An Analysis of Water Leakages in Series Pipelines Using the Rigid Column Model

Water leakages are assessed with an extended period simulation (traditional analysis) in water distribution networks. However, when rapid manoeuvres regulate valves, the conventional analysis proves unsuitable for representing the water volume of leaks. Under these circumstances, the Rigid Water Column Model can be utilised to accurately compute the quantity of water volume leaks. This method has been applied to single and parallel pipelines to predict water leakages, considering the opening and closure manoeuvres of regulating valves. This research develops governing equations using the Rigid Column Model to predict water volume leaks in a general scheme of series pipelines, accounting for the opening and closure manoeuvres in regulating valves. The practical application involves two branches of a series pipeline with internal pipe diameters of 0.45 and 0.25 m and pipe lengths of 1200 and 1400 m, respectively. The results of this practical application demonstrate the accuracy of the Rigid Column Model and its relevance in real-world scenarios. For instance, the model shows that traditional analysis can overestimate water volume leaks by approximately 72% when a closure manoeuvre regulates valves for 200 s and by about 28% for 30 s, highlighting the need for a more accurate method.