Energy Conservation By The

Use Of Fluid Couplings

A Presentation By Greaves
CROSS SECTION OF CONSTANT
SPEED FLUID COUPLING
FLUID COUPLINGS MAY BE DIVIDED
INTO TWO BASIC TYPES
A. CONSTANT FILLING OR TRACTION TYPE -
FOR WHICH A FIXED AMOUNT OF OIL IS
REQUIRED IN THE WORKING CIRCUIT AND
THE OUTPUT SPEED IS DETERMINED BY
THE INPUT SPEED & THE LOAD UNDER
TRANSMISSION.

B. VARIABLE SPEED OR VARIABLE FILLING

TYPE - WHEREIN THE AMOUNT OF OIL IN
THE WORKING CIRCUIT CAN BE VARIED
DURING OPRATION IN ORDER TO VARY
THE SPEED.
1. NO MECHANICAL INTER-CONNECTION BETWEEN
INPUT AND OUTPUT MEMBERS.

2. THE POWER IS TRANSMITTED BY A RING OF OIL

CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATING BETWEEN THESE
INPUT AND OUTPUT MEMBERS.

3. IF SUFFICIENT LOAD IS APPLIED TO THE OUTPUT

SHAFT TO BRING IT TO REST THE FLUID
COUPLING CONTINUES TO IMPOSE THE TORQUE
ON THE OUTPUT SHAFT AND ON RELIEVING THE
OVERLOAD CONDITION WILL SMOOTHLY
ACCELERATE THE DRIVEN MACHINE.
 ADVANTAGES OF USE OF
FLUID COUPLING
LIGHT LOAD START, OR NO LOAD START

ACCURATE OVERLOAD PROTECTION OF

MOTOR OR
PRIMEMOVER AS FLUID COUPLING OUTPUT
SHAFT STALLS AT PRE-DETERMINED
OVERLOAD.
A SMOOTH AND PROGRESSIVE BUILD-UP OF
TORQUE DURING STARTING,PREVENTING
MACHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
FROM SHOCK LOADS.
 ADVANTAGES OF USE OF
FLUID COUPLING
A SIMPLE SQUIRREL CAGE MOTOR CAN BE
USED IN PLACE OF SLIPRING OR A HIGH
TORQUE MOTOR RESULTING IN SIMPLICITY,
RELIABILITY AND LESS MAINTENANCE.

FLUID COUPLING PREVENTS TRANSMISSION

OF TORSIONAL OCSILLATION.
 ADVANTAGES OF USE OF
FLUID COUPLING
INHERENT TOURQE LIMITATION DURING
STARTING BETWEEN 120% TO 275% OF FULL
LOAD TORQUE.THE MAXIMUM TORQUE
SETTING CAN BE RELIABLY PRE-
DETERMINED IS CONSISTENT.

PLUGGING OF MOTORS AND THUS SMOOTH

DECELERATION IS POSSIBLE, THEREBY
RELIEVING LOAD ON BRAKE.
 ADVANTAGES OF USE OF
FLUID COUPLING

EQUAL LOAD SHARING IN CASE OF COMMON

OR MULTI-HEAD DESIGNS,

IDEAL FOR OPERATION WHERE FREQUENT

REVERSAL IS NECESSARY.
SPEED TORQUE CHARACTERISTICS
 TORQUE SPEED CURVE FOR
H.T.MOTOR ALONG WITH TS CURVE
OF FLUID COUPLING
 FLUID COUPLINGS
PERFORMANCE CURVES
PROTECTION OF MOTOR AND MACHINE
TYPICAL T-S CURVE OF A CONVEYOR
STANDARD SQUIRREL CAGE INDUCTION
MOTOR CURVE
FLUID COUPLING CURVE WITH MOTOR
AND CONVEYOR T-S CURVES
 ‘ENERGY SAVING’
BY THE USE OF CONSTANT SPEED FLUID
COUPLING FOR VARIOUS APPLICATION IS
MAINLY DUE TO SIZING THE MOTOR FOR
ACTUAL OR OPERATING LOAD
AND NOT FOR STARTING TORQUE
REQUIREMENTS.

FLUID COUPLING CONSERVES ENERGY

BOTH DURING STARTING AND RUNNING
OF DRIVEN LOADS
SIZING THE MOTOR FOR
RUNNING DUTY HELPS
IMPROVEMENT IN -
POWER FACTOR AND
EFFICIENCY
LARGER IS THE SIZE OF
THE DRIVE, MORE IS THE
POWER SAVING AND
LESS IS THE PAY- BACK
PERIOD,

FOR INCREMENTAL COST

OF USE OF FLUID
COUPLING.
PRODUCT RANGE - PEMBRRIL FLUID COUPLINGS
(ISO-9001CERTIFIED MANUFACTURING UNIT)

TYPE SIZES POWER RANGE

CONSTANT SPEED
(TRACTION TYPE)
FCU - STANDARD 8 - 41 UP TO 1000 KW
(14 SIZES)
DFC - DELAYED 204 - 1040 UP TO 1252 KW
FILL (14 SIZES)
AFC/AFC - STEEL CASE 46 - 80 UP TO 151 KW
& AQUA FILL (5 SIZES)
FP - FLUID PULLEY 7 - 17 UP TO 120 KW
(9 SIZES)
DFP - DELAYED FILL 290 - 586 UP TO 346 KW
PULLEY (7 SIZES)
 ADVANTAGES OF USE OF
VARIABLE SPEED
FLUIDCOUPLING
• LOW FIRST COST
• ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY,NO HARMONICS
• EASES WEAK POWER LINE PROBLEMS
• EXCELLENT CONTROLLABILTY
• OPERATIONAL SIMPLICITY
• HIGH RELIABILITY/LOW MAINTENANCE
• ENERGY CONSERVATION IN
• CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE APPLICATIONS
VARIABLE SPEED FLUIDCOUPLINGS

