by Brianna Crandall — October 21, 2016 — Bell & Gossett (B&G), a brand of global water technology provider Xylem Inc., has released its PLEV pump selection criteria, a new standard for the industry to provide the most accurate and efficient specification of a centrifugal pump at partial flow rates, designed to save energy and reduce costs.
PLEV, which stands for Part Load Efficiency Value, helps heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system designers select pumps based on real-world system demands to ensure the most efficient hydronic system performance.
Until now, a system designer specified a pump at maximum capacity or flow at all times during pump operation, even though a pump operates at 100 percent flow just one percent of the time, notes Bell & Gossett. PLEV is calculated based on the partial load that a pump will experience throughout its operation. B&G’s ESP-PLUS pump selection and system design software has been updated with the PLEV selection criteria to assist specifying engineers.
Mark Handzel, vice president of Product Regulatory Affairs and director of HVAC Commercial Buildings, Americas, Xylem, stated:
PLEV is the answer to the industry’s demand for the most efficient pump selection, by taking into account the entire variation profile and flow requirements based on the actual heating or cooling load in a commercial building HVAC system, not just the design model. This formula will enable professionals to more precisely specify the appropriate pump for the application, helping to reduce both energy use and operating costs throughout the lifetime of the product.
When the Part Load Efficiency Value (PLEV) is used in the specification process with newer pump designs that use computational fluid dynamics technology to increase efficiency over a wider range on the performance curve — a range B&G terms “Efficiency Islands” — system designers can maximize overall system performance.
Handzel added:
System designers are seeking smarter ways to meet efficiency standards. Our products with extensive Efficiency Island profiles and PLEV selection software are part of our comprehensive portfolio of tools offered to exceed efficiency requirements.
The operating cost analysis section of ESP-PLUS has been revised to default to PLEV as the standard load profile, giving specifiers instant operational efficiencies.
PLEV is derived from the successful Integrated Part Load Value (IPLV) performance calculation developed by the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). It is used to calculate equipment efficiency while operating at various capacities in a chiller system, leading to energy and cost savings.
The free PLEV application is available from the iTunes App Store for iPad, iPhone and through Google Play for Android, in addition to being available online through the Xylem software ESP-PLUS. For more information on Part Load Efficiency Value (PLEV), view B&G’s three-page industry white paper, “Bell & Gossett introduces new hydronic pump selection criteria to maximize system efficiency,” or visit the Bell & Gossett Web site to learn more about the company’s system solutions.
