Localização otimizada de estações elevatórias de reforço (boosters) em redes de distribuição de água

Abstract

The Pumping Stations have an important role in the Water Distribution Netwoks (WDNs), representing one of the main operating expenses of the system. Therefore, efficient pumps and motors, and a good operating strategy, are important to reduce operational costs. To evaluate the performance of the machines, a great effort have been made by some governments and institutes, classifying the equipment according to its efficiency, allowing an easy and fast comparison among the products. Despite this information, pump selection remains a complex problem, as WDNs dynamic behavior imposes different operating conditions, changing pump efficiency, which may be far from its Best Efficiency Point (BEP), increasing overall energy consumption. Thus, the optimization of pumping stations operation in the water distribution networks has been widely studied, mainly with the development of speed driver, which allow the machines to adjust the hydraulic power according to the required demands. In this context, this study has the general objective of developing an optimization model that allows the analysis of the most economical and efficient alternatives for pumping treated water in water distribution networks. The selection of the pump with the best operating point and the number of pumps operating in parallel in the network are defined using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique, minimizing energy costs and water losses. The optimized location of the pumping stations is done by the analysis of the trunk network, obtained through graph theory. The Trunk Network (TN) pipes are important for the entire system, as they serve a large number of consumers and, therefore, the location of the pumping stations will be prioritized in these tubes. The optimization model was applied to three fictitious water distribution networks commonly studied in the literature: Anytown, NET3 and D-Town. The research shows that allowing a more flexible operational routine for the pumps and optimizing the location of the Boosters in the network can provide a more efficient operation of the WDN.