Centrifugal Pumps: The origins and today’s concerns
The conversation about energy efficient industrial pumps and pumping systems has been ongoing for quite some time, as a matter of fact the first true centrifugal pump was invented by Denis Papin in 1687. Since that time, pumps have been the subject of close scrutiny regarding their performance and their ability to produce the required capacity.
The concerns over centrifugal pumps are:
- proper operation vis-à-vis flow and pressure coupled with the efficiency of the running unit.
- increased reliability and ultimately a lower Life Cycle Cost will be the end result.
Consider that Kraft pulp mill pumps constitute 26% of the energy consumed and regardless of the price of a KwHr the final costs will mount up.
Pulp Mills: Energy efficiency challenges
The challenge facing all pulp mill operations in regards to energy efficient industrial pumps becomes one of re-establishing the Best Efficiency Point (BEP) . This can be accomplished by:
- proper selection and
- varying the speed of the pump utilizing devices such as Vee- Belt drives, Magnetic drives and VFD’s.
Determining the “wire-to-water”efficiency of the pump becomes the task. The engineer will need to consider the total power consumed over a 25 year period based on the actual operation . They will then have to select the proper sized pump to do the job. At this point the present and future operating requirements are taken into consideration. Caution must be taken as the tendancy by many is to supply an oversized pump. This will result in the very inefficient operation and reduced life of the pump either through mechanical or thermal instability.
It should be noted that through proper pump selection, and Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) , efficient pump operation is attainable for the expected life of the pump.
NOTE: As a participating member of the BC Hydro PowerSmart Alliance, Westcan meets all of BC Hydro’s stringent requirements. Therefore, we can help our customers benefit from many cost-savings advantages and financial incentives through our Energy Efficiency Program.
For more information, call 1-888-941-5141