A Model Predictive Control Approach to Operational Efficiency of Intake Pump Stations

The energy saving of intake pump stations can be achieved by improving their operational efficiency. Variable speed control and pump combination are proposed in literature to save energy of pump stations. However, the current implementations mostly focus on lower level speed control without operational considerations at the system level. In this paper, a model predictive control approach (MPC) is introduced to improve the operational efficiency of intake pump stations, where time-of-use (TOU) tariff, water demand and other system constraints are considered. An intake pump station in a seaside water treatment plant is taken as a case study. The conventional optimal control strategy and the MPC approach are investigated. The advantage of the MPC approach is convinced by the simulation results.