Pump Applications Using VFDs

Are VFDs worth it for pump

applications?
Have they been oversold to
the market?
Why Are VFDs Specified for Pumps
 Process conditions are not
fully developed
 Variable process conditions
 Poor pump selection
 Future process upgrades
 Energy efficiency-Reduced
operating cost
 Prior art-Industry practice
 Over-speeding a pump to
reduce pump frame size
 Electrical supply restraint-
Soft starting
 Braking- Dynamic or hold
 Unlimited number of starts
and stops
 Waterhammer mitigation-
Fatigue
 Ignorance -Engineer having
no understanding of other
process control solutions
Pump Speed Control Solutions
Mechanical
 Cone & disc variator
 Cyclic variator
 Vee belt & pulleys
 Gearbox
 Internal combustion engine
 Scoop control fluid
couplings
 Hydraulic drive
Electrical
 Variable Frequency Drive
 Eddy current drive
 Two speed motor
 Direct Current drives
 Slip ring motors
 Multiple pole motors
 Relay pulsed motors
Process Solutions-Alternatives
 Pressure, temperature  Change pump impellor
or flow control valves diameter
 Bypass valves  Alternate pump type
 Larger suction tanks or  Multiple pumps
sumps  Different sized pumps
 Holding tank
 Pump for longer
periods
 Stop/start controls
Pump Considerations
Pump Selection-The Issues
 Duty point(s)  Casing pressure rating
 Static head (Hs)  Efficiency
 Friction loss (Hf)  Specific speed
 Dead head  Moment of inertia
 Transients  Curve shape
 Design factors  Stability over range
- head  Best efficiency point
- flow  1st Critical speed
- NPSHa
System Design-Issues
 Software allows the  Motor/VFD Efficiency
analysis of systems  Wire to Water kW
 Excessive design  The original Affinity
factors used Laws are based on
 Pump suppliers design systems with no static
factors head
 New vs. Old pipe  Affinity Laws overstate
friction losses energy savings
 Pipe wall /lining  Revise the 2nd Affinity
tolerances Law for Minimum Flow
Pump Curve #1
Pump Curve #2
Existing Pump Oversize?
This is a common pump dilemma that VFDs are used
to solve but the VFD does NOT save the energy! The
credit goes to the reduced head/flow requirements.
 VFD suppliers offer the retro-fit of a VFD to change
pump speed to meet reduced process conditions
 Change of pump or impellor reduced diameter
achieves the necessary reduced flow, hence power
 A flow control valve achieves the necessary reduced
flow and maintain the best efficiency point (BEP)
 A multiple small pumps and motor could be cost
effective
Pump Curve #3
Pumps using VFDs- Considerations
 Energy savings with a VFD occurs for duties reduced
to between 60% to 85% of the BEP.
 Where duty is reduced to only 85% of BEP, a control
valve energy demand is less than that for the
combined VFD installation inefficiencies
 Wire to water energy kW-hr per m3 delivered
should be the criteria used in assessing a VFD
application
 VFDs offer little benefit for systems with more than
50% static head
 VFDs are ideal for closed systems with varying
process duties-no static head
Electrical Design Considerations
What is a Variable Frequency Drive?
Legacy- < 600Hz Today >20kHz
 BJTs (Bipolar Junction  IGBT (Insulated Gate
Transistor) Bipolar Transistor)- these
 SCRs (Silicon Controlled offer the benefits of higher
Rectifier) frequencies and increased
 GTO (Gate Turn Off
efficiencies
Thyristor)
Electrical Factors to be Considered
 Voltage (LV, MV or HV)  Overspeed capability
 Power  Braking requirements
 Line & load side harmonics  Power loss
 Load torque  Ride through time
 Speed range  Audible noise
 Speed regulation  Length/type of cable
 Failure mode  Power factor correction
 Acceleration/deceleration  Altitude
times  Motor, insulation and VFD
 Efficiency life

Mechanical engineers are required to

understand the electrical issues
Cable

 Voltage peaks at motor terminals can be increased

to 2 times the peaks of the VFD output for a long
cable
 25m is the recommended cable length
 Cables longer than 25m have an inductive load that
affects a motor’s life
 Cables need to be screened to avoid EMI
Motor Considerations
Bearing Damage –Induced Shaft Voltage
Induced Shaft Current Types
1. Conductive mode bearing
current-low speed , good
conductivity.
2. Discharge mode bearing
current-higher inverter
output frequencies-The
capacitive voltage builds
up until it is able to break
down the dielectric
resistance of the grease.

