3 Q 06 Inside Insights
3 Q 06 Inside Insights
3 Q 06 Inside Insights
Insights
at or near shut-off head conditions. Operating in this region is very unstable for a
number of reasons, including potential
temperature rise of fluid, unstable operations or flow recirculation within the impeller.
Variable Speed
Pumping: How low
can you go?
Steve Tredinnick, PE, Infrastructure Project Engineer/Manager, Affiliated Engineers Inc.
oday, with the higher cost of electricity, an increasing number of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning
systems are using variable speed-driven
equipment to save energy and optimize
the system performance. For years engineers
and designers have provided a minimum
flow to protect the pumping system. One
may ask, Protect the system from what?
and How low can you go? To answer
these questions, we have to analyze all the
components pump, motor and variable
frequency drive (VFD).
Since pumps, motors and VFDs are
not 100 percent efficient, these inefficiencies
are usually radiated as heat to the surroundings. Excessive heat will lead to component
damage and premature failure. So, just like
my beer, keeping it cool is the secret to
success! Hence, VFDs and motors have
integral cooling fans to remove this heat.
In the case of the motors, the fan is attached
directly to the drive shaft that forces air
over the windings to cool them. VFDs also
have internal fans that take room air and
circulate through the cabinet. The fans also
add to the drive inefficiencies. As long as
the room air is clean and tempered (below
104 degrees F), there should be no issue
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District Energy
Motor Limitations
Most standard motors are capable of
providing full torque output from 3 to 60 Hz;
however, at lower speeds, where the integral
motor cooling fans become less effective,
supplemental cooling may be needed to
operate at full torque output continuously.
Therefore, VFD manufacturers recommend
a minimum speed of 30 percent of their
rated speed (18 Hz) for standard motors
controlled by VFDs, to prevent motor overheating due to inadequate air flow. If lower
speeds are required, then the motor manufacturer should be consulted for recommendations. Inverter duty motors can
operate below 20 percent (12 Hz) of rated
speed without problems in a variable load
application, since they usually incorporate
special cooling provisions and use a higherclass insulation.
Pump Limitations
As mechanical devices, it appears that
pumps are the most unforgiving component
in the system. In high-static head applications
(such as large building or district energy
heating and cooling pumps), a pump with
a VFD can slow down such that it operates
Methods of Providing
Minimum Flow
There are several proven methods for
providing minimum flow for variable flow
water systems:
(1) Locate a constant flow (continuous
bypass) using orifice or balancing valve/
constant flow control valve across the pump.
(2) Locate three-way control valve(s) within
the piping network.
Figure 1. Best Efficiency Point and Optimum Pump Selection. Figure illustrates a typical pump curve
with the optimum selection area indicated with best efficiency points.
ft
175
15
76% 78%
80%
150
125
Approx. BEP
100
75
System Curve
9
Source: Steve Tredinnick.
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Operational
Envelope
25
NPSH Curve
gpm
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
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