Marginal Economics Applied to Pipeline Design

Using marginal economic theory coupled with basic power and headloss relationships, an equation is derived which aids in the formulation of economic pipeline design. The derived equation, as it offers a short cut to the total cost approach to economic optimization, can generate significant savings in time and effort. Due to the great variety of components and design situations encountered under the broad heading, pipeline design, only a few basic situations for water conveying systems can be covered in this article. While not inclusive, the examples indicate how the equation can be used and modified to fit design imposed constraints. Although the solution of the equation is readily adaptable to the digital computer, it is not required to arrive at an economical solution.