Pumps have historically been a backbone of many applications, including commercial buildings, municipal water and wastewater management, irrigation and agriculture; and are certainly key contributors in industrial systems found in chemical, oil and gas, and pulp and paper industries. Pumping systems account for nearly 25 percent of the energy consumed by electric motors, and for 20 to 60 percent of the total electrical energy usage in many industrial, water and wastewater treatment facilities. Optimizing these processes presents extensive potential savings opportunities, which far exceed more commonplace activity such as motor maintenance/optimization and fan/compressor system upgrades.
While pumps continue to perform the tasks for which they were designed – movement of liquids/solids – there are several trends impacting the future of pumps and pump systems. Historically, pumps have been supplied as part of larger systems and were frequently misapplied, improperly sized, and generally left to be standalone components in larger systems. Many trends in various industrial markets have increased the visibility of pumping, and ultimately the “pump system” as a key component. Key trends include:
- Energy efficiency
- System/process efficiency
- Environmental concerns
Click here to learn more about energy savings in pumping applications.
The Toshiba P9 low voltage adjustable speed drive is a revolution in pump control. By incorporating Toshiba’s proprietary, ground-breaking Virtual Linear Pump (VLP) Technology, the P9 directly, precisely, and linearly controls pressure, temperature, or flow. The P9 eliminates many obstacles users thought were an integral part of pump control and sets a new standard in ingenuity, performance, and ease-of-use for the pump industry. The below video gives an overview of the features of the P9.