Start of the central control room for the centrifugal pump

There are many centrifugal pumps that are remotely controlled using PLCs and DCS. It is best to be equipped with reliable pneumatic (or electric) inlet and outlet valves. The procedures for starting and stopping the pump will not be described. The purpose is to prevent overcurrent in the motor during startup (the starting current is usually about 3 times the rated current). (In actual production, many burned-out motors are due to unreliable inlet and outlet valves, resulting in excessive current during startup.) ) Ensure the reliability of the outlet check valve (if any) to prevent backflow of the medium. Consider changing the pump that is controlled on-site to remote control; it is recommended to conduct a trial run according to the remote control procedures, check the starting current and the behavior during shutdown, before proceeding with the modification. For large centrifugal pumps, it is recommended to feed back parameters such as current, outlet pressure, and rotor temperature to a remote location; alarms and interlock protections can be set up to facilitate monitoring of operation. If possible, the same can be done with small pumps as well. For reference only. Establish a regular inspection system, especially for pumps that have been out of service for a long time; they need to be inspected and rotated before being put into operation.

Thanks for the tip. This centrifugal pump is equipped with pneumatically controlled valves at both the inlet and outlet, current signals are monitored by DCS, and it features several important interlocks. It’s just a smaller water pump, and it doesn’t operate continuously. All the pumps here, especially the centrifugal pumps, are started on-site. Since I haven’t worked with many types of equipment before, I’m not sure whether it’s feasible to set this pump to start via central control.

Try to minimize the use of this startup mode in the control room of such centrifugal pumps, as many checks need to be carried out before starting the pump, such as turning the shaft manually, applying lubrication, and verifying that all startup conditions are met; forcing the pump to start may lead to accidents.

There is no need for remote startup; on-site inspection and maintenance of centrifugal pumps are crucial, as sometimes pump vibrations cannot be detected via the DCS. Besides, from a safety perspective, ordinary devices sometimes do not allow remote startup.

There are quite a number of pumps that utilize remote control and automatic control in production. The demineralized water system is used, with all pumps being remotely controlled for start-up and shutdown (the sequence in which the valves open and close is programmed). Of course, there are also on-site control boxes. In those areas of the factory’s production lines where high levels of automatic control are required, PLC remote control is used. Practice has proven that it is technically mature and reliable. Once, I asked a few guys from the electrical department to take a look at the steam flow trend chart for a certain device. They are in the office, connect the computer to the network cable, run the PLC program for that section, and the operation interface appears. They kept telling me not to touch the valves or motors. Some pumps are too far away from the control room, so remote control is a good option. (Of course, don’t neglect routine inspections.) I’ve worked on an automatic control system for pump room water levels in the past – the pumps stop operating when the water level is low and continue to run when it’s high. The pump was installed at a high position; I didn’t notice that at the time. When the bottom valve stopped working, it caused the motor to burn out. Later, a submersible plug pump was installed, and it operated without any problems for three years. As long as the safety conditions for pump operation are met, remote control and automatic control are both feasible.

Safety is of primary importance, but if an assessment shows that all safety conditions are met, increasing the level of automation helps to reduce the workload, allowing human resources to be focused on handling accidents and thus saving on labor costs

It is rare for the control room to start the equipment; however, if there are special process-related reasons, this can also be done after evaluation

It is also possible to control the start of centrifugal pumps manually; generally, a PLC or SIS is used for this purpose. Such systems not only control the start of the pump but also ensure that the outlet valve opens fully after the pump starts and closes before it stops. Our underground oil storage tanks are equipped with a system for automatic level control； However, since valves with common oil-free lines require to be turned on and off, automatic control has never been put into use.

Pumps are generally not operated from such a long distance. . . The central control system is used solely to control instruments, valves, and procedures such as emergency shutdown

Preparatory work for switching and starting centrifugal pumps, as well as a period of observation, all need to be carried out on-site. So why is remote control still necessary? I can’t understand it; I hope the original poster can explain the specific circumstances