Maximizing the Hydraulic Performance of Khomam Water Distribution Network with Optimal Planning of the Number and Speed of Pumps

In recent decades, due to the limitations of water resources, much research has been done in relation to the optimal operation of water distribution networks. In this regard, the use of appropriate methods to control and set the performance of pumps, valves, reservoirs and tanks in these systems are of considerable importance. In this paper, the aim is to regulate the optimal number and speed of pumps in pumping stations to maximize the hydraulic performance of water distribution networks. For this purpose, a new index is presented based on the pump speed optimization process to determine the number of turn-on pumps. In addition, the Nodal Pressure Reliability Index (NPRI) is used to evaluate the hydraulic performance of the network. The hydraulic analysis of the network is performed using EPANET and the optimization process is performed using the Modified Standard Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (MSPSO), both of which are done in MATLAB code. The proposed method has been implemented in the form of four scenarios on the Khomam water distribution network, Gilan province. Scenarios include current status with Single Speed Pumps (SSP), Best Setting of Rotational Speed Pumps (BSRSP), Best Number of Turn on Single Speed Pumps (BNTSSP) and Best Number and Speed of Turn on Rotational Speed Pumps (BNSTRSP). Comparison of the results shows that the BSRSP and BNSTRSP scenarios with the slightest difference have the highest reliability and the lowest leakage. So that they increase the reliability of the network by 66.10 and 66.06 percent, respectively, and reduce the leakage by 23.53 and 23.48 percent, respectively. However, in the BNSTRSP scenario, the number of turn-on pumps is 13.16 percent less than the BSRSP scenario. Also, in the BNTSSP scenario where the number of turn-on pumps is less than the SSP scenario, the reliability of the network increases 21.36 percent and the leakage rate decreases by 10.36 percent, which emphasizes the efficiency of the NTPI index in improving network performance. In general, determining the number of turn-on pumps in pumping stations and optimizing the speed of variable speed pumps has a significant effect on increasing the hydraulic performance of water distribution networks, which can be very effective in saving energy and water resources and increasing network performance.