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Software optimises single- or multi-pump systems

27 March, 2014

The Brazilian motors and controls manufacturer WEG has produced a software package that optimises the operation of pumping systems to make them run more efficiently. The Pump Genius software is designed to cut the operating and maintenance costs of single pumps, or up to six pumps operating in parallel, while increasing process accuracy and protection.

The software works with WEG’s CFW11 drives to provide pump control and protection, as well as system monitoring. It can be applied to any system that needs constant flow or pressure, and can manage and monitor up to six pumps in a coordinated arrangement.

Using the software with pumps operating in parallel increases the flexibility of the pumping system, while extending the system’s lifespan. It matches flow to the pumping system demand, while providing fault diagnosis and simplifying maintenance.

The Pump Genius software can be used for single-pump installations (top), or for multi-pump, single-drive (centre) or multi-pump, multi-drive (bottom) installations

The software cycles lead and lag pumps on and off based on their motor run times. WEG says that unlike some other pumping control software, the new package monitors the operating hours of all of the pumps in a system, adding and removing pumps as demand changes, without needing to set a cycle timer. This ensures equal run times for all of the pumps in an installation.

It also supports a floating master and slave configurations, rather than the fixed master and slave pumps found in other systems. It senses automatically if the master is not responding because of a sensor loss or another fault, and assigns another pump as the master. The transition between master drives is said to be seamless, without disrupting the process.

The CFW-11 drives are available in sizes from 1.1–370kW and can monitor motor and drive faults and alert operators to potential problems. They have intelligent thermal management functions that provide automatic cooling of the drive’s internal components. 




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