METHOD FOR OPERATING AN ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED PUMP ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A method serves for operating an electronically controlled pump assembly (1), with which setting parameters of the pump (2) can be adjusted in an electronic control (6), for adaptation to the hydraulic demands of the location installation situation (4, 5). Operating data is registered during the operation of the pump assembly (1). After a predefined time and on the basis of the registered operating data, it is examined as to whether the pump assembly (1) has been set vis-à-vis the factory settings. If this is not the case a signal (11) is issued in order to point out the necessary setting.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronically controlled centrifugal circulation pump assembly, the method comprising the steps of: adjusting setting parameters of the circulation pump assembly in an electronic control to factory settings; and registering operating data of the circulation pump assembly during the operation of the circulation pump assembly, characterized in that examining, after a predefined time of operation and on a basis of the registered operating data, whether the pump assembly can be operated in an energetically more favorable region of operation, and upon ascertaining that the pump assembly can be operated in an energetically more favorable region of operation, issuing a signal to change the setting parameters.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the operating data includes electrical operating data of the motor and hydraulic operating data of the pump, both the electrical operating data and the hydraulic operating data are used for energetic evaluation of the pump.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the registering of operating data and the examining after the predefined time or a time interval is repeated after the examination has been effected.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein after the predefined time and on the basis of the registered operating data, further examining whether one or more predefined, temporally correlated operating data limit values have been exceeded, and upon ascertaining that the one or more predefined, temporally correlated operating data limit values have been exceeded, issuing a signal for changing the setting parameters.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the operating data of the pump assembly is registered via an internet-based network, and on a network side of the internet-based network and after the predefined time it is examined as to whether the pump assembly can be operated in an energetically more favorable region, in order to accordingly adapt or retain the setting parameters.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predefined time lies between an hour and seven days and/or the time interval is between 1 and 5 years.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the signal activates an optical display and/or an acoustic signal, or is transmitted via the internet-based network, together with the location data of the pump assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation a cloud-based integration of an electronic motor control of a pump assembly;

[0027] FIG. 2A is a diagram with a pump curves;

[0028] FIG. 2B is a diagram with a pump curve;

[0029] FIG. 2C is a diagram with pump curves; and

[0030] FIG. 3 is a procedural diagram.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Referring to the drawings, a pump assembly 1, a so-called booster pump, constructed from three centrifugal pumps 2 which are connected in parallel, are driven in each case by a frequency-converter-controlled electric motor 3 and which deliver from a common suction conduit 4 into a common delivery conduit 5, is represented in FIG. 1. The pump assembly 1 comprises a superordinate electronic control 6, into which setting parameters, in particularly the delivery pressure as well as the points of connection and disconnection of the individual pumps can be inputted. This electronic control comprises an interface to a network which is cloud-based. The control 6 is equipped with a WLAN module as well as with a mobile radio communication module, by way of which it is connected in a wireless manner to the network of the pump manufacturer 7 via the internet 8, thus the “cloud”. The electronic control is moreover provided with a Bluetooth interface, via which it can communicate with a smartphone 9, via which smartphone an operator 10 can enquire and change the setting parameters which are available in the control 6. The smartphone 9 is likewise connected to the internet 8 via its radio interface and thus to the network of the manufacturer 7.

[0032] The electronic control 6 is configured to examine whether the setting parameters have been changed vis-à-vis the works settings which is to say factory settings, after a predefined time after having put the pump assembly 1 into operation. These parameters are digitally stored in a file of the control 6, and the control 6 monitors the storage date of the file. A time, which is set e.g. to 72 hours, starts from the first starting operation, so that after the completion of this predefined time, it is examined as to whether the storage date of the file has changed or not. If this is not the case, then a signal is outputted, and specifically to the control itself 6, for activating a warning lamp 11 which emits a flashing signal as an indication that the pump assembly 1 has not yet been adjusted. A corresponding data signal is simultaneously delivered to the network, so that this is noted in the data base of the manufacturer 7 whilst specifying the GPS data of the location of the pump assembly, and simultaneously a hint that this pump assembly is to be adjusted by a service technician appears. This necessary adjustment can be effected via the network itself or via the manufacturer 7 or operator, depending on the design and the connection to the network 8. A service technician, thus an operator 10 is necessary in the represented embodiment example, and with his smartphone 9 and a software application running thereon, the technician makes his way to the pump assembly 1, in order to accordingly adapt the setting parameters in the control 6 via his smartphone 9. Thereby, the service technician 10 via the network 8 not only receives the hint as to the fact that the pump assembly 1 is to be configured with regard to its setting parameters, but also the location data, and, inasmuch as present, the data for adapting the setting parameters and which can be downloaded from the network 8.

[0033] Apart from this device for monitoring the adjustment of the setting parameters, the electronic control 6 has a further function, with which the operating points are detected in temporal intervals of three minutes during operation of the pump assembly, and these are evaluated with regard to their energetic efficiency, as is explained hereinafter by way of FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C.

