Pumps are the heart of any food plant. They move vital fluids around. As with our hearts, electronic monitoring can help to ensure their continued health.
Pumps are not the only industrial equipment that has seen digital technology improve its performance and maintenance. Monitoring and controlling pumps and the motors and drives they drive can make a big difference in their performance and ensure that they continue to run.
The easiest type of digital technology to use for monitoring different conditions is probably the most cost-effective and easy to implement. Monitors can detect potential problems, such as temperature and vibration spikes, and power surges.
Vijay Anand is the sales manager for Ability Digital. “Motor sensors can also be used to determine the motor’s loading, which gives valuable information about any inefficiency of the drive train.
Ability sensors can be attached to a pump or motor and monitored remotely, supported by artificial-intelligence software that, in Anand’s words, “looks into the data and tries to infer what is happening in the pump.”
Centrifugal pumps are the most common type of centrifugal pump. They can be misaligned between motor and pump, bearing problems and turbulence. This is a sign of problems with operation such as cavitation, which can cause the pump to “run dry” in an instant. This could lead to long-term damage.
Anand states that the system would be more integrated so that if the condition changes, it’s an indicator to the user that something’s happening in the pump…and that they will need to begin the next stage of investigation to determine what is causing it and how to fix it.”
Learn your past
Analyzing historical data from a particular location is often required to establish a baseline for analyzing performance parameters. They should be carefully chosen. They should not be set too low as they will cause false alarms which will prompt floor personnel to ignore the sensor or unhook it. If they are set too high the sensor can become useless.
This is especially true when vibration is involved, which is complicated and subject to large variations. It is three-dimensional and varies depending on the machine’s speed or intensity. Environmental factors such as the proximity of other equipment and location acoustics can also affect it.
It is usually necessary to hire a specialist in order to set vibration limits. ABB suggests to customers that after setting a baseline, they review 15-30 days of data and adjust vibration limits as necessary.
This type of monitoring allows users to perform predictive maintenance, rather than preventive or corrective. Preventive maintenance is essentially a schedule that does not take into consideration the current condition of an equipment piece. Although it is effective, it can lead to equipment being replaced or repaired at a cost that is higher than its useful life. When equipment fails, corrective maintenance costs can be costly.
Predictive maintenance is, however, the most cost-effective option. It utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze sensor data to identify trends that can help predict when equipment will need attention. Geoff Cresswell is the product marketing manager for Busch Vacuum Solutions.
Creswell states, “Our solution is using sensors to measure critical points for the pump’s performance and process performance and then running this data through smart algorithms in order to track pump and maintenance conditions.”
He continues, “An example of this would be how we measure the temperature, inlet, and exhaust pressure on an oil-lubricated vacuum pumps.” These data are useful for tracking the overall performance. However, when combined, we can accurately analyze the oil and exhaust filter conditions and determine the best time to service.
Collecting data
Monitoring this kind of device and sensor data requires reliable data collection. Although it is possible to manually collect data, this can be tedious and time-consuming, especially for pumps that may not be easily accessible.
Remote monitoring via the Industrial Internet of Things is a far more efficient method. A IIoT network can collect data in real-time and transmit it to another location for analysis.
Justin Lesley, industry innovation manager at , says that the Internet of Things is a major focus for him and his technology partners. These connected solutions are most commonly used for remote and continuous monitoring of asset performance in order to support predictive maintenance programs. These technologies are used by many of our customers to track large quantities of assets using a single web-based dashboard. This is significantly more efficient than manually route-based inspections.
Attaching a monitor or sensor to an equipment is the most common way to establish IIoT connectivity.
Cresswell explains that “Otto combines hardware, including transducers/sensors, and a wireless gateway), as well as software (web dashboards, cellular apps, smart algorithms, and Busch Service offerings). “What is being measured depends on the pump. However, inlet and exhaust pressures, temperature, and vibration sensors are all common to all.”
Anand states that sensors can be focused on the components most likely to fail in a given application. For example, bearings must be measured relatively close because their energy doesn’t travel far. ABB’s Ability software can conduct remote analysis of Ability sensor data to isolate factors such as bearing noise and detect long-term trends.
Talking pumps
Digital control of pumps is not just for maintenance. As with other types of processing equipment, pumps can also be wired to overarching software programs like manufacturing execution systems. These applications manage the entire process. It is a matter of ensuring that their controllers use the same communication protocol as the plant.
Cresswell states that Plus series vacuum pumps are able to communicate via Modbus, analog or digital inputs. Cresswell says that vacuum systems can be made with any type of pump technology and can be further modified to meet customer needs. As requested, common communication protocols like ethernet or Modbus can all be used.
The right equipment and digital control can make a pump more efficient and enhance its operation. Variable frequency drives (VFDs) allow AC motors, which can vary their speed, to do this.
Pumps can be hampered by fluctuations in fluid pressure. This could happen when an infeed tank is empty. As raw milk is pumped from a tanker truck into a dairy plant’s pump, the fluid pressure in the plant drops as the truck emptys.
These fluctuations can cause bubbles to form that cause cavitation. This could make the centrifugal pumps run unsteadily as the impeller vanes come in contact with air pockets. Cavitation can also result from interruptions in the flow downstream of the pump, or if the impeller vanes of the pump are not the right size for either the application or the casing.
ABB provides software for VFDs that monitors a pump’s torque, identify patterns, and signals the pump to slow down until it subsides.
You could also adjust the speed by wiring sensors that measure flow and other parameters into the controller of your pump. Brith Isaksson is the global segment manager for ABB. “But that would cost more because you need additional parts.” It is much easier and quicker if the VFD controls this.”
The pumps are an essential part of a plant and should be part of any digital control plan. Digital control can not only keep pumps running but also ensure that they work as efficiently as possible.
