TITLE:
A Value Engineering Analysis of Head Loss in Pumping Mains
AUTHORS:
Andrew Cobbe, Rodney McDermott
KEYWORDS:
Value Engineering, Head Loss, Pumping Main, Water Main Design, Pipe Diameter, Energy Reduction, Carbon Reduction
JOURNAL NAME:
Engineering,
Vol.14 No.12,
December
30,
2022
ABSTRACT: With
net zero carbon emissions targets approaching over the next 20 to 30 years, the
water industry must act now to develop energy efficient techniques and designs
to reduce emissions and reduce the carbon footprint of water utility providers.
There is also the potential for significant energy and therefore financial
savings to be realised from the adoption of more energy efficient designs approaches. Water utility providers
account for a significant proportion of national electricity
consumption. The purpose of this research is to determine if, over the long
term, opting for a larger diameter pipe at design stage can lead to significant
financial and emissions savings for water utility providers when considering
pumping mains. Pumping mains are widely used throughout the water and
wastewater industry where a gravity solution is not possible. 72 hypothetical
water main design scenarios were analysed and the long term financial and
environmental impact of each hypothetical water main was assessed. It was found
across all design scenarios that larger diameter water mains were capable of
delivering the same rate of flow of smaller diameter pipes at a much reduced
velocity and requiring reduced pumping power.
It was concluded that pumped mains of larger diameters can ultimately be
more energy efficient and cost effective over the long term when selected in favour of smaller diameter pumped mains in
otherwise identical design scenarios.