Pump as turbine implementation in a dynamic numerical model: cost analysis for energy recovery in water distribution network

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro De Marchis ◽  
Gabriele Freni

In complex systems characterized by the presence of private tanks and water scarcity conditions, water managers usually apply intermittent distribution, trying to reduce the water volumes supplied to the users and pipe leakages, or use pressure reduction valves for controlling pressure in the network. The application of pumps as turbines (PATs) appears as an alternative and sustainable solution to either control network pressure or produce energy. In the present paper, the economic benefit of PAT application in water distribution networks was investigated in a small district of Palermo network (Italy). The analysis of energy recovery, carried out by means of a numerical model based on the method of characteristics, shows that PATs can lead to a very attractive economical benefit in terms of energy production.

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 ◽  
pp. 439-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. De Marchis ◽  
C.M. Fontanazza ◽  
G. Freni ◽  
A. Messineo ◽  
B. Milici ◽  
...  

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacopo Carlo Alberizzi ◽  
Massimiliano Renzi ◽  
Maurizio Righetti ◽  
Giuseppe Roberto Pisaturo ◽  
Mosè Rossi

The use of Pumps-as-Turbines (PaTs) to replace hydraulic turbines as energy-recovery units in industrial and civil applications is widening the penetration of hydropower in small-scale plants. PaTs show advantages in terms of installation costs and the availability of solutions. Water Distribution Networks (WDNs) represent a potential application where PaTs can be installed to recover water-pressure energy. In this work, a MATLAB©–Simulink model of a WDN branch located in South-Tyrol (Italy) was developed. The flow rate of the WDN was assessed though a measurement campaign showing high daily variability, which negatively affect PaT performance. To let the machine operate close to the Best Efficiency Point (BEP), four different operating strategies were studied to meet the constraint of a fixed pressure equal to 4 bar downstream the WDN branch, required to supply water to users. A PaT speed control strategy was implemented, granting better exploitation of flow rates even in the presence of high daily fluctuations. Energy recovery was 23% higher than that of the reference thanks to an advanced strategy based on controlling PaT rotational speed when the flow rate is smaller than that of the design, and operating in off-design conditions when flow rate is higher than that of the BEP.


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Puleo ◽  
Chiara Maria Fontanazza ◽  
Vincenza Notaro ◽  
Mauro De Marchis ◽  
Gabriele Freni ◽  
...  

A hydraulic model was developed in order to evaluate the potential energy recovery from the use of centrifugal pumps as turbines (PATs) in a water distribution network characterized by the presence of private tanks. The model integrates the Global Gradient Algorithm (GGA), with a pressure-driven model that permits a more realistic representation of the influence on the network behaviour of the private tanks filling and emptying. The model was applied to a real case study: a District Metered Area in Palermo (Italy). Three different scenarios were analysed and compared with a baseline scenario (Scenario 0 – no PAT installed) to identify the system configuration with added PATs that permits the maximal energy recovery without penalizing the hydraulic network performance. In scenarios involving PAT on service connections, the specification of PAT operational parameters was also evaluated by means of Monte Carlo Analysis. The centralized solution with a PAT installed downstream of the inlet node of the analysed district, combined with local PATs on the larger service connections, proves to be the most energy-efficient scenario.


Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilker Telci ◽  
Mustafa Aral

Micro hydropower generators (micro turbines), are used to recover excess energy from hydraulic systems and these applications have important potential in renewable energy production. One of the most viable environments for the use of micro turbines is the water distribution network where, by design, there is always excess energy since minimum pressures are to be maintained throughout the system, and the system is designed to meet future water supply needs of a planning period. Under these circumstances, maintaining the target pressures is not an easy task due to the increasing complexity of the water distribution network to supply future demands. As a result, pressures at several locations of the network tend to be higher than the required minimum pressures. In this paper, we outline a methodology to recover this excess energy using smart operation management and the best placement of micro turbines in the system. In this approach, the best micro turbine locations and their operation schedule is determined to recover as much available excess energy as possible from the water distribution network while satisfying the current demand for water supply and pressure. Genetic algorithms (GAs) are used to obtain optimal solutions and a “smart seeding” approach is developed to improve the performance of the GA. The Dover Township pump-driven water distribution system in New Jersey, United States of America (USA) was selected as the study area to test the proposed methodology. This pump-driven network was also converted into a hypothetical gravity-driven network to observe the differences between the energy recovery potential of the pump-driven and gravity-driven systems. The performance of the energy recovery system was evaluated by calculating the equivalent number of average American homes that can be fed by the energy produced and the resulting carbon-dioxide emission reductions that may be achieved. The results show that this approach is an effective tool for applications in renewable energy production in water distribution systems for small towns such as Dover Township. It is expected that, for larger water distribution systems with high energy usage, the energy recovery potential will be much higher.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Gabriella Balacco ◽  
Mario Binetti ◽  
Tommaso Capurso ◽  
Michele Stefanizzi ◽  
Marco Torresi ◽  
...  

