Introduction to Disconnected Systems in InfoWorks WS Pro

Step-by-step guide

An InfoWorks WS Pro network does not have to be fully connected to carry out simulations, and therefore may contain two or more disconnected sections.

Although just one complete network would normally be modelled, a disconnected network may be modelled, as long as each section of the network contains a way of calculating head.

A disconnected network is a model that contains more than one unlinked network segment. This means that each section must contain a Reservoir, Fixed Head Node, or Well.

  1. In the Model Group window, expand the Disconnected Model model group.
  2. Drag and drop the Disconnected Network onto the workspace to open the network, control, and demand diagram.
  3. Click the GeoPlan title bar to ensure the model is active.
  4. Click Validate in the toolbar to validate the model.

Note: The Network Validation dialog opens. In this exercise, the network and its associated control are in their respective group boxes.

The InfoWorks WS Pro interface, with the Disconnected Model network open in the GeoPlan in the background, and the Network Validation dialog box open and configured with a control and demand diagram open in the foreground.

  1. If the control and demand diagram are not associated, drag and drop them into their respective boxes.
  2. Click OK.

IMORTANT: In the Output Window, a warning is presented regarding the Network not being interconnected and suggesting the user checks the connectivity. The validation presents as a warning rather than an error, because both networks have a Fixed Head, which indicates that they have been built as two standalone networks, rather than one network with missing links.

The Output Window, showing the message that the network is disconnected.

To check the connectivity:

  1. Expand the GeoPlan menu and select Tracing tools > Connectivity Trace.

The GeoPlan menu expanded with Tracing tools > Connectivity Trace being selected, and the Disconnected network open in the GeoPlan.

Note: This model has two separate networks.

  1. In the Subnetworks Found dialog box, double-click in the margin of row 1.

The extents of this section of the network are selected in the GeoPlan:

The GeoPlan, with the Subnetworks Found dialog box open to the side, with the selection highlighted in the table that corresponds to the highlighted portion of the network in the GeoPlan.

  1. Navigate to the upper point of this section.

The inflow to this section is a transfer node, which allows the model to be run as two separate systems:

The zoomed-in upper portion of the network, showing the disconnection.

  1. Close the Connectivity Trace window.

To carry out a simulation with disconnected networks:

  1. Create a new run group.
  2. Right-click the Run Group and select New > Run.
  3. In the Schedule Hydraulic Run dialog box, type “Disconnected” as the name for the run.
  4. Enable Experimental.
  5. Expand the Run Type and select Normal.
  6. Under the Run Type, enable Disconnected System.

Note: If the Disconnected System option is not enabled, the run will fail, and a red “X” will appear next to the simulation in the model tree.

  1. From the Model Group, drag and drop the Disconnected Network into the Network box in the dialog box to populate the Network, Control, and Demand Diagram dialogs.
  2. Click Save.
  3. Click Run.

The Schedule Hydraulic Run dialog box, with settings configured for running the disconnected system analysis.

After the simulation is complete, to open the results:

  1. From the Model Group, drag and drop the Control simulation onto the Geoplan.
  2. After the results open, drag and drop the Flow Direction theme onto the GeoPlan.

The Model Group to the left, with the theme highlighted that is showing in the GeoPlan to the right, with the now-connected flow highlighted in the model.

Note: Using this theme, the water can be observed as moving through the two systems independently.