PUMPING SYSTEM ASSESSMENT

Stage 1: Pre-Assessment Preparation

• Appoint a ‘Pump System Champion’ from senior staff
• Supply site information:
  • Complete the TAS Online Initial Pumping System Survey spreadsheet (click here for notes & form)
  • Give TAS Online access to pump maintenance records
  • Provide a copy of the pump curves if available, or authorise pump manufacturer to supply these to TAS Online
• Identify and rank Key Performance Indicators e.g.
  • Energy efficiency (kW.hrs per unit pumped e.g. Megalitre or ton)
  • Maintenance cost p.a.
  • System reliability (MTBF)

Stage 2: System Assessment

• Perform a one-off pump test on each pump:
  • Where required, connect TAS Online portable instrumentation e.g. tachometer, tong tester, ultrasonic flow meter, pressure gauges
  • Measure flow rate, power absorbed, suction and discharge pressure, pump speed, reservoir and tower levels, specific gravity etc., as required
  • Conduct a visual inspection.
• Produce a System Assessment Report both for individual pumps and for the entire pumping system.
  The Report will include:
  • Status Report
    • Current condition of pumping system components (e.g. pumps, seals, motors, drives, pipes, valves, dams, elevated and ground storage reservoirs, gauges, meters, level control systems etc.) and the effect that any damaged or non functional equipment on the pumping system.
    • Variations in demand and their effect on the overall system performance
  • Performance Analysis
    • Where the pump(s) are operating on their pump curves in order to determine current performance and the impact this will have on maintenance, energy wastage and ability to deliver required volumes in critical times.
    • Determine whether the installed pumps are matched to the system requirements
    • Calculate current cost per unit pumped, which will form the baseline for ongoing performance monitoring and is vital in demonstrating the success, or otherwise, of remedial actions.
  • Recommendations
    • Low cost, easily implemented actions to make immediate savings in energy and maintenance costs or the ability of the system to perform more efficiently e.g.:
      • Improve pump scheduling
      • Install a different size impeller on the existing frame of pumps
      • Install a simple control system e.g. level control or pressure regulator
      • Replace or refurbish low cost components
    • Indicate longer term, more capital intensive improvements
    • Estimates of potential savings per recommendation
    • The appropriate ongoing monitoring system to be adopted for this site (see options below).

Stage 3: Ongoing Performance Monitoring
The option for collecting data which is best suited to the site must be selected:

• Manual collection
  • Set up a pump test procedure for the site, including a list of the portable instrumentation required
  • Train data collection staff in the procedure. These collectors may be drawn from the customer’s staff or supplied by TAS Online
  • Determine the optimum frequency of data collection:
    • For stable systems this may be monthly
    • Where duties are more variable weekly, daily or even hourly testing may be required
  • Perform pump test as per Phase 2
  • This option is best suited to stable clear water applications where pumps are easily accessible.
• Automatic real time collection
  • Instrumentation is permanently installed on the pumps and data sampled at frequent intervals e.g. hourly
  • Readings are transmitted to TAS Online for analysis. For a full system description please see the TAS PumpMonitor Product Profile.
  • This option is recommended for process applications, volatile duties, high wearing applications, where pumps are not easily accessible and for all applications drawing high levels of power where even a small percentage improvement is significant.

The data, however collected, is analysed by TAS Online and the following reports produced:
• Monthly report comparing savings achieved with current energy wastage i.e. the degree of progress towards goals
• Benefit summary comparing current costs per unit pumped with the baseline to show the effectiveness of remedial actions
• Recommendations for further improvement based on analysis of trends since the original baseline and recent maintenance records
• Ad hoc exception report on acute problems as they arise.

Stage 4 : Training and Education of Staff

• Ongoing training of all staff levels from pump operators to engineers
• Regular meetings to review progress and usage of monitoring reports
• Development of site-specific best practices
• This stage is critical to ensure that savings are sustained