An integral approach for water treatment and the use of water-energy interdependency network

In this presentation, a water-energy interdependency network (WEIN) model is proposed to directly correlate the quantity and quality of energy and water during the development of the most fit-to-use water treatment technologies in a chain of water use entities, to minimize associated cost or water/energy use. A simpler but commonly existing relationship between water use entities: chain model (tandem model), is setup where entities are connected as a tandem queue as upstream and downstream Using the WEIN, water use entities can be connected in any way and any direction by a network model. A water treatment technologies database including process performance of energy consumption, purification ratio, processing rate and process economics is used to establish different decision model. Given the degree of information sharing and coordination between entities, the decision models of "no coordination" and full coordination are compared. For coordinated network, the objective is to optimize the energy use/cost saving for all related entities by selecting the most appropriated water treatment technologies and treatment schedule/strategies. For entities without coordination with any others, its decision is optimized individually given whatever water it receives and complies.