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Water SA
On-line version ISSN 1816-7950
Print version ISSN 0378-4738
Water SA vol.35 n.4 Pretoria Jul. 2009
Optimal dimensioning model of water distribution systems
Heber Pimentel Gomes*; Saulo de Tarso Marques Bezerra; Paulo Sergio Oliveira de Carvalho; Moisés Menezes Salvino
Laboratory of Power and Hydraulics Efficiency in Water Supply, Federal University of Paraíba, Joao Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
This study is aimed at developing a pipe-sizing model for a water distribution system. The optimal solution minimises the system's total cost, which comprises the hydraulic network capital cost, plus the capitalised cost of pumping energy. The developed model, called Lenhsnet, may also be used for economical design when expanding existing hydraulic networks. The methodology developed includes an iterative dynamic calculation process as well as a hydraulic simulation model.
The performance of the method is tested against 4 benchmark examples in the literature. The results obtained show the feasibility of this model, presenting it as a viable alternative for water distribution systems. The method is easily used, once it is performed under EPANET2 software interface.
Keywords: pipe-sizing model, economic optimisation, energy
C | Hazen-Williams coefficient |
C(Di) | cost per unit length of the ist pipeline with diameter Di |
C(D) | hydraulic network cost |
C(D,Q,H) | total distribution system cost |
C1 | initial cost, related to initial diameter |
C2 | cost of the diameter which is immediately larger than the diameter related to C1 |
D | internal diameter of the pipe |
e | annual rate of increase in the unit cost of energy |
Ec | unit cost of electrical energy |
Eg | energy cost gradient |
H | pumping head |
HL | head loss |
j | annual interest or discount rate |
L | pipeline length |
n | number of pipeline |
Np | number of annual pumping hours |
Pg | cost gradient value |
Pg* | optimum value of the cost gradient |
PWF | present worth factor |
Q | pipe flow rate |
s* | potential section |
t | expected period of service for the network |
α | co-efficient of Hazen-Williams equation |
Δp | pressure gain in the most unfavourable node |
η | pump-motor unit efficiency |
Water distribution systems (WDS) design optimisation have been receiving special attention from engineers and researchers of water resources and other related areas, due to the high implementation and operational costs of such systems. Generally, the variables that determine WDS conception and expansion project optimisation are the hydraulic network pipeline diameters and pumping head.
WDS dimensioning is mathematically undetermined, thus allowing for innumerable solutions. Throughout history, several dimensioning methods have been proposed. The first of them, namely classical ones, were restricted to choosing network diameters that provided the hydraulic balance of system. However, the scientific community has been looking to minimise WDS cost for decades.
In the late 1960s, the consolidation of micro-computing in global research centres enabled the development of techniques focusing on water network dimensioning, therefore the first optimisation systems appeared based on mathematical linear programming models (LP) (Karmeli et al., 1968), as well as nonlinear programming (NLP) (Jacoby, 1968) and dynamic programming (DP) (Liang, 1971).
More recently, models based on genetic algorithms (GA) (Dandy et al., 1996), which are known as evolutionary algorithms (EA), have come into use. Some researchers have been using methods based on the organisation and/or evolution of other living species. Eusuff and Lansey (2003) proposed shuffled frog leaping algorithms (SFLA), a meta-heuristic algorithm based on the transformation of frogs and information exchange among the population. Maier et al. (2003) and Zecchin et al. (2006) used a new technique called ant colony optimisation (ACO) to WDS optimisation, based on the analogy of the foraging behaviour of a colony of searching ants, and their ability to determine the shortest route between their nest and a food source. Suribabu and Neelakantan (2006) and Montalvo et al. (2008) applied the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm. PSO is an EA which utilises swarm intelligence to achieve the goal of optimising a specified objective function. This algorithm uses the cognition of individuals and social behaviour in the optimisation process.
Numerous algorithms have been tested on distribution systems by researchers to obtain the most reliable solutions, using the shortest possible computational time (Biscos et al., 2003). EA methods have presented good results, but they require much more computer time. Cui and Kuczera (2003) highlight the problem of long computation times of some models and propose that such analyses be done using super-computers or by parallel computation. This makes their application by technicians difficult.
Abebe and Solomatine (1998) implemented global optimisation algorithms; 2 algorithms, adaptive cluster covering with local search (ACCOL) and GA, yielded promising solutions enabling a choice between accuracy and required computer time. The proposed optimisation set-up can handle any type of loading condition and neither makes any restriction on the type of hydraulic components in the network nor does it need analytical cost functions for the pipes. Liong and Atiquzzaman (2004) applied a powerful optimisation algorithm, shuffled complex evolution (SCE), in order to find solutions with low processing time. SCE deals with a set of population points and searches in all directions within the feasible space based on objective function. Gomes and Bezerra (2007) and Gomes et al. (2008) proposed an iterative method with a relatively short processing time for the optimisation of the total costs for the expansion and rehabilitation of WDS.
