METODOLOGÍA PARA PROYECTOS DE ESTACIONES DE BOMBEO DIRECTO A LA RED CONSIDERANDO LA ESTRATEGIA DE REGULACIÓN

Abstract

Classic projects of pumping stations are made considering as a starting point the maximum flow to be supplied and the necessary pressure head. Based on these parameters, the pumps are selected and, subsequently, depending on the expected demand variation, the most appropriate operation mode is determined. This paper proposes an alternative methodology where the pumping groups selection process includes, before selecting the equipment, an estimate of the operation cost based on the study of different operation modes of the pumps. The method involves a multicriteria selection in which the investment costs (pumping equipment, hydraulic installations, electrical and control equipment) and operating costs are considered. These operating costs consider the different ways of operating the system (fixed speed pumps, variable speed pumps or a combination of both). The proposed method is applied to several actual pumping stations where water demands and pressure requirements are known. The results are presented using a Pareto diagram in which all the possible solutions and all the potential operation modes are illustrated.