Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition

Automatic controls in temporary bypass applications improve pump longevity and fuel/power consumption by smoothly starting, controlling the speed, and stopping the pump based on system demand. In addition, these controls increase safety and reliability through their ability to signal emergency conditions that require attention and/or intervention. This presentation provides case studies of automated temporary bypass applications that featured a variety of controls including variable frequency drives (VFDs) and programmable logic controls (PLCs) on electric motor driven pumps; digital controllers on diesel engine driven pumps; and, transducers measuring a specific input parameter that dictates operation. In these applications, using automatic controls has increased pump longevity by ensuring that the pump operates at the most efficient part of its curve.