Varispeed, a specialist in electronic motor control solutions and a proudly South African organisation has a thirty-five year track record in providing quality solutions for industry.

As a preferred supplier to the agricultural industry due to proven reliability and performance, Varispeed designs, manufactures and distributes constant pressure solutions. With a firm handle on the industry, they have a unique insight into the system challenges and their unique requirements.

How it works

Agricultural irrigation systems require precise pressure control in the distribution of water systems to ensure constant pressure; this constant pressure also ensures energy savings. Varispeed’s irrigation solutions are specifically designed to protect electrical motors, pumps and piping systems from damage, overloads or pressure surges, all whilst keeping the need for constant pressure, system reliability and energy efficiency top-of-mind.

Three 55kW 400Vac Dual Variable Speed Drive (VSD) modernised pressure control panels are used to control six pumps that pump water from the river into two holding dams. The system on the first dam distributes water onwards via eight Single VSD panels which in turn control eight pumps, pumping the water out to irrigations blocks at between 6-13 Bar water pressure and is easily user settable based on the farmers' requirements.

Pumping water from the second dam are eight Dual 55kW 400Vac VSD panels that control sixteen pumps. The system distributes water into irrigation blocks at between 5-16 Bar water pressure. This configuration is made up of eight sets of two pumps in series that incorporate Varispeed’s simple and reliable suction and pressure control software solution embedded into the VSD’s without the need for costly additional controllers.

Modernised software for a modernised problem

Varispeed was approached to provide a reliable irrigation pumping scheme that supplies constant water pressure to grow table grapes. Based on this brief, they were able to produce a system that exceeded all reliability and performance expectations.

Varispeed designed a modernised control panel to replace the antiquated individual dial setting type system, in favour of a more precise user-friendly settable pressure system. The modernised pressure system has the added advantage of drastically improving the efficiency of the irrigation solution and the manner by which it can be controlled.

Their custom-designed Variable Speed Drives incorporate built-in logics as the software has been written specifically to meet and overcome the unique challenges posed by irrigation systems. Varispeed’s confidence in their solutions is such that they offer a five-year warranty on all their A1000 & GA700 Yaskawa Variable speed drive solutions, as an industry-leading indicator of the system's reliability.

“Our team was able to offer the customer a complete engineered solution that improved the quality control of the project to ensure superior customer satisfaction and system performance,” says Ralph Real, Managing Director for Varispeed.

Not only did we include the constant pressure software to meet their specification, we were also able to exceed the performance and reliability requirements” he concludes.