Decentralized Co-Optimization of Water and Energy Distribution Systems

The increasing interdependence between water and energy systems has intensified the need for coordinated planning and operational strategies that enhance the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of both infrastructures. Traditional approaches manage electrical power and potable water networks independently, overlooking significant interdependencies between the two infrastructures that have an influence on operational costs, resource management, and system reliability. This dissertation develops a comprehensive co-optimization framework that integrates water and energy distribution at various scales, with emphasis on decentralized operation to preserve the autonomy and data privacy of the water and electricity systems. The research presented in this dissertation first focuses on the elemental formulation for a single-node, community-scale micro water-energy nexus (MWEN) model, which jointly manages distributed energy and water resources for small communities, demonstrating the economic benefits of simultaneous scheduling of the economic dispatch of both commodities. The work then extends to networked operations of multiple MWEN systems and considers both centralized and decentralized optimization models. A novel objective-based alternating direction method of multipliers (OB-ADMM) is also introduced to improve the distributed algorithm’s convergence and robustness for mixed-integer formulations, providing network participants with the same benefits that would be obtained with a centralized model, while also enjoying the autonomy, privacy, and reliability benefits of decentralized frameworks. Finally, the dissertation explores and presents a distribution-level water energy nexus (DistWEN) co-optimization model for larger, multi-nodal urban power and water distribution systems, by developing convex formulations that are compatible with decentralized optimization algorithms. Both centralized and decentralized ADMM-based models are presented, enabling coordinated operation between power and water utilities while respecting independent governance structures. Case studies validate the proposed frameworks, demonstrating notable reductions in total operating costs, improved load management, and near-optimal performance of decentralized models relative to centralized benchmarks. The results confirm that water-energy co-optimization yields significant economic and operational advantages across micro-, network-, and distribution-level systems. The proposed decentralized frameworks enable practical implementation of water-energy nexus management in real-world settings under common practices, offering scalable and privacy-preserving coordination mechanisms for future integrated utility operations.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Silva Rodriguez, Jesus Angel 1996-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Li, Xingpeng

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Rajashekara, Kaushik
• Fan, Lei
• Lim, Gino
• Huang, Hao

• Decentralized Optimization
• Convex Relaxation
• Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers
• Water-Energy Nexus
• Economic Dispatch

Language dc:language.iso

English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10657/20958

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/20958