Equipping pumps, fans and compressors with variable speed drives (VSDs) does not only save energy but increases profitability of operations as well.

Pumps, fans and compressors are often run at constant speed, with control of flow rate and destination being done by manual opening and closing of valves in the pipelines. This usually makes the startup process very labor intensive as starting a pumping station, for instance, could take one person up to an hour. The labor costs add up with personnel having to sometimes travel long distances to remote sites. In some facilities this process is automated but consumption of energy is poor.

There is a more energy efficient alternative. Running these applications with variable speed drives results in instant savings in energy consumption while it also brings long-term competitive advantages.

Here’s why you should invest in variable speed drives to improve energy efficiency of your pump, fan and compressor systems:

Improved Operational Efficiency

The need for manual labor is eliminated as the system controlled by drives starts up automatically at pre-set times, thus saving in man-hours and labor costs.

Savings on the Electricity Bill

Variable speed drives use only the needed amount of energy by running the motors at partial load, usually resulting in 20-50% reduction in energy consumption of drive system.

Savings in Capital Expenditure

Immediate reduction in electrical consumption ensures fast financial payback for the VSD investment, in majority of cases within months of installation.

Savings in Maintenance and Spare Part Costs

With drives, mechanical stresses on the pump couplings during startup can be eliminated, water hammering and friction losses in the pipes are reduced, and less wear and tear is applied on the impeller due to extended ramp-up and ramp-down times set in the drives.

This type of valuable gains can be achieved not only in large industrial operations but also in smaller installations as well.

In fact, any process that is using electric motors can get important monetary savings and operational benefits with the use of VSDs. You might want to take a good look around your own operations and processes, no matter how big or small, to see where targeted use of variable speed drives can help you get fast financial payback and long-term competitive advantages.

You can estimate your potential energy and cost savings gained by low voltage AC variable speed drive control compared to traditional methods like throttles and valves by using our free EnergySave Calculator. 

If you would like further information on ABB Drives contact us using the form below and one of the KC Service team will be in touch.