Smart and Integrated Management Methods for Sustainable Water Distribution Systems

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Water distribution systems (WDSs) convey essential clean water to millions of people across Canada. However, the safe and efficient delivery of this crucial service is jeopardized by aging infrastructure and increasing demands driven by urban growth and climate change. Current WDS lifecycle decisions are still being made in a siloed fashion, which leads to inefficiencies, higher costs, greater infrastructure deterioration, and more frequent failures. The overarching goal of this program is to advance the understanding of WDSs and the impact of lifecycle management decisions, as well as develop models, methods, and guidelines for smart WDS management, that improve their sustainability and resilience. This will be achieved through three main objectives: (1) Advance the understanding of the impacts of operations and maintenance (O&M) on pipe deterioration; (2) Develop integrated pipe maintenance, renewal and design optimization methods; and (3) Develop pump operation optimization methods that consider WDS deterioration and performance. The proposed research will build upon the applicant's research on pipe deterioration, which has generated findings on deterioration driving factors and new machine learning models. The research will involve a balance between data analysis, hydraulic modelling, machine learning, and optimization. First, novel pipe deterioration models will be developed, that account for pipe protection practices and dynamic WDS pressures. Using these models, new integrated pipe maintenance, renewal and design optimization methods will be developed. Lastly, WDS performance under real-time and daily operations will be compared and an advanced operation optimization model will be developed to account for lifecycle costs and performance. The deterioration models and optimization methods will form the foundation for an open-source integrated decision support platform for WDSs. The proposed program will also advance the area of WDS management through several guidelines, empirical equations, frameworks, heuristics, and recommendations. It will also train the next generation of utility managers, infrastructure planners and asset managers in advanced methods for modelling critical water infrastructure and developing lifecycle driven solutions for their efficient management. These abilities are crucial for managing the water infrastructure in Canadian cities that are faced with climate change and aging infrastructure.