Time to get smart

The findings of a recent Frost & Sullivan report identified an increasing demand from pump system operators to derive the maximum output from their legacy equipment, and this is said to be driving pump manufacturers to integrate enhanced technological features into existing pumps.

This trend started with the integration of variable speed drives (VSDs) and controllers into the pump systems with the aim of helping to conserve energy, monitor performance, control speed and measure a few vital parameters. However, according to the report, end-users are now calling for more, and the increased adoption of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies has intensified the need to add more smart capabilities.

“With IIoT comes a growing demand for more sophisticated techniques such as predictive maintenance, remote monitoring, digital twin technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR),” said Srividhya Murali, Senior Research Analyst, industrial team at Frost & Sullivan.

A 2018 IHS Markit report also focused on the increasing trend towards the addition of IIoT technologies to pump systems, which it says is providing an opportunity for pump manufacturers to innovate and deliver full pump solutions, as opposed to merely adding a component to their overall equipment portfolios.

IHS Markit found that pump companies – including KSB, Sulzer and WILO – have developed connected machines to enable real-time monitoring on the production line to improve productivity and reduce downtime. Intelligence is also being increasingly embedded into devices, supporting decentralised analytics, and even performing some decision making. WILO, for example, has implemented augmented reality technology onto its manufacturing line, using glasses that act as training devices in place of paper manuals. The glasses replace paper instructions by providing virtual work instructions that also display complex work steps.

According to IHS Markit, the numbers of connected nodes in pump (centrifugal pumps and positive displacement pumps) and compressor applications is set to grow substantially with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46.5% from 2016 to 2021. Centrifugal pumps have more variable flow applications than positive displacement pumps, so it is expected that they will utilise more connectivity for live monitoring purposes. Additionally, European motor and pump efficiency regulations require full awareness by the suppliers regarding overall system efficiency; therefore, the use of smart and connected technology is expected to increase rapidly going forward.

Connected pumps enable predictive maintenance, giving the ability to monitor and regulate pump efficiency and thereby improve both uptime and energy efficiency. In high-risk, high-cost, and errorprone industries, the use of connected pumps allows the transmission of important data enabling a range of IIoT applications. For example, pump sensors could capture key parameters of a pump such as pressure, temperature, and liquid level to measure hardware performance and predict downtime and failure through an analytical model.

The oil and gas, water and wastewater, and commercial building sectors are currently the biggest adopters of these technologies as they operate in already competitive and price-sensitive markets, and it is here that the most ingenuity is expected to be sparked in the near future.

Steve Hughes, Digital Lead, robotics and motion division at ABB UK told flow that ABB is seeing a growing interest towards the addition of smart sensors and intelligent functions within, or surrounding, OEM packages. He said: “Digitalisation of VSDs and motors will directly and positively impact on the resilience of pump systems.”

ABB believes that collaboration is key to success to help unlock the potential offered by the digitalisation of pump-related technology, as well as the increasing provision of cloud-based technology and services. “For example, by working with suppliers, utility providers are finding that it is possible to improve system resilience by utilising functions built into existing assets, such as digital VSDs, low-voltage motors and pumps,” said Steve.

ABB has recently partnered with Swiss pump manufacturer, Emile Egger, to adapt its smart sensor (initially designed for motor use) to monitor pump operation remotely. “We believe that collaborative relationships like this are the way forward. The aim of this collaboration was complete transparency to improve operational safety for the pump and motor. Continuous monitoring of the operating state of the pump unit increases the availability of the entire wastewater system,” said Steve. “The smart sensors deployed monitor pump speed, overall vibrations, imbalance, cavitation and early detection of pump failures.”

According to Steve, the benefits to pump operators of adopting IIoT technologies include increased process uptime and output, with less risk. This, he says, is because the use of smart sensors, coupled with data analysis, will enable the system to be monitored to ensure that it is always working at optimum efficiency.

A recent addition to the ABB Ability range of digitally enabled industry solutions focuses on this. The Ability Digital Powertrain integrates sensor and drive data with cloud-based analytics along a whole chain of industrial equipment used in factory environments.

An essential element of the solution is that each powertrain element – including drives, motors, bearings and pumps – sends measurement data to the cloud, which is then visible to the operator via a simple dashboard which visually highlights whether the assets are functioning correctly.

WEG recently launched Motor Scan, a remote performance monitoring solution for its motors, to help maximise uptime and enable predictive maintenance. “Fixing a problem before it happens is the most cost-effective form of maintenance,” said Andrew Glover, European Low Voltage Motors Product Manager at WEG. The WEG Motor Scan leverages IIoT and analytics to connect sensors and other devices to collect and analyse real-time data.

Technologies such as the new breed of smart sensors and performance monitoring solutions provide the actionable information that can help maintenance teams make betterinformed decisions about the health of installed motors. Such solutions can help take the guesswork out of preventative maintenance tasks and eliminate the Collaboration will help unlock the need for reactive potential offered by the digitalisation of maintenance pump-related technology following a component failure.

So, while pumps have not traditionally been considered to be the smartest of devices, there is now a growing opportunity for both pump system manufacturers and operators to benefit from the increased capabilities offered by smart, connected systems.