MULLTI-STORY BUILDING

WATER SUPPLY PUMPING

Historically the water supply into Multi-Story Buildings has been supplied via lift pumps
and Roof Mounted storage tanks with gravity flow to the floors below.

This type of system creates two main problems:

1. The structure needs to be built to withstand extra DEAD LOADS on the roof
area which is the most expensive area for Load Vs Capital Cost
2. There is the requirements for two sets of reticulation piping:
a. Roof top tank fill line
b. Reticulation line
This becomes an expensive additional cost.
Roof Tanks

Using Ultimate 1 pumping control systems can

alleviate these costs by providing the pressurization
from the ground floor and pressurizing the whole
building from this location.

Up until recently the use of VFD pumping systems

has been too expensive and too unreliable to use in
this application. With the proving of the Ultimate 1
system the use of VFD technology provides the
capability to provide pressurized water to any part
of the building with reliability and accurate pressure.
It also allows specific control of the reticulation
when a variation to the amount of pressure is
required.

There are many examples of VFD pumping

applications in High-rise buildings and most have
significant advantages for control and running
costs.

Reticulation pipes

Main Supply line

Inlet Storage Tank
And LIFT PUMPS

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A system of multiple pumps
and VFD controllers would
provide the booster
requirements for specific
zones within a building. The
pumps that supply these
zones are independent of
each other and sized
according to the specific duty
required by the relevant zone.

Common suction lines are

acceptable and the capacity
to cross supply via manual
valves is advantageous for
backup in case of emergency.

The building is split into multiple

zones to restrict the maximum head
limitation being exceeded for any
requirements. Fire piping would be
separated from hydraulic pipes as
shown and run via the standard
pipe routes.

Zones are typically split into 30-45m

static height sections. This method
limits the amount of High pressure
that the lowest areas of the zone
achieve.

Calculations of the pump head

requirements are based on Static
head plus residual pressure in the
system at the highest point

e.g.: Zone 2 spans from floor 10 to

floor20.
This represents a static height of
35m to 70m in height. Assuming
that the residual pressure in the 20th
floor shall never be lower than 200kPa then the TDH for the Zone 2 pumps would be:

Static height (worst case) = 70m

Residual pressure 200kPa =19.7m

Pump TDH = 89.7m

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HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

There are 3 basic types of pumps available for water supply for Multi-story buildings:

• End Suction Pumps

• Vertical Multi-stage Pumps
• Submersible pumps

Water storage
Tank

Pumpset

Manifolds & Pipework

End Suction Option

End Suction Pumps

These pumps are typically used in applications where the flow rates are sufficently high
to warrant the use of these pumps.
Flow range - 15 l/s to 70 l/s per pump.

Advantages:

-Low capital cost -Standardized dimensions

-High pump effeciency -Simple maintainance
-Simply mechanical operation

Disadvantages:

-Can be noisy -Cavitates at low heads

-Flat curve difficult to control -Poor performance at low flows
-Largest space requirements

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Submersible option

These pumps are ideallysuited to this

operation due to their low noise
charatceristcs and low space useage.

Tank

Tank filler

Discharge Manifold

Submersible pumps in
SS shroud

Advantages:
-Very low noise -Modular in design
-Steep curve is easy to control with VFD -Very small space requirement

Disadvantages:
-High capital cost -Low flows can cause overheating
-RFI can be caused due to common earths -Specialist maintainance required
-Some pumps cannot be horizontally mounted

Vertical Multistage option

The standard in Hydraulic water supplies

due to their ability to product low flows
and high heads. Ideal for multi story use.

Advantages:
-Good performance over full range
-Ease of maintainance
-Steep curve is easy to control with
VFD
-Generally quiet operation
-Smaller space requirement than end
suction

Disadvantages:
-Can be noisy -High capital cost
-Larger number of moving parts -Cavitation causes bearing failure

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MAIN DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
1. Space
2. Noise
3. Power failure backup
4. Capital Cost

Space

Due to the nature of Multi-story Buildings space is a critical design chritereon. The
plant room size is detirmined by the appliances used and is usually set up for a
standard system - Multi-stage or end suction pumps. If the space is insuffieient then
submersible pumps can be used in the configuration shown or actually submerged in
the suction tank. Techsys Corporation has drawings for these applications available on
request.

