Analyzing the impact of blade geometrical parameters on energy recovery and efficiency of centrifugal pump as turbine installed in the pressure-reducing station

Improving renewable energy efficiency has received great attention globally by increasing demand for energy supplies and air pollution issues. The Soft Pressure Regulation System (SPRS) as a potential technology provides the possibility of regulating pressure and energy recovery in pressure-reducing stations. Pump as Turbine (PAT) is a good choice for installation in Water Distribution Network (WDN) pipelines due to its availability and economic benefits, and it can play a key role in decreasing startup time and return on investment. In this paper, the performance of centrifugal PAT under WDN conditions has been numerically and experimentally evaluated, and simulation validation was performed, too. Analyzing the work conditions of the pressure reduction station shows that the hourly flow rate trend changes considerably based on end-user demand. A major portion of the SPRS's operation time occurs in off-design conditions of the PAT, and efficiency is drastically decreased considering the lack of flow control tools. The effect of blade inlet angle, blade warp angle, blade curvature, and change of these parameters simultaneously was investigated to increase the high-efficiency working range. Losses resulting from flow separation and formation of vortices are significantly decreased by simultaneous change of blade geometrical parameters in the range of design point and higher flow rates (Q ≥ 1.0QBEP). Since the highest frequency of flow rate based on statistical analysis occurs in this range, the total power generation of SPRS improves significantly. The PAT efficiency with the improved impeller at part-load condition (0.8QBEP), design condition (QBEP), and over-load condition (1.2QBEP) is improved by 0.83 %, 2.69 %, and 6.71 % in comparison with the original impeller, respectively.