METHOD AND PUMP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZING THE ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN A RUNNING FLUID TRANSPORTING PIPE SYSTEM WITH PUMPS

• US 20100312400A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Picca Automation A/S
• Original Assignee: Picca Automation A/S
• Inventors: Steffensen, Niels Peder Ledgard
• Application Number:
  US12/739,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20100312400A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 15/0066 by changing the speed, e.g. of the driving engine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 the criterion being a learning criterion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid

Abstract

A method and a pump management system for optimizing the energy consumption by operation of a fluid transporting pipe system having a number of pumps to move the fluid therethrough. During fluid transport from a starting point to an end point, one or more parameters can be measured, which alone or in combination represents at least an energy consumption for the operation of each pump or combinations of operation of pumps and the flow through the fluid transporting pipe system. On the basis of the established actual pump characteristics that are measured, system characteristic(s) and operation frequency/frequencies are chosen at which one or more of the pumps alone, alternating or at the same time, must pump in a period of time to achieve a given desired pumping speed through the pipe system or a given desired pump volume with the least possible total energy consumption.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A self-regulating method of optimizing the energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid by operation of a fluid transporting pipe system comprising a number (n) of pumps to move the fluid through the pipe system, which method comprises the steps of:

measuring one or more parameters for fluid transport through the pipe system from a starting point, from where the fluid is pumped, to an end point whereto the fluid is pumped, wherein the parameter(s) alone or in combination represent(s) at least an energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid for the operation of each pump or for combinations of operation of multiple pumps and the flow through the fluid transporting pipe system;

determining, on the basis of the measured parameters, actual system characteristics for each pump'"'"'s or combinations of pumps'"'"' operation when said pump(s) provide(s) for flow through the pipe system from starting point (A) to end point (B);

selecting, on the basis of the established actual pump characteristics, that or those system characteristic(s) or operation frequency/frequencies at which one or more of the pumps alone, alternating or at the same time, must pump in a period of time to achieve a given desired pumping speed through the pipe system or to achieve a given desired pump volume with the least possible total energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid, and

repeating one or more of the measuring, determining or selecting steps in order to re-regulate the combination of the operation of the pump(s);

wherein the operation frequency of the pump(s) is regulated by at least one frequency converter.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the system characteristic(s) or operation frequency/frequencies of the pump(s) are selected to achieve both a given desired pumping speed through the pipe system and a given desired pump volume with the least possible total energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the number (n) of pumps in the pipe system is greater than or equal to 2.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the measuring, determining, selecting or repeating steps is performed with fixed equal or different time intervals.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the measuring, determining, selecting or repeating steps is performed upon an evaluation of whether a given goal for pumped fluid through the pipe system is achieved at a given time or a given range of time.

21. The method according to claim 16, which further comprises processing the measured parameters by a software program running on a computer or PLC in order to establish the actual system characteristics for the pump(s), the pump configurations or the pipe system during operation.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the processing generates a set of updated regulation data for regulating the at least one frequency converter in order to reduce the energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid of the pump(s) to the least possible to achieve a given goal for pumped fluid through the pipe system at a given time or a given time interval.

23. The method according to claim 22, which further comprises regularly monitoring the measured parameters to view changes which suggest applying the processing to generate the updated regulation data.

24. The method according to claim 16, which further comprises showing the efficiency of the pump(s) on a visual display and optionally a color visual display.

25. The method according to claim 24, which further comprises calculating data for the reduction in energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid and reduction in CO₂.

26. The method according to claim 25, which further comprises presenting the calculated data on the visual display or on a secondary display.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein the fluid is chosen from the group consisting of crude water from ground water well, clear water from reservoir to reservoir, clear water from waterworks, or another natural reservoir, cleaned or uncleaned wastewater from or to a purification plant, a pumping station or internal pumps at the purification plant.

32. A method for pumping water to or from a reservoir using the least possible energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid which comprises pumping the water through a fluid transporting pipe system comprising a number (n) of pumps to move the fluid through the pipe system according to the method of claim 16.

28. A pump management system for optimization of the energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid by operation of a fluid transporting pipe system comprising a number (n) of pumps to move the fluid through the pipe system, comprising:

means for measuring one or more parameters for a fluid transport through the pipe system from a starting point (A), from where the fluid is pumped, to an end point (B) whereto the fluid is pumped, which parameters alone or in combination represents at least one energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid and flow for the operation of each pump and the flow through the fluid transporting pipe system;

means for monitoring the parameters;

means for calculating, on the basis of the monitored parameters, actual system characteristics for the operation of each pump or combinations of pumps for the flow through the pipe system from the starting point A to the end point B, and for, on the basis of the established actual pump characteristics selecting the system characteristic and operation frequency at which one or more of the pump(s) alone, in turns or together must be activate in a period of time in order to achieve a given desired pumping speed through the pipe system or a given desired pumping volume with the least possible total energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid.

29. The pump management system according to claim 28, wherein the pump management system comprises at least one frequency converter for regulation of the operation frequency of the pumps in the fluid transporting pipe system.

30. The pump management system according to claim 28, wherein the fluid is chosen from the group consisting of crude water from a ground water well, water from reservoir to reservoir, clear water from a waterworks, or another natural reservoir, cleaned wastewater from or to a purification plant or pumping station or internal pumps at the purification plant.

31. The pump management system according to claim 28, wherein the means for calculating actual system characteristics comprises a software program.

33. A pumping system for pumping water to or from a reservoir using the least possible energy consumption per quantum pumped fluid which comprises pumping the water through the pump management system according to claim 28.