Power Optimisation of Centrifugal Pumps in a 4-Storey Building
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32734/dinamis.v13i1.18837Abstract
The optimization of water distribution systems in high-rise buildings is essential for enhancing energy efficiency and reducing operational costs. This study examines the effects of implementing a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) on a centrifugal pump system within a four-storey high-rise building at PT SBA. A case study approach was employed to measure key operational parameters—namely, electrical power consumption, water flow rate, and pressure distribution—both before and after VFD installation. The experimental results demonstrate that the VFD application resulted in a 20% reduction in power consumption, decreasing from 3.5 kW to 2.8 kW, while the water flow rate improved by 12.5%, rising from 80 LPM to 90 LPM. In addition, the pressure range was significantly stabilized, narrowing from 1.2–2.5 bar to 1.0–2.0 bar across the building’s floors. An economic analysis based on the observed energy savings indicates an annual cost reduction of approximately Rp7,665,000, with a corresponding return on investment achieved in less than one year. The findings suggest that integrating VFD technology into centrifugal pump systems not only enhances operational efficiency and extends equipment lifespan by mitigating load fluctuations but also offers substantial economic benefits. This study provides a robust framework for the broader application of VFD-based optimization strategies in high-rise and industrial water distribution systems.
Downloads
References
National Research Council, Division on Earth, Life Studies, Water Science, Technology Board, Committee on Public Water Supply Distribution Systems, Assessing, Reducing Risks. Drinking water distribution systems: Assessing and reducing risks. National Academies Press; 2007 Jan 22.
Suman R, Javaid M, Nandan D, Bahl S, Haleem A. Electricity generation through water supply pipes in high rise buildings. Journal of Industrial Integration and Management. 2021 Dec 16;6(04):449-68.
Müller TM, Leise P, Lorenz IS, Altherr LC, Pelz PF. Optimization and validation of pumping system design and operation for water supply in high-rise buildings. Optimization and Engineering. 2021 Jun;22:643-86.
Shankar VK, Umashankar S, Paramasivam S, Hanigovszki N. A comprehensive review on energy efficiency enhancement initiatives in centrifugal pumping system. Applied Energy. 2016 Nov 1;181:495-513.
Girdhar P, Moniz O. Practical centrifugal pumps. Elsevier; 2011 Apr 18.
Olszewski P. Genetic optimization and experimental verification of complex parallel pumping station with centrifugal pumps. Applied Energy. 2016 Sep 15;178:527-39.
Hieninger T, Goppelt F, Schmidt-Vollus R, Schlücker E. Energy-saving potential for centrifugal pump storage operation using optimized control schemes. Energy Efficiency. 2021 Feb;14(2):23.
Cooper P, Tchobanoglous G, Garbus RO, Hart RJ, Reh CW, Sloan LG, Smith EC. Performance of centrifugal pumps. InPumping Station Design 2008 Jan 1 (pp. 10-1). Butterworth-Heinemann.
Müller TM, Leise P, Lorenz IS, Altherr LC, Pelz PF. Optimization and validation of pumping system design and operation for water supply in high-rise buildings. Optimization and Engineering. 2021 Jun;22:643-86.
Zhao J, Xie X, Liu R, Sun Y, Wu M, Gu J. Water and energy saving potential by adopting pressure-reducing measures in high-rise building: A case analysis. Building Services Engineering Research and Technology. 2018 Sep;39(5):505-17.
Altherr LC, Leise P, Pfetsch ME, Schmitt A. Resilient layout, design and operation of energy-efficient water distribution networks for high-rise buildings using MINLP. Optimization and Engineering. 2019 Jun 1;20:605-45.
Singh J, Hashmi AW. Review on fluid forces and their action on centrifugal pump impeller. International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM). 2024 Sep 28:1-21.
Khaing H, Lwin YM, Lwin Y. Design and Calculation of Centrifugal Pump (Impeller) For Water Pumping. International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology Research. 2019;8(7):321-4.
Lin Y, Li X, Zhu Z, Wang X, Lin T, Cao H. An energy consumption improvement method for centrifugal pump based on bionic optimization of blade trailing edge. Energy. 2022 May 1;246:123323.
Wang C, Shi W, Wang X, Jiang X, Yang Y, Li W, Zhou L. Optimal design of multistage centrifugal pump based on the combined energy loss model and computational fluid dynamics. Applied Energy. 2017 Feb 1;187:10-26.
Zhang H, Xia X, Zhang J. Optimal sizing and operation of pumping systems to achieve energy efficiency and load shifting. Electric Power Systems Research. 2012 May 1;86:41-50.
Lin T, Zhu Z, Li X, Li J, Lin Y. Theoretical, experimental, and numerical methods to predict the best efficiency point of centrifugal pump as turbine. Renewable Energy. 2021 May 1;168:31-44.
Cheung CT, Mui KW, Wong LT. Energy efficiency of elevated water supply tanks for high-rise buildings. Applied energy. 2013 Mar 1;103:685-91.
Tracy J, Murphy J, Murtagh J. High-rise Buildings: Understanding the Vertical Challenges. Fire Engineering Books; 2023 May 4.
Du J, Yang H, Shen Z, Chen J. Micro hydro power generation from water supply system in high rise buildings using pump as turbines. Energy. 2017 Oct 15;137:431-40.
Palgrave R. Troubleshooting centrifugal pumps and their systems. Butterworth-Heinemann; 2019 Nov 29.
Capurso T, Bergamini L, Torresi M. A new generation of centrifugal pumps for high conversion efficiency. Energy Conversion and Management. 2022 Mar 15;256:115341.
Tan M, Lu Y, Wu X, Liu H, Tian X. Investigation on performance of a centrifugal pump with multi-malfunction. Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control. 2021 Jun;40(2):740-52.
Papadakis N, Katsaprakakis DA. A review of energy efficiency interventions in public buildings. Energies. 2023 Aug 31;16(17):6329.
Shi X, Tian Z, Chen W, Si B, Jin X. A review on building energy efficient design optimization rom the perspective of architects. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2016 Nov 1;65:872-84.
Wang J, Yu C, Pan W. Relationship between operational energy and life cycle cost performance of high-rise office buildings. Journal of cleaner production. 2020 Jul 20;262:121300.
Pal SK, Takano A, Alanne K, Siren K. A life cycle approach to optimizing carbon footprint and costs of a residential building. Building and Environment. 2017 Oct 1;123:146-62.
Wang Y, Mauree D, Sun Q, Lin H, Scartezzini JL, Wennersten R. A review of approaches to low-carbon transition of high-rise residential buildings in China. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2020 Oct 1;131:109990.
R. Shaik, N. Beemkumar, H. Adharsha, K. Venkadeshwaran, and A. D. Dhass, “Efficiency enhancement in a PV operated solar pump by effective design of VFD and tracking system,” Mater. Today: Proc., vol. 33, pp. 454–462, 2020.
Su, C. L., Chung, W. L., & Yu, K. T. (2013). An energy-savings evaluation method for variable-frequency-drive applications on ship central cooling systems. IEEE Transactions on industry applications, 50(2), 1286-1294.
Bhase, P., & Lathkar, M. (2015, October). Energy conservation using VFD. In 2015 international conference on energy systems and applications (pp. 531-536). IEEE.
Wang, G. (2018). Efficiency degradation detection for VFD-motor-pump systems. Science and Technology for the Built Environment, 24(9), 974-981.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 DINAMIS

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.