Optimising Pump Systems

This is a summary. See here for more detail.

When reliant on just a station flow meter (often of uncertain accuracy) for information on a pump system, it is not possible to determine the contributions of individual pumps to the performance of a pump combination, at a particular operating point.

Best practice to assess and improve the energy efficiency of a pump system is to simultaneously and continuously monitor every operating pump. Robertson Technology’s MicroPM™ pump monitor provides all the information required.

Strategies for improvements to energy efficiency include:

Rapidly identify excessive wear with continuous monitoring - failing to quickly identify problems is expensive
As far as possible, ensure that pumps and pump combinations are operating near the BEP (Best Efficiency Point), and within manufacturer’s POR (Preferred Operating Region)
Consider maintenance costs as well as energy. These are also minimised by operation near the BEP
Pump scheduling - select the best combination of pumps to meet demand for lowest possible cost
Measure pressure drops across discharge valves
Check for back-leakage through non-return valves
Quantify performance and the potential for improvement with appropriate metrics