Pump efficiency analysis for proper energy assessment in optimization of water supply systems

Abstract

Water supply systems need to be designed accounting for both construction and operational costs. When the installation requires water pumping, it is key for the operational costs to know how well the pump can perform. So far, pump efficiency has been considered using conservative values, in the absence of a better estimation. The aim of this paper was to improve determining the energy costs by clarifying what the value of the pump performance should be. For this, 226 commercial pumps were studied, registering the efficiency at the optimum operating point, as well as other variables such as the flow rate, height, and pump type. As a result, a strong relationship between the pump performance and the discharge flow was spotted. That allowed the generation of an empirical curve, which can be used by designers to anticipate what pump efficiency can be expected. The results are used in a simple case study using the Granados Optimization System. These achievements can be implemented in design policies for a better energy assessment in the optimization of water supply systems.