Abstract:
A storage unit configured to store an operating number
judging table determining the number of pumps to be operated
5 in accordance with a distributed water flow rate and a discharge
pressure and a flow rate distributing table determining
distribution of the distributed water flow rate to each pump
in accordance with the number of pumps, the distributed water
flow rate, and the discharge pressure; an operating number
10 judging unit configured to refer to the operating number judging
table and determine the number of pumps to be operated based
on the distributed water flow rate and the discharge pressure;
a distributed water flow rate calculating unit configured to
calculate distribution of the distributed water flow rate to
15 each pump based on the number of pumps to be operated, the
distributed water flow rate determined by the flow rate
distributing table, and the discharge pressure; and a target
rotating number calculating unit configured to set a target
rotating number of each pump based on the number of pumps to
20 be operated, which is stored in the operating number judging
table and the distribution of the distributed water flow rate
to each pump, which is acquired by the distributed water flow
rate calculating unit.
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Notices, Deadlines & Correspondence
6-6, MARUNOUCHI 1-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 100-8280, JAPAN
Inventors
1. TAKAHASHI SHINSUKE
C/O HITACHI LTD., INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP, 12TH FLOOR, MARUNOUCHI CENTER BUILDING, 6-1, MARUNOUCHI 1-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 100-8220, JAPAN
2. ADACHI SHINGO
C/O HITACHI LTD., INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP, 12TH FLOOR, MARUNOUCHI CENTER BUILDING, 6-1, MARUNOUCHI 1-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 100-8220, JAPAN
3. KURISU HIROMITSU
C/O HITACHI LTD., INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP, 12TH FLOOR, MARUNOUCHI CENTER BUILDING, 6-1, MARUNOUCHI 1-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 100-8220, JAPAN
4. TADOKORO HIDEYUKI
C/O HITACHI LTD., INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP, 12TH FLOOR, MARUNOUCHI CENTER BUILDING, 6-1, MARUNOUCHI 1-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 100-8220, JAAPN
5. YASUTOMI HIROYOSHI
C/O HITACHI LTD., INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP, 12TH FLOOR, MARUNOUCHI CENTER BUILDING, 6-1, MARUNOUCHI 1-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 100-8220, JAPAN
Specification
PUMP CONTROL SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a pump control system that
5 minimizes consumed energy by operating a plurality of pumps at
an optimal efficiency point in a control system that operates
the plurality of pumps arranged in parallel for water
distribution of a water supply. Further, the invention relates
to a pump control system that can maintain an operation at the
10 optimal efficiency point even in the case where a pump
characteristic deteriorates as time elapsed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.
15 2005-76452 discloses a method for actualizing energy saving
operation of a plurality of pumps by acquiring a maximum
efficiency curve that maximum efficiency points in rotating
speeds of pumps are plotted, setting a number change flow curve
for an increased number of pumps and a number change flow curve
20 for a reduced number of pumps parallel thereto, and changing
the operating number of the pumps to be increased or reduced
when a discharge flow rate exceeds the change flow curves due
to a property of a discharge quantity Q-a discharge pressure
H, in order to appropriately judge the operating number of a
25 plurality of variable-speed pumps.
..
3
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.
2010-216288 discloses a parallel-off control method of parallel
pumps by calling a flow rate when the sum of axial drive force
after parallel-off operation is equal to the sum of axial drive
5 force before the parallel-off as an energy saving parallel-off
flow rate, calculating the energy saving parallel-off flow rate
from a set multiplier, a lifting height-flow rate approximate
expression, an efficiency approximate expression of the pump
and the number of parallel pumps, the number of parallel pumps,
10 and a detection of an intake lifting height, setting this value,
and determining the operating number of the pumps based thereon,
in a parallel-off control system of the parallel pumps
controlled by discharge pressure constant control or estimated
end pressure constant control, which saves energy as compared
15 with the related art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.
2005-76452 described above discloses the method of increasing
20 and reducing the operating number of the pumps in order to
actualize the energy saving operation by considering the
efficiency characteristic curve of the pump, but when a
plurality of pumps having differen~ characteristics is used,
even a distributed water flow rate which each pump takes charge
25 of needs to be determined as well in addition to the operating
4
number. In the related art, this point is not considered and
there is a doubt about advanced energy saving operation.
Further, since time-elapsed deterioration in the pump
characteristic is not considered, the operation cannot be
5 performed at an efficiency point as time elapsed, and as a resul t,
excessive power is consumed.
Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application
Publication No. 2010-216288 described above, an optimal number
change-over timing flow rate is determined by considering a
10 total axis drive force of the pump, but the application of the
technology is limited to the discharge pressure constant
control or the estimated end pressure constant control and the
technology cannot be applied to more highly advanced control.
In addition, since the number change-over flow rate
15 (parallel-off flow rate) is determined based on the total axis
drive force which does not particularly coincide with total
energy consumption of the pump, precise minimization of
consumed energy cannot be actualized. Moreover, a number
change-over operating state depends on a pressure as well as
20 the flow rate, but a number change-over timing (parallel-off
timing) is determined by only the flow rate and precise
change-over to actualize energy saving cannot be performed.
Further, since the time-elapsed deterioration in the pump
characteristic is not considered, the operation cannot be
25 performed at the efficiency point as time elapsed, and as a
5
result, the excessive power is consumed.
The invention is contrived by considering the situations
and an obj ect of the invention is to provide a pump control system
that actualizes minimization of consumed energy by acquiring
5 both the operating number to actualize energy saving and an
optimal distribution water flow rate which each pump takes
charge of. Further, another object of the invention is to
provide a pump control system that can maintain operation of
the pump at an optimal efficiency point regardless of time by
10 estimating a characteristic curve of the pump on-line and using
the estimated characteristic curve in efficient operation of
the pump.
A pump control system controlling operation of a
plurality of pumps according to the first aspect of the
15 invention includes: a storage unit configured to store an
operating number judging table determining the number of pumps
to be operated in accordance with a distributed water flow rate
and a discharge pressure and a flow rate distributing table
determining distribution of the distributed water flow rate to
20 each pump in accordance with the number of pumps, the
distributed water flow rate, and the discharge pressure; an
operating number judging unit configured to refer to the
operating number judging table and determine the number of pumps
to be operated based on the distributed water flow rate and the
25 discharge pressure; a distributed water flow rate calculating
6
unit configured to calculate distribution of the distributed
water flow rate to each pump based on the number of pumps to
be operated, the distributed water flow rate determined by the
flow rate distributing table, and the discharge pressure; and
5 a target rotating number calculating unit configured to set a
target rotating number of each pump based on the number of pumps
to be operated, which is stored in the operating number judging
table and the distribution of the distributed water flow rate
to each pump, which is acquired by the distributed water flow
10 rate calculating unit.
In the pump control system according to the second aspect
of the invention, in the case of the number of pumps determined
by the operating number judging table and the distributed water
flow rate determined by the flow rate distributing table, a
15 characteristic curve representing a characteristic of each pump,
the operating number of pumps in which consumed energy of all
of the respective pumps operated in accordance with a
predetermined operating sequence is minimized, and the
distributed water flow rate distributed to each pump are
20 acquired for each distributed water flow rate and discharge
pressure.
The pump control system according to the third aspect of
the invention further includes a pump characteristic estimating
unit configured to measure the distributed water flow rate of
25 the pump, the discharge pressure, the rotating number of each
e 7
pump, and power consumption of each pump, and estimate the
characteristic of each pump based on information from the
measurement.
In the pump control system according to the fourth aspect
5 of the invention, the pump characteristic estimating unit
measures the distributed water flow rate, the discharge
pressure, and the rotating number and the power consumption of
each pump when each pump is operated by changing a parameter
for determining a characteristic curve and a performance curve
10 representing the characteristic of each pump determined based
on the distributed water flow rate and the discharge pressure
of the pump, the rotating number of each pump, and the power
consumption of each pump, which are measured, to a set value
different from an original set value, and estimates the
15 characteristic of each pump based on information from the
measurement.
In the pump control system according to the fifth aspect
of the invention, as the characteristic curve of the pump of
the second aspect, the characteristic of the pump estimated of
20 the third aspect is used.
In the pump control system according to the sixth aspect
of the invention, as the characteristic curve of the pump in
the second aspect, the characteristic of the pump estimated in
the fourth aspect is used.
25 According to the invention, since the operating number
8
of the pumps and the flow rate distribution of the pump at which
the total consumed energy of the pump is minimized are
determined based on two variables of the distributed water flow
rate and the discharge pressure that define the operation of
5 the pump, the energy of the pump control system can be saved.
