Abstarct

Water distribution systems are generally operated so as to provide enough pressure at all nodes that are critical in terms of pressure in the network. But, instead of applying an operational plan that fits the flowrate fluctuations in the hours of a day and thus minimizes the energy consumption, for the operation practicality, a complaints-based operational procedure in which pressures at all nodes are well above the minimum allowable pressure limit is preferred. In water distribution systems, improvement of the operational procedure of the network based on time, the amount of consumed water and pressures at the nodes allows both to reduce water losses in the network, to enhance sustainability and also to provide energy efficiency. In water distribution systems, energy consumption, one of the major expenses for local governments today, can be decreased significantly by optimization of water network operations. In this study, the water network of an organized industrial district was considered as the case water network. There operational zones in the network were identified based on the differences in water consumption patterns. With considering minimum and maximum water consumptions as the extreme conditions for flowrate, eight scenarios were identified for two flowrates (i.e. minimum and maximum) and three operational zones. Hydraulic conditions for these scenarios were then analyzed by hydraulic simulations in EPANET 2. In order to assess energy savings via operational improvements, two different operational procedures were identified for the case water network: (i) base operational procedure and (ii) improved operational procedure. As the result of the study, improved operational procedure reduced energy consumption almost 16% for the case water network. Unit energy consumption lowered from 0.314 kWh/m³ for base operation procedure to 0.261 kWh/m³ for improved operational procedure. This study indicates that EPANET, a hydraulic simulation software, can effectively be applied in the planning of operational improvements of water distribution networks. Keywords: Water distribution network, Pump, pressure, Operation, EPANET, Energy efficiency

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Recommended citation: Sarptaş, H.; Tokgöz Güneş, S.; Özdağlar, D. (2017): “Improvement of the operation of a water distribution network in terms of energy efficiency via hydraulic simulation with EPANET “, Pamukkale University Journal of Engineering Sciences (PAJES), 23, (9), 1027-1033.