Comparison of demand calibration in water distribution networks using pressure and flow sensors

Water distribution network models are used by water companies in a wide range of applications. A good calibration of these models is required in order to improve the confidence of the application results. Pressure and flow measurements are the main source of information when calibrating a hydraulic model. The selection of both the type and location of the sensors is crucial to guarantee a good calibration. This paper describes a sensor placement methodology based on the analysis of pressure and flow sensitivity using the Singular Value Decomposition. A comparison of demand calibration in a real network with synthetic data is presented. Three sets of sensors are considered: pressure sensors, flow sensors, and a combination of both.