Pressure Reducing Valve Setting Performance in a Variable Demand Water Distribution Network

Pressure reducing valves (PRV) are widely used to enhance the performance of water distribution networks. Recently, PRVs have tended towards more sophisticated devices to realize complex control strategies. The present work compares network performances achieved with different PRV control methodologies considering variable demand conditions. A widely analyzed water distribution network is modeled using EPANET and used to simulate the PRV operation. The results show the effectiveness of the different control strategies, highlighting the amount of saved water, the pressure deficit occurring in critical nodes, and the power dissipated by the valve that can be potentially recovered using pumps as turbines or other emerging energy recovery technologies.