Drive, Pumps Feature Advanced Controls

Rugged, versatile solutions can help miners achieve sustainability goals

By Jesse Morton, Technical Writer

A new drive and a new pump recently hit the U.S. market. Both offer capabilities and advantages over predecessor solutions. Both have state-of-the-art controls that offer easy usage that can help a miner save time and labor. And both can be seen as forerunner water management solutions for the sustainable mines of the future.

VFD Offers Quick Start-up, Easy Usage

Franklin Electric Co. brand Pioneer Pump released the ElectricPAK VFD, a rugged variable frequency drive for use with ElectricPAK modular electric pumps. The VFD has easy-to-use controls and design options for optimal mobility, the company reported.

“We’ve taken the best features of our most popular VFD system and re-packaged it to withstand the demands of transport and deliver a more intuitive startup experience with our SmartPrime touchscreen interface,” Franklin Electric said.

The VFD is designed to work with ElectricPAK product solutions but may serve as a controller for other electric pump systems. Released in June, 2022, ElectricPAK is a “modular offering of electric-driven pump packages engineered from the ground up to offer a fully streamlined experience for owners and operators,” Franklin Electric said. “Each configured assembly includes a high-performance pump, electric motor and variable frequency drive option that provides total system optimization.

The new VFD, released in August, features advanced controls that allow for quick startup and easy use. The interface was designed to answer one of the primary challenges to adopting electric pumps, a pump expert at Franklin Electric said. “In the past, VFDs paired with electric-driven pump packages could only be set up and operated by users with advanced technical training and experience,” said Mario DeSimone, product manager, large centrifugal surface pumps.

“In contrast, their diesel engine-driven counterparts were easy to set up and use due to control panels with auto modes and straightforward operation,” he said. “The ElectricPAK VFD features an easy-to-use interface, Pioneer Pump’s SmartPrime, that overcomes know-
ledge barriers to quickly get pumps operational.”

SmartPrime is easier to use than competitor control technology, he said. “It’s as intuitive to use as a mobile app,” DeSimone said.

All aspects of operation are controlled by “a streamlined central hub with easy-to-navigate graphics,” Franklin Electric said. SmartPrime nixes “the need for complex keypad setup, advanced programming skills and specialized training.”

It has no programming learning curve “for new VFD users who are accustomed to working with diesel-driven packages,” DeSimone said. SmartPrime was designed and configured “specifically for temporary pumping installations.”

The control technology offers three mode options. In manual mode, the on-screen tools adjust basic pump parameters. The tools include analog sensor monitoring for up to four control and data variables,” Franklin Electric said.

“Auto mode lets users fine tune parameters based on their specific surface dewatering telemetry: level transducers, float switches, pressure transducer or flow meter,” the company said. “This mode features clear graphic displays of real-time pump conditions.”

In hand mode, users manage the drive by using “tactile push buttons and door-mounted speed potentiometer,” Franklin Electric said. “Hand mode tracks and logs alarms onto an SD card for future reference.”

The drive can be mounted to the pump skid, or it can be mounted on its own skid. When mounted with the pump, the combo simplifies transport and ensures “that pump, motor and VFD are always ready to set up and go on the jobsite,” the company said.

Mounted on its own skid, the drive offers “maximum setup versatility and use with different pumping systems,” Franklin Electric said. “The standalone skid features a metal cage design that keeps the VFD protected and secure during transport while providing extra protection against jobsite hazards.”

The drive’s features include “quick-connect power connections, increased temperature rating, and vibration isolation to ensure the drive is ready for mobile use on challenging outdoor job sites,” DeSimone said. “Plus, the upgraded drive, with all of those features, maintains a UL508A rating, so users can be confident they are getting a product certified to UL’s rigorous standards.”

Drive design features include rigid steel construction for robust impact protection. “The entire system delivers optimized performance and durability to withstand tough field conditions as well as transport,” he said.

Topping the list of benefits offered is cost savings. Compared to diesel competitors, the VFD has much lower operating costs. “A Final Tier IV engine can require up to 50% of its cost to service over the lifetime of the engine,” DeSimone said.

“ElectricPAK VFD enables companies who are currently using diesel to painlessly make the switch to electric pumping systems, which can reduce the need for engine or motor maintenance and extend the life of their pump,” he said. “Plus, using electrical power can reduce costs relative to using diesel fuel.”

