22 Feature

WORLD PUMPS February 2019

Energy efficiency

New thinking
about efficiency
hen markets change quickly, the challenge is to under-
W stand what is driving the change and how to reassess
customer values with the new expectations. A good
example of this is the evaluation of energy efficiency
under dynamic and variable loading conditions.

With the introduction of variable speed
vacuum pumps into the market place,
users now expect that their vacuum
system will react to changes in their
process to save energy when the
vacuum demand reduces.
Customers have options when it comes
to selecting vacuum equipment, each
technology bringing unique benefits.
Oil injected technologies have a sealed
compression
chamber,
resulting in low
back slippage “One of the most important considerations
and high volu-
metric efficien- for plant engineers is the electrical efficiency
cies. Variable
speed oil injected
of machinery.”
screw technology
is a relatively
recent development which features the
ability to ramp up and down operating
rpm over a wide speed range, resulting
in variable capacity performance at
fixed pressures.
Motor ratings
One of the most important considera-
tions for plant engineers is the electrical
efficiency of machinery. A traditional
way to judge electrical power draw on
fixed speed vacuum machines is to read
the installed motor power rating,
because these units operate with a
similar nominal power draw under most
operating conditions.
On variable speed vacuum pumps, the
nominal motor rating offers a simplistic
way to estimate power usage, but since
the range of operating speeds can
result in a wide range of operating
power draw, machine settings and
process loading conditions will signifi-
cantly impact the real absorbed power
figure. Manufacturers will often include
a ‘service factor’ above the nominal
motor rating to ensure that the
machine can safely ramp up to
maximum when required.
Power versus work
Reputable manufacturers will provide
reliable data on the absorbed power for
their machinery under specific oper-
ating conditions. However, the chal-
lenge is how to relate that data to the
total energy cost of vacuum equipment
running on a real customer process.
Vacuum applications are variable to the
degree that the air load drawn from the
process can change over time. When a
fixed speed vacuum pump is installed,
this variation in loading will be seen as
fluctuations in the vacuum level.
Fixed speed pumps are sized for peak
demand, so that when the load is
highest the pump will safely run at or
below the pressure required to drive the
process. When
the load drops, a
fixed speed pump
will ‘pull down’ to
a lower, often
(erroneously)
called ‘better’
vacuum. In the
most extreme
example, a closed
valve at the inlet of the pump results in
near zero load and the pump pulls
down to its ultimate pressure. Holding at
ultimate pressure when there is zero
load, a fixed speed oil injected vane
pump typically consumes about 65-70%
of the machine’s nominal rated power.
Compare that situation with a variable
speed machine set to maintain a
constant pressure. At times of peak
demand, the variable speed pump will
run with high flow rate to reach the set
vacuum level. When the load is less it
will maintain the same pressure by

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WORLD PUMPS February 2019
slowing the rpm and adjusting the
capacity of the machine, as a result it
consumes much less power.
In the condition where a valve at the
inlet of the machine is closed, a variable
speed pump will reduce speed to zero,
drawing as a result zero power. Variations
in industrial processes mean that the
average running
speed of a vari-
able speed pump “Variations in industrial processes mean that
across an entire
production cycle the average running speed of a variable speed
can be as low as
50% of the
pump across an entire production cycle can
maximum speed. be as low as 50% of the maximum speed.”
Efficient processes
Ignoring for a moment any consideration
of varying loads, new variable speed
vacuum pumps have opened opportuni-
ties to save energy via process optimiza-
tion. Possibly the most significant of
which is the concept of ‘set point
control’ (SPC). By allowing an engineer to
define the operating pressure at precise
level and modify that setting even after
the vacuum system is installed, signifi-
cant savings are possible.
The relationship between pressure and
volume of a gas is inversely proportional:
for a fixed load, producing a deeper
vacuum means the vacuum machine
must handle a higher volume of gas.
The reverse is witnessed when a
customer uses variable speed settings to
change the vacuum level in their process
closer to atmospheric conditions. For
every 10% increase in absolute operating
pressure, there is 10% reduction in actual
flowrate for the pump to handle.
This allows an intelligent pump to
reduce its rotational speed and benefit
from associated energy savings.
Engineers are now trained that the best
vacuum level from an energy efficiency
standpoint is the ‘maximum authorized
pressure’ (MAP) for that process.
Safety factors
The safety margin on selection of a vari-
able speed machine is essentially the
difference between the normal operating
speed and the maximum speed available
to that pump. Under normal conditions,
the safety factor is not used.
Compare that to a fixed speed vacuum
pump. Oversizing equipment by 10%
safety factor will mean that it runs at
10% lower pressure (better vacuum?)
than designed. With no way of regu-
lating the capacity performance, it will
handle more flow and draw more power
than was needed by the process and for
the lifetime of the pump.
Tests versus audits
Lab testing can be a good way of
comparing the static energy efficiency of
machinery. The challenge is to design a
test which accurately simulates and
measures performance in real world
conditions.
Variable speed machines are particularly
difficult to represent using fixed speed
efficiency diagrams. This is because actual
volumetric performance, power draw and
efficiency are not represented by fixed
Feature 23
minimum or maximum speed curves but
rather lie within a broad range.
To evaluate energy efficiency, real power
consumption data is best gathered at
source. This is done by auditing actual
vacuum processes and comparing real
measurements against the design condi-
tion of installed equipment. During a
vacuum audit, engineers can log motor
power and pressure over time periods of
one week or longer, after which results
can be analyzed and alternative system
settings can be modelled.
The HMI control panel included on a true
variable speed pump allows improved
operation settings to translate into real
world savings for the customer.
A complete view
Analyzing the energy efficiency of a
vacuum process requires a holistic view of
the operation.
Comparing
nominal rated
power of
machinery is a
simplistic analysis,
while comparisons
of performance
under static test
conditions risks
missing important factors in a customer
environment.
Modern variable speed vacuum pumps
are changing the way engineers view the
concept of efficiency by introducing
dynamic considerations like demand vari-
ation and set pressure control alongside
more traditional mechanical efficiency
comparisons. •
www.atlascopco.com
About the author
Adrian Sandham, global competence manager,
Atlas Copco Vacuum Technique.
www.worldpumps.com