Economic Operation of Variable Speed and Blade Angle-Adjustable Pumping Stations of an Open-Channel Water Transfer Project

Abstract

A large amount of energy would be consumed for open-channel water transfer projects due to the low efficiency of pumping stations. One measure to improve the efficiency of a pumping station is to install variable-frequency drives (VFDs). In this paper, a discharge optimization model is proposed for a single pumping station equipped with different numbers of variable speed and blade angle-adjustable pump (VSBAP) units, and then a head optimization model is proposed for cascade pumping stations. The study on the Miyun Reservoir Regulation and Storage Project in China shows that the installation of VFDs can increase the number of operable conditions of a single BAP unit by changing the blade angle and speed and ensure the high efficiency of the pumping unit under most operating conditions, thus reducing the energy consumption of the pumping station. It is desirable to install two VFDs in the Tuancheng Lake–Huairou Reservoir section to ensure the long-term operation of the cascade pumping stations in an economically profitable way. In conclusion, the installation of VFDs can effectively reduce the operation cost of cascade pumping stations.