This paper expands on the results of the technical and economic feasibility analysis of substituting existing pressure reduction valves (PRVs) with pumps used as turbines (PaTs) in two real Italian water distribution networks (WDN), chosen as case studies, aiming at effective energy recovery. Water demand variability makes complex the selection of the right pump to be used as a turbine in a WDN maximizing its annual electric energy yield. Hence, this study describes an effective approach that permits us to identify the most suitable pumps, starting from the definition of the best efficiency points at which they should operate in reverse mode.


2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-38
Author(s):  
A. Asakura ◽  
A. Koizumi ◽  
O. Odanagi ◽  
H. Watanabe ◽  
T. Inakazu

In Japan most of the water distribution networks were constructed during the 1960s to 1970s. Since these pipelines were used for a long period, pipeline rehabilitation is necessary to maintain water supply. Although investment for pipeline rehabilitation has to be planned in terms of cost-effectiveness, no standard method has been established because pipelines were replaced on emergency and ad hoc basis in the past. In this paper, a method to determine the maintenance of the water supply on an optimal basis with a fixed budget for a water distribution network is proposed. Firstly, a method to quantify the benefits of pipeline rehabilitation is examined. Secondly, two models using Integer Programming and Monte Carlo simulation to maximize the benefits of pipeline rehabilitation with limited budget were considered, and they are applied to a model case and a case study. Based on these studies, it is concluded that the Monte Carlo simulation model to calculate the appropriate investment for the pipeline rehabilitation planning is both convenient and practical.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 691
Author(s):  
Aida Mérida García ◽  
Juan Antonio Rodríguez Díaz ◽  
Jorge García Morillo ◽  
Aonghus McNabola

The use of micro-hydropower (MHP) for energy recovery in water distribution networks is becoming increasingly widespread. The incorporation of this technology, which offers low-cost solutions, allows for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions linked to energy consumption. In this work, the MHP energy recovery potential in Spain from all available wastewater discharges, both municipal and private industrial, was assessed, based on discharge licenses. From a total of 16,778 licenses, less than 1% of the sites presented an MHP potential higher than 2 kW, with a total power potential between 3.31 and 3.54 MW. This total was distributed between industry, fish farms and municipal wastewater treatment plants following the proportion 51–54%, 14–13% and 35–33%, respectively. The total energy production estimated reached 29 GWh∙year−1, from which 80% corresponded to sites with power potential over 15 kW. Energy-related industries, not included in previous investigations, amounted to 45% of the total energy potential for Spain, a finding which could greatly influence MHP potential estimates across the world. The estimated energy production represented a potential CO2 emission savings of around 11 thousand tonnes, with a corresponding reduction between M€ 2.11 and M€ 4.24 in the total energy consumption in the country.


Water ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Sinagra ◽  
Vincenzo Sammartano ◽  
Gabriele Morreale ◽  
Tullio Tucciarelli

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 731-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
MASSIMILIANO CATTAFI ◽  
MARCO GAVANELLI ◽  
MADDALENA NONATO ◽  
STEFANO ALVISI ◽  
MARCO FRANCHINI

AbstractThis paper presents a new application of logic programming to a real-life problem in hydraulic engineering. The work is developed as a collaboration of computer scientists and hydraulic engineers, and applies Constraint Logic Programming to solve a hard combinatorial problem. This application deals with one aspect of the design of a water distribution network, i.e., the valve isolation system design. We take the formulation of the problem by Giustolisi and Savić (2008 Optimal design of isolation valve system for water distribution networks. InProceedings of the 10th Annual Water Distribution Systems Analysis Conference WDSA2008, J. Van Zyl, A. Ilemobade, and H. Jacobs, Eds.) and show how, thanks to constraint propagation, we can get better solutions than the best solution known in the literature for the Apulian distribution network. We believe that the area of the so-calledhydroinformaticscan benefit from the techniques developed in Constraint Logic Programming and possibly from other areas of logic programming, such as Answer Set Programming.


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