Optimal design and operation of irrigation pumping stations

A methodology based on solving a large-scale nonlinear programming problem is presented for the optimal design and operation of pumping stations. Optimum design and operation refers to the selection of pump type, capacity, and number of units as well as scheduling the operation of irrigation pumps that results in minimum design and operating cost for a given set of demand curves. The design criteria for such pumping stations are based fundamentally on some important and critical parameters, such as pump capacity, number of units, types of pumps, and civil works. The optimization process consists of three main steps: (1) determination of minimum yearly consumed energy; (2) minimization of the total cost for all sets of pumping stations; and (3) selection of the least-cost set among the feasible sets of pumping stations, recognizing a combination of the cited criteria. The computational analysis is based upon one major objective function and a computer program, which is developed to solve the generated equations. Application of the model to the Farabi Agricultural and Industrial Project, Iran, shows considerable savings, about 25% in total annual cost of the pumping station.