Optimisation of pump operations in water distribution systems taking into account the seasonality of the demand

Abstract

Although the optimisation of pump operations in water distribution systems has previously been researched considering different types of pumps and controls, the variation of the water demand throughout the year and its impact on pumping have never been considered explicitly. This paper analyses two different demand patterns, characterized by a different degree of variability throughout the year, and their effects on pumping operations. A case study is presented that considers different pump types (fixed speed pumps and variable speed pumps) and the different monthly demand patterns. The comparison of results shows that the optimisation of variable speed pumps can lead to more effective pump controls, especially when the demand variability is larger. In addition, pump operations are optimised taking into account a seasonal temporal resolution: results show up to 12.5% in possible savings, highlighting the importance of considering seasonality in the optimisation of pump operations.