International Research Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology - IRJIET International Open Access, Monthly, Peer Reviewed, Reputed Journal ISSN (online): 2581-3048

Impact Factor (2025): 6.9

DOI Prefix: 10.47001/IRJIET

Rainwater Storage Tank Sizing using Raincycle Model: Case Studies of a Residential, Office and Hospital Blocks

Abstract

Surface and groundwater extraction has been used to satisfy the rising demand of water in developing countries which is unsustainable. Rainwater harvesting systems is progressively becoming a sustainable water management measure. However, an assessment of their feasibility in small and large buildings is required for considerable investment cost and payback periods. In this study, Raincycle model was used to describe and analyse the different criteria for sizing a rainwater harvesting system. Raincycle model was used to size the storage tank, cost savings of tanks and choose optimum size. Behavioural (or simulation) analysis was included to compute the changes in storage content of a finite reservoir. To apply this method, three case studies were used: a residential apartment, office and hospital blocks. Result reveals a tank size of 4 m3, 10 m3 and 12 m3 could meet the maximum percentage of demand and predicted to save $259, $2,564, and $51,072 over 50 years for case studies 1, 2 and 3 respectively. A payback period of 21 years, 8 years and 1 year was recorded for the three case studies, respectively. This study also shows that the implementation of a rainwater harvesting system in a residential dwelling is not a feasible investment in terms of economic savings as it presents payback time that is not feasible. The office and hospital blocks present a payback time that is considered feasible as payback time is reached during the building’s lifetime.

Country : Nigeria / United Kingdom

1 Omolara Lade2 David Oloke

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
  2. Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

IRJIET, Volume 4, Issue 11, November 2020 pp. 11-19

doi.org/10.47001/IRJIET/2020.411002

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