Dr Karl Darbyshire

In the domestic water supply industry, the reduction of pumping costs is a continuing objective. With the efficient scheduling of pumping operations, it is considered that 10% of the annual expenditure on energy and related costs may be saved. A typical cost function will include all of the expenditure caused by the pumping process and also consider the electrical cost of pumping taking into account the various electrical tariffs, as well as peak demand and pump switching costs. Using only fixed speed pumps, it is possible to use an efficient dynamic programming based method, provided that the storage reservoir levels are known. Other techniques that are showing fruitful results in optimisation are genetic programming and simulated annealing. This paper compares these methods and discusses which is more appropriate in this type of pump scheduling problem.

The control of pH is important in many processes including wastewater treatment, chemical processes and biological processes. This paper considers a model reference non-linear controller developed by Jayadeva et al. (1990a). The method is tested using a 7-litre continuously stirred tank reactor to neutralise a strong acid using a strong alkaline solution. The method is first realised using a simulation of the process. Subsequently it is demonstrated on an experimental rig using real-time control. Experimental results confirm that a robust control of the process is achievable.

This paper describes the development of a web-based database to provide hydraulic engineers with secure real-time pump characteristics. The aim is to monitor power, flow and pressure produced by individual pumps at fifteen-minute intervals. The pump data is compiled and stored on a secure web-based server using Java server pages (JSP) and server query language (SQL) statements. Pump characteristic curves can be modelled from this data, which illustrates which pump or combination of pumps is the most efficient and cost effective. The results illustrate that the recording of pump characteristics over the Internet provides an efficient method of pump asset operation and performance monitoring. The stored data may be used in the development of a sophisticated scheduling scheme or to provide historical information for water demand prediction.

The control of pH is important in many processes including wastewater treatment, chemical processes and biological processes. This paper considers a model reference non-linear control scheme. The method is tested using a 7-litre continuously stirred tank reactor to neutralise a strong acid using a strong alkaline solution. The method is first realised using a simulation of the process. Subsequently, it is demonstrated on an experimental rig using real-time control. Furthermore, the process is monitored remotely and controlled with a software using e-Technology. Experimental results confirm that a robust control and remote monitoring of the process is achievable.

Selection and configuration are widely met tasks in design; this is an example of a web-based selection/configuration tool with embedded optimisation. Pumps inevitably deteriorate over their product lifecycle, in which interaction generally occurs in terms of flow, pressure and electricity consumption. Practical implementations of pump scheduling suggest that a 10% of the annual expenditure on energy costs may be saved. The object is to minimise the energy cost incurred, while selecting the best schedule of legal available pumps. The results illustrate that the recording of pump characteristics over the internet provides an efficient method of pump performance and evaluation.