VFD choice for vertical water pump

[BearB]

I would like to thank this site and all that contribute.

I am working with a pump company at our company installing 2 vertical water pumps. The motors will be 100hp, 480v & 150hp, 480v. I have a choice for the VFD's: AB Power Flex 400 or the Eaton Cutler Hammer SVX9000. I have used the AP Power Flex 70 Drives and older AB VFD's but neither of the 2 offered. Anyone have any comments or information that would help in my decision?

 

[jraef]

Pretty much any VFD offering from one of the major players is going to be of good quality; if it wasn't, they wouldn't survive in a tough saturated marketplace. The PowerFlex 400 would be serious overkill for most centrifugal pump applications in my opinion, but there is nothing inherently wrong with it. If those are your only two choices because of a project spec, I would go with the A-B. I have seen a number of problematic SVX installations, but in all likelihood they were installation / commissioning errors, which is usually a sign of a non-user friendly operator interface. If I had a choice without restrictions, I would go with an ABB ACS550 simply because I'm of the opinion it's one of the easiest to program. That's just me though.


"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." -- Abraham Lincoln
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[BearB]

Thanks jraef for the input.

 

[Compositepro]

BearB, I don't know if you have been following the discussions here about energy savings with VFD's on pumps, but I think it would be interesting if you could tell us why VFD's are being used in your application.

 

[BearB]

We are using a 35# water system and a 100# water system pulling the water from a clear basin that we store in it after we clean it from the river. We are using 3 2400v pumps to operate the system. We are using a PRV to bring the system down to 35#. This is a Paper Making facil. and 3 of the 4 paper machines have been shutdown. What is left is a Paper Machine and the Utility Plant along with some converting.

 

[jraef]

"We are using 3 2400v pumps to operate the system"

Might I point out that neither of those two drive choices are Medium Voltage? MV VFDs are a horse of a different color. I would look at Siemens/Robicon for that.


"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe." -- Abraham Lincoln
For the best use of Eng-Tips, please click here -> faq731-376

 

[BearB]

jraef, the 3 2400v motors and starters (installed in the 60's) will be replaced by the 2 VFD and 480v motors and drives