This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Pressure Reducing Valves (PRV) have been widely used as a device to control pressure at nodes in water distribution networks and thus reduce leakages. However, an energy dissipation takes place during PRV operation. Thus, micro-hydropower turbines and, more precisely, Pump As Turbines (PAT) could be used as both leakage control and energy generating devices, thus contributing to a more sustainable water supply network. Studies providing clear guidelines for the determination of the most cost-effective device (PRV or PAT) analysing a wide database and considering all the costs involved, the water saving and the eventual power generation, have not been carried out to date. A model to determine the most cost-effective device has been developed, taking into account the Net Present Value (NPV). The model has been applied to two case studies: A database with 156 PRVs sites located in the UK; and a rural water supply network in Ireland with three PRVs. The application of the model showed that although the investment cost associated to the PRV installation is lower in the majority of cases, the NPV over the lifespan of the PAT is higher than the NPV associated with the PRV operation. Furthermore, the ratio between the NPV and the water saved over the lifespan of the PAT/PRV also offered higher values (from 6% to 29%) for the PAT installation, making PATs a more cost-effective and more sustainable means of pressure control in water distribution networks. Finally, the development of less expensive turbines and/or PATs adapted to work under different flow-head conditions will tip the balance toward the installation of these devices even further.
Irene Fernández García; Daniele Novara; Aonghus Mc Nabola. A Model for Selecting the Most Cost-Effective Pressure Control Device for More Sustainable Water Supply Networks. Water 2019, 11, 1297 .
AMA StyleIrene Fernández García, Daniele Novara, Aonghus Mc Nabola. A Model for Selecting the Most Cost-Effective Pressure Control Device for More Sustainable Water Supply Networks. Water. 2019; 11 (6):1297.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIrene Fernández García; Daniele Novara; Aonghus Mc Nabola. 2019. "A Model for Selecting the Most Cost-Effective Pressure Control Device for More Sustainable Water Supply Networks." Water 11, no. 6: 1297.
Pumps used as Turbines (PATs) are a viable and low-cost technology of energy converters suitable for small-scale and in-pipe energy generation from water resources. However, amongst the main barriers to PAT technology diffusion is the unavailability of the characteristic curves of most hydraulic pumps on the market when used as turbines. Several methods exist in the literature to derive the shape of head and power characteristic curves of a PAT knowing its Best Efficiency Point (BEP). Such methods based on fixed-coefficient polynomials have been assessed here in a cross-comparison and a new method was developed based on a database of 113 experimentally tested PAT curves, which proved to reproduce the behaviour of the sampled machines more accurately by improving the overall goodness of fit up to 60%, 37% and 5% according to the different selected indicators. Finally, the mechanical efficiency and system efficiency of a PAT under variable flow rates has been compared and contrasted with that of conventional hydro turbines.
Daniele Novara; Aonghus McNabola. A model for the extrapolation of the characteristic curves of Pumps as Turbines from a datum Best Efficiency Point. Energy Conversion and Management 2018, 174, 1 -7.
AMA StyleDaniele Novara, Aonghus McNabola. A model for the extrapolation of the characteristic curves of Pumps as Turbines from a datum Best Efficiency Point. Energy Conversion and Management. 2018; 174 ():1-7.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniele Novara; Aonghus McNabola. 2018. "A model for the extrapolation of the characteristic curves of Pumps as Turbines from a datum Best Efficiency Point." Energy Conversion and Management 174, no. : 1-7.
REDAWN project will foster the adoption of hydropower energy recovery technology in built water networks in the Atlantic Area (AA). REDAWN will develop an adequate institutional, social and technological environment to foster greater resource efficiency in water networks. Pumps working as turbines (PAT) and other converters (wheels) became attractive to improve the water sector energy efficiency. However, the behavior of these devices are complex and it is difficult know its behavior. To overcome this problem, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models were used in conjunction with the conceptualization and laboratory tests to explore its performance. Different modes were tested and simulated: single PAT mode and in parallel in pressurized pipe systems and a wheel in an open channel flow.
Helena M. Ramos; Mariana Simão; Aonghus McNabola; Daniele Novara; Armando Carravetta. Fostering Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency in the Water Sector Using PATs and Wheels. Proceedings 2018, 2, 1438 .
AMA StyleHelena M. Ramos, Mariana Simão, Aonghus McNabola, Daniele Novara, Armando Carravetta. Fostering Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency in the Water Sector Using PATs and Wheels. Proceedings. 2018; 2 (23):1438.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHelena M. Ramos; Mariana Simão; Aonghus McNabola; Daniele Novara; Armando Carravetta. 2018. "Fostering Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency in the Water Sector Using PATs and Wheels." Proceedings 2, no. 23: 1438.
Pumps As Turbines (PATs) are a class of unconventional hydraulic turbines consisting of standard water pumps working in reverse mode as the prime mover. Such devices can be well suited for either in-pipe energy recovery or small-scale hydropower, but their practical application is hampered by the lack of comprehensive guidelines able to assist the designer in the determination of the optimal plant layout and the choice of equipment. In fact, the performances of a PAT will depend on factors such as its construction type, its size and the flow conditions under which the machine is expected to operate. Ultimately, the design of a PAT-based hydro scheme is a matter of trade-offs which are in most cases not trivial. An innovative software was developed in order to assist hydro designers and provide a visual aid when choosing between different layouts of the analyzed hydro scheme (e.g., more than one PAT in series/parallel, different shaft speeds), and has been applied to a real case study of energy recovery in a water network.
Daniele Novara; Aonghus McNabola. The Development of a Decision Support Software for the Design of Micro-Hydropower Schemes Utilizing a Pump as Turbine. Proceedings 2018, 2, 678 .
AMA StyleDaniele Novara, Aonghus McNabola. The Development of a Decision Support Software for the Design of Micro-Hydropower Schemes Utilizing a Pump as Turbine. Proceedings. 2018; 2 (11):678.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDaniele Novara; Aonghus McNabola. 2018. "The Development of a Decision Support Software for the Design of Micro-Hydropower Schemes Utilizing a Pump as Turbine." Proceedings 2, no. 11: 678.