However, in spite of considerable developments as detailed in literature, these techniques have not been accepted in practice (Savic, 2002). Dimensioning of new networks and trial-and-error analyses for extensions are frequent. Jimenez et al. (2007) states that optimisation of water networks is not a rule in engineering yet and programs with a user-friendly interface have only just begun to appear.
This study aims at presenting an optimisation model called Lenhsnet, which is designed to obtain an optimal solution of WDS and provide a friendly interface for engineers. This model, which is connected to EPANET 2.00.12 (Rossman, 2008), provides network pipeline diameters and pumping head as a response to dimensioning so as to find the total minimum cost of the system (implementation cost plus energy cost).
The methodology includes an iteration process, based on an initial solution, in which the distribution network is designed, according to minimum accepted diameters in the project. Such an initial solution has the minimum cost of network implementation, once it is made up by the minimum diameters. However, such a solution is usually not a feasible option, since it provides excessive head losses in network pipelines, resulting in high pumping heads.
Based on the initial solution, the calculation process develops iteratively, in a way in which each consequent solution depends on the previous one. The following solutions will be obtained by increasing, in each iteration, the diameter of one of the pipelines, in a way which will keep the additional cost as low as possible. The iterative process finishes when the configurations of network diameters comply with the restrictions imposed by the project (maximum velocity in pipes and the minimum pressure at nodes).
The algorithm method is associated with a hydraulic simulator, which will provide, at each iteration, the hydraulic balance of the system and the values of the variables of the outflow status of the network water flow (flows, velocities, head losses and pressures). EPANET2 was chosen as simulator as it is widely accepted as the world standard in hydraulic and water quality modelling of WDS. Most of the existing WDS have been modelled within EPANET2 (Biscos et al., 2003).
Once the initial solution is established, the simulation of network outflow is done in order to obtain the pressure in all nodes. Once the most unfavourable node is detected, the optimisation process begins. In each iteration, several diameter configurations will be tested. The effective diameter change, in one iteration, will be defined according to the lowest additional network cost in relation to pressure relief given to the network. The pipeline whose change is confirmed will be the one which provides the lowest cost gradient. The cost gradient (Pg) related to a particular pipeline is given through Eq. (1). It represents the marginal cost of the additional pressure of the most unfavourable node, brought by the change of diameter of the network pipeline by its superior adjacent.
Pg is the cost gradient value ($/m)
C1 is initial cost, related to current diameter ($)
C2 is the cost of the pipe diameter which is immediately larger than the current pipe diameter ($)
Δp is the pressure gain in the most unfavourable node (m)
In each iteration there will be 'i' cost gradients, corresponding to 'i' configurations of diameter changes in the 'i' network pipelines; the optimum value of the cost gradient (Pg*) will be the lowest one among all those calculated. The pipeline corresponding to Pg* will be called potential section (s*). s* will have a new configuration, in which the diameter will be the one which is immediately higher (tested). This last configuration will be the start configuration for the following iteration. The iteration optimisation process follows the aforementioned methodology until the optimal solution objective is obtained.
Once the dimensioning solution is obtained, the next step is to check whether the velocities are within the acceptable maximum limit. If the velocity is greater than the maximum permitted, a new diameter is calculated based on the flow of the pipeline. After the diameter is defined, in case it is available, the initial solution for the model will be changed, and such part will be configured with the new diameter and the other ones with minimum diameters. Dimensioning will finish when the iterative process solution does not present any pipeline with a velocity greater than the maximum established one.
This method deals with 2 dimensioning options. In the first one, the network is supplied by a fixed piezometric level in the reservoir. In this case, the system total cost will correspond to the network implementation cost. In the second alternative, the water is directly propelled to the system or to an elevated reservoir, through pumping and the total cost of the system is calculated from the total cost of the pipeline network plus the capitalised energy cost of the pump station. In this last case, the level in the pumping head will be an extra decision variable in the optimisation process.
Fixed piezometric level
In the first alternative, the condition to stop iterations will occur when the pressure in all of the network nodes reaches, at least, the minimum acceptable value. The total cost of the distribution system (objective function), which includes the network implementation cost, may be expressed by Eq. (2):
C(D) is the cost per unit length of the ist pipeline with diameter Di
Li is the length of ist pipeline
C(Di) is the unitary price of the pipeline 'i' under diameter Di
D is the internal diameter of the pipe
n is the number of the pipeline
Variable pumping head
In the system dimensioning, in which the network is pressurised through a pumping station, this method takes the pumping energy cost during the project service life into account. The total cost of the distribution system (objective function) is the network implementation cost plus energy cost, Eq. (3):
C(D,Q,H) is the total cost of the distribution system
Q is the pipeline flow rate (m3/s)
H is the pumping head (m)cx
ηis the efficiency of the pump-motor unit
Np is the number of the hours of pumping per annum
Ec is the unit cost of electrical energy (unit cost/kWh)
PWF is the present worth factor, Eq. (4)
The PWF for the project extent (t years), which does the conversion of several annual costs to a present value is provided by Eq. (4), for annual interest or discount rate j and annual rate of increase in the unit cost of energy e:
The dimensioning optimisation system takes into account the energy cost through the unit called energy cost gradient (Eg). The Eg represents the updated cost of water pressurisation per elevation meter and is provided by Eq. (5):
Similarly to the previous procedure, the iterative process is executed, following the methodology which has been previously described. At the end of each process iteration the Pg* is compared to the calculated Eg. In case the Pg* is lower than the Eg, the investment cost to reduce energy losses in network pipelines - and consequently to increase the pressure in the most unfavourable node - will be lower than the energy cost to increase its load in the network. The iterative process will continue increasing the diameters of the portions until the Pg* value exceeds the Eg value. Once the latter is obtained, the pumping head is determined in a way which the minimum pressure of the system is equal to the required minimum pressure.
