Pump Systems Matter — part 1

feature energy efficiency Pump Systems Matter – part 1 In an effort to encourage US pump system specifiers to move away from purchasing decisions based on lowest initial cost towards one based on optimum life cycle costs, the Hydraulic Institute introduced the Pump Systems Matter™ initiative. In the first of a two-part article, Robert Asdal, Vestal Tutterow and Aimee T. McKane explain the background and the need to focus on the pumping system and not just the pump. T he Hydraulic Institute (HI), a trade association of US pump manufacturers and suppliers, recently established a national pump systems educational initiative called Pump Systems Matter™ (PSM)1. This initiative seeks to change owner and operator decision-making on pump systems from a focus on initial costs, which may result in higher lifetime ownership costs, to a focus on life cycle costs while helping pump users capture significant energy-savings and performance improvements. Figure 1. Pumps offer a major opportunity for energy savings through improved efficiency. (Data from Ref. 2.) This will be accomplished through a variety of measures, including current, new and re-branded educational materials and tools aimed at facilities owners, managers, operators, contractors, engineering consultants, manufacturers and others, and other supportive outreach activities as defined by the initiative’s Steering Committee, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), utilities and other stakeholders. The HI has a longestablished history as a standardswriting organization, and in recent years has become a principal source of education on pumps and pump systems. Pump Systems Matter is unique in that it is the first industry-driven and industryorganized North American market transformation initiative. Launched in 2006 as a separate organization, Pump Systems Matter™ is seeking other stakeholders to build PSM into a significant new market transformation programme offering unique resources of value to all participants. Virtually all manufacturing plants, commercial buildings and municipalities rely on pumping systems for their daily operation. After motors, pumps are the second most widely used machine in the world. In the US industrial sector, electric motor systems consume over 679 billion kWh of electricity per year, with pumping systems accounting for about 25% of that total2. In the commercial sector, pumps are primarily used in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to provide water for heat transfer. Municipalities use pumps for water and wastewater transfer and treatment and for land drainage. Because they serve such diverse needs, pump sizes range from fractions of a horsepower to several thousand horsepower2. The purchase and operation of pumping systems is a significant expense for most facilities. However, it is common practice for pumping system design and procurement to be based primarily upon the initial purchase cost of the equipment. Often such decisions, particularly with new systems, are under the control of the engineering contractor – who has few incentives in the world of fixed price contracts to embrace energy-efficient pump system design and reduce energy. The initial cost of a pump is typically a small part of the total cost to operate the pumping system over its life, which can average 15 to 20 years, depending upon its application and operating environment. Energy, maintenance and other operating costs will far outweigh the initial costs. Therefore, it makes economic sense to consider these lifetime costs when designing and procuring pumping systems3,4. Opportunities to improve pump system energy efficiency fall into two distinct categories: existing and new systems. A successful pump systems market transformation initiative will need to encompass both new and existing systems, even though the markets for 44 0262 1762/06 © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved WORLD PUMPS October 2006 feature energy efficiency servicing new and existing pumping systems are very different5. The number of retrofit opportunities far exceeds the number of new systems each year. Therefore, the bulk of potential savings lies within these existing systems. Opportunities in existing systems often involve changes to the control system or the pump, or both. Significant changes to the piping system and other equipment in existing systems are typically not economically viable. The average energy savings potential through economically viable pump system optimization projects is approximately 20%, although certain installations might realize significantly greater savings, ranging from 25% to 50% (Table 1). If all facilities in the USA implemented such measures, the savings would equal over 28 000 GWh/year, based on a midrange estimate2. This energy savings potential represents