Driving forward with pump tests

The power supply panel, inverters, cabling and local isolation boxes were installed by ABB Authorised Value Provider, Inverter Drive Systems (IDS), which also installed a control system and software, as well as undertaking complete electrical installation and cabling for the project.            

The company is using a test bay at its facility in Newark to conduct production tests on the new pump variants. The test rig is divided into two independent test facilities capable of running at the same time. The first  has two test stations with ABB 2 pole motors, one of 11kW and the other of 37kW. The second has three test stations with ABB motors, one with a 75kW 2 pole, one with a 132kW 2 pole and one with a 75kW 4 pole. Motors are controlled with an ABB standard PC package, Drive Windows, enabling remote start/stop and VSD control via fibre optic link. 

The five VSDs were ABB ACS800 IP54 wall-mounting units and range from 11 to 132kW to match the motors. The VSDs are fed from a new motor control panel also supplied by IDS. 

Use of multiple test stations allows Flowserve to test one pump, while another pump and motor are being installed. The rigs use ABB flowmeters to determine the flow rates of the water used as a pumping load. A data acquisition system takes data from the test station instruments, as well as data on vibration and noise, and feeds them to a control room where they are displayed on a screen via a PC.