Full Description

Most of the electrical cost associated with the water treatment process can be attributed to high service pumping. Overall electrical savings can be achieved through better selection of pump combinations and peak load can be reduced through better use of elevated storage. The City of Arlington, Texas, developed an Expert System for Energy Management (ESEM) to assist water treatment plant operators in making a more logical selection of high service pumps. The ESEM software is made up of three components: a time series analysis component for forecasting future demand, a dynamic programming algorithm module for optimal pump selection, and a knowledge based system. Two hardware components are required: a computer to collect and archive data (called a CADA) and a personal computer; the personal computer interfaces with the CADA. The operating cycle runs continuously, beginning with the ESEM extracting the required data from the CADA system and generating a consumption demand schedule for the next 24 hours. The operator has the opportunity to modify the demand schedule (because the model cannot take into account weather or catastrophic events). Once the demand schedule is finalized, the pump optimization algorithm can generate a pumping schedule for the next 24 hours that will minimize peak electrical consumption. In theory ESEM works like a charm, but has yet to prove itself in the real world.

Product Details

Published: 01/01/1991 ISBN(s): 0898675812 Number of Pages: 8File Size: 1 file , 310 KB