Motor Drive Fire Pump ControllersPrepared for IEEE - IAS

-by-

Jim Nasby – Columbia EngineeringSkokie, Illinois USA

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From a presentation to the

Chicago Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau

Topics to be Covered1. Fire Pump Installation Elements -

Overview2. Specific Fire Pump Types3. Fire Pumps in General4. Electric Drive Fire Pump Controllers5. Motor Starting Types6. Fire Pump Transfer Switches

Specific Fire Pump Types:• Horizontal Pumps

• End Suction

• Vertical In-Line

• Vertical Turbine

– Motor Driven (Hollow Shaft Motor)

– Diesel Engine Driven (Right Angle Gear Drive)

• Deep Well Vertical Turbine

– Oil Lubricated

– Water Lubricated (Limited Accelerate Time)

TypicalHorizontalSplit CaseMotorDriveFirePump

MotorRotation

--Swap Leads to Change

Rotation: - Incoming or

- Outgoing--

Dual Source:Check Both

--VFD -or- ATS:Check All Three

VerticalIn-LinePump

VerticalSplit Case

VerticalTurbinePump

"Can Pumps" (Barrel Pumps) enclose the pump bowls.

VerticalTurbinePumpVertical Pumps are used for below the floor reservoirs and for wells.

TypicalPumpFlowCurves

Fire Pump Installation Considerations

• Pressure Sense Lines• Jockey Pump Relief Valve ?• Engine Room Ventilation• Pump House Heating (and/or Cooling)

• Access to controller

FirePumpControllerPressureConnection(PressureSense Line)

SeparatePressureSenseLines-for-EachPump

Fire Pump Motor Drive Types• Electric Motor Drive

– Fixed Speed -- U.L. Listed -or-– Variable Speed (Inverter Duty)

• Inverter duty:– Winding Insulation Dielectric Strength (1,200V)

– Bearing Current Mitigation (Bypass or Insulate)

– Temperature Consideration

FIRE PUMP CONTROLLERSGeneral Considerations

Controller Enclosure TypesEnclosure TypesType 2 Indoor Only - Vertical Dripproof onlyType 3R Outdoor - Rain or Dripping water up to 45 degreesType 12 Indoor - Protection against dripping water and dust.Type 4 Outdoor - Protection against water, dust, & hosedown.Type 4X — Corrosion Resistant – Special Paint or Stainless SteelNote: Unofficial (JSN) Designations: 4XA = Organic, 4XB = 304 S/S, 4XC = 316 S/S & 4XCL = 316L (Low Carbon) S/S.

Note: These Ratings are all irrelevant (useless) unless:U.L. “Type” Labeled (Old "NEMA" labels are Useless) -and-Proper Conduit Hubs are used.

Common Controller Options - Functional- Automatic Stop Timer

Note: This is not allowed to be used, per NFPA-20, on “Sole Source Pumps”, nor by F.M. as a matter of course, even if present (Chicago notwithstanding).

- Sequence Starting (Multiple Pumps)- Pump Lockout (Multiple Pumps)- Remote Start and/or Deluge Valve Start

- Normally Closed for Deluge -and- - Normally Open for Remote Push Button Start

Controller Options -for- Enhanced Fire Protection

- Built-in Pressure Recorder- Pump House (Pump Room) Alarms- 5 Year Warrantee Models

- Space Heater and Humidistat- Better Types of Enclosures

- Single Phase Start Protection. Avoids Burned up Motors, Controllers and Wiring, including incoming Service Wiring. Note that this does NOT stop a motor running under Single Phase Condition.

Common Pump House Alarms- Low Pump Room Temperature- Low Fuel Level (Now Mandatory)- Main Relief Valve Open- Water Reservoir Low- Water Reservoir Empty- Flow Meter On- Other Tamper Alarms

Paperless (Digital) Pressure and Alarm Recorders

Better Controllers Include

- 4 x 40 (160) Character Display- Separate Pressure and Alarm Memories - No Less than 2,000 pressure readings stored- No Less than 300 Alarm Events stored- Front Panel Access to All Data -and-- No Annoying Passwords to Access Data- No Paper, Floppy Disks, etc.- Read Pressure 3 Times per Second- Use Data Reduction for More Storage

Typical Paperless Recorder Panel

Electric Motor Drive Fire PumpController Service Types

Limited Service Controllers (Historic)• Limited to 30 hp• A-T-L Starting Only• No Isolating Switch• Thermal-magnetic

Circuit Breaker - sized between 150-250% of FLA

Limited Service Controller

Note: Most; but not all, are Three Phase.

