Optimization of the Lift Irrigation Scheme:

When it is possible to optimize the entire lift irrigation scheme. The overall optimization is
performed in two stages. 1) Optimization of pipe network diameters for a given pump capacity
and 2) Optimization of entire scheme based on minimization of annualized capital and energy
costs. This will facilitate demonstration of the reasons for selecting the appropriate pump
capacities and associated savings in power and energy costs.

Optimization plays an important role in arriving at pump capacities in any lift irrigation scheme.
Whenever pumping is involved in a pipe distribution network, the basic requirements of lift
irrigation scheme can be achieved with several different combinations of pump capacities and
network capacities. The pump and network capacities are inversely related in achieving the
required flows and pressures at chak outlets. When two independent parameters of a system are
inversely related, there will be an optimal point at some combination of these two parameters and
it is essential to identify that combination to optimize on the overall project cost.

The two major components of this lift irrigation scheme are: 1) Capital cost associated with fixed
infrastructure including entire pipe network, head works and other civil structures,
electromechanical systems, and 2) Operational and Maintenance costs. The largest component of
capital costs is the pipe network cost and it is important to include the cost of entire pipe network
in the optimization process. This gets even more complicated as one can further optimize on the
cost of pipe network for a given pump capacity; that is various combinations of pipes can
produce different total network costs for the same pump capacity and maintaining the minimum
required pressures at chak outlets. Prior to optimization, the pipe cost tables were generated
based on the prevailing supply and installation costs for pipelines for various diameters and
appropriate material as per tender document. These pipe costs tables were used to obtain total
cost of pipe network for a specified value of pump head at pump station. The resulting pipe cost
vs pump head data is tabulated as below. The capital costs and operating costs were computed
for this data and a plot of pump power vs annualized capital and energy costs is generated.
Annualized capital cost includes total infrastructure costs annualized for 30 years payback period
at an interest rate of 10%. The energy costs are computed using a unit rate of Rs.4.60/-

Though the pump station is designed for 24 hours operation and is expected to operate for
roughly 135 days during Kharif season, the actual total number of hours of operation will be
much smaller than 24 x 135 = 3240 hours. This is primarily because, the supplemental irrigation
is required to be provided 24 hours a day only during the peak crop water demand period of little
or no rain (in the months of October and November). The pump station will be operated only for
a few hours a day during the rest of the period as dependable rainfall will take care of the crop
water requirement. The total water to be lifted in all schemes of Cluster-V is 10.662 Cum/sec.
The proportion of water to be lifted by Kuteshwar LIS is 0.726 Cum/sec. At a total each pump
discharge rate of 0.363 Cum/sec for this LIS, the total number of hours of operation would be
1120 hours.

Table shows detailed optimization related calculations for this LIS. Figure shows the plot of
power vs annualized capital and energy costs. As evident from this figure, the annualized capital
and energy costs decreased initially with increasing pump head and then increases after reaching
a lowest value. The pump power corresponding to the lowest annualized capital and energy cost
represents the most optimal value for pump capacity. The optimal pump power to a pump head
of 87.50 m.