significant cost savings potential for industrial facilities and their owner/operators. Significantly, energy efficiency improvements to industrial systems usually provide improved reliability and productivity, and reduced environmental costs. Opportunities in new system design must not be ignored, though. For a given new system, the potential savings in energy and life cycle costs are far greater than in a given existing system of similar size and application. One reason for this is the opportunity to optimize the piping system design. Other aspects of the pump system can also be better tailored to the system requirements in the design of new systems. But since new system designs are typically under the control of engineering contractors, promoting a systems optimization approach is often difficult, as the contractors typically do not directly benefit5. Pump Systems Matter™ will address this situation. Systems approach The efficiency of a given pump is one small factor affecting the efficiency of a pumping system. A systems approach analyses both the supply and demand sides of a pumping system and how the performance characteristics of the pump and the system interact. The focus of the analysis thus shifts from individual WORLD PUMPS October 2006 components to total system performance, the equivalent of looking at the forest, not just the trees. The potential energy and cost savings through a systems approach to optimization typically far outweigh the sum of the savings through component optimization. In fact, approximately 75% of the total life cycle cost of a typical pumping system is accounted for in energy and maintenance costs. (This will vary significantly by application.) To maximize pump system efficiency, the pump must be operated at its ‘Best Efficiency Point’ (BEP). According to HI standards, “the BEP is the rate of flow and head at which the pump efficiency is a maximum”6,7. A systems approach to new pumping system design is equally important, and often overlooked. A recent survey of seven pump manufacturers revealed a significant lack of understanding on the part of pump specifiers and purchasers regarding the proper application of pumps8. These pump manufacturers were asked: “What percentage of the pumps your company sells are incorrectly specified by the contractor or owner/operator?” Of the five manufacturers that responded with a percentage, three indicated a value of 60% or greater, and one indicated that 30–40% were incorrectly specified. A follow-up question asked: “Of the pumps that are incorrectly specified, what percentages are a result of inaccurate operating point specifications (i.e., rate of flow, required pressure and net positive suction head)?” The answers varied between “most” to 90%. Even though this was a small survey, the responses indicate a severe lack of understanding of the proper application of pumps and proper matching of their characteristics to the system. Misapplication of pumps has a direct affect on pumping system operating costs. A pump forced to operate away from its BEP increases energy and maintenance costs, and shortens the life expectancy of that pump. Figure 2 shows this graphically. Hydraulic Institute The Hydraulic Institute is a North American trade association of nearly 100 pump manufacturing and supplier companies, representing over 80% of the US market. Among other activities, HI develops American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved voluntary standards that provide universally accepted language and guidelines for pump nomenclature, definitions, installation, operation, maintenance and test procedures. These standards also define and control the performance, testing, life and quality of pumps and pump products. HI is already working in several areas to increase the understanding of pumps and pump systems, including standards, guidelines, e-learning programmes and an (www.PumpLearning.org) energy-savings section on the HI website (www.Pumps.org). HI and Europump, its counterpart organization in Europe, have created two comprehensive user guides: Pump Life Cycle Costs: A Guide to LCC Analysis for Pumping Systems3; and Variable Speed Pumping: A Guide to Successful Applications. HI has a long-standing relationship as an ‘Allied Partner’ (and a Charter Partner of the preceding EERE Motor Challenge programme) with the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which has led to a variety of cooperative efforts over the past decade related to pumping systems’ efficiency and training. Cooperative activities have included training HI members on the Table 1. Opportunities for pumping systems (from Ref. 2)* Efficiency measures Reduce overall system requirements Match pump size to load Reduce or control pump speed Component purchase Operation & maintenance Range of savings (% of system energy) 5-20% 10-30% 5-50% 1-3% 