Design of Desalinated Water Distribution Networks: Complex Topography, Energy Production, and Parallel Pipelines

A methodology was developed to determinate the location and size of desalination plants, the water distribution network, and the location and size of energy recovery devices to provide desalinated water in regions with complex topography. The novelty of this methodology is that energy recovery devices such as pumps as turbines are incorporated to produce energy. Another novelty is the consideration of using multiple pipelines. The methodology proposed uses a superstructure with a set of alternatives in which the optimal solution is found. A mathematical model is generated that corresponds to a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem, which is linearized to become a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) problem solved using the CPLEX solver in GAMS. A case study is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology to real size problems.