The service detective always helps

It’s just as well that Bernhard Salamon is not afraid of flying, especially when his job can require him to travel more than 100 kilometres away from the mainland. The service engineer had to board a helicopter as a passenger to fly to an offshore platform far out in the North Sea. His mission: to analyse the pump system on location because the cooling water supply had been experiencing failures.

Via the platform, the system operator feeds clean wind energy into the German power grid. Difficulties with the cooling water were causing the power transmission levels to drop – a real problem. To identify the cause, Salamon spent several days investigating the entire system, which in addition to the pumps also includes the piping, valves and control electronics. To make matters even more challenging, the submersible borehole pumps are installed 20 metres below sea level.

The KSB SupremeServ expert conducted extensive measurements and identified the fault. Air pockets in the piping system were determined as the main cause. After the problem had been identified, opening the drain valve provided a temporary remedy. For a long-term solution, however, Salamon had to develop suitable proposals. He recommended modifying the piping layout and installing a customised monitoring unit. The customer was happy. “That was a particularly unusual mission,” says Bernhard Salamon. Normally, his daily work is rather less spectacular, although his task is still the same. “My colleagues at KSB SupremeServ and I analyse the ways in which systems can be potentially optimised in detail.” More specifically, that means reducing energy consumption and/or identifying and eliminating the causes of damage.

Most companies today are committed to their responsibility of acting as sustainably as possible – which also means reducing their energy consumption and thus their climate-damaging emissions. To achieve the best possible energy efficiency and trouble-free operation, the system operator needs to ensure that all the components are perfectly matched. This is where KSB can help. System Efficiency Service, as the analysis is called, provides specific recommendations for modifying the equipment, even if the operating data has changed over time.

The specialists work on assignments in power plants, industrial and chemical plants, pumping stations and waterworks. Every job always begins with a thorough system analysis. “To do this, we install our measuring equipment in our customer’s system and collect various process data over a period of up to two weeks,” explains Salamon. “We also familiarise ourselves with the site conditions in which the system is installed, which is helpful later on when we are devising solutions.” The service professionals also talk in depth with the technicians on site to find out everything they need to know about the operating conditions.

After the measurement equipment has been dismantled, the collected data is then evaluated, which sometimes involves real detective work. “I have to get into details and understand what’s happening in the system and – if necessary – why something is going wrong,” Salamon says. Besides his many years of service experience, Salamon has the advantage of being able to draw on his broad knowledge of numerous products and applications. 

Salamon is not a solo operator, however. Once he has evaluated the complex data, he discusses it with numerous colleagues to find the best solution for the customer’s system. This expertise then flows into the report that the customer receives. When presenting the report, the service expert provides specific recommendations for optimising the operating costs of pumps and systems. This usually involves modifications to the system infrastructure, which can often be significantly improved by installing new components for controlling and monitoring the equipment.

The members of the System Efficiency Service team are talented all-rounders. After measuring and analysing the data, the results are presented directly to the customer. Especially when it comes to acute system problems, system operators expect to receive help quickly. “I have one of the most diverse roles at KSB,” says the service specialist. “Every assignment involves new challenges for which I have to find individual solutions.” Just the job for a service detective.