An Iterative Penalty Method For The Optimal Design of Pipe Networks
An Iterative Penalty Method For The Optimal Design of Pipe Networks
Networks
Abstract: This paper presents the application of an iterative penalty method for the design of water distribution pipe
networks. The optimal design of pipe networks is first recasted into an unconstrained minimization problem via the use
of the penalty method, which is then solved by a global mathematical optimization tool. The difficulty of using a trial
and error procedure to select the proper value of the penalty parameter is overcome by an iterative use of the penalty
parameter. The proposed method reduces the original problem with a priori unknown penalty parameter to a series of
similar optimization problems with known and increasing value of the penalty parameters. An iterative use of the
penalty parameter is then implemented and its effect on the final solution is investigated. Two different methods of
fitting, namely least squares and cubic splines, are used to continuously approximate the discrete pipe cost function
and are tested by numerical examples. The method is applied to some benchmark examples and the results are
compared with other global optimization approaches. The proposed method is shown to be comparable to existing
global optimization methods.
(1) Choose a very large value for the penalty to a set of N discrete data can therefore be easily
parameter (herein, 10 Cmax, where Cmax is the cost constructed by defining a different cubic spline
of the most expensive design); and (2) use an for each N-1 reach such that their first and
iterative approach in which the value of the second derivative at N discrete points are
penalty parameter is increased by an order of continuous. This leads to 2(N-1) equations
magnitude starting from unity, until the stemming from the fact that each of the N-1
constraints are exactly satisfied. The iterative piecewise functions at their two end points
procedure employed here is depicted in Fig. 1. should equate the corresponding discrete data
plus 2(N-2) equations stemming from the
4. Pipe cost function continuity of the first and second derivative at N-
2 internal points, summing up to 4(N-1) - 2
An analytical function of the form a d b is equations in terms of 4(N-1) unknowns defining
usually used to approximate the cost per unit N-1 piecewise third-order functions. Two
length of commercial pipes when a continuous boundary conditions regarding the curvature of
method of optimization is employed for the the spline at the two extreme points of the set are
optimum design of the networks. Unit cost used to close the system of simultaneous linear
parameters, a and b, are usually obtained via a equations. The size of the system of equations
least- squares fit of the aforementioned function can be reduced by a proper formulation of the
to the discrete cost data. It is obvious that this fit problem in terms of the value of the second
would not be exact in terms of both function derivatives at the N discrete points. The solution
value and its gradient. Most of the common of this system yields the value of the second
mathematical search methods use function value derivatives required to define each of the cubic
or its derivative to find the optimum value of the splines at N-1 reach. This function can then be
objective function. Thus, it is expected that used to approximate the value of the discrete
improving the accuracy of the approximate cost function at any arbitrary points, including the
function would improve the optimization results. discrete data points. It is obvious that cubic spline
In this work, a piecewise cubic spline is used to approximation would always yield exact values
approximate the cost per unit length of the pipes at the discrete data points and therefore is a more
and the results are compared with the usual least- accurate representation of the approximated
squares form. Cubic splines are, by definition, function compared to a least-squares fit. Figure 2
third-order functions enjoying first and second shows the least squares and piecewise cubic
derivative continuity. A piecewise cubic spline fit spline approximations of the discrete cost
function used in the literature for the two-loop
network (Table 1).
5. Test problems
12
13 12
11
11
5 3 1 33 34 26 27 28 15 14 13 10 9
6 4 2 1 31 32 25 26 27 16 15 14 10 9
16
32 17 8
17 8
30 24 18
7
18
6 4 2 31 19 7
19 6
29 28 23 20 3 4 5 6
30 29 23 20 2 3 4 5
21
21 2
7 5 3 22 1
8 7 22 1
Initial Guess* dmax dmin dmax dmin dmax dmin dmax dmin
* Initial diameters used for the pipe diameters to start the optimization process. Note that NLP
methods require an initial solution to start the process. dmax refers to an initial guess in which
all the pipe diameters are taken as the maximum diameter possible while dmin refers to the
minimum diameters.
