Pump location optimization is a key issue in the design of water pipe networks to reduce energy consumptions and associated costs. The pump location variables in previous papers were typically discrete, resulting in potentially sub-optimal solutions. If the discrete variables are densified, the solving time increases substantially. To overcome the shortcomings of the discrete pump location optimization method, a novel continuous location optimization method is proposed. The hydraulic calculations of pipes and operation of pumps are coupled in the model to make it practical. The objective function minimizes the installation and operating costs of pumps. A branch and a looped water pipe network are studied. The proposed continuous location optimization method is compared with the previous discrete method. The results show that the proposed method has advantages regarding cost-minimization and it reduces the time required to produce solutions. The method is generic and can be applied to other real cases to determine the optimal pump locations to achieve the goals of cost-minimization and energy saving.

泵位置的优化是设计水管网络以减少能耗和相关成本的关键问题。先前论文中的泵位置变量通常是离散的，导致潜在的次优解决方案。如果离散变量是致密的，则求解时间会大大增加。为了克服离散泵位置优化方法的缺点，提出了一种新颖的连续位置优化方法。模型中结合了管道的水力计算和泵的运行，以使其实用。目标功能最大程度地减少了泵的安装和运行成本。研究了分支和环状水管网络。所提出的连续位置优化方法与先前的离散方法进行了比较。结果表明，所提出的方法在最小化成本方面具有优势，并且减少了产生解决方案所需的时间。该方法是通用的，可以应用于其他实际情况，以确定最佳泵位置，以实现成本最小化和节能的目标。