2016 57th International Scientific Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering of Riga Technical University (RTUCON)
Simulation Study of the Pressure Control
System for a Centrifugal Pump
Levon Gevorkov, Valery Vodovozov, Zoja Raud
Tallinn University of Technology
Tallin, Estonia
1Abstract In this paper, the simulation environment is
proposed that enables accurate full-scale investigation of the
pressure adjustment for a centrifugal pump. The novel Matlab
model is described, the pumping control procedure is explained,
and the simulation results are assessed with the help of an
experimental pumping test bench. Basing on thorough inspection
of the developed software, the offered toolbox can be considered
as a sensible tool for finding optimal pressure adjustment
potential at high-quality pumping.
Index Terms Pumps, pressure control, Matlab, modelling,
simulation.
I. INTRODUCTION
Different study methods are applied to design and explore
pumping systems. In some cases, the proper sets of logical and
mathematical relations of the system variables are effective.
While such a model is simple enough, an accurate analytical
solution of the problem is accessible. Since the system
complexity increases, a designer meets troubles on this route.
In that case, the model has to be explored using computer
experimentation to understand and forecast object
performance. Nowadays, Matlab/Simulink serves as the
powerful tool for that purpose. The main advantage of this
instrument is the time saving and a powerful capability in
comparison of different control methods, system topologies,
and optimisation technologies as well as in analysing of many
types of adjustment options for pumping. Multiple Matlab
models were developed to observe and design the behaviour of
pumps involved in industrial, domestic, and medicine
processes. Often, the offered tools are intended to determine
the best total head, pressure, flux distribution or flow rate, and
to reach minimal energy losses or maximal efficiency.
One popular approach used, for instance, in [1] is to design
a model basing on the transfer functions and operational
equations of the pumping components suitable for
mathematical analyses, operational calculus, and Laplace
transforms. In [2], similar software was described for the
mathematical equations solving. The main drawbacks of this
methodology lie in its high laboriousness and low accuracy
978-1-5090-3731-5/16/$31.00 2016 European Union
because of roughness in representation of non-linear
multidimensional system with a limited number of
mathematical functions.
Another method introduced in [3] is to develop the models
on the basis of the replacement circuits where the pump is
simulated as a current source whereas the pipeline and the
valves are modelled as controlled voltage sources. This
analogy provides a pump study in a software environment
related to electrical circuitry applications. The analogous
model applied in [4] brings enough information about such
pumping variables like total head, flow rate, power input, and
energy consumption. At the same time, as [5] fairly shows, the
benefit of given replacement does not consist in very accurate
results but rather in suitability for comparison of different
control methods and systems.
The third group of models concentrates on the simulation
study of the pump as a specific load for the variable speed
drive (VSD). Particularly, in [6] some results were obtained
with a three-phase induction motor model fed from a
sinusoidal pulse-width-modulated inverter model and loaded
by a centrifugal water pump represented like a constant head.
In [7] the mathematical model of water pumping system with
programmable logical controller (PLC), frequency converter,
three-phase induction motor, and centrifugal pump is
presented. This model describes carefully the direct torque
control (DTC) unit using the appropriate Matlab library. Along
with that, the equations and relations responsible for the
pumping process itself concern here only the well-known
affinity laws thus omitting many pump technological
peculiarities. In [8] a direct current motor and in [9] the
brushless motor models were implemented with the help of
Matlab SimPowerSystems toolbox. At the same time, electrical
and mechanical parts of the machine were represented by a
second-order state-space model capable to generate pressure
and some other signals along with indirect derivation of the
torque and power. To scale the load, some tests were
previously carried out. Similarly, in [10] the driving torque for
a centrifugal pump was roughly generated proportionally to
the square of the rotational speed. All above examples bring
many errors and mistakes in the pumping process
representation because of their focusing on the VSD instead of
 2016 57th International Scientific Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering of Riga Technical University (RTUCON)

the pump itself. Conn4 input of regulation valve,

In some papers, for example [11], Matlab is used as an Out1 flow measurement output.
auxiliary instrument to accompany and to process different Out2 torque measurement output.
experimental studies conducted on the real pumps. Out3 pressure (bar) measurement output,
In view of the mentioned drawbacks, this paper focuses on Out4 speed measurement output.
the careful pump modelling important from the viewpoint of
the thorough pressure adjustment. To this aim, the simulation
environment is proposed that enables accurate full-scale VSD-
fed pump investigation. In the following sections, the novel
Matlab model is described, the model-based pressure control
procedure is explained, and the simulation results assessment
is provided using an experimental pumping test bench.

