PUMPING ENERGY MANAGEMENT CONTROL SYSTEM

1 . A method comprising:

receiving a power value for a first pump and a differential pressure across the first pump;

receiving an power value for a second pump and a differential pressure across the second pump, wherein the first pump is in a first pumping line and the second pump is in a second pumping line that pumps in parallel with the first pumping line;

adjusting a flow through the first pumping line and a flow through the second pumping line to minimize an power per flow per differential pressure of the first and second pumping lines in combination.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a differential pressure across a flow control valve in the first pumping line;

using the differential pressure across the flow control valve to determine a flow through the flow control valve;

using the differential pressure across the pump to determine an expected flow for the pump; and

using the flow through the valve and the expected flow for the pump to determine which pumping lines to adjust;

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

initially running the first pump while keeping the second pump idle;

receiving flow values for pipes serviced by the first pumping line and the second pumping line;

determining that the changing flow values are such that the first pump soon will not be able to provide enough flow at a desired head;

starting the second pump while adjusting the flow through the first pumping line and the second pumping line to minimize power per flow per differential pressure of the first and second pumping lines in combination.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first pumping line and the second pumping line are part of a booster station.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the booster station further comprises a third pumping line in parallel with the first pumping line and the second pumping line and the method further comprises:

receiving an power value for a third pump and a differential pressure across the third pump in the third pumping line;

adjusting the flow through the first pumping line, the second pumping line and the third pumping line to minimize the power per flow per differential pressure of the first, second and third pumping lines in combination.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the flow reduces dead head resistance in at least one pumping line.

7 . A pumping station comprising:

at least two pumping lines in parallel with each other, each pumping line comprising:

a pump;

a flow control valve having a first side located at a discharge of the pump and a second side;

a first pressure sensor at an inlet to the pump;

a second pressure sensor at the discharge of the pump;

a third pressure sensor at the second side of the flow control valve; and

a power sensor that senses the power used by the pump; and

a controller device that receives sensor values from each of the first pressure sensors, second pressure sensors, third pressure sensors and power sensors and uses the sensor values to control flow in the at least two pumping lines to minimize power usage.

8 . The pumping station of claim 7 wherein the controller device determines an expected flow through the pump of a pumping line based on sensor values from the first pressure sensor for the pumping line, the second pressure sensor for the pumping line, and the power sensor for the pump in the pumping line.

9 . The pumping station of claim 8 wherein the controller device determines a flow through the flow control valve of a pumping line based on sensor values from the second pressure sensor and the third pressure sensor.

10 . The pumping station of claim 9 wherein the controller device determines a difference in the expected flow of the pump and the flow through the control valve and uses the difference to identify that the flow through a pumping line needs to be adjusted.

11 . The pumping station of claim 9 wherein the controller device adjusts the flow through at least one pumping line to reduce a dead head effect on at least one pumping line.

12 . The pumping station of claim 7 wherein the controller further receives flow sensor values indicative of flow in at least one conduit serviced by the pumping station and wherein the controller predicts a future needed flow based on the received flow sensor values.

13 . The pumping station of claim 11 wherein the controller starts a pump in a pumping line based on the future needed flow.

14 . The pumping station of claim 12 wherein the controller samples the flow sensor values on a time-dependent basis such that the flow sensor values are sampled more often when flow changes are expected.

15 . A controller device for controlling a parallel pumping installation, the controller device comprising:

memory containing processor instructions and parameters for each of a plurality of pumps and each of a plurality of flow control valves in the parallel pumping installation, the parameters indicating which of a plurality of parallel pumping lines each pump and each flow control valve are installed in;

input interfaces that receive pressure sensor values from pressure sensors mounted on each side of each pump and on each side of each flow control valve and that receives power sensor values from power sensors coupled to each pump;

output interfaces that are in communication with at least one of a pump and a flow control valve such that output signals can be sent from the controller device to at least one of the pump and the flow control valve to set the flow in at least one pumping line; and

a processor that uses the parameters for the pumps and the flow control valves and the sensor values from the pressure sensors and the power sensors to set the flow in at least one pumping line to thereby minimize the power usage of the parallel pumping installation for a particular pumping flow and pumping head.

16 . The controller device of claim 15 wherein the processor sets the flow to reduce dead heading in the parallel pumping installation.

17 . The controller device of claim 15 wherein the processor identifies a need for an additional pump to be started and as the flow through the additional pump reaches a particular level, reduces the flow through a second pumping line.

18 . The controller device of claim 17 wherein the processor identifies the need for an additional pump by receiving flow sensor values from flow sensors downstream from the pumping installation and predicting a future flow from the received flow sensor values.

19 . The controller device of claim 15 wherein the processor minimizes the power usage per GPM of flow per unit of head for the parallel pumping installation.

20 . The controller device of claim 15 wherein the processor sets the flow in at least one line by adjusting the speed of at least one pump.