Noise
Noise is a major design consideration in two forms:

• Hydraulicaly transmitted noise

• General motor noise

Hydraulic Noise

The hydraulically transmitted noise is the worst case situation as the celerity of water in
metal pipes is very high and therefore water hammer or pressure waves travel at
exceptionally high speeds and can be trabsmitted for long distances throughout the
building. Prevention of this noise is an exercise in smooth hydraulic transitions.
Lead lag pump systems should be avioded as this will exasabate the possibility of
water hammer.
Reasonable sized accumulators with a minimum branch connection of 1" should be
used to dampen the pressure surges. Set the accumulator pressure to 5kPa below the
set point for VFD pumping systems.

Motor Noise

Motor and pump noise is a function of the pump and motors used. Be sure to check the
pumset noise performance and compare that to the maximum allowable as detailed in
the plant room design. If this is not available then make sure that you state the noise
figures in the offer to the client so that a rational descision can be made as to the
motor/pump noise effect.
If noise is a problem then it can generally be resolved by the installation of
unidirectional motor fans which typically reduce motor noise by up to 10dB at 1 m.

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Power Failure Backup.

As the system is power dependant there needs to be a method os backup power when
the power fails. Some engineers specify a backup diesel pum or genset. The Genset
option is significantly better as the system can still function as a constant pressure unit
when the power is out.

Sizing of the genset is significantly better when a VFD is used as the starting current
can be limited to less than FLA (Full load amps). This means that the genset is not
designed for the full starting current of the motors . This is signoficant as the example
below shows.

Genset size for various starting options for a 7.5kW motor:

Starting Type KVA Required* Start Current

DOL 12.3 90
Soft start 8.7 52
Star delta 8.2 45
VFD 7.2 15

*30% safety factor

If a multi pump system is used then a reduction in pumps operating can be made when
the power is out. This is a simple control operation and it can limit the size of genset
required for operating the pumps at a standby rate.

Capital Cost

The capital cost of a VFD pump system used to be excessive however the reduction in
VFD costs has put the VFD pump control systems in te regions of acceptability.
Typically the cost of a VFD system over a conventional soft start system is in the order
of 50 - 70% more.
This increase in capital cost is tyopucally paid back in running cost savings in less tha 6
months. Once paid back the running cost savings are with the owner for life.

RECOMMENDED CONTROL SYSTEM

Due to the fact that constant pressure is required at all flow regimes a VFD control
system ids the preferred option in this circumstance.

MPCSV, ORCA, GWi

Or
DolphinPLUS

If the building is managed by a BMS (Building Management System) the

communications between the BMS and the pump controller is critical as the information
passed to the BMS is crutial for operation of the system.

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IMPORTANT CONTROL ITEMS
SET POINT
The sytem should be operasted at the required system pressure for the whole peak
useage time. In times of low use the system pressure can be lowered by calling in Set
Point #2. This will lower the operating pressure to a preset and can reduce the actual
running costs further. Not be sure to cover any static lift within the building at the lower
set point.

FIRE MODE
In case of an emergency FIRE MODE can be selected which overides all safeties and
runs the system on VFD Pressure control until the flow requirements stops. Some
applications require an increased pressre at this time which can be called in on set
point #3 at the same time as the FIRE MODE is initiated.

PUMP ROTATION
In situations such as this it is generally considered \ best to have two pumps on a Duty
standby operation and one pump as a backup. This means that the first two pump will
operate as the main supply pumps and even out the hours between themselves. The
third pump is used as a backup in case of on pump faiilure.
Set up two pumps as the Duty Standby pumps by selecting "AUTO" on the Pump
Selection Buttons. The third pump can be called on by the BMS if a failure is detected
or if a low pressure alrm is signaled.

TANK LOW LEVEL

A float switch is required to be installed in the suction tank to protect the pumps against
loss of Water. This should be wired back to the "PAUSE" input to protect against low
water level in the siction tank.

BACKUP VFD

The MPCSV has a control output that allows the use of 2 VFD’s - One Duty one
Stabndby. Select an output relay to Alternate trip and use this yto operate an external
relay to call the alternate VFD’s. This allows the system to use the backup VFD and to
be sure that it will run.