Multi-pump control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11953867-B2
Application number	US-202117376687-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2021
Priority date	Jul 17, 2020
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

A multi-pump control system with a control module, a processing module, communication interface, and a storage module. The system is configured to change a number n of running pumps, and receive a signal indicative of a power consumption P and information about a speed ω of one of the n running pumps before and after two different changes of the number n of running pumps. The system is configured to determine, before and after at least two different changes of the number n of running pumps, without a measurement of a differential pressure Δp and of a flow Q, two approximated pump characteristics Pn and Δ{tilde over (p)}n, wherein each of the approximated pump characteristics Pn and Δ{tilde over (p)}n is unambiguously defined by a pair of parameters (θ1, θ2; θ3, θ4). The system is configured to store the pair of parameters (θ1, θ2; θ3, θ4) for each of the determined approximated pump characteristics Pn and Δ{tilde over (p)}n.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-pump control system comprising:
a control module;
a processing module;
a communication interface; and
a storage module;
wherein the control module is configured to change a number of running pumps of a multi-pump system;
wherein the communication interface is configured to receive a signal indicative of a power consumption P and information about a speed ω of at least one of the running pumps before and after at least two different changes of an operating parameter of the running pumps;
wherein the processing module is configured to determine, before and after at least two different changes of the operating parameter of the running pumps, without a measurement of a differential pressure and of a flow, at least two approximated pump characteristics, wherein each of the approximated pump characteristics is unambiguously defined by a pair of parameters;

selectively changing the number of operating pumps based on the pair of parameters.

2. A multi-pump control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two different changes of the operating parameter of the running pumps differ from each other by one of the number of the running pumps before and after the respective change and by a load point during the respective change, wherein the load point is determined by one of the power consumption and speed of the at least one of the running pumps.

3. A multi-pump control system according to claim 1 , wherein the approximated pump characteristics P n and Δ{tilde over (p)} n are defined by the formulas

P
n

=

n
⁡

(

θ
1

⁢

ω
n
3

+

Q
~

⁢

⁢

ω
n
2

⁢

1
n

+

θ
2

⁢

Q
~

2

⁢

ω
n

⁢

1

𝔫
2

)

⁢

⁢
and
⁢

⁢
Δ
⁢

⁢

p
~

n

=

θ
3

⁢

ω
n
2

+

θ
4

⁢

Q
~

⁢

⁢

ω
n

⁢

1
n

+

Q
~

2

⁢

1

n
2

,

wherein {tilde over (Q)}=b P Q denotes a scaled approximated flow with
b P being a scaling factor, wherein θ 1 , θ 2 denote a first pair of the parameters and θ 3 , θ 4 denote a second pair of the parameters, wherein n denotes the number of pumps, ω denotes a speed of the at least one of the n running pumps, and Q denotes the flow.

4. A multi-pump control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to use a scaled flow and a scaled pressure differential for obtaining the pairs of parameters.

5. A multi-pump control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to determine the pairs of parameters for which a difference between an actual total power consumption of m running pumps after a change of the number of the running pumps from n to m and a previously predicted total power consumption is minimal.

6. A multi-pump control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is configured to operate the multi-pump system with the number of the running pumps at a speed having the least total power consumption at a required load point under a condition that the speed lies between a predetermined maximum speed and a predetermined minimum speed of the running pumps.

7. A multi-pump control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to validate the pairs of parameters before the pairs of parameters are stored, wherein the pairs of parameters are validated if the parameters fulfil predetermined validation criteria.

8. A multi-pump control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing module is confi

Assignees

• Grundfos Holding As

Inventors

• Kallesøe Carsten Skovmose
• Nicolaisen Mogens Groth

Classifications

• G05B13/048 Primary

  using a predictor · CPC title

• G08B21/182

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title

• H04Q9/02

  Automatically-operated arrangements · CPC title

• H04Q2209/60

  for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter · CPC title

• F04D15/00 Primary

  Control, e.g. regulation, of pumps, pumping installations or systems · CPC title