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dc.contributor.advisorDougherty, Ronald L
dc.contributor.authorAlabdullah, Raoof Jameel
dc.date.accessioned2016-01-01T22:03:00Z
dc.date.available2016-01-01T22:03:00Z
dc.date.issued2015-08-31
dc.date.submitted2015
dc.identifier.otherhttp://dissertations.umi.com/ku:13995
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1808/19408
dc.description.abstractAbstract: The applicability of Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) has been widely used to substantially contribute to energy consumption savings. These savings have been achieved for a relatively low static head, especially when the flow rate demand or required discharge head is not constant and varies often with time. For the project described herein, a comparative study was conducted between a pair of Grundfos pumps and a Worthington pump in the steam power plant at the University of Kansas. These two types of pumps are used to supply condensate water to two different components of the steam power plant. One component is the deaerator tank, whose function is to preheat and deaerate the condensate water, before it is supplied to the boiler. This deareator tank is located in the basement of the steam power plant. The second component is the vent condensing heat exchanger, which is located on the first floor of the steam power plant. The vent condenser is used to reclaim some of the energy in the escaping non-condensable gases. All of the pumps’ operating data, such as discharge pressure, flow rate, and power consumption, were recorded for both of the pumps for two cases. In Case 1, the Grundfos pumps were operated in constant discharge pressure mode, and they were able to supply condensate water to both the deaerator tank and the vent condenser. The Worthington pump operated normally and was able to supply water to both components. However, in Case 1, it was found that the Grundfos pumps consumed 2.86 kW more power and provide a higher discharge pressure (1.97 PSIG more) and flow rate (52.534 GPM more) than the Worthington pump. The Grundfos pumps can operate in either pressure control mode or level control mode. In Case 2, the Grundfos pumps ran in level control mode; and they were only able to feed the deaerator tank. They were not able to feed the vent condenser due to the vent condenser’s high static head (40 ft). For Case 2, the same task (feed the deaerator, but not the vent condenser) was assigned to the Worthington pump so that the two pump types had comparable jobs. In Case 2, Test #2, the Grundfos pumps consumed 2.83 kW less power than the Worthington pump. Moreover, the Grundfos pumps provided a discharge pressure and flow rate that was 18.684 GPM lower and 32.43 PSIG lower, respectively, than those of the Worthington pump. For Case 2, a life cycle cost analysis was performed in order to compare both types of the pumps’ total life cycle costs, and to determine which of the pump types had the lowest total life cycle costs. The present value of all LCCs for 20 years was $472,358 for the Grundfos pumps when running in level control mode, and the present value for the Worthington pump was $497,776. Thus, the net savings from running the Grundfos pumps in level control mode for 20 years, including all costs, was $25,418. However, in Case 2, the Grundfos pumps were incapable of feeding the vent condenser with condensate water. The vent condenser’s main purpose is to capture some of the energy from the non-condensable gases that are removed from the deaerator tank. The savings from using the vent condenser was found to be $812,547 over the same 20 year life. This savings was obvious more than the savings from using the Grundfos pumps when they operated in level control mode. Due to the fact that the savings from using the vent condenser was much more than the savings from using the Grundfos pumps, it is highly recommended to install another vent condenser so that some of the remaining non-condensable gases’ energy can be captured. More preferably, if these two vent condensers were installed next to the DA tank in the basement of the steam power plant, the steam power plant could save even more by using Grundfos pumps and vent condensers.
dc.format.extent265 pages
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of Kansas
dc.rightsCopyright held by the author.
dc.subjectEngineering
dc.subjectEvaluation of Grundfos and Worthington Pumps Applications in KU Steam Power Plant
dc.subjectGrundfos Pumps
dc.subjectVariable Speed Pumps
dc.subjectVariable Speed Pumps Applications
dc.titleEvaluation of Grundfos CRE 15-3 Variable Speed Centrifugal Pump and Worthington Constant Speed Centrifugal Pump Applications in KU Steam Power Plant
dc.typeThesis
dc.contributor.cmtememberYimer, Bedru
dc.contributor.cmtememberKieweg, Sarah
dc.thesis.degreeDisciplineMechanical Engineering
dc.thesis.degreeLevelM.E.
dc.rights.accessrightsopenAccess


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