Pump Torque Reversal Control for Wastewater Blockage Clearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pump blockages lead to significant maintenance costs and operational inefficiencies for water authorities, particularly in wastewater pumping systems, as existing technologies struggle to detect blockages early and efficiently clear them.
Innovation Solution
A control device for mechanically switched pumps that monitors torque to detect potential blockages and initiates a series of reverse and forward cycles to clear debris, reducing maintenance needs and improving power efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pump operates continuously in forward direction, then productivity is maintained, but blockage occurs and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The control mechanism implements periodic reverse operation at predetermined intervals to clear debris accumulation in the pump intake area. This periodic reverse action prevents blockages while maintaining overall productivity, resolving the contradiction between continuous operation and blockage prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring mechanism detects early signs of blockage by measuring torque, and the control mechanism initiates reverse operation before complete blockage occurs. This preliminary action prevents productivity loss while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If pump operates in reverse direction frequently, then blockage is cleared and reliability improves, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring mechanism provides feedback on torque levels to the control mechanism. Reverse operation is triggered only when torque exceeds a predetermined threshold, ensuring that energy is consumed only when necessary for blockage clearance, thus improving reliability without excessive power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The control mechanism changes the operational parameter (rotation direction) based on monitored torque conditions. By switching to reverse direction only when torque indicates blockage, the system maintains reliability while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption.
3Reliability
If torque monitoring threshold is set low, then blockage detected early and reliability improves, but false alarms increase and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The predetermined torque threshold is optimized to distinguish between normal operational variations and actual blockage conditions. This parameter setting enables early blockage detection while minimizing false alarms, maintaining both reliability and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to programmable electronic device that prevents wastewater submersible and non-submersible pumps as well as viscous pumps from ragging therefore avoiding pump blockage. In one aspect the invention provides a pump apparatus comprising a pump and a control device for a pump, the pump being a mechanically switched pump such as a direct online/ star delta pump and capable of being operated in a forward and a reverse direction, the control device comprising: a monitoring mechanism to monitor the torque of the pump, a control mechanism to control the direction of the pump and being capable of selectively directing the pump to (i) stop, (ii) operate in a reverse and (iii) operate in a forward direction; wherein the control mechanism is adapted to control the pump to do at least one of (a) stop and (b) operate in a reverse direction when the monitoring mechanism detects a pre-determined value in the torque of the pump. The device is programmed to provide anti-ragging functionality whilst providing traditional electrical pump protections. The physical size of the device has been minimised which enables great use and, significantly, retro-fitting of the product.