GeneralNet

Introduction
GeneralNet’s computer animation model was developed to describe the features of flow and water quality transport process in the water supply system very accurately and to offer effective support to designers working in the field of water supply. The programme’s original version, EPANET was developed by the United States Environmental Agency (US EPA). GeneralCom Ltd. upgraded the software by the modules designers mostly missed on consultations (MS Excel based data processing; export/import of DXF files). The programme is also available in Hungarian language with a Hungarian reference book.

General Programme Guide
With the help of the GeneralNet water supply system animation software hydraulic and quality checks are possible while the pipe network is under pressure. Branches (pipe sections), junctions, pumps, regulator fittings (valves, bolts etc.) and reservoirs can be created in the network run by the programme. During modeling the GeneralNet calculates the features of the flow in every branch, the pressure parameters at every junction, the water level in each reservoir and the dynamics of the concentration of contamination (contamination transport). GeneralNet was made to learn about the behaviour of different liquids in pipes and the tracing of components of drinking water. The programme is competent in questions regarding drinking water manifolds from a designer/specialist perspective such as the development of a sampling monitoring programme, hydraulic model rating, leftover chlorine analysis and the checks of consumer exposure. GeneralNet also gives a hand in the creation of management strategies related to the improving of drinking water quality. This includes the source optimization of multi-source systems, the optimization of pump and reservoir operations, the checking of follow-up chlorination implementable in reservoirs as well as the optimization of targeted cleaning of pipelines, restoration and pipe change. GeneralNet is a flexible, user friendly programme that runs on Windows and offers plenty of ways to form or modify input and output data and to visualize results. The software is part of a group of programmes offered by GeneralCom Ltd. that also includes the softwares named GeneralStorm and SewCAD. GeneralNet is able to set up direct connection with SewCAD making use of the later’s graphic imagery.

The Hydraulic Submodel
Reliable hydraulic modeling of drinking water is an essential precondition of any further examinations. The hydraulic analyzer module of GeneralCom has the following features

  • Length of pipeline set to be analyzed is unlimited
  • Frictional loss can be calculated by Hazen-Williams, Darcy-Weisbah or Chezy-Manning formulas
  • Automatic managing of pressure loss in bends, joints etc.
  • Energy and cost calculation of pumping
  • Operates all types of valves
  • Operates reservoirs of any form
  • At every intersection
  • The possibility of inspection of the operation of the pipeline system by the reservoir level, time-dependent control or complex regulation

The Water Quality Submodel
Besides the hydraulic submodel GeneralNet has a water quality submodel which can

  • follow the actual progress of non-reactive tracer substance through the pipeline
  • follow the actual progress of the concentration of reactive substance through the network taking into account the rise (e.g. decontamination by-product) or fall (e.g. remaining chlorine) in quantity
  • monitor the length of time water is in the network
  • model reaction both on the pipe walls or in the space of flow
  • describe reaction in the space of flow using N or first-rate kinetics
  • describe reaction on the pipe walls using 0 or first-rate kinetics
  • model reservoirs as fully assimilated, plug-flow or divided reactors
  • monitor the mixing of different waters
  • examine the limits of substance-transport of the reaction on pipe walls by using substance scale
  • carry out inspections based on defined time dependent concentration or mass flow inputs at any part of the network

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