Journal 1.docx - IE 4486 01/14/2021 A process plant uses a...

IE 4486
01/14/2021
A process plant uses a 50HP 3600 RPM centrifugal pump in many processes; the plant has hundreds
of them. The pump internally uses a 460-volt 3 phase AC motor and gear drive transmission to
drive the pump. How might I make this pump "smart"? How might the company use the smart
capabilities you suggest? (300-700 words)
To make the pump smart, they should implement some sensors, connect it to their servers and
computers to help them collect and analyze data from the pumps. The best way would be to connect
it wirelessly since it is very user friendly. Implementing cables could cause problems in the production
facility. There are many different variables they could monitor. The biggest problem is when a pump
breaks down. Production is then interrupted, which cause a lot of money – firstly to replace the pump
and also because the production stops. For this, some kind of preventative maintenance plan should
be made. A person, without any kind of feedback how the pumps run, cannot know when a pump