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    IWA - Water 21 - Feb 2014

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    jeddpt
    The document discusses potential energy savings from optimizing wastewater pumping systems in Portugal. It describes how pump costs are a major operating expense for utilities. Three wastewater pumping stations in Portugal were assessed for possible energy optimization plans. Analysis found the pumps were oversized and operating inefficiently below peak capacity much of the time. Implementing smaller "pony pumps" at one station could reduce energy consumption by 42% with an eight month payback period. Replacing impellers at two other stations, where pump efficiency had deteriorated by 50%, could save 20-30% on operating costs. Regular monitoring and reassessment is needed to ensure continued energy savings.

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    IWA - Water 21 - Feb 2014

    Uploaded by

    jeddpt
    40 views1 page
    The document discusses potential energy savings from optimizing wastewater pumping systems in Portugal. It describes how pump costs are a major operating expense for utilities. Three wastewater pumping stations in Portugal were assessed for possible energy optimization plans. Analysis found the pumps were oversized and operating inefficiently below peak capacity much of the time. Implementing smaller "pony pumps" at one station could reduce energy consumption by 42% with an eight month payback period. Replacing impellers at two other stations, where pump efficiency had deteriorated by 50%, could save 20-30% on operating costs. Regular monitoring and reassessment is needed to ensure continued energy savings.

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    IWA_Water 21_Feb 2014 Potential for Energy Efficiency Optimization in WWPS

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    IWA_Water 21_Feb 2014

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    The document discusses potential energy savings from optimizing wastewater pumping systems in Portugal. It describes how pump costs are a major operating expense for utilities. Three wastewater pumping stations in Portugal were assessed for possible energy optimization plans. Analysis found the pumps were oversized and operating inefficiently below peak capacity much of the time. Implementing smaller "pony pumps" at one station could reduce energy consumption by 42% with an eight month payback period. Replacing impellers at two other stations, where pump efficiency had deteriorated by 50%, could save 20-30% on operating costs. Regular monitoring and reassessment is needed to ensure continued energy savings.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    40 views1 page

    IWA - Water 21 - Feb 2014

    Uploaded by

    jeddpt
    The document discusses potential energy savings from optimizing wastewater pumping systems in Portugal. It describes how pump costs are a major operating expense for utilities. Three wastewater pumping stations in Portugal were assessed for possible energy optimization plans. Analysis found the pumps were oversized and operating inefficiently below peak capacity much of the time. Implementing smaller "pony pumps" at one station could reduce energy consumption by 42% with an eight month payback period. Replacing impellers at two other stations, where pump efficiency had deteriorated by 50%, could save 20-30% on operating costs. Regular monitoring and reassessment is needed to ensure continued energy savings.

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    NETWORKS

    Potential for energy efciency


    optimisation in wastewater
    pumping systems
    Pump costs are a signicant element of a utilitys operating budget,
    so optimising wastewater pumping can provide a major opportunity
    to reduce operating costs. EDUARDO VIVAS and PEDRO LEITE describe an
    assessment undertaken in Portugal that identied signicant savings.
    he cost of pumping often
    represents the single largest
    operating budget item in water
    and wastewater systems.
    Optimising energy use in wastewater pumping systems may
    provide an opportunity to reduce
    utilities operational costs and
    contribute to reducing their
    carbon footprint (HI & PSM,
    2008;Ainger et al, 2009). For this
    reason, three main wastewater
    pumping stations in Portugal,
    operated by guas e Parque
    Biolgico de Gaia, EEM (Esprito
    Santo (175kW, 420 l/s),Valadares
    (41kW, 161 l/s) and Afurada
    (33kW, 246 l/s)) were assessed
    for the possible implementation
    of energy optimisation plans.
    At pump level, the efciency of the
    equipment may differ considerably
    from the theoretical information
    provided by manufacturers.This
    mainly happens because the pump
    may run below its best efciency, or
    because pump efciency signicantly
    deteriorates over time (EC, 2001).
    In this context continuous pump
    performance and efciency monitoring should be considered for the
    most critical and energy intensive
    pumps in any system.
    Nevertheless, the largest energy
    savings may be achieved at system level
    through better design and control of
    pumping systems (EC, 2001). In fact,
    global efciency mainly depends on

    Afurada pumping
    station. The sytem
    showed signicant
    pump efciency
    deterioration, so
    the impellers were
    replaced.

