Program for efficiency analaizing for variable
speed drive of pumps
Marian Ciontu*, Cristian Bratu*
*Energy Department, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Craiova, Craiova , Romania,
e-mail: mciontu@elth.ucv.ro, cbratu@elth.ucv.ro
Abstract—The present paper describe an original
program elaborate by authors in order to analize the
economic and energetic efficiency of using variable speed
driven for turbo-pumps. The input dates of the program are
represented by the parameters circuit hydraulic pump, the
pump characteristics, motor drive, static frequency
converter circuit and power supply. The program realise a
comparative analysis of electricity consumption for flow
through valve adjustment and changing speed for a curve
given technical task. Starting from energy savings and the
equipment cost it can be determined the payback of the
investment. The paper presents a case study.
Index Terms — Pump, Variable speed drives, Static
frequency converter,
I. INTRODUCTION
A special application of variable speed drives is the
adjustment flow in pumping liquids. Hereby it can be
achieved significant energy savings for both the pump
itself and by changing the operating mode of the plant.
Thus the quantitative regulation of heat carrier for
heating buildings (by changing the heat flow depending
of the environmental temperature and maintain its
temperature constant) creates conditions to reduce the
heat loss in operator distribution network (for a poor
quality thermal insulation of the pipes) due to lower
temperature difference between pipe and the environment.
The liquid flow adjustment can be achieved by
modifying the network characteristic or feature changing
circulation pump (made mostly by changing its speed).
For this purpose it can be use a variable speed drives
that include an asynchronous motor and variable
frequency converter (which provides the supply voltage
frequency tuning of the engine).
As for turbomachines, the torque is proportional to the
speed square (which, in turn, is proportional to frequency)
in order to maintain the overload capacity the voltage
ratio should be equal to the squared frequency ratio.
In general, however, due to saturation and cooling
conditions is preferable to keep constant the ratio U/f at
subsincrone speeds.
Besides reducing energy losses on valve adjustment,
changing the frequency concomitant with the supply
voltage has the following favourable effects on the
electric motor:
- reducing losses in copper due to lower load and operate
at low frequencies;
- iron losses decrease with the ratio (f / f n )β , where
β=1,2÷1,6;
- mechanical and ventilation losses decrease with the
speed square;
All this leads to a very good engine performance
throughout the adjustment range and reduce idling losses.
Adverse effects of engine power by static frequency
converters are:
- occurrence own converter losses between 2 and 6%;
- additional losses due to engine harmonics between
0,1 and 2%;
- power supply network harmonic pollution.
An important advantage of using variable speed drives
in pump installations is a constant pressure in transport
network and not pulsating that if regulation by switching
on / off pump, which reduces the risk of cracks in
pipelines network.
II. CALCULATION ALGORITM
To achieve energy analysis are necessary the following
information:
a. Pump characteristic at rated speed H(Q).
b. Pump performance characteristic ηp(Q).
c. Maximum pump flow (with the valve fully open).
d. Pressure suction and discharge points.
e. Height difference between the suction and discharge.
f. The rngine efficiency characteristic ηm(P).
g. Static frequency converter efficiency characteristic
(CSF) ηCSF(P).
h. Average flow Qmed or operating duration curve T(Q)
(the annual number of operating hours at flow Q).
i. Rated speed nn.
If we wante to realize an economic efficiency analysis
are required the following additional parameters:
a. Static frequency converter cost.
b. Active energy consumption unit cost.
c. Reactive energy consumption unit cost.
d. The annual cost of maintenance.
Energy efficiency analysis using a variable speed drive
pumps involves the following steps:
A. Energy consumption at rated speed analysis:
a. For flow Qmed at which the analyse is made from the
pump curve pumping height is determined Hmed=H (Qmed).
b. Power flowing liquid:
Pp=HmedQmedγg (1)
 c. From the pump efficiency curve is determined the
efficiency ηmed=ηp(Qmed) at corresponding flow Qmed.
d. Determine the mechanical power consumed by pump
Pmp=Pp/ηmed.
e. From the motor efficiency curve is determined the
efficiency ηmot=ηm(Pmp) for load Pmp.
f. Determine engine power consumption Pel=Pmp/ηmot.
B. Analysis of energy consumption use in variable speed
drive
a. For the maximum flow that can be achieve in the
network with the valve fully open Qmax from pump curve
is determined the pumping height for maximum flow
Hmax = H(Qmax).
b. Is determined the network hydraulic resistance with
the valve fully open:
H max − H s
R= (2)
Q 2max
c. Is determined the pumping height which must ensure
the pump at the average flow Qmed:
H tv = H s + RQ 2med (3)
(if Htv is negative it is considered Htv=0 or Htv=NPSH).
d. Is determined the power flowing fluid:
Pptv=HtvQmedγg (4)
H (Q, n ) = AQ 2 + BnQ + Cn 2 (8)
b c
thus: A = a; B = ; C= 2
nn nn
(nn – rated speed).
h. Is determined the flow Qid coresponding to the
intersection point of on pump characteristic H(Q) and
network characteristic RidQ2 by solving the equation (with
unknown Qid):
2 2
aQ id + bQ id + c = R id Q id (9)
i. At this point the pump efficiency is determined
ηmedtv= ηp(Qid) from the characteristic pump performance
at speed rated.
j. Is determined the mechanical power consumed by
pump Pmptv=Pp/ηmedtv.
k. From the performance curve engine is determined
the engine efficiency at power output Pmptv
ηmottv=η′m(Pmptv) taking into account the performance
reduction due to the CSF supply (typical values of rated
performance reduction is 2÷3%).
l. Is determined the engine power consumption
Pmot=Pmptv/ηmottv.
m. From the CSF performance curve is determined it’s
efficinecy (including efficiency for the transformers when
it use a MT motors) ηconv=ηCSF(Pmot).
n. Is determined the power consumption of CSF:
PelCSF=Pmot/ηconv.

