Pump operation monitoring applying frequency converter

Variable speed driven (VSD) pumps are nowadays widely used in industry applications. Variable speed pumping improves operational flexibility of the pump drive compared with throttle control. In many cases this results in energy cost savings. Nowadays, the performance of frequency converters allows their use as an intelligent monitoring device for the pump drive. This provides new possibilities for the maintenance and operation personnel. In this article, some functions provided by the frequency converter for pump condition and operation monitoring are explained. The applicability of a frequency converter for monitoring purposes is also discussed.