DEEP-WELL PUMP HEALTH MONITORING AND OPTIMIZATION VIA PERFORMANCE METRICS

The initial purchase cost of an average deep well submersible pump use d within the water industry represents only about one fiftieth of the energy cost and one quarter of the maintenance cost incurred during it s normal life. This fact weights the criteria used in the selection of appropriate pumps toward operational efficiency and reliability and a way from a low initial purchase price. This paper describes the develo pment of a PC-based on-line monitoring and optimisation package specif ically developed for use with variable speed deep well submersible pum ps. A cost metric is established and a pump efficiency estimate develo ped and then used to determine the best conditions for pump operation. The structure and function of the pump monitor software which automat ically determines the best conditions for service form the core of the presentation. Typical results from on-line trials at a NE Water pumpi ng station are used to highlight some of the special features of the s ystem. These experiments confirm that it is possible, via the use of t he auto-optimisation strategy, to achieve the most cost-effective oper ation of the pumping station and then maintain these conditions in the face of changes in pumping station conditions.