Innovative Devices That Enable Variable Flow Systems for Energy Savings
Over the past decade numerous studies both conducted by and authorized by the US Department of Energy Office of Industrial Technology have identified significant energy savings potential by adjusting flow rates to meet process demands. As much as 40% energy savings have been achieved when variable flow pumping systems were implemented in some DOE demonstration projects. To date, only a small fraction of the identified companies in various industries which can benefit in energy savings resulting from adjustable pumping flow rates have installed the requisite capabilities. One reason for the slow rate of adoption of variable pumping is that there are few commercially available methods for adjusting pump rates. Electronic Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) are the most commonly implemented method of varying pump speeds, usually resulting in reduced operating life of the electric drive motors and sometimes in significant costs of plant modifications. Veritran Inc. with the support of Team Technologies, Inc. is developing low-cost mechanical devices for varying electric motor speeds without the large initial investment associated with VFDs nor the other detracting features of the need to install larger electric motors and reduced motor life expectancy. Veritran’s Infinitely Variable Transmissions (IVTs), such as SM-15IVT (www.veritraninc.com) are installed between the motor and the load, which allows for soft starts, and precise output set speeds, all under programmable microprocessor control. The amount of power demanded from the motor varies as the output speed of the transmission is changed or the load torque is changed. This paper will describe the engineering development that Veritran has been pursuing over the past decade of their novel IVTs, and will present some of the test data collected to date. Results will also be presented of systems analyses where IVTs are inserted into various industrial operations and significant energy savings result.