Designing a water pumping solution might start with sizing the preferred pump, but if you want to manage water flow in the most reliable way that saves energy while reducing wear and maintenance costs, then selecting the right VSD or soft starter to control the pump will give the best result.
Whether it’s a single pump job or a multi-pump project, ABB has a complete offering specifically designed to solve any water movement need and overcome the typical problems encountered in aging pumping operations, says ABB’s water drives manager, Jonathan Aarons.
“If you are running inflow pumps, transfer pumps, dosing pumps, sludge pumps, booster pumps or submersible pumps, it’s time to stop seeing the problems we usually encounter as normal. Many of these problems have already been solved by ABB and the solutions have been designed into the new range of water drives and softstarters.”
He says problems like water hammer can be addressed by upgrading to a new ACQ580 VSD with its built-in soft-pipe-fill function makes sure there is less water hammering on the pipes. Water hammering typically results in wear in pipes and valves when starting and stopping the pump, while quick ramps protect bearings when a submersible pump is started.
Among the early adopters of the new ACQ580 are pumping system suppliers, Brown Brothers Engineers. The company’s CBS manager, Adam Souness, says the pumping controls and protections are key to the pump applications Brown Brothers designs for its clients.