Component Database > Pump definition > Pump: integrated power converter

Necessity to include the converter in the pump definition

When the manufacturer "imposes" a power conditioning unit device to be used with his pump, he usually specifies the converter electrical input and not the pump's input requirements as operating conditions. Therefore in these cases the component black box includes the converter-motor-pump set, and the PVsyst's pump model should act with the converter as input variables.

This is namely the case with AC motor pumps, as PVsyst never manages the Pump input AC voltage nor its frequency. Only the Pump power input is a relevant input variable.

This holds indeed for any pump for which the power is specified instead of the current and voltage (Flowrate=f(Power) model).

Converter input

The converter input corresponds

-	either to a fixed-DC voltage converter: the input voltage should be defined in the controller specifications. On most commercial devices, this is adjustable by hardware. At design time the controller dialog gives access to the Voltage Optimisation tool for finding the best suited voltage.

-	or to a MPPT converter; the minimum and maximum tracking voltages have to be given in the Controller dialog.

As for other converters, the Maximum- and Euro-efficiencies are required for establishing the efficiency curve. For simplification, there is no possibility for defining a customised efficiency profile.

Converter output

As it is usually specified by the manufacturer, the converter is supposed to match perfectly the input requirements of the pump. That is, it will be sufficiently well designed for being able to deliver the optimal voltage/current to the pump at a given time and for the required head, in order to use the available power with an optimal efficiency.

The simulation will take into account the power limitation due to step-down technologie, only when the pump's voltage behaviour is known in the model. This is the case when the pump model is given by a set of Flowrate=f(Power) curves, completed by additional I=f(U) curves on the pump input

For Positive Displacement pumps, the converter replaces the booster, as the starting over-current is usually required at very low voltage, so that the starting power is not prohibitive.