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Automatic creation of branch lines to orphaned nodes

Hello,

I have created my network using GIS data. In one area of the network there have been approx. 170 consumer nodes in the GIS data without any pipe connection. The distribution ring lines for that area I have found in an separate CAD file and imported it to the model as well.

Is there a way to automatically create branch lines from this distribution ring lines to the ophaned consumer nodes? I don't want to use pipe splitting tools, I want to create consumer connection lines, but not manually (to many nodes).

Thank you

Parents
  • Hello Florian,

    Do you mean these customer nodes are customer elements in WaterGEMS and you want to connect them to nearest junction or pipe, without having to split the pipes? 

    Then you could use Loadbuilder to assign these customer elements to the nearest pipe or junction. 

    The below technote explains how to achieve this, please go through it. 

    Using LoadBuilder to assign Customer Meters to the nearest pipe using taps and laterals 

    If this is not what you are looking for then please elaborate your query. 

    Regards,

    Sushma Choure

    Bentley Technical Suppport

  • Hello Sushma,

    Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately your response does not work for me. I have already a couple of thousand junctions in the network which are defined as consumers in my model (and in GIS source). All these junctions are connected via consumer connection lines (pipes) to the network and form a selection set. Via LoadBuilder "Propotional Distribution by Area" I am already allocating demand data from an GIS shapefile onto these junctions (selection set), considering yearly variations in different scenarios / demand alternatives.

    So my question again, for the orphanded consumer (junctions) is there a way to automatically create branch lines from these junctions to the distribution ring lines? Something like a command "Connect nodes to nearest pipe / junction with new pipe".

    I would like to have these nodes connected to the network in the end.

    Thank you  

  • Hello Florian,

    The distribution of demands using your polygon would be done separately. In my first proposed workaround steps, I assumed that the demand allocation (to junctions) was already completed (based on a LoadBuilder run with your polygon shapefile), and those demands would be retained in step d of the process (copy/paste from the demand control center to a spreadsheet). Step g involved importing those demands back in, to the customer elements.


    Regards,

    Jesse Dringoli
    Technical Support Manager, OpenFlows
    Bentley Communities Site Administrator
    Bentley Systems, Inc.

  • Hi Jesse,

    Thanks for the immediate supply. Demand allocation is completed, in my case for 5 time steps between 2017 and 2036. However, in case the demand forecast is changed in GIS (which happens by the client), with my approach by using junction I only have to re-do the demand allocation and then batch run all scenarios. Also if I want to include an additional time step inbetween, I am quite fast.

    To do your workaround to allocate the demands to the Customer Elements for each time step / scenario I guess is more time consuming.

    Also by importing demands back in to the customer elements using Excel, I always get the Error message "Microsoft Acess Database Engine 2010 (64 bit) is required". I had the same problems during modelbuilding before and Access Database Engine is installed on my computer. To open the file in 32-bit gives me another alert.

    All in all, is it worth all the effort or should I stick with demand junctions for my application?

  • Hello Florian,

    Regarding the Access Database Engine error, please see the following article which has multiple solution:

    ModelBuilder/SCADAConnect error: Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 64-bit is required to access this data source

    If you have a need to update the demand allocation using Proportional Distribution by Area, consider my second proposed workaround of changing the customer elements back to junctions. With this, you will have the lateral pipes as you want them (as pipe elements) and the demands will be on junctions, so their demand allocation can be updated using the Proportional Distribution by Area method. The downside to this is that you will have extra pipes in the model, compared to the customer meter approach which uses the special lateral element and tap node to associate with one pipe. If you have a large (or Unlimited) pipe limit in your license, that may not be a problem. There would also be a small performance impact since hydraulics would be calculated through the lateral pipe, but that may be negligible.

    I will check to see if we have plans to add the other LoadBuilder methods to the "Customer Meter load data" LoadBuilder type.


    Regards,

    Jesse Dringoli
    Technical Support Manager, OpenFlows
    Bentley Communities Site Administrator
    Bentley Systems, Inc.

  • Hi Jesse,

    I have around 90.000 consumer in my network, so regardless of the laterals being no extra pipes I need to use unlimited pipes licence. Telling me that the performance impact is only marginal I will stick with my approach. This brings the advantage to update demand variations with only 2 clicks which is very comfortable. Also the Loadbuilder methods (Area Proportial or Equal) are available.

    Thank you for the link regardin the Access Database Engine error, I try that.

    BR Florian

  • Note that the following wiki article has been created regarding this subject:

    LoadBuilder demand allocation for customer meters with taps and laterals


    Regards,

    Jesse Dringoli
    Technical Support Manager, OpenFlows
    Bentley Communities Site Administrator
    Bentley Systems, Inc.

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