Topological and mechanical redundancy-based optimal design of water distribution systems in many-objective optimization

This study proposes a direction for future multi-objective optimal designs of water distribution systems using two-system redundancy (i.e. topological and mechanical) simultaneously with construction costs in a many-objective harmony search. Topological redundancy considers the connectivity ability of the network, which reflects alternative paths between the source and demand nodes during system failure or during disruption of primary paths. Mechanical redundancy is the hydraulic ability of the system that considers the pressure deficit between pressure requirements under abnormal conditions. This study establishes the correlation between these redundancies and the relationship between network configuration and each redundancy factor under abnormal conditions. To verify the proposed method, the Anytown network is applied in this study. According to the analysis results, the importance of considering both redundancies is emphasized in terms of structural and hydraulic aspects.