Optimal Selection of Pumps As Turbines in Water Distribution Networks

Francesco Pugliese,Nicola Fontana,Maurizio Giugni,Gustavo Marini,Francesco De Paola

doi:10.3390/proceedings2110685

Francesco Pugliese, Nicola Fontana + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2110685

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Publication Date: Jul 31, 2018
Citations: 2	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Naples Federico II, University of Sannio

Abstract

Pumps As Turbines (PATs) can be installed in Water Distribution Networks (WDNs) to couple pressure regulation and small-scale hydropower generation. The selection of PATs in WDNs needs proper knowledge about both the performances of machines available in the market and the operating conditions of the network. In this paper, a procedure for the preliminary selection of a PAT is proposed, based on the design of the main parameters (the head drop and the produced power at the Best Efficiency Point, the impeller diameter and the rotational speed) to both maximize the producible power and regulate the exceeding pressure.

Highlights

In the last years, the use of micro-turbines and/or Pumps As Turbines (PATs) in WaterDistribution Networks (WDNs), instead of Pressure Reducing Valves (PRVs), is attracting significant attention, because they allow both pressure regulation and small-scale hydropower generation.The installation of PATs is an effective alternative to micro-turbines, since can combine high efficiency, low investment and maintenance costs, ease of installation and spare-parts procurement [1]
One of the main issues arising from the use of PATs for power generation is the lack of knowledge about their characteristic curves, only rarely provided by manufactures
Several models were proposed to predict the PAT performances; many of them were devoted to predict the characteristics at the Best Efficiency Point (BEP), as a function of the performances at BEP in pump mode, through one-dimensional formulations, as summarized in [2]

Summary

Introduction

The use of micro-turbines and/or Pumps As Turbines (PATs) in WaterDistribution Networks (WDNs), instead of Pressure Reducing Valves (PRVs), is attracting significant attention, because they allow both pressure regulation and small-scale hydropower generation.The installation of PATs is an effective alternative to micro-turbines, since can combine high efficiency, low investment and maintenance costs, ease of installation and spare-parts procurement [1]. One of the main issues arising from the use of PATs for power generation is the lack of knowledge about their characteristic curves, only rarely provided by manufactures. The Affinity Laws [3] are widely applied to reproduce the performances of turbo-machines operating in similitude, as well. Their reliability results not highly effective for several pump models running as turbines, such as semi-axial and submersible models [4]. Equations were given in dimensionless terms with respect to the BEP The reliability of such curves was limited to specific speeds in direct operation Nsp up to 60 and flow rate numbers φ up to 0.40, where: Proceedings 2018, 2, 685; doi:10.3390/proceedings2110685 www.mdpi.com/journal/proceedings

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