Energy Audit Methodology

JOSEPH L. HERRERA
Fuels and Energy Division ITDI-DOST

Safety margins were added to the original calculations. Several people are involved in the fan/pump buying decision and each of them is afraid of recommending a fan/pump that proves to be too small for the job. It was anticipated that a larger fan/pump would be needed in the future, so it was purchased now to save buying the larger fan/pump later on. It was the only fan/pump the dealer had in stock and you needed one badly. He might have offered you a "special deal" to take the larger size. You took the fan/pump out of your spare parts inventory. Capital equipment money is scarce so the larger fan/pump appeared to be your only choice. You purchased the same size fan/pump as the one that came out of the application and that one was over sized also.

Oversized Pumps & Fans?

Just think
19% of industrial motor electricity use is for pumps To lift 1 cubic meter (1,000 liters) of water to a height of 1 meter in 1 second requires 9.81 kW of energy

Energy Balance for a Typical Pumping System

100% ELECTRICITY MOTOR COUPLING PUMPS VALVES PIPES 42% 12% LOSS 2% LOSS 24% LOSS 9% LOSS 11% LOSS WORK DONE ON WATER

Pump System Components

Pumps Prime Movers Piping Valves End-Use Equipment (Heat Exchanger, Tanks and Hydraulic Equipment)

Centrifugal Pumps
These are dynamic devices that impart kinetic energy or energy of motion to a liquid to the spinning motion of an impeller.

Types of Centrifugal Pumps

Radial Flow Axial Flow Mixed Flow

Radial Flow

Axial Flow

Mixed Flow

Pertinent Data: Pumps/Motors

Nameplate/settings:
Brand, model and rated parameters of installed pumps Pump settings Static water levels Motor data & efficiencies Pipeline material and lengths

Measurements
Flow rates (m3/hr) Discharge pressures (psi or bars) Flow velocities (m/s) Pipe sizes Shaft speed (rpm)

Major Measuring Equipment Used in Energy Audits

Flow meters measure flow rates (in li/s or m3/hr) as well as velocities of flow Power analyzers measure V, A, kW, KVA, KVAR, PF, frequency Pressure gages measure pressure in psi or bars Tachometers/Stroboscope measure motor shaft speeds in rpm

Pump Operating Point

Determined from the measured flow and the calculated head Ideally, the operating point is the intersection of the system curve and the pump curve at BEP Significant deviations of the actual OP from the required OP indicate pump performance problems

System and Pump Curves

Formulas/Conversions
Pressure to Head
Psi = (head (ft) x s.g.)/2.31 Bar = (head (m) x s.g.)/10.2

Velocity Head = v2/2g

Power Requirement & Efficiency

Hydraulic Power (Ph):
Q (m3/s) x Total head, hd hs (m) x (kg/m3) x g (m/s2) Ph = --------------------------------------------------------------------1000

Pump Shaft Power = Hydraulic Power/Pump Efficiency Electrical Power Input = Pump Shaft Power/Motor Efficiency

Location of Test Points (Pressure)

Pump Affinity Laws

Flow: Head:

Q1 / Q2 = N1 / N2 Example: 100 / Q2 = 1750/3500 Q2 = 200 m3/hr

H1/H2 = (N12) / (N22) Example: 100 /H2 = 1750 2/ 3500 H2 = 400 m

2

kW1 / kW2 = (N13) / (N23) Example: 5/kW2 = 17503 / 35003 kW2 = 40

Kilowatts (kW):

Sample Problem

Particulars Flow, m3/h Head, m WC Power, kW Speed, rpm

Design 800 55 160 1485

Operating 576 24 (after control valve) 124 1485

In a large paper plant, the following are the designed and measured parameters for a clear water pump.The pump delivery has been throttled to about 30% (closed) manually to get the required flow rate. Normal required water flow rate is 500m3/h to 700m3/h. Calculate the present operating efficiency and in your opinion what should be the optimum solution to get the required flow rate variation? And what would be the savings if the pump is delivering the flow rate of 550m3/h. (Consider efficiency of motor as 93% and pump efficiency as 60%).

Computations
QxHxg 576 x 24 x 9.81 Present pump output = -------------------- = -------------------- = 67.51 kW 3600 x p x m 3600 x 0.558 Pump input power = 124 kW pump operating efficiency = (67.51/ 124) x 100 = 54.44% The pump operating at a poor efficiency of 54.44% due to throttling of the flow. Since the pump discharge requirement varies from 500m3/h to 700m3/h, the ideal option would be to operate with a VSD. According to affinity laws: Q1/Q2 = N1/N2; H1/H2 = (N1/N2)2; P1/P2 = (N1/N2)3

For a flow rate 550m3/h, the reduced speed of pump would be: = 550/800 = N1/1485; N1 = 1021 rpm With the reduction in speed the reduction in terms of head would be: = 2.6kg/cm2 = (1021/1485)2 x 5.5 The reduction in power would be: = 40.3 kW = (1021/1485)3 x 124 the reduction in power = 124 40.3 = 83.7kW

Energy Efficiency Options

Give efficiency of the pump due consideration while selecting a pump. Select pumps to match head flow requirements. Select a motor to match the load with highest efficiency. Optimize the piping design. Monitor all important system parameters like: motor kW, pump head, flow temperature. Use pumps in series and parallel so that mismatch in system design or variations in operating conditions can be handled properly. Use variable speed drives for variations of flow due to process requirement.

Energy Efficiency Options

In general savings through speed control would be substantial in the following cases: Pumps supplying a system with large change in flow. Pumps which work with a bypass. These pumps are normally operated to deliver the maximum discharge and hence consume maximum power. Parallel pumps which discharge into a common pipe system. In such cases, each pump is generally switched on or off depending on the flow required. Here, it is sufficient to regulate the speed of only one of these pumps while the other pumps are operated an on/off mode.

Energy Efficiency Options

If the head flow is higher than needed by 5 to 15%, (i) The existing impeller should be trimmed to a smaller diameter, (ii) or a new impeller with a smaller diameter is to be put. Replacing the impeller by a smaller one of the same series: Manufacturers usually supply more than one impeller for the same casing, thus allowing a change in head or flow. Depending on the specific job, this can allow either an increase or a decrease in flow or head, typically by 10 to 25%. In multistage pumps, add or remove stages to the existing pump, allowing an increase / decrease in delivered head of flow, if required.

Analysis has revealed that except for the small scale sector, pump efficiencies have increased by 5-10% in recent years. SOME PROJECTIONS: Savings of 5 - 10% are also generally possible by derating or replacing oversized pumps. Much larger saving of 15 - 20% are available on average by minimizing piping-friction loss with typical paybacks for system retrofit of less than three years. High efficiency pump often cost the same as less efficient pumps, and if there is a cost premium, it is modest (of the order of 5 - 10%).

PUMP OPTIMIZATION PROJECTIONS: Consider buying pumps based on efficiency and not purchase price Portion of a pumps total cost over its life 3% for purchase cost 74% for energy cost A more efficient pump also has lower maintenance and downtime cost TYPICAL ENERGY SAVINGS: Proper matching of pump size to load 10 to 30% Variable Speed Drives 5 to 50% Knowing the system needs not pumping more flow under more pressure than needed 5 to 20%