Pietarsaaren Vesi provides high-quality fresh water and reliable wastewater treatment for the municipality of Pietarsaari, a small community on the west coast of Finland with around 20,000 inhabitants.
Long-Term Dependability Lowers Costs
Despite the highly corrosive atmosphere in Pietarsaaren Vesi’s main wastewater pumping plant, the drives have proven to be robust and reliable. “The main thing is that it works well in the damp, demanding conditions. That’s what is important,” said Dahlman.
Precise and reliable pumping operations ensure low energy consumption. Optimizing maximum torque used per ampere reduces energy drawn from the supply. The monitoring of pump operation and the fine-tuning of processes can then ensure optimal energy use.
Meanwhile, preventing leakage, managing harmonics, battling cavitation and facilitating anti-clogging are all ways to extend the pumping system’s lifetime. These bring improved cost control by reducing the risk of unplanned downtime and making it easier to budget for maintenance.
All of these translate into increased long-term dependability, a key component in lowering the total cost of ownership of the entire pump system.
“I don’t expect any problems with these drives,” said Ek. “They’ve been running for nearly two years now and I have not needed to go to the site to look at anything, so that’s a good sign that everything is just working.”
About the Author: Since joining ABB in 2005, James Chalmers has held several managerial positions in R&D, sourcing, sales and product management. He currently works as the global water industry manager with a focus on helping utilities address challenges such as managing leakage, optimizing pump performance and increasing energy efficiency.
Circle No. 250 on Reader Service Card