The new parallel sensorless pump controller by Armstrong Fluid Technology (AFT) coordinates the operation of up to four Armstrong variable speed pumps to offer what the company claims is superior energy efficiency at a reduced first installed cost.
By automatically ensuring best efficiency staging, the new technology can improve pump efficiency in parallel pumping applications by as much as 35%, AFT stated this week. In addition, as the Armstrong pumps incorporate on-board inverters, and do not require the remotely mounted sensors, they can 'cut installation costs significantly at the same time as reducing overall project risk'.
The Armstrong Parallel Sensorless Pump Controller (PSPC) is an innovative add-on control device ideally suited to applications requiring two, three or four Armstrong DE IVS variable speed pumps configured in parallel. The traditional approach with other manufacturers’ pumps is to buy loose, racked or panel-mounted drives, requiring installation, along with one or more remotely mounted sensors which need to be installed in the system and wired in. In contrast, the Armstrong DE IVS pumps incorporate on-board inverters, capable of adjusting automatically to changes in load.
The control technology resident in the new Armstrong PSPC enables it to balance demand across the multiple pumps to operate each at its most efficient point to meet the load. The variable speed intelligence embedded in the controller calculates best efficiency staging and causes each pump to respond instantaneously and automatically.