Using electric power can also help miners reduce onsite emissions, DeSimone said. “For investors concerned about the ESG aspects of a given project, using an ElectricPAK VFD and converting to electric pumps can reduce the site’s environmental impact and help make the miner more attractive to investors.”

Other benefits offered include ease of use, simplified maintenance, and lower labor requirements.

“Miners no longer require an electrical expert on staff to wire into the panel and program the drive,” DeSimone said. “Quick-connect power connections make site setup easy, and the SmartPrime touchscreen is easy for any user to program, especially if they are familiar with Diesel control panels.”

An early adopter used the ElectricPAK to achieve mission-critical goals. “A construction site in Seattle, Washington, was able to reduce their onsite emissions by switching to a Pioneer Pump ElectricPAK VFD and ElectricPAK pump package from its prior diesel package solution,” he said.

The VFD “was designed by pump experts for pump users,” DeSimone said. “It was designed with the challenges of dewatering applications in mind.”

Separately, Franklin Electric announced the expansion of its operational capabilities dedicated to producing its deep-set FVT Series vertical line shaft turbines (VLST). The development will increase the speed of product delivery to customers, the company said.

Capable of flows up to 35,000 gallons per minute and a head of up to 2,500 ft, the FVT Series VLST is for applications moving vast amounts of water. It comes “in a variety of configurations, including mixed or axial flow,” the company said. “Outfitted with ASTM A48 high-tensile cast-iron bowls, investment-cast 304 stainless impellers, and bronze bearings standard, you get superior materials for proven durability, aligned with a highly efficient broad operating range.”

The FVT Series VLST is produced at Franklin Electric’s Olive Branch, Mississippi, location, which also expanded in 2021 for additional room to produce large-scale turbines that can be up to 42 in. long, Franklin Electric said. “The facility now includes enhanced machining and fabrication equipment, assembly capabilities and dedicated inventory levels.”

Intelligent Controls Offer Big Savings

Xylem released Flygt Bibo Alpha to the U.S. market. The dewatering pump has “built in intelligence,” will “revolutionize drainage in mining and construction operations,” and will “pioneer the next generation of smart pumps by bringing innovation and new capabilities to traditional dewatering practices,” the company said.

The pump “automatically adapts to its environment and only operates when needed,” Xylem said. Compared to predecessor competition, it delivers “energy savings of up to 60%.” With snoring and dry-running minimized, wear and tear is “reduced by up to 70%,” leading to repair and maintenance cost savings of “as much as 50%.” The pump has “30% fewer components, reducing the amount of inventory needed.”

With plug-and-play capability, the pump requires no configuration and can be integrated under basic control systems.

In adaptive mode, the pump will run continuously, but slow down when snoring is detected. “When water re-enters the sump, the pump will increase speed until the water level is low again,” Xylem said.

“By letting the pump run continuously, there is no need for any additional sensor,” the supplier said. “The incoming water triggers the pump to run, so it will always be ready to respond to changeable conditions in the field.”

By adapting speed to the conditions, the “compact 8-kW pump can deliver QH-performance that spans the range of a 2-kW standard pump right up to a 10-kW standard pump,” Xylem said. “As one of the most robust and reliable pumps now on the market, Flygt Bibo Alpha has a lifespan that is up to four times longer than traditional dewatering pumps.”

The pump was field-tested at Renström mine in Sweden. “After three years of continuous collaboration and testing with mine operator New Boliden, Flygt Bibo Alpha delivered product and repair savings of 40%, and New Boliden reduced the cost of its dewatering processes by almost 30%,” the supplier reported.

Leadership at the mine said the pump has helped to transform operations, allowing processes to continue uninterrupted. “Having worked with New Boliden for more than thirty years, I have watched the mining network evolve into one of the world’s busiest mining operations,” said Mats Isaksson, senior development engineer. “The move towards becoming fully autonomous is no mean feat, but with trusted partners like Xylem who bring innovative solutions to the table, we are well positioned to reach our goal of becoming the world’s first autonomous mine.”

Xylem works with customers like the mine to develop solutions that can revolutionize business processes to create more efficient and sustainable operations, said Tyler Elkins, senior global product manager, submersible dewatering products, Xylem. “Our latest addition, Flygt Bibo Alpha is set to transform dewatering practices across the mining and construction industries.”

Flygt Bibo Alpha is available for purchase in the U.S.