[0034] FIG. 2A shows a typical pump curve of a pump assembly, with which the delivery head is plotted in dependence on the delivery rate. The delivery head is the differential pressure between the pump inlet and pump outlet, and the delivery rate is the delivered volume flow per unit of time. The pump curve which is schematically represented by way of FIG. 2A represents a centrifugal pump at a constant speed. FIG. 2B for this shows the electrical power P of this pump assembly in dependence on the delivery rate.

[0035] The pump assembly can be operated on a multitude of different such curves according to FIGS. 2A and 2B, given the application of a power converter/frequency converter with an electronic control 6, and this is represented by way of FIG. 2C which shows three such curves ω.sub.1, ω.sub.2, ω.sub.3 which represent different speeds. These curves represent the efficiency η in dependence on the delivery rate at a certain speed. Thereby, the efficiency is the quotient of the hydraulic power and the electrical power, is thus is one in the ideal case. The electrical power is thereby determined by the input power, which is to say the product of the current and voltage of the driving electric motor or of the driving electric motors, and with regard to the data is available in the control 6. The hydraulic power results from the product of the delivery rate, delivery head, density and gravitational acceleration. It can be computed via the differential pressure and the flow sensors. In the absence of a flow rate signal, the computation is often effected only on the basis of the differential pressure signal. As the three curves ω.sub.1, ω.sub.2 and ω.sub.3 of FIG. 2C illustrate, there is only one best efficiency point (BEP) for each speed.

[0036] These efficiency computations are carried out and stored in the electronic control 6 in temporal intervals of e.g. three minutes. The respective operating points are represented in FIG. 2C, for example by way of crosses.

[0037] The electronic control, after a predefined time now examines the efficiency at the operating points of the pump, on the basis of the previously determined efficiency curves which are either determined in running operation or are moved to in a targeted manner. One can determine whether the operating points lie in the region of the BEPs or outside them, on the basis of these operating points amid temporal correlation. Thereby, usefully a limit value of for example 30% forms the basis, so that one merely considers how many of these operating points lie outside this 30% limit and how many lie within it. Those lying outside this limit are represented in FIG. 2C by the group M.

[0038] The electronic control 6 is therefore in the position of examining whether the pump assembly can be operated in an energetically more efficient region by way of changing the setting parameters. If this is the case, then the control 6 issues a corresponding signal to the network, so that a prompting for changing the setting parameters is present at the manufacturer side or operator side.

[0039] Thereby, the setting parameters which are suitable for the pump assembly can be specified at the manufacturer side and be transmitted via the network in a wireless manner to the smartphone 9 of the operator 10 who then transmits these into the electronic control 6 of the pump assembly 1, or can also be selected and set by the operator himself.

[0040] The operating points which lie outside the 30% of the BEPS is represented in a region M in FIG. 2C. Thus there it is shown that eight of the ten operating points lie outside the 30% region and thus 80% of the operating points fall short of the set efficiency limit region. An adaptation of the setting parameters is necessary in this case.

[0041] The course of the procedure is represented by way of FIG. 3. The efficiency curves of the pump assembly are produced in a first step 15. These can either be moved to in a targeted manner or, during operation, be determined for different flow rates, in dependence on the speed which is always known at the motor side and thus at the control side. Due to the fact that the curves are never complete, either the pump assembly needs to be activated into moving along the complete curve, or one needs to interpolate. In practise, it is sufficient to determine the BEPs which result for each speed. The efficiency examination of the pump can be effected during running operation, after this data has been collected. It is to be understood that these methods can initially also temporarily overlap, which however is not a problem.

[0042] If the efficiency monitoring is now to take its course anew after a time interval for example of six months or one or two years after starting operation of the pump and the first testing, then this begins in step 16 after the expiry of the timer according to the set time of six months, one or two years, after the first examination of the pump assembly.

[0043] The efficiency of the current operating point of the pump assembly is now computed and stored, in previously defined temporal interval which is 10 minutes for example. This computation of and storage of the efficiency in the operating points is completed in the third step 17, after completion of a predefined time of 48 hours for example. Then in the fourth step 18, on the control side, the distribution of the operating points with regard to their efficiency is evaluated in each case with respect to the BEP. If a predefined percentage of the operating points, for example more than 60% of the operating points, falls short of the BEP in each case by more than 30%, then in the fifth step 19 a signal is issued, depending on the result of the evaluation, in order to change the setting parameters or also to replace the pump with a smaller one or a larger one.

[0044] If, on the control side, it is determined that the operating points with regard to their efficiency lie within the previously specified 30% limit, then the method is also started afresh, as the case may be also not until after completion of a predefined time interval, so that the pump assembly is monitored with regard to its efficiency quasi over its whole operating duration. If the setting parameters are changed after the issuing of the signal in the fifth step 19, the method is likewise reassumed in the second step 16, whereas the method begins again with the first step 15 in the case of an exchange of the pump.

[0045] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.