Pumping energy management control system
AssigneeOnline Energy Manager LLC
InventorSridharan Raghavachari
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method includes receiving an power value for a first pump and a differential pressure across the first pump and receiving an power value for a second pump and a differential pressure across the second pump, wherein the first pump is in a first pumping line and the second pump is in a second pumping line that pumps in parallel with the first pumping line. The flows through the first pumping line and the second pumping line are adjusted to minimize an power per flow per differential pressure of the first and second pumping lines in combination.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- receiving a power value for a first pump and a differential pressure across the first pump;
- receiving an power value for a second pump and a differential pressure across the second pump, wherein the first pump is in a first pumping line and the second pump is in a second pumping line that pumps in parallel with the first pumping line;
- adjusting a flow through the first pumping line and a flow through the second pumping line to minimize an power per flow per differential pressure of the first and second pumping lines in combination.
A pumping station comprising:
- at least two pumping lines in parallel with each other, each pumping line comprising:
- a pump;
- a flow control valve having a first side located at a discharge of the pump and a second side;
- a first pressure sensor at an inlet to the pump;
- a second pressure sensor at the discharge of the pump;
- a third pressure sensor at the second side of the flow control valve;
- and
- a power sensor that senses the power used by the pump;
- and
- a controller device that receives sensor values from each of the first pressure sensors, second pressure sensors, third pressure sensors and power sensors and uses the sensor values to control flow in the at least two pumping lines to minimize power usage.
A controller device for controlling a parallel pumping installation, the controller device comprising:
- memory containing processor instructions and parameters for each of a plurality of pumps and each of a plurality of flow control valves in the parallel pumping installation, the parameters indicating which of a plurality of parallel pumping lines each pump and each flow control valve are installed in;
- input interfaces that receive pressure sensor values from pressure sensors mounted on each side of each pump and on each side of each flow control valve and that receives power sensor values from power sensors coupled to each pump;
- output interfaces that are in communication with at least one of a pump and a flow control valve such that output signals can be sent from the controller device to at least one of the pump and the flow control valve to set the flow in at least one pumping line;
- and
- a processor that uses the parameters for the pumps and the flow control valves and the sensor values from the pressure sensors and the power sensors to set the flow in at least one pumping line to thereby minimize the power usage of the parallel pumping installation for a particular pumping flow and pumping head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.