e. Is determined the hydraulic resistance coresponding C. Operating cost reduction calculating for variable
to the characteristic witch allows to determine the speed drive:
efficiency: The cost reduction with the electricity consumption:

H tv ΔCel= (Pel- PelCSF)T⋅Ce (10)

R id = (5)
Q 2med
T - annual operating time.
Ce - electricity unit cost (EUR / kWh).
f. Is determined the coefficients a, b, c of the pump
The annual maintenance costs reducement can be
characteristic at rated speed:
determined as follows:
a. Using the average flow Qmed, the pumping height
H (Q) = aQ 2 + bQ + c (6) should be ensured by the pump Htv and coefficients A, B,
C (determined from energy consumption at variable speed
The easiest way is to use three points on the analysis) it can be solve using the second degree equation:
characteristic H(Q) pump: (Q=0, H(0)); (Q1; H(Q1)); (Q2;
H(Q2)). Htv=AQ2med+BQmedn+Cn2 (11)

For this c=H(0) - the pumping height that the pump (n unknown speed) keeping a positive solution.
ensures at zero flow, a and b are determined as solution of b. Are determined themaintenance cost:
the system:
n
C ment tv = C ment (12)
⎧⎪ aQ12 + bQ1 = H(Q1 ) − H (0) nn
⎨ 2 (7)
⎪⎩aQ 2 + bQ 2 = H ( Q 2 ) − H (0 ) Cment – maintenance costs at rated speed.
c. Are determined the maintenance cost reducement:
A more successful method involves discretization of
the curve H(Q) and minimizing the error using the ΔCment= Cment - Cment tv (13)
method of the lowest squares.
g. Is determined the coefficients A, B and C from the
pump characteristic at variable speed:
 III. COMPUTER PROGRAM
In order to achieve an economical and energy
efficiency analysis by using the variable speed drives for
turbopumps, the authors have developed a original
computer program.
The application program is developed in MATLAB
(Matrix Laboratory) witch is a development environment
for numerical and statistical analysis programming
Fig. 1. Main program interface
By pressing the appropriate buttons in the main
interface a specific interfaces can be recourse allowing
the introduction of pump parameters (Fig. 2), engine (Fig.
3), characteristic of hydraulic system (Fig. 4), static
frequency converter (Fig. 5), the load of the pump (Fig. 6)
and cable parameters for the motor supply and
respectively static frequency converter (Fig. 7). After
entering data by pressing UPDATE (ACTUALIZARE),
the input data are taken from graphical areas and
transferred to the program, and by pressing EXIT
(IESIRE) returns to the main interface. The CALCUL
button from the main interface allows energy and
economic calculations followed by the interface results
display as shown in Fig. 8.
Data to be introduced are:
Fig. 2. Characteristics pump interface
language contains the same name created by MathWorks.
MATLAB allows matrix manipulation, viewing
functions, implementation of algorithms, creation of
interfaces and can interact with other applications.
The authors developed program, has a main interface
(Fig. 1) which allows the user, by pressing buttons, to
open the windows in which they can insert the necessary
data in order to achieve energy and economic analysis,
saving parameters on disk or calculations.
a. For pump: pumping height and performance curves
with 10 points (between 0 and Qmax).
b. For motor: rated output, rated voltage, efficiency and
power factor (for three degrees loading: 0,5Pn, 0,75Pn and
Pn).
c. For CSF: rated power, price and performance curve
with 10 points (between 0 and Pn).
d. For hydraulic network: flow to fully open valve,
suction and discharge pressures, static height (difference
in level between the suction and discharge) and specific
gravity of the liquid pumped.
e. To load curve: nominal flow and operating curve
time (in percent) according to flow.
f. For the cables: the material (Cu or Al), section and
length.
Fig. 3. Engine data Fig. 4. Characteristics hydraulic network

