Inclusion of Mobile Sensors in Water Distribution System Monitoring Operations

This study describes a binary integer programming model for mutually-operating fixed and mobile sensors in water distribution systems. The proposed method applies a deterministic optimization scheme for maximizing the monitored volume within network clusters. For a given budget, the model determines the ratio of mobile sensors to fixed sensors along with their placement and release strategies. Through assessing the benefit of placing each fixed sensor and the time and location of mobile sensors release, the combination of fixed and mobile sensors is determined. Utilizing mobile sensors for water quality monitoring is still in its infancy. Such sensors are equipped with self-powered sensing, sampling, data acquisition, and wireless transmission units. The model initiates with the combined operation of mobile and fixed sensors. It then explores the benefits of mobile sensors compared to fixed. The two battle of the water sensor networks (BWSN) are utilized for demonstrating the model's capabilities. Mobile sensors are found to be beneficial to water distribution system monitoring when operated in conjunction with static sensors.