Case Study
Pump control in Western Australia
Problem
More than 1.5 million litres of water was being pumped and circulated around the centre and through a filtration system by single and three phase pumps at full power, resulting in high energy consumption.
Solution
Eight Optidrives were installed, immediately allowing pump duty to be more closely matched to the water supply demand. Water circulation is now continuously adjusted based on the leisure centre operating requirements, in some cases reducing the speed of the pumps by up to 60 per cent.
CITY OF GOSNELLS AQUATIC CENTRE
Maintaining huge quantities of water in optimum condition in a leisure centre can be a challenging and expensive task.
At the City of Gosnells Leisure Aquatic Centre in Western Australia a mixture of single and three phase pumps are used to circulate approximately 1.5 million litres of water.
The complexity of the application is increased by facilities that include a 25 metre swimming pool, spa, sauna, steam room, fully equipped fitness centre, aerobic facilities, swimming school, crèche and café.
The City of Gosnells undertook to reduce their power consumption and emission output whilst increasing their water quality by using variable frequency drives to control the pumps.
After extensive competitor comparison and testing, Invertek Drives were selected as the preferred solution. Working in conjunction with GreenHOUS of Western Australia, eight Optidrive E3s were installed, immediately allowing pump duty to be more closely matched to the water supply demand.
Water circulation is now continuously adjusted based on the leisure centre operating requirements, in some cases reducing the speed of the pumps by up to 60 per cent. This speed reduction also allowed the water to pass through the filtration system at a more preferable rate, increasing water quality whilst maintaining the legal requirements for minimum water turn over within specified times.
The City of Gosnells then monitored the new drives via an energy flow meter. Based on those results they were able to accurately assess the improvements and calculate energy savings of nearly 60 per cent per annum, totalling $43,000 a year.
The results have been outstanding in terms of huge energy savings, lower maintenance, less wear on pumps and improved water quality. The most telling quote from the customer was "Why didn't we do this earlier?"
Looking to the future, incorporation of a MODBUS system and a business management system into their IT network will deliver further savings through reduced time required for effective management of pump control.
