Real-Time Generation of Operational Characteristic Curves for Municipal Water Pumping Systems: An Approach to Energy Efficiency and Carbon Footprint

Abstract

Water supply represents a significant electrical load worldwide. The operation of inefficient pumps contributes to increased energy demand and carbon footprint. Current methods for evaluating industrial water pumps present technical and economic challenges that need to be addressed. For these reasons, we developed a practical and cost-effective virtual instrument called the Pumping Evaluation System (PES). The PES tool performs real-time monitoring of electrical, hydraulic, and efficiency data, as well as the Operating Characteristic (OC) curves. The PES tool was implemented on a vertical pump currently used by a municipal water distribution plant in Mexicali, Mexico. A comparative analysis between the experimental data and the manufacturer’s data revealed potential energy savings of 361,455 kWh/year (24.35%) and an equivalent carbon footprint reduction of 157,233 kg of CO2eq/year if the old pump is replaced by a new one, which is the lowest cost alternative according to a Life Cycle Cost (LCC).