How Variable Speed Drive For Pump Motors

Improve Groundwater Management Efficiency

International Center for Water Technology

2014 Water Technology Conference
Prepared by Vahan Bagdasarian

Variable Frequency Drives

What is a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD)?
Variable Speed Drive (VSD)
Its like the throttle in your car, the faster you want to go you apply more
gas.

Without it would be like a standard motor where you would have it going full
speed and apply the breaks when you want to slow down without slowing down
the motor. In your irrigation system you can use a throttling valve, pressure
regulating valve or bypass valve. Not the most energy efficient method but it
works.

VFD or VSD brings the motor speed down to match the

actual demand needed by the application which can
reduce energy consumption.

Variable Frequency Drives

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

Why are they used?
Reduce energy consumption
Lower Carbon emissions
Government, consumers, legislators demanding
more energy efficient products
Rising energy prices

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

When should they be use to better

your water management?
Various flow rates required in irrigation zones
Depth of water level varies from start of irrigation
season to end of season
Pressure to inlet of current pump varies
Reduce flow to prevent over pumping on wells with
slow recharge and dynamic water drawdown
during pumping.

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

An example: (constant pressure)

A fixed speed water supply pump has a Hnom = 45 psi at Qnom

The flow has to be controlled by a throttle valve

By reduced flow the pressure will increase to more than 75 psi

H
System
Pressure at Fixed
speed pump solution =
75psi

Fixed speed

Pressure

Excess
pressure
Required pressure = 45
psi
Nominal
flow Qnom

Reduced
flow

Flow

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

An example: (constant pressure)
A speed controlled pump automatically adapt
the pump performance to the actual need.
The flow is reduced by lowering the speed of the pump
The pressure is constant 45 psi
H

Freq.
conv.

System
Pressure at Fixed
speed pump solution =
75psi

Fixed speed

Motor

Excess
pressure

Senso
r
Required pressure = 45

Pressure at Variable speed

pump solution = 45 psi

Pressure

psi
Nominal
flow Qnom

Variable
speed

Reduced
flow

Flow

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

The approximate savings which can be obtained
100% Speed
95% Speed
90% Speed
85% Speed
80% Speed
75% Speed
70% Speed
65% Speed
60% Speed
55% Speed
50% Speed
45% Speed
40% Speed
35% Speed
30% Speed

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

100% Load
85.7% Load
72.9% Load
61.4% Load
51.2% Load
42.2% Load
34.3% Load
27.5% Load
21.6% Load
16.6% Load
12.5% Load
9.1% Load
6.4% Load
4.3 % Load
2.7% Load

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

No Savings
14.3% Savings
27.1% Savings
38.6% Savings
48.8% Savings
57.8% Savings
65.7% Savings
72.5% Savings
78.4% Savings
83.4% Savings
87.5% Savings
90.9% Savings
93.6% Savings
95.7% Savings
97.3% Savings

50% Speed = 50% flow rate

50% flow rate = 12.5% power
Savings 87 % on power
See Affinity laws the
relationship between the flow,
the rotational speed, the
pressure head and the power.

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

The advantage of a frequency converter lays in controlling the speed of the pump in an intelligent
way, such that the speed corresponds to the actual demand in the application.

Pressure

The actual demand could be:

Constant Pressure
Constant temperature
Constant differential pressure
Constant flow
Etc.

Flow
Example: Constant pressure

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

The advantage of the frequency converter is that it can make a fixed
speed pump into a variable speed pump with optimum performance in
all duty points.

Pressure

Example:
QH curve, variable speed pump

Flow

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

When they should not be used?

When pumps have a constant flow and pressure
requirement
When you only require a different flow rate for short
periods of time that will not save the required power
for a return on your investment. Keep in mind that
VFD units use 5% additional power so savings must
be more than 5%. In these cases it may be better to
use two pumps.

Variable Frequency Drives

Protection of equipment

Automatically adapts to changes in

system.

Less (pipes,filters,valves)
risk for water hammer
and cavitation.

Pressure

Perfect control of flow and head

with "soft-start" function

Time

Included electric protection

Integrated motor protection.

Faster installation/commissioning
Less components that need to be
adjusted to each other.
Direct input of control
parameters, less
calculations & manual settings.

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

Higher installation costs

VFD minimum speed: Start up to 30Hz should not be
longer than 5 seconds. Below 30Hz is risk of
vibrations in windings and heating of motor

Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)

Before
After

Questions

0.1

WS Agriculture Irrigation

Variable speed Affinity laws

Flow is proportional to pump speed :

Q2

Q1

Rpm2

Rpm 1

Head is proportional to the square power of the pump speed

H1

h2

Rpm 1

h1

(Rpm2)2
(Rpm1)2

Power is proportional to the cube power of the pump speed

H2

P2

Rpm2

P1
Q2

Q1

(Rpm1)3

NPSH is proportional to the square power of the pump speed

NPSH2
NPSH1

P1
P2

(Rpm2)3

(Rpm2)2
(Rpm1)2

Q
16