NFPA “Full Service” Required Elements• Isolating Switch (I/S)

• Circuit Breaker with NFPA 20 curve (C/B)

• Contactor without overloads • Emergency Manual (Mechanical)

Operator• No control circuit protection• Alarms and signals• Short circuit withstand rating

Required Elements – Cont'dNO Motor Overload Relay

Motor Overload Protection is provided only by the Motor Circuit Breaker and Associated Current Sensing Circuitry.*

Set to Not Less than 300% Continuous -and- 8 to 20 Sec. Trip at Locked Rotor

*Except for Medium Voltage (Over 600V) Controllers. Fuses and Contactor used instead.

Required Elements – Cont'dNFPA 20 Circuit Breaker Curve

Special trip curve shows circuit Breaker will trip at 600% FLA in 8 to 20 seconds.

Will never trip at 300% FLA and less.

Motor & Controller will "Run to Destruction".

Note: Reciprocal (Inverse Time) Curve is Best Match for Motor. May not used by all controller manufacturers.

Manual Operator"Emergency Manual (Mechanical) Operator"

Allows Fire Pump starting withDefective Motor Contactor Coil * or Control Circuit.

Safety First:• Door Closed and Latched !!• Always try the Local Start Push Button First• Stand aside before closing breaker and starting 1st time.* Except for Coils in Magnetic Gap (true for many Rear Mounted Coils)

NFPA Required WIC RatingWIC = Short Circuit Withstand

and Interrupting Capacity Rating

- Controller S/C Rating Must Equal or Exceed the Available Short Circuit Current from the Power Source.- Controllers available up to 200 Kasym S/C Rating.

Note: Some controllers now (again) being sold with WIC’s below 100Kamp. This doubles need to check available fault (S.C.) current.

Common Motor Drive Controller Options• Higher WIC Ratings (100 Kamp or more)• Pump Running Light (City Requirement)Note: Better controllers sense current rather than using

contactor pilot contacts.• Built-In Alarm System (City Requirement)• Precision Low Voltage Sensor.• Motor Overload Alarm• Motor Failure to Start Alarm• Space Heater and Humidistat

Types of Electric Fire Pump Controllers

• Single & Dual Source (Transfer Switch)

• Low Voltage (600 Volt) & High Voltage

• Fixed Speed & Variable Speed

• Across-the-Line (Full Voltage) -and-

• Eight Reduced Inrush Starting Types

Motor Starting MethodsEight Common Low Voltage Starting Types:• Across‑the‑Line (A‑T‑L or Direct‑On‑Line)• Part Winding (Half Winding) Start• Primary Resistor Start• Primary Reactor Start (or Neutral Reactor)• Wye‑Delta (Star‑Delta) ‑ Open Transition• Wye‑Delta (Star‑Delta) ‑ Closed Transition• Soft Start• Autotransformer

Note: Some of these 8 are also used for Bypass starting on Variable Speed (VSD) units. Namely, A-T-L, Primary Reactor & Soft Start.

TypicalFullVoltageStart(A-T-L)Controller

ATL –

FullVoltage Starting100%StartingTorque

TypicalPartWinding(Half Winding)StartController

PartWinding(HalfWinding)

Starting65%StartingTorque

TypicalPrimaryReactorStartingController

PrimaryReactorStartingBest onGen-Sets65%StartingTorque

Wye-DeltaClosedStartingWithLeadingPhaseMonitor

Wye-DeltaStartingOpen or ClosedTransitionOnly 33%StartingTorque

Wye-DeltaOpenTransitionStarting -with-LeadingPhaseMonitor

Wye-Delta Open Switching Transient Hazard

Soft Start /Soft StopSCRVoltageRampStarting

Soft-StartSoft-StopStarting &Stopping(StartingTorqueVaries)

Auto-TransformerStartingBestOverallMethod

Auto-TransformerStarting 65%StartingTorque42% StartingAmps

VariableSpeedMotorDrivenFirePump

Combined Transfer Switch Fire Pump Controller

Dual Source Fire Pump ControllersCombination Xfer Switch - Fire Pump Controller

• Single Factory Tested Unit, UL listed and FM Approved

• Labeled for use as Service Entrance Equipment

NFPA 20 "Arrangement I"Circuit Diagram

Note: 2nd C/B (Emergency Side) is now required (NFPA-20 2010).

Dual Source (Transfer Switch) Controllers

Used With:

• Dual Utility Power

• Utility and on site Gen-Set

• On-Site Power Plant and Utility

• On-Site Power Plant and Gen-Set

Separate Upstream Transfer SwitchOverview of Requirements

• Located in Pump Room• One Switch per Fire Pump• Phase Reversal Switching• Emergency Isolating Switch Interlock Contacts• Normal Source 600% of Motor FLA O.C.P.• Suitable Short Circuit (WIC) Rating

Variable Speed Fire Pump Controller

Variable Speed Fire Pump ControllerMinimizesPressureVariations

DualControllerVariableSpeed -and-Full SpeedSections

Note: Motor rotation Must be verified for both VFD and Bypass (BP) paths.

Variable Speed Transfer Switch Fire Pump Controller

Questions ?