Smarter pumps set to cut life cycle costs
22 Aug 2000
At the recent Achema exhibition in Frankfurt, Goulds Pumps, part of ITT Industries, introduced the PumpSmart system with the claim that it significantly reduces all of the major portions of life cycle costs - including initial capital, installation, operating and maintenance costs.
The PumpSmart system uses a standard centrifugal pump in conjunction with a smart microprocessor controller and proprietary pump control software.
The controller element of the package continually monitors and reacts to both the system and pump conditions and matches the pump output to the exact system head required by the users' system.
In this way, the system provides protection against dry running, cavitation, low flow recirculation and the possibility of the pump running against closed suction or discharge valves.
By integrating the functionality of flow control valves, flowmeters and starters, these items can be eliminated, saving on initial costs, installation costs and maintenance.
A recent PumpSmart installation on a 100hp cooling tower pump was designed with a duplicate pump with control valves. The pump running with the valve in operation pulled 98hp, whereas the Pump-Smart system pulled 60hp and ran over 300rpm slower.
At the show, Goulds also announced its new family of chemical process pumps, the IC series (pictured). The range includes 30 sizes, with flows up to 450m3/h and heads up to 160m. They are suitable for service with temperatures ranging from -40 degrees C to 280 degrees C and pressures to 25bar.
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