Parallel Programming Techniques Applied to Water Pump Scheduling Problems

Most of the energy consumed by a water company is used to operate pumping systems. Identifying the optimal schedule for such systems in near real time will drastically reduce energy costs. The pump scheduling problem comprises three main elements: the pumping system, the tank, and the water demand to be satisfied. In this paper, a mathematical programming model and techniques used to solve this problem are presented. This study analyzed a parallel programming paradigm to solve this problem by introducing stochastic programming techniques (scenario tree evaluation) and multisite problems. Numerical experiments were designed and completed on parallel computers combining classical mathematical programming techniques and parallel tools. As a result, the parallel programming strategy was experimentally proven to be a useful technique for near-real-time pump scheduling applications. (C) 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.