Schneider Electric
Pumps & Fans Control (Industry/Infrastructure)
Pains & drivers
• In Industry, 70% of electrical consumption is used to turn motors. Of these motors, 33% of them control pump or fan applications.
• Most pump and fan applications are driven by a DOL solution of SoftStarter. This means that the motor runs at full speed and the flow variation is obtained. The energy consumption falls very little when the flow decreases. At 80% of the nominal flow, the energy consumption remains at 95%. The potential for saving on the installed base is huge.
• The CEMEP association has made a simulation for the European market. The use of Drive in such applications could save 900 M Euro/year as well as 4 Million tons of CO2/year.
How can a customer manage energy more efficiently?
• To save energy you must:
- drive the motor with a frequency inverter instead of a contactor or Soft Start
- remove the restriction device (valve or damper)
• The AC Inverter allows you to adjust the speed of the Pump or the Fan, and therefore the Flow
• The result is huge savings compared to conventional solutions:
- up to 50% for Fan , return on investment for the drive is within one year
- up to 30 % for a Pump , return on investment within 2 years
Solutions or architectures used in the application
A) Solution without Drive
The motor turns at a fixed speed according to the network frequency and the number of poles.
Example : 3600 Rpm for 60 Hz
Motor 2 poles
The only way to adjust the Flow is a restriction device (damper) which generates losses.
B) Energy Saving Solution with Drive
The Drive, which is also called a frequency inverter, lets you vary the frequency and therefore the motor speed, too.
The Flow is directly proportional to the speed.
The damper or valve are no longer required.
C) Energy Consumption with and without Drive
Example for Fan Application
Outlet damper
Variable speed drive
50% of energy saving at 80% of the nominal flow
Example for Pump Application
Control valve
Drive
30% of energy saving at 80% of the nominal flow
Source: http://www.schneider-electric.ca/sites/canada/en/solutions/mining-mineral-metals/key-applications-for-energy-efficiency/mining-mineral-metals-pumps-and-fans-control.page
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