Induced shaft voltage with no

shaft brush or insulated bearing
Motor Cooling
 Below 25hz motor fan speed will not cool motor
 Supplementary fan required
 Added cost of drive, cable, SCA, controls, access and
maintenance
 Reduced reliability
Efficiency
 Published motor efficiency
data is based on a pure
sinusoidal voltage
 The high frequency
harmonics created by VFDs
increase copper and core
losses decreasing the
efficiency of the motor
 Materials behave differently
under these operating
conditions resulting in a
higher efficiency drop when
fed by VFDs.
Current
 A higher r.m.s. current to supply the same
output (about 10% higher)
 Increase in motor operating temperature
 On average, VFD fed motors will have a
temperature increase of about 15°C, at rated
speed and load
Noise Level
 Due to the harmonics, the motor noise level will
increase when it is operated using a VFD
 Experience shows that the sound pressure level at A
scale at motor rated speed is increase by anything
between 2 and 15dBA with a VFD
 This “ extra ” noise level depends mainly on the
inverter switching frequency and harmonic
content.
 Noise mitigation costs increase
 Motor Design Life
Standards
 IEC 34-17 and DIN VDE 530 VFD  Repeated voltage peaks
voltage peaks (Vp) < 1,000V and
dV/dT <500 V/µs but VFD
motors are subjected to 5000V/µs
and 1,500V
 Voltage peaks depend on carrier
frequency
 dV/dT affects the insulation
between turns, the high voltage
spikes affect the insulation between
phases and phase to ground
Damage
breakdown die-electric
strength of insulation
 Die electric strength reduced
by humidity & temperature
 Corona & partial discharge
destroy motors
 Standard motors design life
reduced by up to 75%
 Standard insulation varnish is
NOT acceptable
Commercial Considerations
Costs of a Pump/VFD Installation
Capex
 VFD componenets with a
design life < 10years
 Larger switchroom
 Increased air conditioning
 Screened cable
 Harmonic protection
 Special motors
 Supplementary fans
 Increase in noise mitigation
 Increased design costs
Opex
 VFD inefficiency ≤ 95%
 Inefficiency of motor
 Supplementary fans
 Special motor spares
 Air conditioning energy
 Reduced life of motor
 Spares for VFD
 Spares costs oversize pump
 Risk & reliability (FMECA)
 Increase in noise
Commercial-Other
 Engineers who use suppliers to select pumps or process
solutions lose engineering control of the procurement
process
 Pump suppliers do not necessarily know, or care, about
the process vs. electrical requirements of the VFD/motor
interface-divided responsibility
 String testing motor/pump/VFD is difficult during the
contract period because of :-
-time
-manufacture location of components
-responsibility of the other parties equipment
-packing/unpacking/re-packing
Conclusions
 Engineers need to specify all operating & electrical conditions to
pump, motor & VFD supplier
 Invest in the mechanical engineering and specify correctly
 Future operating conditions may not occur. If they do they can be
met with alternate solutions
 VFDs do not always save energy, Capex or Opex
 VFDs do not avoid transients from power loss
 VFDs provide a suitable solution to some pump operating
conditions but should not be considered a panacea
 “You just can't ever beat the energy efficiency of running a
properly sized pump at 100% BEP rated flow”.
 Mechanical engineers have a poor understanding of electric motors
& VFDs and fail to communicate with process or electrical
engineers
Questions

Please ask questions remembering

I am a mechanical engineer!
Useful links
This presentation was by
 sulzerpumps.com
Geoff Stone
geoffrey.stone@yahoo.co.uk  mcnallyinstitute.com
 eng-tips.com
Tel 0402 35 2313
Or  nidi.org
02 8850 2313  pumpsystemsmatter.org
 aft.com
 toshont.com/vfdapp.htm
 virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com
 canterburyengineeringassociates.com