# Software for Monitoring the In-Service Efficiency of Hydraulic Pumps
## 6 Conclusions and Perspectives  
This paper presents the development, implementation and validation of software developed for monitoring hydraulic pumps in service. The only parameter which is neither determined nor examined is the pump efficiency, although all the other variables (absorbedpower, pumping head) are measured to determine and calculate it. The goal of this software is to identify the hydraulic pumps' operating regimes in situ and to alert the user when they operate outside their preset efficiency range. The algorithm developed for assessing the efficiency of the hydraulic pump is based on knowing its features (available in the manufacturer's catalog or determined based on experimental investigations) and in situ geometric data. The input data of the algorithm are the geometric and hydraulic values related to the location of instruments compared to the position of suction/discharge flanges. The input data of each hydraulic pump installed in a station is unique, even though a station may use several identical pumps. The implemented algorithm provides the value of the pump efficiency \(\eta_{P}\) corresponding to the duty point. As a result, the operating regime is identified by collecting only the values of the suction \(p_{s}\) and discharge \(p_{d}\) static pressures. In addition to efficiency \(\eta_{P}\), the algorithm delivers the following values for the duty point: pumping head \(H\), the mechanical power at the pump shaft \(P_{m}\), and the volumetric flow rate passed through the pump \(Q\), which is a useful quantity in industrial applications but is difficult to determine in situ. The algorithm is robust, and easy to use and implement, regardless of the user's training. The major advantage of the software, compared to other means of monitoring, is the easy in situ implementation because it does not require additional expenses. The pressure gauges are normally available at the suction and discharge of the hydraulic pump. Free software packages have been selected for the algorithm to ensure its portability on any operating system. For example, the scientific software library GNU GSL provides robust interpolation, extrapolation and curve-fitting tools for the available data and for the assessment of the deviations. The free Qt package was selected for the graphic interface. The implementation of the algorithm is structured on independent components, materialized by individual procedures and tools in the command line, disconnected from the user interface. The data flow from the implemented software solution shown in the diagram in Section 3 provides a synoptic view of the processing and data transfer flow. The software has been first used to analyze the operation of the centrifugal pump PCN 65/200, installed in the Hydraulic Pump Laboratory of the \"Politehnica\" University Timisoara. The research conducted on this pump was used to validate the output results delivered by the software module against experimental data over the full operating range. This software validation over the full operating range cannot be performed on pumps installed in situ due to the particular installing conditions and the limited operating range imposed on each pump. Moreover, the investigations carried out in the laboratory allowed the determination of the deviations of the results delivered by the software depending on the selected operating point over the full range of the pump. The analysis of the results delivered by the software for the six operating points laid out over the full pump range highlighted the capability to correctly identify the operating regime. The software module estimated the pump efficiency \(\eta_{P}\) within limits that do not affect the prediction of the operating regime. We have previously stated that the volumetric flow rate is a fundamental hydraulic quantity that has to be determined while the pump is in service. This output quantity provided by the pump unit is directly related to the requirements of the process or system in which it operates.