II. SIMULINK MODEL OF A CENTRIFUGAL PUMPING SYSTEM

The functional circuit of the centrifugal pumping system
with a pressure control arrangement is shown in Fig. 1.
Reference Actual
pressure pressure
PLC

Reference speed Actual voltage,

power
VSD

Tank
Actual speed Pressure
sensor
Pipeline
Pump
Valve
Fig. 1. Centrifugal pumping system with pressure control equipment.

The system is accomplished with a VSD-fed centrifugal

pump filling the tank with the fluid flowing in the pipeline.
The pumping pressure is handled by the PLC on the basis of
the reference and feedback pressure signals. The latter one
comes from the pressure sensor mounted in the pipe behind the
discharge valve which can be used for the fluid flow manual
regulation.
The developed Simulink model represented in Fig. 2 is
organised as a toolbox including the model of the pump shown
as a built-in rectangle and the model of the control system.
The pump model (Fig. 3) contains a centrifugal pump, a
tank represented as a hydraulic reference block, a pipeline
between the pump suction and discharge sections, a valve as
well as the pressure and flow sensors.
Mechanical rotational reference with angular velocity source
allows assigning the pump reference speed. This model part
generates the speed reference proportional to the input signal.
Measuring instruments involve a special converter to transfer Fig. 2. Simulink model of a centrifugal pumping system.
numerical values into physical ones and to store them in the
memory to be used further for diagram plotting. The following The model of the control system represents mainly a
nodes are presented in Fig. 3: pressure control loop. Its input signal is a difference between
In1 speed input, the reference signal and the feedback. The proportional-
Conn2 hydraulic pressure (Pa) measurement output, integral-differential (PID) regulator consists of amplification,
 2016 57th International Scientific Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering of Riga Technical University (RTUCON)

integration, derivation, and saturation function blocks. The
latter one restricts the set-point pressure to a predetermined
maximal value. The control signal from the regulator comes to
the pump model speed input. Parameters of the regulator are
tuned during the simulation to obtain a better control result.
First, a proportional part is assigned with some initial gain and
the transients are investigated. Then its value is slightly
increased until the system starts to vibrate. To eliminate
stationary deviations, an integration part is adjusted. To
increase the system speed rate, the differential part may be
used.

Fig. 3. Simulink model of a centrifugal pump.

3
III. SIMULATION III
2,5 2760 rpm
For the simulation study, a pumping system with the II
centrifugal pump Ebara CDX 120/12 from ABB was chosen.
Pressure, bar

2 2500 rpm
I
Its data are collected in Table 1. 1,5
2200 rpm

Table I. Pumping System Data Used for Simulation 1800 rpm

1
Parameter Value Parameter Value
0,5 1000 rpm
Tank total volume, m3 0.12264 Pipe material Steel
Fluid volume, m3 0.09417 Pipe roughness, mm 0.15 0
Type of valve Ball Pipeline length, m 3.7 0 2 4 6 8 10
Pipe inner diameter, mm 58 Pipeline bend 90 Flow rate, m3/h
Wall thickness, mm 1.5 Pipeline elevation, m 1.6
Fig. 4. Family of performance and system curves for the centrifugal pump
To explore the steady-state model operation, the set of Ebara CDX 120/12.
simulations was conducted at the pumping speeds 2760, 2500,
2200, 1800 and 1000 rpm, for three wave positions each: I, II, To simulate the system performance at the pressure
III. Obtained family of performance and system curves is stabilisation mode, the model was running at the constant
shown in Fig. 4. reference pressure of 0.5 bars. After that, the cross-sectional
area of the pipeline was suddenly changed using the wave
model. Accordingly, the pumping speed has followed the
pipeline area to support the pressure at the desired level. In
Fig. 5, two pressure responses are compared: with the P and
the PI regulators. The last one has been advised for operation.
The recommended gains were found as 14 for the proportional
 2016 57th International Scientific Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering of Riga Technical University (RTUCON)

and 0.4 for the integration parts of the regulator. 0,55 3000
0,54
0,6 0,53 2500
0,52 2000
0,56 0,51

