A new estimation technique for performance curves of variable speed pump using a scada database

In this study, a new method to estimate performance curves for variable speed pumps (VSPs) in a pump station is proposed using readily available data from a utility's Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system instead of extensive traditional field testing. Many utilities already have a rich set of operational data in their SCADA systems. The method presented uses a linear least squares approach for the estimation of individual pump performance curves using the individual pump speeds, and the flow and head information from the pump station as a whole. The methodology was applied to approximately four months of data from a pump station with six VSPs. The outcome was six individual pump curves that demonstrated significant deviation from the initial manufacturer's pump curves as well as illustrating differences between similar pumps.