By Donna Hoover
he application of Variable Fre- VFD Advantages
quency Drives (VFDs) in turf irri-
▲
gation systems is a hot topic. A
VFD is an electronic device that
changes the frequency of the AC power
going to a motor, thereby varying the
motor speed. When attached to a
pump, the change in motor speed
affects the flow and pressure of the
pump discharge.
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12 PIPELINE
ENERGY SAVINGS
Any time the demand is lower than
the design point of the system, VFDs
reduce the motor speed (and there-
fore horsepower), resulting in a reduc-
tion in energy. The amount saved
depends on the design of the system,
actual demand and other factors.
REDUCTION IN WATER HAMMER
& LIFE EXTENSION OF THE
IRRIGATION PIPING
This occurs because VFDs can be con-
figured to ramp the motor up and
down in a controlled manner.
ELIMINATION OF THE PRESSURE
CONTROL VALVE
The valves historically have required
excessive maintenance (though there
has been improvement in recent
designs). Additionally, control valves
reduce the pump discharge pressure
5-10 PSI, perhaps resulting in the
need for a larger pump.
VFD Disadvantages
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ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITIES
The forces of nature in certain geo-
graphic areas may be of concern when
considering the use of VFDs. In Flori-
da, for instance, heat, humidity and
lightning are natural phenomena that
can affect the performance of VFDs.
Since most VFDs are rated to operate
in ambient temperatures up to 104∞
▲
F, in Florida auxiliary cooling would
be necessary. For drives mounted in
an industrial enclosure, an air condi-
tioner or air/water heat exchanger
would suffice. There are also drives
that can be mounted outside. These
are produced by some VFD manufac-
turers in NEMA 4 packages. They
should include a fan to cool the drive
when running. It is necessary that
they be shielded from direct sunlight.
Surge / lightning protection presents
another potential challenge. Since
the printed circuit boards inside VFDs
can be sensitive to surges, intermit-
tent problems or catastrophic failures
can occur. Well-engineered VFD sys-
tems include a line reactor or other
device to guard against surges.
SERVICE ISSUES
Since many VFD problems can be dif-
ficult to trace, it is often necessary to
call in a highly trained drive specialist
to make repairs. When a VFD fails, it
can take a week or more for the
problem to be diagnosed and a new
VFD ordered and installed. (Larger
VFD systems do come with a bypass
that enables the system to be run in
manual if the VFD fails).
www.fisstate.org 13
Ideal VFD Applications
Some excellent situations for applying a
VFD in a turf irrigation pump system are:
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Any pump station with dramatically
varying flow rates over a wide flow
range, the VFD can be a better regu-
lating device than a control valve.
Care must always be taken to achieve
evenly balanced flow requirements
across the irrigation zones.
▲
Some conventional pump stations uti-
lizing jockey or pressure maintenance
pumps The pumps keep the mainline
pressurized, offsetting the weeping of
field valves. Jockey pumps reduce the
wear and tear on the main pump
when low flows are required. A VFD
on the main pump in lieu of a jockey
pump may enable the pump to bet-
ter operate at low flows.
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Booster pumps for potable water or irri-
gation. The incoming pressure and dis-
charge demand can vary greatly based
on time of day and other variables.
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Pump stations with higher horsepower
pumps. They are better candidates for
energy savings than smaller stations.
14 PIPELINE
Specifying a VFD
Pump Station
Once it has been determined that a
VFD is appropriate for the application, the
designer should consider the following:
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Is the system designed to maintain
constant pressure? The pump station
should be designed to maintain a
constant discharge pressure. In a well
designed VFD system, a pressure
transducer provides a control feed-
back. The VFD, when properly
tuned, maintains constant pressure, in
effect matching pump output to
actual demand in the field. If a feed-
back signal from a pressure transduc-
er is absent, most of the advantages
of a VFD are lost.
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How is the temperature limitation of
the VFD being handled? If the VFD is
to be installed in an industrial enclo-
sure, an air conditioner or air/water
heat exchanger should be specified.
If the VFD comes in a self-contained
NEMA 4 package, it can be mounted
under the pump enclosure or on an
open skid. In that case, the VFD
should include a cooling fan and also
be shielded from direct sunlight.
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What electrical protection is being
offered? The pump station manufac-
turer must include a separate device
for disconnect, ground-fault/short-cir-
cuit protection, and surge / lightning
protection as required by the Nation-
al Electrical Code, the VFD manufac-
turer, and best design practices.
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Does the pump station include a VFD
for each motor? For stations with
multiple pumps, there should be an
individual drive for each motor. Many
manufacturers include one VFD and
transfer the motor “across the line”
when the next pump starts. This is
done to reduce cost, but will result in
reduced energy savings and unbal-
anced loads between the pumps.
▲
What pump control
logic is provided?
The pump station
should be designed
to not only maintain
a constant discharge
pressure, but also to
retire the pump on a
“no-flow” signal.
Without this logic the
system will cycle
between high and
low operating set
points, and the life of
the motor and piping
will be affected. To provide the “no- major importance to properly design the
flow” retirement, as well as “loss of system to ensure optimum efficiency and
prime” and “low pressure” shut to reap the rewards a VFD promises.
down sequences, the pump station Time spent is money saved!
should include a programmable logic
controller (PLC) or an integrated logic Hoover Pumping Systems has
card within the VFD. been manufacturing irrigation
pump stations for the Florida mar-
k e t f o r 2 5 y e a r s . For more informa-
The benefits of using VFDs in many
tion, please contact George Newman
turf irrigation applications are notewor- or Kevin Cavaioli at Hoover Pumping
thy. Thoughtful consideration should be Systems, 954-971-7350. E m a i l :
given, however, to each individual situa- george@hooverpumping.com or
tion to warrant the use of a VFD. It is of kevin@hooverpumping.com.

What's Wrong
With This
Picture?
There are at least
four obvious
problems with
this pump inlet
connection . . .
Can you see them?
For the answers
turn to page 32.
www.fisstate.org 15