energy consumption

As an industrial plant operator, you know that noisy water pumps can cause a whole host of problems. From disrupting the work environment to indicating potential malfunctions, it's essential to address any loud pump noises as soon as possible. But how do you go about quieting these essential machines? In this article, we'll share our expert tips for reducing pump noise and ensuring your plant runs as smoothly as possible.

What causes a noisy water pump?

As industrial plant operators, you know the...

Pump vibration analysis is a crucial aspect of effective maintenance for industrial pumps. Vibrations can indicate wear and tear, alignment issues, and other potential problems that, if left untreated, can lead to costly downtime and repairs. As plant engineers and pump maintenance technicians, it's essential to understand the importance of pump vibration analysis and how it can help you identify and address issues before they become major problems. In this article, we'll explore the basics of pump...

As a result of conservative engineering practices, pumps are often substantially larger than they need to be for an industrial plant’s process requirements. Centrifugal pumps can often be oversized because of  “rounding up,” trying to accommodate gradual increases in pipe surface roughness and flow resistance over time, or anticipating future plant capacity expansions. In addition, the plant’s pumping requirements might not have been clearly defined during the design phase.

Because of this conservative...

Overview 

Centrifugal pumps handle high flow rates, provide smooth, non pulsating delivery, and regulate the flow rate over a wide range without damaging the pump. Centrifugal pumps have few moving parts, and the wear caused by normal operation is minimal. They are also compact and easily disassembled for maintenance. The design of an efficient pumping system depends on relationships between fluid flow rate, piping layout, control methodology, and pump selection. Before a centrifugal pump is selected,...

When multiple pumps operate continuously as part of a parallel pumping system, there can be opportunities for significant energy savings. For example, lead and spare (or lag) pumps are frequently operated together when a single pump could meet process flow rate requirements. This can result from a common misconception—that operating two identical pumps in parallel doubles the flow rate. Although parallel operation does increase the flow rate, it also causes greater fluid friction losses, results in a...

An industrial facility can reduce the energy costs associated with its pumping systems, and save both energy and money, in many ways. They include reducing the pumping system flow rate, lowering the operating pressure, operating the system for a shorter period of time each day, and, perhaps most important, improving the system’s overall efficiency.

Often, a pumping system runs inefficiently because its requirements differ from the original design conditions. The original design might have been too...

Pumping system control valve inefficiencies in plant processes offer opportunities for energy savings and reduced maintenance costs. Valves that consume a large fraction of the total pressure drop for the system or are excessively throttled can be opportunities for energy savings. Pressure drops or head losses in liquid pumping systems increase the energy requirements of these systems. Pressure drops are caused by resistance or friction in piping and in bends, elbows, or joints, as well as by throttling...

In the United States, more than 2.4 million pumps, which consume more than 142 billion kWh annually, are used in industrial manufacturing processes. At an electricity cost of 5 cents per kWh, energy used for fluids transport costs more than $7.1 billion per year. Even one pump can consume substantial energy. A continuously operated centrifugal pump driven by a fully loaded 100-horsepower motor requires 726,000 kWh per year. This costs more than $36,000, assuming average electricity costs of 5 cents...

In pumping applications with variable flow rate requirements, adjustable speed drives (ASDs) are an efficient control alternative to throttling or bypass methods. ASDs save energy by varying the pump’s rotational speed. In centrifugal pumping applications with no static lift, power requirements vary, as the cube of the pump speed and small decreases in speed or flow rate can significantly reduce energy use. For example, reducing the speed (flow rate) by 20% can lower input power requirements by approximately...