PUMP AS TURBINE (PAT) IN INTERMITTENT DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS

A hydraulic model was performed in order to evaluate potential energy recovery resulting by the use of centrifugal pump as turbines (PAT) in the water distribution network characterized by the presence of private tanks. The model integrates the Enhanced Global Gradient Algorithm (EGGA) (Todini [1], Giustolisi et al. [2]), with a pressure driven model (Criminisi et al. [3]) that entails a more realistic representation of the influence of the private tanks filling and emptying process in the network behaviour. The model was applied to real case study: a district metered area in Palermo (Italy). Namely three different scenarios were analyzed and compared with the actual scenario (Scenario 0 - no PAT installed) to identify the system configuration with PAT that permit the major energy power recovery without penalizing the network hydraulic performances. The centralized solution with a single PAT installed downstream the inlet node of the analysed district was the best solution.