    the ability to cope with varying


    inows, even if the installed pump
    has a reasonable level of efciency for
    the operating point. Utilities should,
    then, perform regular energy optimisation studies, based on hydraulic models
    and actual pump performance and
    efciency curves, to ensure that the
    best solution is being adopted.
    Wherever this is not the case,
    a nancial evaluation of possible
    energy optimisation solutions should
    be considered, such as variable speed
    drives, multiple parallel pumps, pony
    pumps (smaller capacity pumps), and
    so on.
    Energy optimisation plans
    A new assessment and design approach
    for overall energy costs is needed as
    a result of real operating conditions.
    Developing energy optimisation
    plans could be considered.
    For this, an estimation of the
    possible expected inows (a ow
    duration curve) at the pumping
    station must be obtained.With that

    About the authors


    Eduardo Vivas is
    an Invited
    Professor at
    Instituto Superior
    de Engenharia do
    Porto, Porto,
    Portugal. Email:
    ebv@isep.ipp.pt
    Pedro Leite is a
    Civil Engineer at
    NORAQUA, Lda,
    Portugal. Email:
    pedro.leite@
    noraqua.pt

    The importance of energy management in wastewater treatment


    The two major energy consumers in a wastewater system are the pumping systems and the treatment
    process, explains Eduardo Vivas. The [energy used by the] pumping systems may reach a third or more
    [of overall usage], but it varies widely since it depends on the number and size of the pumping systems,
    and also on the type of the existing treatment process.
    A new design and assessment approach was needed, he explains, as pumps are mainly chosen as
    being the most efcient pump for the worst expected conditions (highest ow) in the system. However,
    he says, systems where the pumping equipment is integrated normally have inferior pumping ow needs
    compared to the design ow, for a very long period of time. This situation means that during this low ow
    period the system will be operating at a higher power and, consequently, with a higher energy consumption
    than needed. Therefore, a different assessment approach [was needed] that could take into account the
    ow variability of the system (existing or expected) and adjust [pump operation] to meet the real needs.

    40

    WATER21 FEBRUARY 2014

    data, it is possible to model system


    behaviour and explore, through
    simulation, different pumping
    station congurations.
    Applying these plans can be
    divided into ve major stages:
    Overall urban system assessment:
    identify the systems potential
    critical points and guide the
    collection of data for infrastructures
    with high optimisation potential.
    Analysis of real operational
    conditions: continuously measure
    inows and undertake pump
    performance tests to evaluate
    system performance
    Assessment of optimisation
    solutions: simulate the actual
    behaviour of the pumping system,
    and test and evaluate efciency
    improvements with the optimisation
    solutions
    Financial analysis: evaluate potential
    investments through Life Cycle
    Cost analysis
    Follow up of optimisation results:
    measure the actual reduction in
    energy costs and check that the
    implemented solutions are adequate
    for the operating conditions
    Case studies
    Analysis of the real operating conditions in the Esprito Santo system
    showed that the existing pumps are
    oversized for the inows measured.
    Several possible optimisation solutions
    were tested, but installing a pony pump
    offered the highest reduction in energy
    consumption (up to 42%), with a
    payback of eight months.
    On the other hand, theValadares
    and Afurada systems showed signicant
    pump efciency deterioration (about
    50%).Therefore, it was considered
    that the best optimisation solution
    was to replace the existing impellers
    at both stations, which could bring
    20% and 30% savings in operating
    costs respectively.
    It should be stressed that a signicant
    reduction in impeller efciency during
    the initial period can derail these
    savings, which is why pump efciency
    must be regularly checked.
    References
    Ainger, C, Butler, D, Caffor, I, Crawford-Brown,
    D, Helm, D and Stephenson,T, (2009),A low
    carbon water industry in 2050, Report:
    SC070010/R3, Resource Efciency
    Programme, Evidence Directorate, EA, UK.
    EC (2001), Study on improving the energy
    efciency of pumps, European Commission,
    ETSU, CETIM,TFA, DavidT. Reeves
    Consultant, NESA, available on:
    http://iet.jrc.ec.europa.eu.
    HI, PSM (2008), Optimising pumping
    systems a guide for improved energy efciency,
    reliability and protability, Hydraulic Institute,
    Pump Systems Matter, 1st edition, USA.

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