posted on 2017-09-01, 15:22authored byChristian-F. León-Celi, Pedro Iglesias-Rey, F. Javier Martinez-Solano, D. A. Savic, L. S. Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia
The pumping cost optimization still being a priority to minimize the operating costs in a water network due to the high cost of energy. In that context before to optimize the operation of installed pumps, it is required to find out the optimal operational points of each pump station independently of its associated features of flow rate and pumping head that are limited and limit the optimal solution. Thus, the aim of this work is to find the minimum energy curve (i.e. flow rate and pumping head) with the minimum cost that should be follow by each pump station to keep the minimum nodal pressure required by the network within a specific storage range in the tanks. This concept is known as setpoint curve. The objective function to be minimized considers the pumping cost with a diary structure of the energy fare, the water treatment costs and penalty costs related to the nodal pressure and the storage capacity of the network. To carry out the optimization the Differential Evolution algorithm has been applied. The proposed methodology has been tested in the water network D-town BWN II which has five pumping stations and seven tanks. Results show the maximum savings that it is possible to achieve in pump stations and gives important information to select a suitable pumping system that fit with the optimal operation of the network.