Pressure, bar

Speed, rpm
0,5 1500
Pressure, bar

0,52
0,48
0,44
0,4
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Time, s
P regulator PI regulator
Fig. 5. Simulated pressure stabilisation at changing pipeline conditions.
IV. EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION
To validate the model quality, the same characteristics have
been obtained from the real pumping system built on the basis
of the centrifugal pump Ebara CDX 120/12 equipped with
additional PLC AC500 series and DriveStudio firmware from
ABB [12].
In the experimental setup, the PLC realises the control
algorithm and runs the pump. The VSD involves an induction
motor supplied from the power converter. The DTC system
obtains the motor phase currents and voltages from the sensor
readings and converts them to the buil-in model signals. Using
the reference speed, the DTC system identifies the desired
supply voltages for the power converter to run the pump. The
PLC generates the reference speed of the VSD using the PID
pressure regulator which estimates, restricts, and converts the
difference of the reference and actually measured pressures.
Any time when under the influence of a disturbance the
pressure changes, the PLC changes the pump speed, and the
pressure PID control is executed. The control accuracy is
defined by the resolution of the PID regulator, its algorithm as
well as the VSD parameters.
To plot the performance and system curves in the
experimental system, the DriveStudio flow calculation
function is applied that provides an accurate derivation of the
flow rate without installation of a separate flowmeter. The
flow is calculated using the database information, such as
pump inlet and outlet diameters, pump characteristics, voltage
U and power P measurements. The manufacturers power/flow
performance curve at nominal speed is obtained from the
database as the basis for the calculation.
To study the system performance at the pressure
stabilisation mode, the model was running at the constant
reference pressure of 0.5 bars with a PI regulator. After that,
the cross-sectional area of the pipeline was changed
sequentially from III to II using the wave. Accordingly, the
pumping speed has followed the pipeline area to support the
pressure at the desired level as Fig. 6 shows.
0,49
0,48 1000
0,47 500
0,46
0,45 0
0 4 8 12 16
Time, s
Speed Pressure
14 16
Fig. 6. Experimental pressure stabilisation at changing pipeline conditions.
The similar experiment was produced at the constant wave
position while the pressure reference has been changed
periodically.
In accordance with obtained observations, the difference
between the simulated and experimental results in the steady-
state and the pressure control modes ranges between 7 and
14 %. In dynamics, it looks higher.
V. CONCLUSION
After thorough description and assessment of the developed
software, its operation, and error sources, it may be concluded
that the offered toolbox serves as a sensible tool for finding
optimal pressure adjustment potential for centrifugal pumping
systems. The developed model is suitable for assessment of the
steady state and dynamic pump performance, for plotting the
pump performance and system curves at different speeds, and
for the control system tuning in the pressure stabilising and
adjustment modes.
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BIOGRAPHIES
Levon Gevorkov is a PhD student of Tallinn University of Technology. He
was educated at the Ivane Javakhishvili State University of Tbilisi, where he
received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in radio-physics and electronics, in 2001
and 2003, respectively. Main scientific interests lay in the field of pumping
systems. Email: levon.gevorkov@ttu.ee
Valery Vodovozov is a member of IEEE, International Institute of
Informatics and Systemics (IIIS), Global Research Alliance of Texas Institute
of Science (TxIS GRA), and Estonian Society of M. H. Jacobi. He is a
professor of Tallinn University of Technology. He received his Candidate of
Science degree and Associate Professor and Senior Researcher academic titles
in Electrical Engineering from St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University,
Russia. Areas of expertise cover electric drives and power electronics,
application of object-oriented technologies in industry, and Web-based
education. Email: valery.vodovozov@ttu.ee
Zoja Raud received education in Tallinn University of Technology and
received PhD degree in the field of electrical drives and power electronics
from the same university. She is an assistant of Department of Electrical
Engineering where she taught academic courses in Electronics and Power
Electronics. Areas of expertise cover education in the field of Power and
Electrical Engineering, and Web-based education. Email: zoja.raud@ttu.ee