1-5% *Highlighted measures are 'system'-related opportunities www.worldpumps.com 45 feature energy efficiency EERE Pump System Assessment Tool (PSAT – a software tool developed by EERE), developing a video-based training programme, and developing executive summaries to HI/Europump pump LCC and VSP guide books. Creating PSM The Hydraulic Institute and its member companies are concerned about the longterm economic viability of US pump manufacturing and US industry. Many US manufacturers are struggling to compete in the global marketplace, in large part due to an average 22% manufacturing cost disadvantage with competitors on a worldwide basis. Through PSM, HI seeks to expand the US pump market and create new service opportunities while simultaneously enhancing the performance of US industrial, municipal and other sectors through improving pumping system energy efficiency. Additional contributions to competitiveness include increased mean time between equipment failures, lower maintenance and reduced repair costs9. Education on pump systems and the advantages of procurement based on life cycle costs are key to helping owner/operators understand why they should undertake improvements of their existing systems. HI and its members also believe that education of pump original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and distributor staff can assist the process of educating owner/operators. As the market transforms, consulting engineers and engineering contractors will benefit from similar education5. Equally important will be educating owner/operators on the benefits of Figure 2. Pump system curve uncertainty. changing the contract award process for new pump systems to one based on pump life cycle costs. The possibility of a programme to establish Certified Pump Systems Engineers (CSPE) will be explored. The goal of these educational initiatives is to develop the qualified professional engineering resources needed to sustain a transformed market. HI members have begun to retrain their own staff and many of whom have participated in the PSAT training workshops. Training in the assessment of pump systems alone is not enough, however, to transform the market for pump systems. The PSAT software tool and training is geared primarily to technical facilities staff and consultants, and focuses on the assessment of existing systems. A new software tool, Pump Systems Improvement Modeling (PSIM), has been adopted by PSM and is available at www.PumpSystemsMatter.org. A significant expansion of pump educational offerings, knowledge-based resources and tools are envisioned as the core components of Pump Systems Matter. HI recognizes that to achieve significant transformation of the market for pumping systems, additional resources are needed to create and disseminate new educational resources and tools. HI lacks the resources to accomplish this alone. Efforts to engage the experience, resources and coordination of market transformation and energyefficiency NGOs, utilities and state/federal agencies are underway. PSM seeks to partner with like-minded organizations to serve as stakeholders in this educational and outreach effort. Visit www.PumpSystemsMatter.org for more information. Part two follows next ■ month. References [1] Hydraulic Institute, HI Announces Pump Systems Matter™ National Pump Systems Educational Initiative, Hydraulic Institute Press Release, Parsippany, NJ, USA, 15 September 2004. [2] Department of Energy, United States Industrial Motor Systems Market Opportunities Assessment, US Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC, USA (1998). [3] Hydraulic Institute and Europump, Pump Life Cycle Costs: A Guide to LCC Analysis for Pumping System, (2001). [4] V. Tutterow, D. Casada and A. Radspieler, ‘Life Cycle Cost Savings Opportunities in Pumping Systems’, 2003 AWWA Annual Conference Proceedings, Denver, CO, USA, American Water Works Association, (2003). [5] Hydraulic Institute, Pump Systems Matter™ National Pump Systems Educational Initiative, unpublished HI White Paper, 1 September 2004. [6] Hydraulic Institute, ANSI/HI 9.6.3 – 1997, Centrifugal & Vertical Pumps for Allowable Operating Region, (1997). [7] Hydraulic Institute, ANSI/HI 1.1 – 1.2, Centrifugal Pumps for Nomenclature & Definitions, (2000). [8] T. Walters, ‘The Cost of Incorrectly Specified Pumps – and Ideas on How to Reduce It’, presentation given at Hydraulic Institute Annual Meeting, 22 February 2005. [9] W.V. Adams, and W.E. Taylor, ‘Why Do Pump Systems Matter?’, Pump & Systems Magazine, February, (2005). CONTACT Robert K. Asdal Executive Director, Hydraulic Institute, Inc Exectutive Director, Pump Systems Matter Inc 9 Sylvan Way Parsippany, NJ 07054, USA. Tel: +1-973-267-9700 ext. 13 Fax: +1-973-267-9055 www.Pumps.org www.PumpLearning.org www.PumpSystemsMatter.org 46 www.worldpumps.com WORLD PUMPS October 2006