This methodology is synthesised in the flow chart presented in Fig. 1.
Examples of application
This method was applied in the optimised dimensioning of the Hanoi Network problem (Fujiwara and Khang, 1990), New York Tunnels Problem (Schaake and Lai, 1969), Bessa Network (Gomes and Formiga, 2001) and the R-9 Network (Leal, 1995).
Example 1: The Hanoi Network problem
The water distribution system in Hanoi (Vietnam) comprises 3 rings, 34 sections, 31 nodes and 1 fixed-level reservoir (Fig. 2, next page). This network was originally investigated by Fujiwara and Khang (1990), and was later used by several authors (Cunha and Sousa, 1999; Eusuff and Lansey, 2003; Liong and Atiquzzaman, 2004; Suribabu and Neelakantan, 2006; Zecchin et al., 2006; Van Dijk, 2008). The system data are presented in Table 1 and the cost data for pipes in Table 2. The piezometric level is 100 m and the minimum network node pressure is 30 m.
To design the system by Lenhsnet 2 contour systems were considered, concerning the maximum velocity acceptable in network pipelines. In the first, only the diameters which were available through the original reference were considered (Fujiwara and Khang, 1990), which provided high velocity, which were higher than the values which are acceptable in practice. In the second situation, new commercial diameters were added to the original series (1 231.2 to 1 435.4 mm), which increased the possibility search space from 634 to 834, and which reduced the maximum velocity to acceptable limits in practice (v < 3.5 m/s). The unitary costs values of new diameters added in Table 2 were determined through the linear tendency curve of the series of original diameters.
The equation used for load loss was Hazen-Williams formula, Eq. (6), using α value equal to 10.67 (default value EPANET2) and the Hazen-Williams coefficient (C) equal to 130.
The execution of this example through the proposed model brought the results of dimensioning of pipeline diameters and of optimised cost, which are presented in Table 3. The last 2 columns of this table contain the diameters obtained for the dimensioning done with and without maximum velocities restriction of network sections. The table also presents the results of the dimensioning done through other models mentioned in the literature.
Table 4 (next page) shows the pressures and costs obtained with Lenhsnet and other solutions mentioned in the literature.
By using only the diameters originally used by Fujiwara and Khang (1990), the solution presented by Cunha and Sousa (1999) achieved the lowest cost ($6.06 m.), see Table 4. However, pressures originated from these references were lower than 30 m in some network nodes, for α equal to 10.67 (default value EPANET2). The dimensioning solution by Lenhsnet provided an optimal system cost of $6.42 m.
Considering the contour condition, in which a maximum velocity in pipeline is admitted; dimensioning by Lenhsnet provided an optimised cost of $5.50 m. The processing time for this example was less than 8 s, through the use of a 1.60 GHz Intel® CoreTM Duo processor with 2 GB of RAM.
Example 2: The New York tunnels problem
The 2nd example is the New York tunnels problem (see Fig. 3), which is gravity-fed from a single reservoir and comprises 20 nodes connected via 21 pipes. The reservoir is at an elevation of 91.44 m and all the nodes are at zero elevation. The objective of the New York tunnels problem was to determine the most economically effective design for addition to the existing system of tunnels that constituted the primary water distribution system of the city of New York. Pipe diameters are considered as design variables. There are 15 available discrete diameters and one extra possible decision which is 'do nothing' option.
All 21 pipelines are considered suitable for duplication. A full enumeration of all possibilities would require: 1621 = 1.9342 x 1025 evaluations. The system has been used as a benchmark network since 1969 (Schaake and Lai, 1969) to compare various optimisation procedures, particularly by Dandy et al. (1996), Savic and Walters (1997), Maier et al. (2003), Matías (2003), Zechin et al. (2006), Gomes et al. (2008) and Montalvo et al. (2008).
The results thus obtained show that the proposed solution meets with all the hydraulic conditions required for the operation of the system. The present study identifies 6 pipes to be doubled in size (see Table 5). A direct comparison of the optimum solution obtained with the developed procedure and that obtained by other researchers is shown in Table 6. The current optimal solution for this is $38.64 m. and no pressure deficit although this can vary slightly depending on the modelling software and parameters used. The cost obtained with the proposed method was $41.24 m. The processing time for this example was less than 3 s, through the use of a 1.60 GHz Intel® CoreTM Duo Processor with 2 GB of RAM.
