An energy optimization criterion for branched water networks

Abstract

Since hydraulic networks are dependent on energy for exploitation, their variable costs end up exceeding construction or fixed costs over time. The objective of this article is to minimize the exploitation cost of already existing simple branched networks and study the application of sectorization techniques along with the use of variable speed drives for energy efficiency purposes. A criterion is suggested to determine the circumstances under which it is advantageous to apply sectorization. A real case study is performed of an existing simple branched network which contains four hydraulic zones and is used for irrigation in the province of Segovia, Spain. The results indicate an energy savings of 7.52%, which could reach 26.31% by increasing the daily initial pumping schedule for initial pumping.

Since hydraulic networks are dependent on energy for exploitation, their variable costs end up exceeding construction or fixed costs over time. The objective of this article is to minimize the exploitation cost of already existing simple branched networks and study the application of sectorization techniques along with the use of variable speed drives for energy efficiency purposes. A criterion is suggested to determine the circumstances under which it is advantageous to apply sectorization. A real case study is performed of an existing simple branched network which contains four hydraulic zones and is used for irrigation in the province of Segovia, Spain. The results indicate an energy savings of 7.52%, which could reach 26.31% by increasing the daily initial pumping schedule for initial pumping.