** The number of network evaluations required by the NLP method to converge to the final
obtained on a P4-800 MHZ with 5 second of strategies (a) and (b) are shown in Table 7 in its
CPU time. split form along with some of the results obtained
The second test problem considers the Hanoi by other investigators for this problem. It is
network with 34 pipes, 31 demand nodes, and observed that much more can be gained by the
one reservoir as shown in Fig. 4 (Fujiwara and use of the strategy (b) in larger problems. These
Khang 1990; Abebe and Solomatine 1999). The solutions are obtained using the most expensive
minimum nodal head requirement at all demand design as the initial guess. It should be remarked
nodes is 30 m. Table 5 shows diameters of that the solution of Fujiwara and Khang (1990) to
commercially available pipes. The cost of the this problem was reported to be infeasible by
pipes per unit length are calculated based on the Dandy et al. (1996). It is again seen that the
analytical cost function 1.1d1.5 (Fujiwara and proposed method has been able to produce the
Khang 1990). Solutions to this problem using best solution for this problem. These solutions
Initial Guess dmax dmin dmax dmin dmax dmin dmax dmin
Pipe Solution [length (m) and diameter (cm)] Node Head (m)
1 474.90 45.72 799.87 45.72 516.59 45.72 250.19 45.72 1 ------ ------ ------ ------
2 936.27 25.40 732.71 35.56 777.51 25.40 815.41 35.56 2 54.66 53.78 54.55 55.27
3 235.01 35.56 183.32 30.48 143.50 35.56 253.97 30.48 3 30.14 38.06 31.43 39.29
4 999.96 2.54 1000.00 2.54 999.77 2.54 1000.00 2.54 4 44.31 43.64 44.57 4480
5 470.22 35.56 461.45 30.48 563.35 35.56 889.85 30.48 5 30.00 43.62 30.01 43.79
6 9.98 20.32 999.95 2.54 9.84 20.32 999.94 2.54 6 30.01 30.01 30.01 30.01
7 105.25 20.32 931.40 35.56 183.70 20.32 177.93 30.48 7 30.01 30.01 30.01 30.01
Pipe Kessler and Shamir Eiger et al. (1994) Savic and Walters Abebe and Solomatine Present work
1 1000.00 45.72 1000.00 45.72 45.72 50.80 45.72 55.88 474.98 45.72
525.02 50.80
2 66.00 30.48 238.02 30.48 25.40 25.40 35.56 45.72 936.27 25.40
3 1000.00 40.64 1000.00 40.64 40.64 40.64 35.56 50.80 235.01 35.56
764.99 40.64
4 713.00 7.62 1000.00 2.54 10.16 2.54 2.54 7.62 999.96 2.54
5 836.00 40.64 628.86 40.64 40.64 35.56 35.56 40.64 470.22 35.56
6 109.00 30.48 989.05 25.40 25.40 25.40 2.54 10.16 9.98 20.32
7 819.00 25.40 921.86 25.40 25.40 25.40 35.56 45.72 105.25 20.32
8 920.00 7.62 1000.00 25.40 25.40 25.40 30.48 40.64 999.97 25.40
made in the solution by iterative setting of the scale size problems compared to real world pipe
penalty parameter is self-evident. This strategy network examples. Though the applicability of
yields one of the cheapest solution ever achieved the proposed method does not basically depend
for New York tunnels emphasizing on the ability on the size of the problem, its performance might
of the proposed method for the optimal solution be affected by the size of the problem to be
of large scale pipe network optimization solved.
problems. These solutions are obtained on a P4-
800 MHZ with 10 second of CPU time. 6. Concluding remarks
A note should be made here regarding the size
of the problems considered. Although the search A penalty method was presented for
space size of these problems are rather large, but converting the optimal design of pipe networks to
they can only be considered as small to medium an unconstrained problem, which is then solved
(1990) (1999)
(1990) (1999)
(1990) (1999)
Table 9 Pipe and nodal data for the New York tunnel network.
Pipe data Nodal data
Pipe Start Node End node Length Existing diameter Node Demand Min. total head
21 9 16 8046.7 182.9
Pipe Present work Gessler Morgan and Goulter Bhave Dandy et al.
1 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 0 0 254 365.8 0 0
8 0 0 254 0 0 0
9 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 4087.3 213.4 0 0 0 0 0
2344.2 243.8
15 0 2832.9 43.8 0 0 136.4 304.8
1891.5 274.3
16 2826.4 365.8 695.8 213.4 243.8 87.4 213.4
5220.3 396.2 7350.9 243.9
17 1618.7 274.3 110.8 213.4 254 243.8 99.2 243.9
7891.1 304.8 9399.0 243.9
18 3179.7 152.4 116.1 182.9 203.2 213.4 78.2 213.4
4135.5 182.9 7199.1 213.4
19 0 529.3 182.9 203.2 152.4 54.4 182.9
3859.9 213.4
20 912.5 243.8 0 0 0 0 0
10791.9 274.3
21 2770.8 365.8 2096.9 152.4 203.2 213.4 81.5 182.9
5275.9 396.2 5949.8 182.9
Cost ($M) 66.90 38.95 41.80 39.20 40.18 38.80
by a general purpose optimisation code. The discrete pipe cost function. Numerical
performance of the method was improved by an experiments showed that the use of cubic spline
iterative use of the penalty parameter, which fit reduces the design cost compared to the design
significantly reduces the design cost compared to obtained via the use of conventional least-squares
the conventional use of the penalty method. The fit. Simplicity of both the basic method and the
method was further improved by using a cubic modification presented herein as well as
spline fit to continuously approximate the comparability of the results with other methods
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