Example 3: The Bessa Network
This project consists of projecting the Bessa Network, which was originally presented by Gomes and Formiga (2001). This example was adopted because it used electric energy cost, in addition to pipeline investment costs.
It is aimed at dimensioning, as economically as possible, the network sections and the height of the elevated reservoir, considering the pipeline investment costs and capitalised energy cost of the pump, which pumps water to the reservoir. The pumping head is 30 m. Table 7 contains network data. The minimum pressure required at each node is 25 m and the maximum acceptable velocity is 3.0 m/s. Figure 4 shows the numbers of nodes and network sections.
The equation used for energy loss was Hazen-Williams formula, Eq. (6), which assumes α value as 10.67 (default value EPANET2). Table 8 provides the available diameters, materials, Hazen-Williams coefficients C and unitary prices for pipe investment.
The costs and pumping conditions are: number of pumping hours per annum, Np = 7 300, efficiency of the motor-pump unit, η = 0.75, expected period of service for the network, t = 20 years, the average pumping discharge (Q), equal to 420.43 ℓ/s, power tariff, Ec = R$ 0.20/kWh, annual rate of increase in the tariff of electrical power, e = 6%, and annual discount rate, j = 12%.
Based on the supplied data, the energy gradient value (Eg) is R$89 323.97 (R$ - Brazilian Real (R$ 2.00 = USD 1.00 and R$ 0.24 = ZAR 1.00)). The iterative calculation is processed by increasing the sections diameters and reducing the piezometric level, until the solution which provides the lowest system cost is obtained. The iterative process is ended after the 37th iteration, when the optimal cost gradient (Pg*) reaches R$108 879.58, which is higher than the energy gradient. The dimensioning variables values are obtained in the last iteration.
Once the stop condition is established, this method calculates the final pumping head, which was 15.79 m. When the pumping head is multiplied by the Eg, the current cost of electrical power of the system is determined at R$1 410 488.40. Pipeline network capital cost is R$3 260 811.50. Consequently, the water distribution system total cost is R$4 671 299.90.
Figure 5 shows cost evolution during the iterative process, providing several feasible alternatives. In case the managing agency of the system decides that the initial network cost should be lower than R$2.7 m., the solution to be chosen should be that indicated by the 30th iteration, in which pipeline cost is calculated to be R$2.6 m. The dimensioning results are presented in Tables 9 and 10.
When the results obtained by Lenhsnet are compared with those obtained by Gomes and Formiga (2001), by using the nonlinear programming, it is concluded that the proposed model obtained a more favourable result in economic terms, once it reduces the total network cost value by 14.64%.
Example 4: The R-9 Network
The 4th example (see Fig. 6) is the R-9 Network, a medium-size municipal network in Joao Pessoa city - Brazil, implemented by an urban water company in 1982, which consists of 53 nodes connected via 72 pipes and a reservoir. The input data for this problem are given in FORMIGA (2005) and are presented in Tables 10 and 11 (opposite page). This network has been used previously by some researchers (LEAL, 1995; LOPES, 2003; FORMIGA, 2005). The network data, in EPANET2 solver format, are available from http://www.lenhs.ct.ufpb.br/html/benchmarks.html. Table 12 provides the available diameters, Darcy-Weisbach coefficients and unitary prices for pipe investment.
The optimum solution of $199.39 m. cost units is obtained if the pipes as listed in Table 13 are used resulting in a minimum pressure in the system at node 6 being 17.10 m. When the results obtained by Lenhsnet are compared with those obtained by Formiga (2005) ($202.80 m.), by using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm - NSGA-II, it is concluded that the proposed model reduces the total cost value by 1.7%.
The method presented in this study, based on a dynamic programming process, enables engineers to follow several dimensioning alternatives through the developed program. In this study, the optimisation algorithm was applied to 4 water distribution systems, whose results were compared to the ones obtained through other models, which used different optimisation techniques (NLP, ACO, GA, SFLA, PSO, etc.). This study showed that Lenhsnet presented total optimised costs, which are similar to the results obtained in the literature.
For various reasons, it is important to point out that it is not reasonable to expect that a WDS project be solved in a totally automated way. Optimisation should be seen as a decision support tool. It is within such a paradigm that Lenhsnet is presented as an attractive and practical alternative for WDS design. The necessary computer processing time is very low, and the interface program with the user is easy, once the method runs in the EPANET2 program.
The authors would like to thank the Brazilian Government for the financial support granted through Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras S.A. (ELETROBRÁS), through Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (FINEP) and through Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico (CNPq).
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Received 15 October 2008; accepted in revised form 3 April 2009.
