Automatic equipment for the borehole pump

What does a person who has purchased or built a private house, a country cottage, a country house in an area where there is no centralized water supply network? True, it orders the drilling of a well and buys a submersible or other type of pump. Properly selected in accordance with the operating conditions and installed according to the manufacturer's recommendations, the automation for a well and any other pump will provide many benefits of using the equipment and guarantee complete comfort of using the water extracted from the well.

The role of automation for the downhole pump

Individual devices or a centralized pump control station solves a whole range of tasks. Home - ensuring regular operation of equipment. Depending on the constructed water supply scheme, devices of the first, second or third level of management, which are also called generations, can be used in a private house or cottage. However, regardless of the chosen scheme, automation allows you to:

• reliably protect the well pump against overloads and other abnormal modes of operation;
• stabilize the water supply;
• eliminate excess well production;
• to ensure the normal pressure of water in the system for its comfortable consumption;
• eliminate the possibility of accidental leaks;
• guarantee the work of the water supply network in normal mode.

But the most attractive thing that automatics does is almost complete non-participation person in the management and control of the water supply system.

Some of the devices with which the pump is equipped may be useful even with manual adjustment. For example, in a system that is built on a pressure tank of large capacity, raised to a considerable height for the water supply by the gravity method.

The first generation of automation

The first level of protection, or the devices of the first generation have the widest application.They protect the pump, are able to eliminate excess well production. The use of first-generation facilities makes it possible to organize fully automatic operation of systems built as an addition to the existing water supply network. Connecting automation to a downhole pump with the use of an intermediate accumulator allows you to get a productive and reliable pumping station with separated parts.

Devices of the first level are presented:

• pressure switch;
• float level control sensors;
• interlocks for pump dry running.

Depending on the chosen method of water supply, only a part of the devices from the list can be used. So, to protect the pump in systems with fully manual control is required blocking dry run. This ensures that the pump does not break when the source is depleted or the maximum cavitation pressure is exceeded, when bubbles are formed in the liquid to be taken. Most good pumps are immediately equipped with similar security systems.

Float sensors will be useful in two cases:

• to control the water level in the tank, from which it is fed into the piping system of the house by the gravity method;
• to prevent depletion of a well with low productivity.

The first application is simple: in the tank, located at a height, two sensors are installed. One is set to trigger when the maximum liquid level is reached, the second is based on the opposite principle. It signals a drop in water below the set limit.

Using simplest triggerIt is easy to get a fully automatic reaction and filling the tank without human intervention. However, it is enough to install only one sensor that stops the pump when the maximum water level is reached.

Protection of the well will minimize its maintenance, prevent the ingress of land and other impurities into the water being withdrawn. If the productivity (rate of replenishment of the aquifer) of the well is less than the amount of water taken up by the pump, the walls of the cylindrical hole in the ground dry out. The most common case with similar characteristics is water supply from a well with a submersible pump.

Leaving the fluid from the unprotected walls of the well causes destruction and sprinkling of the soil. In the worst case, with certain soil characteristics, this can cause blockage. Float sensor allows you to constantly keep the water level at a safe rate. This will protect the well, but the owner of the system must be prepared for the fact that the pump will no longer lift enough liquid for its comfortable consumption.

Control of the parameters of the water supply system requires the complexity of the system. It is not possible to connect a pressure switch to a submersible pump. Therefore, they are used only paired with a hydroaccumulator. This device creates a compensatory supply of water, at the same time regulates the pressure in the water supply system. It is on the control of this indicator that the operation of the relay is based.

When the set value is reached, the control unit switches off the pump. If it falls below the set value, the supercharger starts up again.

The described instruments and sensors are not only automatic for a well with a submersible pump. They can also be used in building a system with drainage, surface blowers.The principle of operation of automation does not depend on the type of pump.

The second generation of automation

If the automation of the first level is designed to create an independent system that supplies water to the pipeline network, then the second generation of devices and sensors is designed for direct connection of the pump to the input to the house. The work is based on monitoring the parameters of the plumbing structure.

The list of devices of the second generation includes:

• dry run interlocks;
• pump temperature sensors;
• electronics control parameters of power supply and consumption;
• flow pressure sensors.

The most difficult component from this list is control electronics. Depending on the functional level, it can:

• block the power supply to the pump in case of a sudden emergency surge of power to the network;
• stabilize the voltage, smooth throws;
• protect the pump and supply network from short circuits;
• perform the role of lightning protection;
• monitor the temperature of the pump and turn it off when the threshold values ​​are exceeded;
• control the level of current consumption, prevent overloads and other abnormal modes of pump operation.

The most expensive electronic systems are capable of providing smooth start-up and support for the power transmitted to the supercharger.

In this class of products there is a certain contradiction: the more complex the system, the more maintainable it is. If a simple device is bought, the exit from the center of the chip often requires replacement, comparable in cost to the purchase of a new unit. The automation electronics is mounted in a single control cabinet, where the protective RCDs and other parts of the switching structure are located.

