Simulation of energy recovery on water utility networks by a micro-turbine with counter-rotating runners

Wherever relief valves and other energy dissipation devices are installed to limit the pressure, water utility networks provide unexploited hydropower potentials. This is mainly due to a lack of economically viable technologies for energy recovery in the pico and micro hydropower range below 100 kW. Micro-turbine with counter-rotating runners proved suitable to harvest these potentials with limited investments and almost no environmental impact. An appropriate command strategy must therefore be applied to maximize the recovered energy. This paper deals with the construction of a Virtual Energy Recovery Station (VERS) model to simulate the energy recovery on a given installation site. It includes models of the turbine, of the water consumption and it allows to implement various command strategies. The VERS can serve various purposes. The fine-tuning of the command algorithm for a specific installation site is demonstrated in the paper.