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The problem with most of the methods people talk about is that they require a lot of effort to set up, or only work in certain contexts, or are a lot of work to use. NYTimesRiver is good because it requires no setup, one size fits all, and it delivers consistent value, and coverage. It would even be innovative for the desktop, because of the zero setup. People get confused with difficulty to program and utility. It wasn't an act of great programming prowess to get this software running. But try it out on someone on an airplane or bus with a Blackberry or Treo, and watch their eyes light up, their chin drop. That's hard to do too. Someday people will understand why simplicity in this stuff is essential, that's when it takes off, when it's reduced to its most basic value, and delivered in a package that can quickly gain buzz and critical mass. Last year's revenue: $2.3 million Over in another part of the tech blogosphere they're having a discussion about blogs that make big money. I still think Scripting News has the record there, by a wide margin. Last year we did $2.3 million in revenue. Expenses? One salary (mine) and about $1000 per month in server costs. A few thousand for contract programming. Pre-tax profit? Millions. People think blogs are about advertising, and I would agree, but they're thinking in terms of clicks and eyeballs, and I'm thinking of technology that's created using the intelligence of community participation. Want to see how it's done? It's here in the archive of this blog. Don't have the time to read the archive? Read today's blog. We will get a whole new flow built here, through persistent experimentation, refinement, listening, promoting, thinking, and looping. Is there money in this? A lot more than most people think, because they're still thinking in 20th century terms. I don't share this space with hitch-hikers. I use my blog for my own ideas. They make good money. No point diluting what I have to say. Want to know more? I wrote about it on August 3. I watched the first installment of Spike Lee's story of New Orleans and Katrina. It's been a long time since TV gripped me so emotionally and not let go. I went back to New Orleans in December to see what had happened, but I didn't understand what had been there during the flood, what had already been cleaned up. Where I drove there had been bodies floating. The water was so deep, I never had a sense of how impossible it was for humans to cope with that. How many people died, and here a year later, how can we put that in perspective. We weren't attacked, the deaths were largely preventable. It is important to look back, to remember that last year we lost of one our cities, and many thousands of our people lost their homes. A culture died, and our political life is a void until we really feel that. It has never happened in the United States before. We've never lost a whole city like that. The tragedy is still here, today, in our hearts. Perhaps we think we've moved on, but I don't think we have. New Orleans was part of America. It was part of us. |
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subset: commoncrawl


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They will establish two joint venture companies, owned 70% by Iberdrola and 30% by Eole-RES, to bid for up to 500MW at St-Brieuc, off the north coast of Brittany, and 750MW at St-Nazaire, on the Atlantic seaboard.
French turbine manufacturer Areva and the engineering and construction firm Technip are also part of the consortium.
"This consortium is undoubtedly one of the most solid and experienced, with a valuable technical, industrial and financial background that will allow the development of high-quality offshore projects," said Jean-Marc Armitano, CEO of Eole-RES.
The winners of the 3GW tender are set to be announced in the first quarter of 2012.


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The comments here and elsewhere to my post about iPad alternatives have been mixed. No surprise. There will always be Apple defenders and open source defenders. Still, I'd like to take a minute to talk a little more about the topic, address where the majority of the comments fell, and discuss a few more non-iPad options.
Are they really alternatives?
Many people mentioned that several of the iPad alternatives don't count as alternatives because they aren't available. I think that means they're not alternatives if you must buy a tablet today. And unless you're the person who must have every new gadget the minute it comes out, that's perfectly OK. (I'm not one of those people.) There's nothing wrong with looking at what's coming and buying when the technology is ready.
To me, the tradeoff of waiting a little longer for a non-iPad option is absolutely worth it. I don't completely avoid Apple products, although I wouldn't argue with anyone who did. I have a MacBook Pro, and late last year I started looking at tablets. Something small, portable, with a stylus, particularly for artwork. I was hoping the much-anticipated Apple "tablet" would be a functional PC type of tablet, similar to some of the tablet PCs already on the market. When the iPad arrived, I was disappointed along with many others to see that it wasn't much more than a giant iPod Touch.
About the Touch Book--A must-have or must avoid?
I agree with users like Drew Kwashnak and Michael Howell who say that the TouchBook is clearly the most compelling of the options--on paper. (Should that be "on screen" these days?) Unfortunately, I've heard some of the same things chad mentions--that on delivery, it's not what it seems to be. Does anyone have firsthand experience to share?
More alternatives
Several people mentioned more open source tablet options--including real, available right now options. Thanks! I'll be posting about those later this week. If you know of others, leave a comment here.
The bottom line
Here's what it comes down to for me: The iPad is designed for consuming. I want to create. And because of that, for me, the list of negatives greatly outweighs the list of positives. Of course, if this device is truly doing what you want and need, that's great. That's what's important. But I'm willing to wait for something better. Something meant for sharing. Something more open.