Flow Pressure Switch installed inset into the pipes of the water supply network. The operation of such devices is quite understandable: when the measured indicator reaches the set value, the command is given to shut off the pump. When the pressure drops below the set threshold, the supercharger is started.

Flow-through relays are applicable in systems without a hydroaccumulator. However, this device can also be installed using second-generation automation. The task of the hydroaccumulator without its own pressure relay is to create a compensation reserve of liquid, which allows reducing the number of pump starts when water is taken from the system.

Installing a pumping station in a well for direct water injection into a house system equipped with second level automation is convenient in terms of simplicity, reliability, and integrated control. However, it shows good results. with a sufficiently large selection of fluid. When small, it may aggravate the basic problem of automatic pump control.

The third generation of automation

The devices of the third generation - the most expensive solution. However, their installation is justified. To understand why, it is worthwhile to dwell on the main problem of pumping stations.

The problem of discrete pump operation

The reliability and durability of the pumping station depends little on the auxiliary components of the system. The impeller of the turbine wheel, the other nodes are calculated to pump a certain amount of fluid. The main part, which is under variable load - the electric motor.

Normal mode of operation of the pump - permanent start. At the same time, stable heat release, current consumption, and wear of mechanics are observed. The most dangerous moments start the engine. The currents grow sharply, intense local overheating of the windings (starting or main) occurs, and the load on the components of the control circuits increases in steps.Therefore, the fewer starts the engine experiences, the longer it will be used.

The advantages of third generation automation

The third generation of automation reduces, to the extent possible, the discreteness of the pump motor operation. In addition, electronic systems perform all the functions of second-level automation products in terms of protecting the network and the engine.

The connection scheme of the pump, as well as other auxiliary parts of the water supply structure, does not change if expensive third-generation systems are used for control. The main thing they do is carry out smooth control of the borehole pump. The fact is that almost all products do not imply a change in engine speed. When buying an expensive pump, you can get the built-in step-shaped pressure / speed regulators, but still the mechanics of the work will remain the same: switching on - going to rated power - turning off.

Third generation automation provides change of frequency of voltage supplied to pump, as well as (in some cases) - its numerical value. In this case, the user is offered several customized options, through which water will be supplied from the well to the house by a pump (or from another source).For example, you can set the minimum performance mode or the lowest pressure drop limit.

The owner of the third generation system can finely adjust the operation of the pump engine, achieving the smallest possible number of starts per hour, day, week. In this case, expensive electronics will offer all the useful functions to increase the efficiency and durability of the supercharger, such as soft start, heat control, power support.

Connecting a submersible pump or other type of device to the third generation control structure completely removes the need for human participation in the operation of any water supply system. In addition, this will significantly reduce the overall cost of electricity.

Features of connecting automation to the pump

The rules for installing any control and regulation device are simple: the automation is connected to the well pump strictly. as recommended by the manufacturer. Interlocks for idling, temperature measurement sensors are installed on the pump before it is immersed in a well or well.

Float devices are placed in a well or a storage tank.Their connection can be made either to the appropriate power distribution unit of the pump, or to stop the supply voltage outside the well. Similarly, the pressure switch works. It controls directly the supply voltage to the pump, is placed on the hydroaccumulator unit.

The only thing that is produced in one scenario - pressure switch setting, flow or located on the compensator tank.

1. A system is being assembled or a flow-type device is being mounted.
2. The condition of the structural elements according to the manufacturer’s requirements is checked.
3. Appropriate switching and connection to the power supply network is carried out.
4. The upper limit response range of the relay is adjusted.
5. The delta is set by a separate controller.
6. Water is fed into the system to control leaks.
7. The pump is fully started to check the response of the relay.
8. If necessary, the set adjustment parameters are changed.

To adjust the relay, nuts, small swivel blocks or heads under a screwdriver, a wrench are provided. Depending on the manufacturer and model of the device, the mechanics may vary: the upper limit and the delta are setpressure or regulated both limits of the range of operation. All details on the configuration method used can be found in the hardware documentation.

Important! To mount the control panel and configure the work of more complex automatic systems of the second and third level, the skills and knowledge of electrician are needed. If the contractor is not confident in his qualifications, it is worthwhile to involve a professional in the solution of the problem or hire a specialized company.

Conclusion

With the help of various means of automatic regulation and control, it is possible to build a stable, reliable water supply system using a submersible or any other pump. The choice of specific equipment depends on future operating conditions. For the cottage or a country house, where they live for one season, the station with automatic equipment of the first level will be enough. A more complex system will allow constantly, in comfortable conditions, to consume large amounts of water. And those who want to get guaranteed reliability, convenience, energy savings, it is worth stopping the choice on expensive third-generation automatic controls.