Since the characteristic of the pump is estimated from the
measurement data, and the operating number of the pumps and the
flow rate distribution of the pump are determined based on the
recent estimation characteristic, the operation can be
10 maintained at the optimal efficiency point regardless of the
temporal change of the pump characteristic. Further, the
operation can be actualized in the wider operating area on-line
by operating the pump with a parameter different from the
original parameter. Accordingly, since the pump
15 characteristic can be estimated with high precision by using
the measured data, the reliability of the operation at the
optimal efficiency point can be improved and the increase in
the power consumption can be maximally suppressed.
20
25
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a pump control system
of a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates an operating number judging table of
a pump;
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a flow rate distribution
9
calculating table of the pump;
FIG. 4 is a processing flowchart for preparing table data;
FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a database storing an
optimal solution;
5 FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of calculation of
consumed energy by operating the pump;
FIG. 7 is a processing flowchart of a program to calculate
a target rotating number of the pump;
FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate one example of a performance
10 curve and an efficiency curve of the pump, and time-elapsed
deterioration;
FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate measurement data by actual
operation;
FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a pump control system
15 of a second embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 11 illustrates one example of measurement data
stored in a database;
FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of a pump control system
of a third embodiment of the invention;
20 FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of a pump control system
of a fourth embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 14 illustrates one example of a modified operating
number judging table;
FIG. 15 is a configuration diagram of a pump control system
25 of a fifth embodiment of the invention; and
5
10
FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrate one example of flow rate
distribution correction calculation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Embodiments of the invention will be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings. A first embodiment
will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a pump control system
of the first embodiment. A control system includes a water
10 distributing pipe 1, a distribution reservoir 11, a pressure
sensor 2 measuring a discharge pressure, a flow rate sensor 3
measuring a distributed water flow rate, variable-speed pumps
4, 5, and 6, rotating number sensors 7, 8, and 9 measuring a
rotating number of a pump, a target discharge pressure, a
15 measured discharge pressure, a pump control system 100
calculating a target rotating number of each pump like
actualization of the target discharge pressure by using the
measured distributed water flow rate as an input, and PID
control devices 12, 13, and 14 adjusting input signals in
20 respective pumps so that the measured rotating number coincides
wi th the target rotating number. In FIG. 1, an example in which
three pumps are arranged in parallel is illustrated, but the
other number of pumps may be installed. The operating number
of pumps is increased with an increase in the distributed water
25 flow rate. Herein, when the flow rate is small (little), only
20
11
the pump 4 is operated, the pumps 5 and 6 are added in sequence
with the increase in the flow rate, and the operating number
of pumps is increased.
The distributed water flow rate measured by the flow rate
5 sensor 3 is changed momentarily according to a water demand.
The pump control system 100 calculates the target rotating
number (when the rotating number is 0, it is regarded that the
pump stops) of each pump so that the discharge pressure
measurement value by the pressure sensor 2 coincides with the
10 target discharge pressure wi th respect to the change in the flow
rate. Combinations of rotating numbers to actualize the target
discharge pressure are provided beyond number, but the pump
control system calculates a rotating number combination that
enables minimum consumed energy. In order to actualize the
15 combination, the pump control system includes an operating
number judging unit 101, an operating number judging table 102,
a flow rate distribution calculating unit 103, a flow rate
distributing table 104, and a target rotating number
calculating unit 105.
Further, the aforementioned units of the pump control
system are actually executed by software programs for
actualizing respective functions thereof. The software
programs are configured by, for example, modules including the
respective units and the control unit such as a CPU, and the
25 like reads and executes the software programs or the
20
12
aforementioned respective tables from a recording device such
as an HDD, and the like as actual hardware, and as a result,
the respective units are loaded on a main storage device and
the respective units such as the operating number judging unit
5 101, the flow rate distribution calculating unit 103, and the
target rotating number calculating unit 105 are created on the
main storage device.
The operating number judging unit 101 determines the
number of pumps to be operated by referring to the operating
10 number judging table 102 which is constructed in advance. An
example of the operating number judging table 102 is illustrated
in FIG. 2. A horizontal axis and a vertical axis represent a
discharge pressure H and a distributed water flow rate Q,
respectively. The small flow rate (when the flow rate is small)
15 is a 1-pump operating area (only the pump 4 is operated) , a medium
flow rate (when the flow rate is medium) is a 2-pump operating
area (two pumps of the pumps 4 and 5 are operated), and the large
flow rate (when the flow rate is large) is a 3-pump operating
area.
As boundaries of the respective areas, two lines, a solid
line and a dotted line, are provided. The solid line is a number
change-over line used when the operating number