Water supply. Centrifugal pumps. Electric current. Condition-based maintenance.
Centrifugal type hydraulic pumps are very important assets for the proper functioning of urban water distribution networks. The operation of hydraulic pumps is responsible for around 90% of the energy consumed by water supply and sanitation concessionaires. Energy consumption increases with the increase in the level of deterioration of a hydraulic pump, since, as the system deteriorates, more power is needed to provide the necessary head for proper operation. In addition to the increasing consumption of energy with the increase in the level of deterioration of a hydraulic pump, the susceptibility of these systems to failure is something important to be considered, since the failure of such assets can have a negative impact on the operation of the distribution network. Therefore, this study aimed to propose a maintenance policy based on the state of electrical current signals from centrifugal pump motors used in water supply systems. Therefore, an optimization algorithm was developed, built with the objective of testing the efficiency of the maintenance policy proposed in this work through simulation. The maintenance policy, when properly parameterized, helps to minimize pump operating costs (including costs related to energy consumption) and to ensure an adequate level of reliability, thus providing a service with greater safety and quality.