Optimal sensor placement for contamination identification in water distribution system considering contamination probability variations

• Published in: Computers & chemical engineering 2021-10, Vol.153, p.107404, Article 107404
• Main Authors: Hu, Zukang, Chen, Wenlong, Shen, Dingtao, Chen, Beiqing, Ye, Song, Tan, Debao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Contaminant intrusion; Contamination probability; Identifiability; Optimal sensor placement
• ISSN: 0098-1354; 1873-4375
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compchemeng.2021.107404

•Optimal sensor placement for contamination identification.•Considering the variation of contamination probability.•The sensor may be interrupted. Optimal sensor placement is of great importance for water distribution networks (WDNs). Currently available studies have not considered variations in node contamination probabilities on the WDN. Therefore, this study proposes an optimal sensor placement method for WDNs that considers the variations in node contamination probabilities and the impact of contamination on the network. First, contamination events were selected and clustered according to risk assessment results. Then, based on a hierarchical algorithm, a set of initial sensor placement schemes that meet the identifiability objective of the sensor network was obtained. Subsequently, all placement schemes were compared based on the numbers of sensors and the impact caused by sensor interruptions to obtain an optimal scheme. Tests were performed based on the WDN example model k1. The test results showed that considerations of the variations in node contamination probabilities can ensure the detection and identification of contamination events with high contamination probabilities. [Display omitted]