Product category:
Industrial Drives/Controls
News Release from: ABB Automation Tech (Drives and Motors) | Subject: Intelligent Pump Control software
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 05 June 2006
Software puts drives in control of
pumping
Intelligent Pump Control (IPC) software eliminates the need for an external PLC and can help to save energy, reduce downtime and prevent pump jamming and pipeline blocking.
A new pump control software module for drives has been launched by ABB Featuring six pump control functions, the new Intelligent Pump Control (IPC) software eliminates the need for an external PLC and can help to save energy, reduce downtime and prevent pump jamming and pipeline blocking
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 8 Feb 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
ABB supplies UPS for Scottish water plant
Electrical equipment from ABB Automation is being installed as part of a £20m programme by East of Scotland Water (ESW) to upgrade water supplies to central Scotland.
ABB drive saves two days of set up time
A 37 kW variable speed drive with Direct Torque Control (DTC) from ABB Automation is being used to control the speed of a motor in a friction-welding machine that manufactures valves for car engines.
The IPC is a software add-on for ABB industrial drives, which cover a power range from 0.55 to 5600kW.
It contains all the common functions needed by water and waste utilities, industrial plants and other pump users.
Where several pumps are operated together and the required flow rate is variable, IPC uses multi-pump control.
Further reading
Comp-AC drives control Dome's fountain
Low power AC drives from ABB Automation's Comp-AC range are controlling one of the first attractions that will greet visitors to London's Millennium Dome in 2000.
AC drive cuts mixer's maintenance bill by 80%
A reduction of over 80% in maintenance costs has been achieved by replacing a star/delta starter with a variable speed drive on a breakfast cereal mixer at a leading UK supermarket food producer.
Each pump is controlled by its own drive, with one being speed adjusted and the rest running at constant speed, giving a smooth control with no pressure peaks.
Level control Level control is typically used to control the filling or emptying of waste water storage tanks and can be used with a single pump, or two to three pumps with AC drives in parallel.
This function can prevent sediment build-up on the tank walls by randomly varying the surface level, while fast-ramp starting creates a flush effect to keep pipelines clear.
Preventive maintenance is important for all industrial equipment and the IPC achieves this through its anti-jam function.
When the function is triggered, the pump is run at high speed and either reversed or stopped in a number of user-defined cleaning cycles, clearing built up particles and avoiding corrosion.
IPC eliminates the need for flow meters with its flow calculation function, used to control a single-pump installation.
Sensorless flow measurement is possible; alternatively, data can be supplied by pressure transmitters.
The package also offers a sleep boost function.
This runs the pumps to boost the pressure or water level prior to shutdown, extending the pump's sleep time and so saving energy.
It also avoids unnecessary starting and stopping, and helps to flush the pipelines.
Pump priority control is used to balance the operating time of all the pumps in the system.
This facility helps pump operators plan their maintenance and can boost energy efficiency by operating pumps near their best efficiency point.
For instance, in a system where the consumption rate is greater during the day, the drive can be programmed to operate higher capacity pumps during daytime and smaller units at night.
The software also incorporates ABB's adaptive programming utility, enabling users to customise drives for specific applications.
• ABB Automation Tech (Drives and Motors): contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