ELIMINATE NEED OF THROTTLING

VALVES/DAMPERS FOR
CENTRIFUGAL MACHINES LIKE
PUMPS AND FANS,

THUS HELP IN SUBSTANTIAL

“ENERGY SAVING”
 PRODUCT RANGE -
PEMBRIL FLUID COUPLING

POWER
TYPE VARIABLE SPEED SIZE SPEED RANGE
RANGE

5:1 FOR CENTRIFUGE

SCR –24R/24X,25W,25B 14 – 46 MACHINE 3:1 FOR 15 KW TO
SCOOP CONTROLLED ( 10 SIZE) CONSTANT TORQUE 2760 KW
NON WEARING CLUTCH

5:1 FOR CENTRIFUGE

430-1150 MACHINE 3:1 FOR 35 KW TO
PST / SCOOP TRIMMING
(13 SIZES ) CONSTANT TORQUE 5214 KW
NON WEARING CLUTCH
PEMBRIL FLUID COUPLING
PST FLUID COUPLING
 CASE STUDY
Associated Cement Co. Chanda Cement Works
Appln.: Waste Gas Fan No.2, Motor : 900KW/993RPM
Pembril Fluid Coupling – 36 SCR 25B
A) Power Consumption with Pembril Fluid Coupling
Fan operated at draught (via scoop lever) 600-630 mm WG
April ’97 660KW
May ’97 619KW
June ’97 660KW
Average 646KW
B) Power Consumption without Pembril Fluid Coupling
July ’97 721KW
Aug ’97 688KW
Sept ’97 681KW
Average 696KW
Power Savings = 696 – 646KW = 50KW with Fluid Coupling
Average daily prodn. Of clinker – 970 Tons
So Power SVG = (50x24) / 970
= 1.23KW per Ton Clinker
Economic SVG = 50x24x300x4.50 = Rs. 16.20 Lakhs per year
Above readings are taken from energy meter installed by ACC on WG fan for monitoring power
consumption of this utility.
 CASE STUDY
ACC CHANDA CEMENTWORKS
WASTE GAS FAN NO2
MOTOR KW900/993RPM 36SCR25B FC
POWER SAVING IS 50X24X300 X RS.4.5=RS16.20

900
800
700
600
500 MOTOR KW
WITHOUTFC
400
WITH FC
300
200
100
0
 OPERATING DATA FOR ID FAN FLUID COUPLING
PEMBRIL VSFC MODEL 41 SCR 24X, MOTOR : 750 KW / 750 RPM
SITE : HTPS, MP ELECTRICITY BOARD, KORBA
Power in % % Power Power in
Power
Current VSFC Volume in Damper
% Scoop % Power Saving
Amps Opn. or % Damper Opn.
Kw
Kw Speed Opn. Kw
100 110 100 750 100 100 750 0
95 110 100 750 100 100 750 0
90 108 98 736 99 100 750 14
85 105 95 716 95 99 743 27
80 100 91 682 95 99 743 61
75 97 86 661 94 99 743 81
70 88 80 600 90 98 735 135
65 82 75 559 85 97 728 168
60 77 70 525 82 96 720 195
55 73 66 498 81 96 720 222
50 66 62 464 79 95 713 249
45 64 58 436 77 94 705 269
40 60 55 409 75 93 698 288
35 57 52 389 72 92 690 301
30 52 47 355 70 91 683 328
25 50 45 341 66 90 675 334
20 48 44 327 66 89 668 340
15 47 43 320 65 88 660 340
18 46 42 314 65 87 653 339
 COMPARISON OF POWER
CONSUMPTION BY VSFC & DAMPER

800

600
Power (KW)

400

200

0
100 99 95 94 90 85 82 81 79 77 75 72 70 67 66
65 % Speed (RPM)
Power in VSFC Power in Damper
Opn. Opn.
 POWER SAVING BY VSFC
400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0
100 99 95 94 90 85 82 81 79 77 75 72 70 67 66 65
% Speed (RPM)
Power Sav ing
 Comparative Efficiency Curves for Squirrel Cage Motor
& Scoop Control Fluid Coupling
and
Squirrel Cage Motor with Variable Frequency Solid State Control
when driving Fan or Pump following Centrifugal Load Line

10

0
Total Drive Efficiency - %

80

60

40

20

0 20 40 60 80 100
% Full Speed
Comparative Input Electrical Power Curves for Squirrel Cage Motor &
Scoop Control Fluid Coupling and
Squirrel Cage Motor with Variable Frequency Solid State Control when
Driving Fan or Pump following Centrifugal Load Line
12

10
% Power Demand

Squirrel Cage Motor

80 & Fluid Coupling

60

40

20 0 20 40 60 80 100
% of Maximum Speed - RPM
 PEMBRIL FLUID COUPLINGS

CUTS CAPITAL
AND
OPERATIONAL
COSTS
Thank You !