Innovation winner

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.