Intelligent sea water cooling system

1. A method for establishing operating parameters in a variable flowrate cooling system, comprising:

defining pump parameters at a first controller in the system;

defining system parameters at the first controller; and

automatically copying the pump parameters and system parameters from the first controller to at least one other controller in the system;

wherein pump parameters for a plurality of different pumps are stored in memory associated with the first controller, and wherein defining the pump parameters comprises:

an operator specifying a type of pump that is connected to the first controller; and

the first controller automatically loading pump parameters that correspond to the specified type of pump.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein defining the pump parameters comprises an operator manually entering the pump parameters.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein pump parameters for a plurality of different pumps are stored in memory associated with the first controller and wherein defining the pump parameters comprises:

the first controller automatically recognizing the type of pump that is connected to the first controller; and

the first controller automatically loading pump parameters that correspond to the recognized type of pump.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is operatively connected to a first pump, the first controller being configured to monitor an actual temperature in a first fluid cooling loop and to adjust a speed of the first pump based on the monitored temperature to achieve a predetermined temperature in the first fluid cooling loop.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the variable flowrate cooling system is selectively operable in one of a plurality of operating modes, wherein in a first operating mode the first pump is operated based entirely on cooling demands of a thermal load, and in a second operating mode the first pump is operated to maintain a fluid pressure above a predefined pressure.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the thermal load is a diesel engine.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of thermal loads.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the system includes the first pump, and at least one other pump including at least one other controller, wherein the at least one other controller is operatively connected to the at least one other pump.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first pump and the at least one other pump are centrifugal pumps, gear pumps, progressing cavity pumps, screw pumps, positive displacement pumps, non-positive displacement pumps, or combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 4 , further comprising driving the first pump with a variable frequency drive operatively connected to the first controller, such that the first controller controls operation of the variable frequency drive to regulate a flow of seawater to a heat exchanger.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the system includes a first fluid cooling loop coupled to a first side of the heat exchanger and to the thermal load, and a second fluid cooling loop coupled to a second side of the heat exchanger and including the first pump for circulating fluid through the second fluid cooling loop.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein in a first operating mode a temperature of freshwater in the first cooling loop is adjustable based on a flow of seawater through the second cooling loop.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first cooling loop includes a valve for adjusting a flow of freshwater in the first cooling loop through the heat exchanger.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a temperature of the freshwater in the first cooling loop is adjustable by the valve such that at least a portion of the freshwater bypasses the heat exchanger.

15. A method for establishing pump parameters in a controller of a variable flowrate cooling system, comprising:

storing pump parameters for a plurality of different types of pumps in the controller;

connecting a pump to the controller;

at the controller, automatically recognizing the pump that is connected to the controller; and

at the controller, automatically loading pump parameters that correspond to the recognized pump;

wherein the system includes a plurality of pumps operatively connected to a plurality of individual controllers, and the method further comprises automatically copying pump parameters that correspond to each recognized pump to the individual controller associated with each recognized pump.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the system includes:

a first fluid cooling loop coupled to a first side of a heat exchanger and to a thermal load;

a second fluid cooling loop coupled to a second side of the heat exchanger and including a pump for circulating fluid through the second fluid cooling loop; and

a controller operatively connected to the pump, wherein the controller is configured to monitor an actual temperature in the first fluid cooling loop and to adjust a speed of the pump based on the monitored temperature to achieve a predetermined temperature in the first fluid cooling loop;

wherein the system is selectively operable in one of a plurality of operating modes, wherein in a first operating mode the pump is operated to maintain a fluid pressure above a predefined pressure and in a second operating mode the pump is operated to maintain a fluid pressure above a predefined pressure.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermal load is a diesel engine.

18. A method for establishing operating parameters in a variable flowrate cooling system, comprising:

defining pump parameters at a first controller in the system;

defining system parameters at the first controller; and

automatically copying the pump parameters and system parameters from the first controller to at least one other controller in the system,

wherein pump parameters for a plurality of different pumps are stored in memory associated with the first controller and wherein defining the pump parameters comprises:

the first controller automatically recognizing the type of pump that is connected to the first controller; and

the first controller automatically loading pump parameters that correspond to the recognized type of pump.