news release
from Control Techniques
For immediate release
INTELLIGENT PUMP CLEANING CUTS MAINTENANCE AT
IRISH PUMPING STATION
The installation of an AC drive with an advanced software tool has dramatically cut
call-outs for blockages at an Irish County Council pumping station.
Control Techniques’ IPC Lite software has been fitted to a replacement Commander
SK AC drive at a pumping station at Kelly’s Bay, Skerries in North County Dublin,
Ireland and has cut callouts from ‘ragging’, the fouling of the pump’s impeller, from a
weekly occurrence to just once since it was installed six months ago.
Ragging is a long-standing nuisance that eats up thousands of hours of maintenance
time in sewage pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants worldwide. At the
Kelly’s Bay pumping station, two variable speed drives control main and standby
pumps. “The pumping station would run for a couple of weeks and then we’d get
three or four call-outs in a week,” explains Fingal County Council’s Mechanical
Supervisor Jim McGuiness. “So, when it was time to replace one of the existing
15kW AC drives, Control Techniques’ Drive Centre in Newbridge suggested that we
had IPC Lite software loaded. It has worked extremely well, before the software we
switched between the two pumps weekly to spread the load from a maintenance
point of view. However since August we have just run the one pump with the IPC
Lite software and monitored its performance by telemetry, maintenance costs have
dramatically reduced.”
Call-outs for blockages to Kelly’s Bay, a distance of some 11 miles, took a team of
two an average of two hours each time, a significant maintenance burden and one
that has now been virtually removed. The pump now runs around the clock, with flow
rates varying between 20 and 70 cu.m/hr with IPC Lite providing early warnings of
ragging and initiating cleaning routines when required.
IPC Lite is an in-drive solution to ragging that provides very early ‘predictive’
detection of a problem as well as initiating a client-defined cleansing cycle. It
measures on-board active current unlike other systems that measure the motor’s
nominal current – a measurement that can give an error of 30-40% on the real torque
figure. Control Techniques’ system measures real torque every millisecond. As soon
as IPC Lite sees a change in the active current profile, remedial action is taken to
remove the potential blockage.
In the event of a blockage, the cleaning routine is initiated. The cleaning routine is
user configurable via parameters and, in addition, a manual cleanse can be triggered
by staff if required. To prevent repeated cleaning in the event of a major blockage,
IPC Lite has detection of successive cleansings (in this case five times) and lock-out
and alarm to indicate a fault.
The IPC programming can be tailored to suit individual pumping stations in this case
a level sensor has been added to system to trigger the pump into high speed in times
of flooding.
“We are very pleased with the IPC system and it has completely proved itself since
its installation,” says Fingal County Councils Senior Electrical and Mechanical
Engineer John Williams. “After checking our telemetry data over 12 months, it is
clear that it has significantly reduced our maintenance costs. We are now looking at
fitting IPC to the second riser and other problematic pumping stations are also under
consideration. It is clearly cost-effective and is a low cost solution compared with
costly macerators.”
IPC Lite is supplied loaded into a logic-stick on a Commander SK AC drive.
In general terms, replacing a DoL or Star-Delta starter with a variable speed drive on
can save a significant amount of energy. The ability to reduce the frequency from
50Hz to 38Hz on a pump would reduce the speed by 24% and typically save
between 40% and 50% in energy consumption. When combined with the Intelligent
Pump Control, the savings will allow a very rapid payback.
IPC Lite features advanced technology pressure and flow monitoring for surge
prevention to protect expensive rising mains, whilst low flow detection and alarm
checks site performance, since, even with clean pumps, low flow can indicate other
problems. Control Techniques has been trialing the system for three years now with
most of the UK water companies, as well as in the USA, Canada, Dubai, the
Philippines and elsewhere, and has a long list of testimonials.
-Ends713 words
Notes to the Editor:
About Control Techniques
Control Techniques, an Emerson Industrial Automation company, is a world leader in the design,
production and marketing of electronic variable speed drives for the control of electric motors. Our
strategy is to concentrate on delivering drives and servo products that enhance the productivity of our
customer’s machines and processes.
We operate through a global network of Drive Centres and Application Centres that both distribute
product and add value by building our drive products into custom designed systems and by offering
the highest levels of customer service.
Our Control Techniques Drive Centres also provide us with invaluable feedback and market
intelligence so that we can further improve our products and service. This customer focused strategy
will enable us to continue to grow profitably.
Our competitive edge is based on our unique focus on drives, our strength in research and
development, our investment low-cost manufacturing and an effective worldwide marketing strategy.
For the best in drives information visit our website: www.controltechniques.com
About Emerson Industrial Automation
Emerson Industrial Automation, a business of Emerson, is a global technology provider that enables
productivity, efficiency and quality gains for customers across a spectrum of industries. Our products
include alternators, electric motors and drives, electrical distribution devices and mechanical power
transmission, fluid automation and ultrasonic joining solutions. Emerson brands include Appleton,
ASCO, Branson Ultrasonics, Browning, Control Techniques, Kop-Flex, Leroy-Somer, McGill, Morse,
Numatics, O-Z/Gedney, Rollway, SealMaster, and System Plast. For more information, visit
www.EmersonIndustrialAutomation.com.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE:EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology
and engineering together to provide innovative solutions to customers through its network power,
process management, industrial automation, climate technologies, and appliance and tools
businesses. Emerson’s sales in fiscal 2009 were $20.9 billion. The company is ranked 94th on the
Fortune 500 list of America’s largest companies. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.
For editorial information contact:
Katie Williams, Press Officer, Control Techniques Ltd, Drive Centre Marketing,
Ty Rheoli, Unit 79 Mochdre Industrial Estate, Newtown, Powys SY16 4LE
Tel: 01686 612900. Fax: 01686 612999.
katie.williams@controltechniques.com