A meta-system architecture for the energy-water nexus

The energy-water nexus has been studied predominantly through discussions of policy options supported by data surveys and technology considerations. At a technological level, there have been attempts to optimize coupling points between the electricity and water systems to reduce the water-intensity of technologies in the former and the energy-intensity of technologies in the latter. To our knowledge, there has been little discussion of the energy-water nexus from an engineering systems perspective. As the energy-water nexus presents a large scale, multidisciplinary problem with various technological and non-technological dimensions, efforts for coordinated control, operation & planning of the energy and water systems would benefit from the modeling platforms developed in systems engineering. This paper presents a meta-architecture of the energy-water nexus in the electricity supply, engineered water supply and wastewater management systems developed using the Systems Modeling Language (SysML). This meta-architecture serves to elucidate the nexus for qualitative discussions. Once instantiated such an architecture can serve as a conceptual framework upon which quantitative planning and control approaches can be based.