Case Studies

South Walker Creek CHPP

Situation

  • A 3/2 AH Warman slurry pump ran at a constant 2950 rpm (regardless of process requirements) with a pressure-sustaining valve diverting excess water back to a water tank.
  • Motor load was consistently above 31kW. This setup did not allow for adjustable speed; the valve wasted energy by pinching off excess water, but still strained the motor since it was running at a constant load.

The Solution

  • A MagnaDrive Adjustable Speed Drive (ASD) was installed at South Walker Creek CHPP on October 4th 2007.
  • The intent was to remove the sustaining valve and control the pump output with only the ASD

The Results

  • The valve was removed and the pump is now controlled by the ASD
  • The pumping system now consumes 350 kWh less per day vs. the valve-based control.
Date 08/02/06 03/28/08 03/29/08 04/14/08
Average Pump Speed (RPM): 2950 1740 1670 1750
Average Motor Input Power (kW): 31.8 17.9 16.6 17.4
Total Energy Consumed / Day (kWh): 764.7 431.1 398.7 418.6
Estimated Energy Consumed / Annum (kWh): 273,528 154,188 142,603 149,725
Case Study details