Water & Wastewater Treatment

In Depth: Pumps and control time. A typical four-quadrant pump characteristic curve shows the range in which the pump is operating at a point in time. A flashing outer segment on the le or right of the display indicates that action is required – because the flow rate is either extremely low or too high. A flashing third quadrant in the pump curve indicates the optimum operating range. If the segment on the le (the second segment) is flashing, this indicates a long-term need for optimisation. This display allows the operator to evaluate the operating point immediately upon start-up and adjust the pump accordingly. Operators can see at a glance whether the availability of their pumps is at risk and whether they are operating economically. A flashing EFF (energy efficiency) symbol also indicates potential for significant energy savings. Step 2: Cloud analysis, including of vibration characteristics This analysis now needs to be simplified further. In the future, instead of using wetted sensors, it will be possible to record vibrations and transfer this operating data to the cloud using mobile communication. This has two advantages: First, conventional measurements using wetted sensors are not always straightforward, particularly when the medium being pumped is a chemical product. Second, cloud access means that technicians can obtain information about the status of a pump from anywhere in the world without having to be on site. This application is currently being piloted very successfully with 100 selected project partners. "Those involved include some automotive suppliers, who are very open to the project." Measurements taken in parallel using the PumpMeter are being used to verify the values obtained using the vibration sensor. At the same time, the KSB team is continuing to optimise the underlying algorithms. According to Dr Paulus: "Based on these results, it is already easy to see whether it makes sense to switch to closed-loop control, whether the settings or modes of operation need to be changed, or whether it would be better to buy a new pump." The operating data is transferred to the cloud via a portal. KSB processes the data and the user receives an automatically generated PDF with clear recommendations and, where applicable, improvement suggestions for the pump. Step 3: Operating Point Optimisation How can these improvement suggestions be put into action? The traditional approach would be to call a service technician. But what if it were possible, based on the information obtained, to adjust the pump using soware instead of having to adjust the impeller manually? "This is actually possible with our MyFlow Technology," says Daniel Gontermann, Head of Product Management - Drives and Mechatronic Solutions at KSB. This is a combination of the KSB SuPremE IE5 motor and the MyFlow Drive, which is based on the proven PumpDrive speed-control system. The conventional approach for fixed speed pumps is to match the flow rate and head to the calculated operating point by trimming the impeller. Now, the pump can be adjusted by changing the speed. MyFlow Technology already offers many advantages in day-to-day work. Because the operating voltage of the IE5 synchronous reluctance motor is modulated by the minimum frequency inverter mounted on the motor, it can be used in almost any power grid around the world. This is also a huge advantage for global engineering contractors because they no longer need to consider the local mains voltage when selecting pumps. The direction of rotation is now defined at the factory, saving the time and costs usually incurred by conventional direction-of- rotation checks. Step 4: Software-controlled pump adjustment "Although these advantages make the pump operator's job much easier, they are not enough to make a pump fit for Industry 4.0," acknowledges Daniel Gontermann. "Nevertheless, they form the basis for the next crucial step: pump optimisation using virtual impeller trimming." In the further course of the product life cycle, the pump speed can simply be adjusted to individual requirements by smartphone – pump optimisation with virtual impeller trimming. "A soware application can be used to bring the pump closer to its optimum operating point," says the pump specialist. Unlike with mechanical impeller trimming, the operating process does not need to be interrupted. This is how you can quickly and economically optimise energy efficiency if the actual Q/H point deviates from the design values, or respond to a system-induced change in the operating point. "Because a change in speed is always associated with a change in power, substantial savings can also be made," says Daniel Gontermann. Pump optimisation through virtual impeller trimming is fast and convenient Fig 2: After the operating data is transferred to the cloud via a portal, the user can receive an automatically generated PDF with clear recommendations 14 WWT PUMP SUPPLEMENT DECEMBER 2017

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