ABB and its partner, Inverter Drive
Systems (IDS), have won the
Technical Innovation of the Year
Product award at the Pump Industry
Awards 2011 for a patented control
system for primary settlement tank
sludge pumps.

Reactive Pump Control for Sludge
Pumps uses a diaphragm pump, a
low voltage AC variable-speed drive
and a specially designed algorithm to
achieve the exact flow control
demanded by sludge pumps, cutting
pumping time by up to 90%.

The control system is the
brainchild of Blaise Ford of IDS, one
of the ABB Drives Alliance members.

“This shows the depth of expertise
we have throughout our channel
partner network,” comments Steve
Ruddell, division manager, Discrete
Automation and Motion, ABB.