Motiva operates the eastern and south-eastern US refining and marketing businesses of Shell Oil and Saudi Refining. It runs four refineries with a total capacity of 860,000 barrels a day and sells fuel to more than 22,000 Shell-branded and Texaco-branded gasoline stations.
In response to governmental mandates to eliminate the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, as an additive to gasoline, Motiva uses ethanol. This requires blending up to 10% ethanol by volume by injecting it into the petrol stream during truck loading.
But in different parts of the country, other companies reported problems with the injecting stream resulting from inadequate pressure control.
To address this problem, Motiva opted for Goulds Pumps PumpSmart control system.
PumpSmart is a microprocessor-based variable speed drive, programmed for centrifugal pumps of up to 700 HP. It enables continuous monitoring and reaction to pump conditions and accurate control of process parameter demands.
PumpSmart also provides energy savings of between 30-70% because at lower demands it reduces motor speeds, eliminating the extra energy used to overcome the pressure drop of control valves. This new model can be applied to any centrifugal pump in a wide range of applications.
Motiva experienced improved ethanol injection and blending characteristics by PumpSmart’s ability to maintain constant pressure. The system also eliminated the possibility of cavitation during times of low demand.
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