Can a fire pump automatically start to increase pressure?
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This is a fire pump room equipped with two booster pumps, two pressure stabilization pumps, one pressure tank, and two submersible drainage pumps. There is an electric contact pressure gauge on the pipes in the pump room; this gauge is interlocked with the pressure stabilization pumps. When the pressure drops below the set low limit, the pressure stabilization pumps start operating, and they stop when the pressure reaches the set high limit. My question is: can this electric contact pressure gauge be interlocked with the booster pumps as well? In situations where the pressure stabilization pumps are unable to maintain the pressure or where the water pressure drops sharply and thus the pumps cannot raise the pressure (such as in the event of a fire), can the booster pumps start operating automatically? (Note: This fire protection system does not have an automatic alarm control system, and it is not possible to start the fire pumps remotely.)
It cannot be started remotely; how can interlocking be achieved?
Electrical contact pressure gauges use set pressure limits, low and high, to achieve automatic control.
Since the booster pump cannot be controlled remotely, even when a electrical pressure signal is received (at the DCS or fire control center), it is not possible to issue commands to start or stop the pump. Therefore, for interlocking to be possible, it is essential that the pump can be started or stopped remotely.
The start and stop of the pressure stabilizing pump are controlled by signals from the electric contact pressure gauge, rather than through remote control; I believe the booster pump can also be started and stopped in the same manner as the pressure stabilizing pump.
This post was last edited by altpage on 2017-1-10 at 19:45. Large pumps probably won’t work; it’s necessary to check the voltage and power specifications. The large pumps I’ve seen all use high-voltage motors, and they should work fine if it’s 380AC.
The large pump (boost pump) is 380 volts, and I think that’s fine; since there is a fire alarm control system, it’s possible to start the pump remotely without the need for an on-site inspection – all that’s required is to ensure that the inlet and outlet of the pump are fully open and that there is water inside the pump casing.
Yes, the conditions do exist, but they are difficult to control; the key issue is that it’s hard to determine the pressure point at which the pump should be stopped. The plan is only for show and won’t be very effective. If water usage at the site is not properly controlled, the large pumps will start frequently. Many facilities have installed fire alarm and interlock fire protection systems; those that were designed with automatic interlock pump starting have opted for manual control, activating the automatic interlock only when safety inspectors or fire departments come for inspections.
I’m not sure if installing a flow indicator will meet the requirement of automatically increasing the pump’s operation
Currently, booster pumps generally use a variable-frequency redundant control system