Estimation of real-time demands on the basis of pressure measurements by different optimization methods

The aim was to estimate real-time demands in a water distribution system on the basis of pressure measurements. The task was formulated as an optimization procedure to find water flows correcting typical demands that will minimize differences between measured and modelled pressures. The Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm (LMA) and the Genetic algorithm (GA) were tested to solve the problem. Results showed that the LMA works much faster than the GA. It was also found that the higher the demands the lower is the sensitivity of the results to random errors in pressure measurements. Measurements in an operational WDS were used in calculations.