Water Resistant Control Panels with ABB VSD’s save energy in pumping application

The PIF team had the opportunity to interview the leading supplier of Drives, Motors and Controls Panels - Quantum Controls.  Their product specialist Daniel Fitzsimons explains the features and benefits of the multifunctional control panel with ABB variable speed drives that was being displayed at the “Innovative Product Zone” area of The Pump Centre Conference in Telford, UK.

 

Water resistant Control Panels

Quantum Controls were exhibiting their 250 KW Multifunction, water resistance control panel with ABB variable speed drives.

Innovative features of the Quantum control panels

These innovative control panels are built with engineers in mind, from the way the panels are installed to the way they operate.

• IP65 housing
• Feet designed so they can be used with forklifts or Pallet trucks – don’t require specialist lifting equipment on site.
• Colour coded I/O rail – inputs and outputs for the VSD’s are colour coded to make the engineers’ job easier
• Modified gland plates – don’t need to re-gland cables on site.

Control panels save energy in water application

Quantum Controls specified their Control Panels into a pumping application at Yorkshire Water, saving energy and reducing costs.

The site already had 4 inlet pumps and VSD’s in operation, however the products were obsolete. The site had one pump running at full-speed and had a second pump running at a much lower speed performing a ‘topping up’ function.

Quantum Controls proposed that 2 or even 3 pumps were run in parallel, at much lower speeds. Quantum Controls installed 2 drives on site and ran them both at a reduced speed from the PLC programme.

Quantum Controls were able to demonstrate significant energy savings in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ pence/TMDC and were able to demonstrate exactly how and where the energy savings were realised. By installing the drives, Yorkshire Water were able to calculate an exact return on their investment.