization is gradually finding its way into drinking water practice. For successful introduction of optimization into the sector, it is important that researchers and utility experts work together on the problem formulation with the water utility experts. Water utilities heed the solutions provided by optimization techniques only when...

Most water utilities have to handle a substantial number of customer complaints every year. Traditionally, complaints are handled by skilled staff who know how to identify primary issues, classify complaints, find solutions, and communicate with customers. The effort associated with complaint processing is often great, depending on the number of cu...

A digital twin (DT) is a virtual copy (a digital model) of a real system continuously fed with data to mimic the systems’ past, present and future behaviour. This makes it possible to detect anomalies, test new ideas and changes in the virtual system and assess how it reacts, minimizing the risks to the real system. In this sense, the DT can be see...

In this paper a scenario-based robust optimization approach is proposed to take demand uncertainty into account in the design of water distribution networks. This results in insight in the trade-off between costs and performance of different designs. Within the proposed approach the designer is able to choose the desired degree of risk aversion, an...

This paper presents a practical application of a sensitivity matrix-based methodology for determining optimal pressure sensor locations for leak detection in a water distribution network (WDN). The optimization is formulated as multi-objective, exploring the tradeoff between the minimization of the number of sensors to be installed and the maximiza...

Water distribution networks are expected to fulfill the water demand by all consumers and at all times, even during critical scenarios, such as pipe failures. In this work, a methodology is proposed to maximize the quality of service during pipe failures by operating valves. The selection of the valves to operate is done by solving an optimization...

Genetic algorithms can be a powerful tool for the automated design of optimal drinking water distribution networks. Fast convergence of such algorithms is a crucial factor for successful practical implementation at the drinking water utility level. In this technical note, we therefore investigate the performance of a suite of genetic variators that...

Genetic algorithms can be a powerful tool for the automated design of optimal drinking water distribution networks. Fast convergence of such algorithms is a crucial factor for successful practical implementation at the drinking water utility level. In this technical note, we therefore investigate the performance of a suite of genetic variators that...

The design of network blueprints (ideal design of water distribution networks taking into account the existing infrastructure) is optimized considering the minimization of costs while satisfying the required pressure and flow velocities. The optimal transition from the existing infrastructure towards the blueprint is described by the minimization o...

Optimization of drinking water distribution systems has received considerable attention in the past decades, with an increasing use of supporting numerical methods. These have either remained in the academic domain, or found applications in practice for a limited number of specific optimization objectives. With the aim of supporting the Dutch drink...

The recently introduced comparison of flow pattern distributions (CFPD) method for the identification, quantification and interpretation of anomalies in district metered areas (DMAs) or supply area flow time series relies, for practical applications, on visual identification and interpretation of features in CFPD block diagrams. This paper presents...

This paper addresses uncertainty inherent to water demand and proposes an approach to generate demand scenarios and calculate their probability of occurrence. Nodal water demands are modelled as correlated stochastic variables. The parameters which characterize demand vary with spatial and temporal aggregation levels. Scaling laws allow the definit...

Water consumption is perhaps the main process governing water distribution systems. Because of its uncertain nature, water consumption should be modeled as a stochastic process or characterized using statistical tools. This paper presents a description of water consumption using statistics as the mean, variance, and correlation. The analytical equa...

This paper proposes aprocedure to determine the probability of a specific water demand scenario in a Water Distribution Network (WDN). Stochastic correlated demands are generated for each node of the network using scaling laws. In particular, each demand fits a normal probability density function (PDF). To determine the joint probability of water d...

Water is essential to all forms of life. The development of humanity is associated to the use of water, and nowadays, the constant availability and satisfaction of water demand is a fundamental requirement in modern societies. Although water seems to be abundant on our planet, fresh water is not an inexhaustible resource and has to be managed in a...

Water demand, which is perhaps the main process governing water distribution systems (WDS), is affected by natural variability. The inherent uncertainty of demand is not negligible. Thus, uncertain demand should be modelled as a stochastic process or described using statistical tools. The stochastic modelling of water demand requires knowledge of t...