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It's not so long ago that the music by Mieczysław Weinberg (1919–1996) first appeared on theatres' repertoire. The first concert performance of The Passenger, his first opera (1968), whose protagonists are a former concentration camp prisoner and her female guard, took place in 2006 in Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre. A festival dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the composer was held in England in 2009, featuring his instrumental pieces, the one-act opera Lady Magnesia and the Requiem. One year later Teodor Currentzis conducted the first performance of The Passenger at Bregenz Festival. After that, several opera theatres showed interest in Weinberg scores, especially The Passenger, The Portrait and The Idiot. Music by this "previously unknown Soviet composer" was a real revelation for Europe, while the author was soon announced to be the third greatest composer after Shostakovich and Prokofiev. A younger contemporary of Shostakovich and an older contemporary of Schnittke, Mieczysław Weinberg was born in Warsaw. In 1939 he managed to escape and get to the Soviet Union while his entire family perished in the ghetto. The composer's life changed greatly after meeting Shostakovich who became his friend, promoted his works and pleaded for his release when Weinberg was arrested in connection with "the Doctors' plot" in 1953. Weinberg always considered himself to be a disciple of Shostakovich, although formally he never took a single lesson from him, nor imitated his style despite the obviously strong influence of his senior colleague. While authoring more than 20 symphonies and 7 operas, he was better known to the general public for his numerous works in films and animation, including soundtracks for the famous film The Cranes Are Flying and for Winnie the Pooh cartoon series. The composer died in 1996, gaining no world fame and convinced that his music that was hardly ever performed in his lifetime, would be totally forgotten after his death. The Idiot (1986) is the last opera by Weinberg. Four parts of the novel by Dostoevsky were transformed into four hours of music with intense symphonic development, catchy melodies and leitmotif-based structure. The story line of the opera reflects almost every twist and turn of the novel, but Prince Myshkin's disease is left in the past (the scenes showing his paroxysms, as well as the final, were not included in the libretto). Since the protagonist is preaching the composer's own ideals, the monologues of Prince Myshkin are the only fragments of Alexander Medvedev's libretto, that are not based on the original Dostoevsky's text.
Act I Scene 1. The Meeting on the Train Prince Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin is returning to St Petersburg following lengthy medical treatment in Switzerland. In his compartment he meets Parfyon Rogozhin and Lebedev. Rogozhin has just received an inheritance of two million roubles from his father who recently died. Not long before that, Parfyon had been forced to flee from his furious parent: he had spent ten thousand on a gift for Nastasia Filippovna whom he met and instantly fell in love with. And now he is in a hurry to see her again. At this time, Nastasia Filippovna anxiously awaits the evening in her room – today is her name day and she has to announce whether she will marry Ganya Ivolgin. Afanasy Totsky, whose mistress she used to be, strongly supports this marriage. Being in St. Petersburg, Nastasya Philippovna compromises him, preventing him from getting married. So her marriage would set him free.. Ganya Ivolgin begs her to say if she is prepared to marry him. But she will give her response later when the guests arrive. She gives Ganya her portrait.
Scene 2. At the Epanchins' In his study, General Epanchin and Afanasy Ivanovich Totsky are discussing the fate of Nastasia Filippovna, Totsky's kept woman. They are resolved to have her married off to Gavril Ivolgin, for his marriage to the "fallen" woman, Ganya will be generously rewarded – Totsky will advance her a large sum of money. If it happens, he will be able to marry Aglaya, Yepanchin's daughter Prince Myshkin has arrived to meet his only relatives in St Petersburg, the Epanchin family. The general is little pleased with his visitor who has no plans for the future or means to live. Ganya enters;he shows them a portrait of Nastasia Filippovna which she gave to him. The prince is amazed:"A beautiful and mysterious face, and her destiny is an unusual one." General Epanchin leaves his visitor with his wife and daughters Aglaya, Alexandra and Adelaida. They are enchanted with Myshkin's stories about life in Switzerland. The prince read human faces; he describes the character of each of the Yepanchins, but when it comes to Aglaya, he is silent for a while before saying: "You have a rare beauty ... Almost like Nastasya Philippovna". Ganya asks the prince to give Aglaya a letter in which he confirms that at one word from her he will break off the engagement. Instead of a response the girl asks the prince to write a phrase in her album – "I don't stoop to trading" and returns his note. Ganya is furious. Meanwhile Rogozhin borrows a hundred thousand roubles to buy Nastasya Philippovna. Accompanied by a crowd of usurers, he goes to Ganya
Scene 3. At the Ivolgins' The Ivolgins gather in the drawing room. Varya, Ganya's sister, is horrified – he plans to marry a dissolute woman whom he, moreover, does not love. Nastasia Filippovna herself appears. Her meeting with the prince, whom she initially thought to be a servant, amazes her. A drunken crowd comes in, led by Rogozhin – he tries to outbid Ganya and then Nastasia Filippovna in order to prevent the marriage. The deal is broken off amid a scene of scandal – Ganya attempts to hit Varya who is incensed at all that has happened but the prince stops him.
Scene 4. Day of the Angel General Epanchin, Lebedev, Totsky and Ganya are visiting Nastasia Filippovna. Unexpectedly for all present, the prince appears. The name-day girl asks him whether she should marry Ivolgin – and he says no. "That's how it should be," she concludes. It is clear to her that Ganya was led only by self-interest. Rogozhin enters; he has brought the hundred thousand he had promised. The prince proposes that Nastasia Filippovna marry him, stating that her life is not over, that she is guilty of nothing and that, quite the reverse, she is a victim. She is prepared to break up with her past and 'set Totsky free for nothing'. It turns out that the prince has inherited a great fortune. Nastasya Philippovna feels happy about the prince's proposal: she believes that he is the only one to understand her nature. But she cannot agree to the marriage – it seems to her that any such union will destroy the prince. She takes the money from Rogozhin, throws it into the fire and orders Ganya to take it out. He faints.Rogozhin and Nastasia Filippovna depart.
