Book on centrifugal pump control
Book on centrifugal pump control
(OP)
Hello,
I am looking for a book(s) which may explain the different methods of centrifugal pump control, especially with respect to using a variable frequency drive. I have The Pump Handbook, and it makes no significant mention of this topic.
I work with lots of systems which have a pump on a VFD and a pressure control valve in front of the pump. Some people recommend running the VFD at 60 Hz (using the VFD as a soft start) and then using the valve for flow control. Others say to use the VFD for flow control and use the valve to maintain a minimum back pressure on the pump. And yet others say to use the VFD for flow control and use the valve to keep the pump at or near its BEP.
I would like to find a book which discusses these options and the benefits/costs of each.
EE
I am looking for a book(s) which may explain the different methods of centrifugal pump control, especially with respect to using a variable frequency drive. I have The Pump Handbook, and it makes no significant mention of this topic.
I work with lots of systems which have a pump on a VFD and a pressure control valve in front of the pump. Some people recommend running the VFD at 60 Hz (using the VFD as a soft start) and then using the valve for flow control. Others say to use the VFD for flow control and use the valve to maintain a minimum back pressure on the pump. And yet others say to use the VFD for flow control and use the valve to keep the pump at or near its BEP.
I would like to find a book which discusses these options and the benefits/costs of each.
EE





RE: Book on centrifugal pump control
http://store.elsevier.com/Pumping-Station-Design/G...
RE: Book on centrifugal pump control
Some examples were recently discussed here,
http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=400478
RE: Book on centrifugal pump control
EE
RE: Book on centrifugal pump control
That means that in no matter which direction you flow there are only two real constraints, 1 you should keep the pump suction above NPSHR and 2, keep discharge pressure below the maximum pressure allowed in the downstream pipeline(s). That may represent two different flow rates in each direction, so hopefully the pump(s) capacity and configuration should have been designed with those system hydraulic conditions in mind.
If the required pressures are different for each pipeline, then either a VFD, or a pressure control valve might be provided in order to keep discharge pressures below maximum allowed pressures of the downstream pipelines.
If the pump curve and system curve do not intersect at a convenient flow rate for either or both flow directions, then you might want to control the pump discharge pressure (on a discharge pressure signal) such that you can hold a convenient flow rate using a pressure reference. Alternatively you can add a flow meter and provide exactly the same control ability, but it would be based on a set flow rate reference signal, rather than a corresponding pressure reference signal. If you use a flow rate reference, then you may still need to provide a pressure signal as a safety feature override on that flow contol which would trip the pump if discharge pressures were to go over max allowables, or when suction pressures were to go below NPSHR level.