As you might know, junctions are needed to solve the mathematical graph model of system flows. Therefore, they are important to your network in Qatium.
- In case you don't have a junction layer, Qatium will infer where the junctions are missing and connect them to the pipes, creating a connected network.
- If you do have a junction data layer, Qatium will interpret the junction locations and connect them to the relevant pipes, creating a connected network. (Qatium will connect pipes with nearby junctions with a tolerance of 0.1 meters.)
To have a more complete representation of your physical network, you can also specify which junctions are hydrants and add customer points to your network.
⚠️ Important: Unless you define them as junctions or hydrants, Qatium automatically classifies all the junctions at the end of Laterals as Customer points even though they don’t have demand data.
Check the following list to set or edit other properties for your junctions in your files, and see how Qatium processes that information.
Demands
Usually, .inp files contain both base demand and demand pattern data. GIS files could have both or base demand only (no demand pattern). In case any data is missing, both for .inp and GIS, we’ll infer it.
Here’s how it works when there are no demands specified:
- If the network contains Customer points, Qatium distributes the demand on those assets.
- If there are no Customer points, we try to find junctions that are in the distribution network.
Qatium assigns demands to all distribution junctions, proportionally to the minimum pipe diameter that is connected with each selected node, according to the following formula:
∑ Demands x Minimum Diameter ÷ ∑ Diameters
In cases of networks without tanks and a single supply source, Qatium determines and assigns the demand based on the capacity of network assets.
The hourly pattern applied by default if there’s no demand pattern specified is the following:
⚠️ Important: Qatium avoids distributing demands for junctions that have been specified as hydrants or junction groups.
Terrain elevation
Qatium only processes elevation data when it's included as an attribute in point assets like junctions, tanks, supply sources, valves, and pumps.
Data you add to your files
GIS files
| Field | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Attribute | <number> |
EPANET
| Property | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Value | <number> |
How Qatium processes that data
If not specified: Qatium will add it from Mapbox elevation data.
Water quality
Currently, Qatium only supports water age to calculate Water Quality. To have accurate water quality data shown in Qatium, you must include the water age parameter in your files.
EPANET
- Set Parameter property to Age in the Quality options in EPANET
- Set the Initial Quality property for all the nodes. If not specified, EPANET assumes that the value is 0.
- Export the .inp file and upload it to Qatium to create a network or update an existing one.
GIS files
Include the Water Age property inside your GIS data. Then add a number (up to 2 decimal places) representing the number of hours.
| Field | Water Age |
|---|---|
| Attribute | <number = hours> |
Pressure & consumption
The data about pressure and consumption that you see on the junction’s information panel is calculated through the simulation with all the data available from your imported files. The more information you provide, the more complete your network in Qatium will be.
Thresholds
Configure warnings by setting minimum and maximum thresholds for your assets. We'll let you know you if data falls below or above these limits.
To set thresholds, upload a .CSV file including the following columns:
| Column label | Asset | Property | Min | Max | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of data | <string> | <string> | <number> | <number> | <string> |
- Asset: the asset ID.
- Property: could be flow, pressure, or level, for example.
- Min: the threshold minimum value.
- Max: the threshold maximum value.
- Unit: of the property.
For example:
asset,property,min,max,unit
J_00028,pressure,10,60,kPa
J_00029,pressure,10,60,kPa
Make sure the units for the threshold values match the units of the variable we're setting the warnings to:
- Pipe flow = flow unit
- Tank level = level unit
- Junction pressure = pressure unit
How Qatium processes that data
If not specified, you won’t receive any warnings.