Optimal design and operation of cooling water pumping systems

•Larger pumps yield lower capital costs for pumping systems•For pumping systems with small slack, a configuration with a VFD pump yields the lowest costs•For pumping systems with large slack, a configuration with idle pumps yields the lowest costs•Electrical energy cost is the most influential factor in the pumping system cost•Overdesign factors applied for pumping systems result in cost increases significantly lower than the overdesign factor itself