Act II Scene 5. At Rogozhin's Six months later. The prince had an affair with Nastasya Philippovna and then broke up with her. Now she lives with Rogozhin. The prince has come to Rogozhin. Parfyon is convinced that Nastasia Filippovna, who lives with him, is in love with the prince alone. Myshkin convinces him that he is not a rival – he is driven only by pity. The prince and Rogozhin fraternise. In the gateway the prince falls senseless.
Scene 6. The Faithful Knight In Lebedev's country house, the prince recovers from his seizure.The Epanchins arrive to visit him. Aglaya sings a ballad about "The Poor Knight", but the proposal that she might marry Prince Myshkin drives her furious. The prince is forced to explain that he had no intention to ask for Aglaya's hand.Mrs Epachkin laments – how hard it is to be the mother of grown-up daughters!
Scene 7. Two Meetings Aglaya has appointed a meeting with the prince in the park. She wants to elope from home and begs his assistance. Yet the notion that the prince has lived with Nastasia Filippovna perturbs her – and now this unknown woman is writing her letters, persuading her to marry the prince. In disarray, Aglaya flees. Nastasia Filippovna appears. All is decided – she will marry Rogozhin and only wishes to know if prince Myshkin is happy.
Scene 8. Lebedev's Confession The Epachins are in disarray: they have received news that the prince is Aglaya's fiancé. At their request to provide a definite answer if he has asked her hand the prince confirms all. Lebedev informs the prince that Aglaya is meeting Nastasia Filippovna. "Evil rules the world. And gold as well," he confirms in response to the prince's past musings. The prince and Aglaya go to Nastasya Philippovna. Aglaya wants to take her rival down a peg.
Scene 9. The Rivals The prince and Aglaya are with Nastasia Filippovna. Being determined to protect the prince from Nastasya Philippovna, Aglaya asks her to stop writing letters and trying to interfere in their lives. 'You're a coward! You're jealous! You're afraid of me!' Nastasya Philippovna replies. Now the prince has to make a choice – and the prince, unable to overcome his suffering, remains with Nastasia Filippovna. But their marriage never truly took place: the bride flees from the ceremony to Rogozhin.
Scene 10. Reconciliation Nastasia Filippovna is dead, Rogozhin has killed her. The prince who has come to see him learns of the murder.


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BERLIN- Former Worcester Prep soccer standout Martin Sanchez added to his growing resume recently when the Navy player was named to the Patriot League All-Tournament team.
Sanchez, the former Mallard now a sophomore at Navy, was named to the Patriot League All-Tournament team for his role in a conference semifinal match against American that ended in a 0-0 draw. Sanchez, who has become the defensive catalyst for Navy in his two years at the service academy, started all of his team's 18 games this season. During his two-year career at Navy, Sanchez started in every game in which he has played, missing only one game because of injury.
As a freshman last year, Sanchez was named to the All-American team, the only representative from the Patriot League. Also last year, Sanchez was named to the Division I All-Mid-Atlantic team after his remarkable freshman year. He also collected Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors in just his second week at the service academy.


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On Saturday, we kicked off the New Year in a spectacular way. SpaceX launched its latest cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the first American commercial flight to the ISS in 2015. This morning, the Dragon capsule arrived at the orbiting laboratory with more than two tons of supplies and science investigations for the crew in orbit. Our investment in commercial space is bringing tangible benefits to the American people and enables NASA to focus on future missions to deep space – to asteroids and Mars.
Thanks to SpaceX and Orbital Sciences – our two commercial cargo partners – we've returned Space Station resupply launches to U.S. soil. We're now poised to do the same with the transport of our astronauts to the space station by SpaceX and The Boeing Company in the coming years – targeting 2017 as the inaugural year for commercial crew missions.
Today's arrival of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft not only resupplies the Station, but also delivers important science experiments and increases the Station's unique capabilities as a platform for Earth science with the delivery of the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, or CATS, instrument.
This launch also illustrates how SpaceX recognizes that technology drives exploration. The company has made great strides in returning first stage elements to a barge positioned down range. Being able to return a launch vehicle in a controlled manner back to Earth right now is another example of how technology can inform launch capabilities.
On Saturday, SpaceX succeeded in returning the Falcon 9's first stage to an ocean platform, even though some systems didn't work. As the company's CEO, Elon Musk, tweeted Saturday morning, "Close, but no cigar this time. Bodes well for the future tho [sic]."
NASA's use of commercial companies to send and retrieve our cargo from space, to manage the payloads on the space station and to eventually transport our astronauts has fueled jobs and entire industries. As President Obama has said, "For pennies on the dollar, the space program has improved our lives, advanced our society, strengthened our economy, and inspired generations of Americans."