Fig.5. Static frequency converter data

Fig. 6. Load curve

Fig. 7. Data cable Fig. 8. Interface results

 After entering the input data the next step is to achieve IV. CONCLUSIONS
a comparative analysis of electricity consumption for flow
through valve adjustment and changing speed for a given Conclusions that couldn’t be drawn from the results
technical load curve task. Starting from the energy analysis using the program are:
consumption reducing and equipment additional costs it - energy efficiency is even higher since the rate of
can be determine the investment payback period. pumping is different from the nominal (Q/Qn is less);
By click the Calcul button, appears the interface (Fig. - energy savings increases with decreasing height static
8), where the analysis results can be visualized. network;
As an application of the developed program is present a - for the study case, the payback period is short (0.428
case of a pump manufacturer KSB type RPH-C6, whose years), so is recommended to use static frequency
characteristics are shown in Fig. 9.
converters
η H Lately structural improvements made for CSF involved
(%) (m) a harmonics reducement ratio injected into the power
80 system, reducing this drive system shortcomings.
240
H Using ATV can achieve energy savings of 25÷50% of
60 220
200 their consumption for involvement with constant speed
40 180 η pumps and flow through the valve adjustment.
160
20 140
120 REFERENCES
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 Q
(m3/h) [1] *** IEC 61800-2 Adjustable Speed Electrical Power Drive
Fig. 9. Pump characteristic Systems, 2004
[2] Simula, A – Masini şi actionari electrice cu turatie
The pump is driven by a Siemens engine - variabila, Cluj Napoca, 1998.
1LG43162AB90-Z with the parameters from Table I. [3] Bonal, J., “Entraînement à vitesse variable au pompage
centrifuge”, art. D.530-1, Edition Technique de l’ingénieur
TABLE I [4] Trevor, B., “Energy Efficiency în Pumps Specification”, in
Engine parameters World Pumps, nr. 415, April, 2001.
Efficiency (%) Power factor [5] Dessoudre, M., “Moteurs asynchrone – Choix et problèmes
Pn In Un connexes”, art. D.3490, Edition Technique de l’ingénieur
for P/Pn= for P/Pn=
(kW) (A) (kV) 05 0.75 1 0.5 0.75 1 [6] Shiels, S., “Optimizing centrifugal pump operation”, in
160 279 0.4 94.4 95.3 95.5 0.83 0.89 0.91 World Pumps, nr. 412, January, 2001.

The developed program was used to perform energy

and economic analysis for the pump at a flow varying
between 0 and 170 m3/h.
The remaining parameters are shown in Fig.s 2÷7.
The analysis results (Fig. 8) show a consumption
reduction of the 390.5 MWh/year, and a cost reduction of
105500 Euro/year. Duration of additional CSF payback is
0.43 years.