This sourcebook is designed to provide pumping system users with a reference that outlines opportunities for improving system performance. It is not meant to be a comprehensive technical text on pumping systems; rather, it provides practical guidelines and information to make users aware of potential performance improvements. Guidance on how to find more information and assistance is also included.
Throughout this sourcebook, performance and efficiency improvements are described in terms of a “systems approach.” For cost-effective operation and maintenance of pumping systems, attention must be paid not just to individual pieces of equipment but to the system as a whole. A systems approach to optimizing a pumping system analyzes both the supply and demand sides of the system and how they interact, shifting the focus from individual components to total system performance.
Often, operators are so focused on the immediate demands of equipment that they overlook the broader question: How do the system’s parameters affect this equipment? For example, frequently replacing pump seals and bearings can keep a maintenance crew so busy that they overlook the system operating conditions that are causing most (or all) of the problems.
A systems approach involves the following types of interrelated actions: Establish current conditions and operating parameters
Determine present and estimate future process production needs
Gather and analyze operating data and develop load duty cycles
Assess alternative system designs and improvements
Determine the most technically and economically sound options, taking into consideration all of the subsystems
Implement the best option
Assess energy consumption with respect to performance
Continue to monitor and optimize the system
Continue to operate and maintain the system for peak performance.
To use a systems approach effectively, a pumping system designer needs to understand system fundamentals, know where opportunities for improvements are commonly found, and have a list of key resources that can help to identify and implement successful projects.