As we set our sights on 2017, we're looking forward to working with Boeing and SpaceX on the renewed capability to launch American astronauts from U.S. soil, ending our nation's sole reliance on Russia for such transportation.
I congratulate the SpaceX and NASA teams who made Saturday's success possible. We look forward to extending our efforts in commercial space to include commercial crew transport to the Space Station by 2017 and to more significant milestones this year on our journey to Mars.


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Sony announced Tuesday that its SmartWatch 2 and its Xperia Z1 and Z Ultra smartphones, introduced in Europe and Asia earlier this year, are now available in the United States.
Sony beat rivals Apple and Samsung to market with its SmartWatch, and is now selling an updated model. At a price point of US$200, the Sony SmartWatch 2 offers NFC technology for one-tap pairing with devices running Android 4.0 or later. It has improved battery life and a noticeably larger 1.6-inch touchscreen with a 220×176 pixel resolution. It's also water resistant.
The SmartWatch 2 is compatible with the 200-plus apps that were developed for the original model. It can display SMS messages, calendar events, Gmail, and Facebook and Twitter posts. The SmartWatch 2 remedies some interface and usability issues that hampered the original model when it came out in early 2012.
Sony may have been the first to go the SmartWatch route, but the wearable tech trend is just beginning to pick up steam.
"We'll see most of the big names move into the smartwatch space," Chris Silva, principal analyst at High Rock Strategy, told TechNewsWorld..
"It'll be a while until it's a must-have, and it's still lacking a hero application that will drive a large number of consumers to spend $200 or more to have what amounts to a well-specced Bluetooth peripheral for their mobile phone."
Sony's Smart Strategy?
Although Sony recently announced that it would concentrate its smartphone efforts in the European and Japanese markets, it apparently has changed course, as it has brought the Xperia Z1 and the Xperia Z Ultra to the American market. However, they are being sold unlocked through Sony's Web store rather than through the carriers.
The Xperia Z1, priced at $670, offers a 5-inch Triluminous display with 1080p resolution. It runs on a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, and features a 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera.
The Xperia Z Ultra goes a size up with a 6.4-inch Triluminous 1080p display. It features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and is also powered by the Snapdragon 800 processor. It is available for $650 for HSPA+ networks and $680 for LTE. It is also water- and dust-resistant and comes with a stylus. Both devices run the Android 4.2 operating system.
Little Wow Factor
It doesn't appear that Sony's Smartwatch 2 and Xperia smartphones will be generating heat in the U.S. market any time soon.
"I don't see any wow factor in the new Sony mobile products," Stephen Blum, mobile analyst with Tellus Venture Associates, told TechNewsWorld.
"The smartphones look like standard, high-end Android devices, and the smartwatch seems more or less in line with Samsung's Gear, although the fact that it can be used with any late-model Android device — or so they say — is a competitive advantage," he added.
"Nothing too groundbreaking here," remarked Silva. "However, it's interesting to note the lack of LTE support in the X1 device for the U.S.
"Increasingly a table-stakes feature, it's curious why it was left out of a device that does not seem to be marketed as low-cost and therefore [is] shortchanged on features," he said.
Niche Market
Sony may be satisfied with carving out a niche for its mobile but even that could be a tall order given the dominance of Samsung and Apple. Sony could face the same issues that have plagued BlackBerry and Nokia.
"Sony is not nearly as prevalent or viewed in the same way as other CE companies like Samsung. I don't think their lack of bleeding-edge tech has the same impact on their brand as the overall collapse of BlackBerry's somewhat unique market," observed Silva.
"It's also worth noting that Sony maintains a very positive brand image to varying degrees in certain markets, while BlackBerry's numbers are beginning to show nearly universal distaste for the product, based on what's shipping," he noted.
Sony has an advantage, as it can tie in with its entertainment brands — something that Samsung can do to a degree, but that BlackBerry, Nokia and Motorola cannot.
Sony already has a "footprint in the living room, and especially with a connected, highly social device — the PlayStation," stressed Silva. "Microsoft offers good tie-ins from Windows Phone to Xbox, but the overall volume of Windows Phone users is too low. Samsung lacks a true entertainment device, and their integration of all but the latest of their mobile devices with things like SmartTV has been poorly executed at best."
Great Devices That Don't Draw
Sony could be "suffering from the same disease as Nokia and HTC — building great devices that don't sell as well as they should," Roger Entner, principal analyst at Recon Analytics, told TechNewsWorld.
"The key difference between those handset manufacturers and Apple [and] Samsung is that the latter two have taken a very deliberate step to do their own significant marketing campaigns — and we are talking here in the $200 million-plus range per year. If you fall below that, you get lost in the clutter and you are wasting your money."
It is worth noting that Sony could very easily live with or without a presence in the mobile phone space.
"Sony is a diversified consumer electronics and digital content company," Blum pointed out. "Like LG, it has a relatively small market share across a wide range of products, sectors and industries. Its competitive advantage is its brand. Today's product announcements are more than enough to keep Sony in the game for the coming months."