Optimal efficiency operation in parallel pumping system with machine learning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248598-B2
Application number	US-201916436314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2019
Priority date	Jun 8, 2018
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

Apparatus features a controller having a signal processor or processing module configured to: receive signaling containing information about a power profile that is specific to a pumping system having N parallel pumps and based upon data related to one or more of pumping system power, losses and wire-to-water efficiency in real time for the N parallel pumps configured to run in the pumping system to generate a head H and a flow F with an efficiency E, and at least one calculation/prediction of at least one corresponding efficiency of at least one combination/number of N−1 and/or N+1 parallel pumps to achieve a corresponding/same head H and flow F with a corresponding efficiency; and determine corresponding signaling containing information to control the operation of the pumping system that depends on a comparison of the efficiency E and the at least one corresponding efficiency, based upon the signaling received, including staging/destaging a pump to or from the pumping system.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a controller having a signal processor configured to:
receive signaling containing information about
a power profile that is specific to a pumping system having N parallel pumps and based upon data related to pumping system power and wire-to-water efficiency in real time for the N parallel pumps configured to run in the pumping system to generate a head H and a flow F with an efficiency E, and
at least one prediction of at least one corresponding efficiency of at least one combination of N−1 or N+1 parallel pumps to achieve a corresponding head H and flow F; and

determine a predicted efficiency based on predicted power and speed to run the at least one combination of N−1 or N+1 parallel pumps, and provide corresponding signaling containing information to control the pumping system that depends on a comparison of the efficiency E and the predicted efficiency determined, based upon the signaling received.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is configured to provide staging or destaging one of the N parallel pumps to or from the pumping system.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is configured to:
predict corresponding efficiencies to achieve the corresponding head H and flow F for the N−1 and N+1 parallel pumps; and
determine the corresponding signaling by selecting a highest efficiency between the efficiency E for the N parallel pumps and the corresponding efficiencies for the N−1 and N+1 parallel pumps.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is configured to stop or start one of the N parallel pumps from running in the pumping system when changing from the N parallel pumps to the N−1 or N+1 parallel pumps running in the pumping system.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is configured to implement a machine learning algorithm to update the power profile to determine the at least one combination of the N−1 or N+1 N-parallel pumps required to operate the pumping system in relation to an optimal point on an efficiency curve.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller comprises an internal database configured to store an updated power profile, including the data related to the pumping system power and wire-to-water efficiency.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises the pumping system having the N parallel pumps.

8. A method comprising:
receiving, with a controller having a signal processor, signaling containing information about
a power profile that is specific to a pumping system having N parallel pumps and based upon data related to one or more of pumping system power and wire-to-water efficiency in real time for the N parallel pumps configured to run in the pumping system to generate a head H and a flow F with an efficiency E, and
at least one prediction of at least one corresponding efficiency of at least one combination of N−1 or N+1 parallel pumps to achieve a corresponding head H and flow F; and

determining, with the controller having the signal processor, a predicted efficiency based on predicted power and speed to run the at least one combination of N−1 or N+1 parallel pumps, and provide corresponding signaling containing information to control the pumping system that depends on a comparison of the efficiency E and the predicted efficiency determined, based upon the signaling received.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method comprises staging or destaging one of the N parallel pumps to or from the pumping system.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method comprises:
predicting with the signal processor corresponding efficiencies for the N−1 and N+1 parallel pumps to achieve the corresponding head H and flow F; and
determining with the signal processor the corresponding signaling by selecting a highest efficiency between the efficiency E for the N parallel pumps and the corresponding efficiencies for the N−1 and N+1 parallel pumps.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method comprises: stopping or starting with the signal processor one of the N parallel pumps from running in the pumping system when changing from the N parallel pumps to the N−1 or N+1 parallel pumps running in the pumping system.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method comprises: implementing with the signal processor a machine learning algorithm to update the power profile to determine the at least one combination of the N−1 or N+1 parallel pumps required to operate the pumping system in relation to an optimal point on an efficiency curve.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the method comprises: configuring an internal database to store an updated power profile, including the data related to the pumping system power and wire-to-water efficiency.

14. A method of operating a pump system comprising:
calculating a current system efficiency in run time for a pump system having N pumps with a head H and a flow Q;
determining if the system efficiency calculated is lower than a threshold efficiency, then implementing for N−1 pumps the following:
predicting a speed to achieve the head H and the flow Q with N−1 pumps;
predicting a power to run the N−1 pumps;
predicting a new efficiency based upon the power predicted and the speed predicted;
determining if the new efficiency is greater than the current system efficiency, and destaging a pump in an N pump system if greater; or

if the current system efficiency calculated is lower than the threshold efficiency, then implementing for N+1 pumps the following:
predicting a corresponding speed to achieve the head H and the flow Q with N+1 pumps;
predicting a corresponding power to run the N+1 pumps;
predicting a new corresponding efficiency based upon the corresponding power predicted and the corresponding speed predicted;
determining if the new corresponding efficiency is greater than the current system efficiency, and staging an additional pump in the N pump system if greater.

Assignees

• Fluid Handling Llc

Inventors

• Vala Gaurav B
• Gu James J

Classifications

• F04B23/04

  Combinations of two or more pumps · CPC title

• F04B49/065 Primary

  and making use of computers · CPC title

• F04D13/12

  Combinations of two or more pumps (combinations with priming pumps or booster pumps to counteract vapour-lock F04D9/04) · CPC title

• F04D15/029

  for pumps operating in parallel · CPC title