What does electronic speed control gain you on a water/irrigation pump engine?
On an irrigation pump, speed directly determines the flow. With the GS740 the engine speed is set steplessly from a precision potentiometer, and the work speed is stored by pressing the IP67 button for 3 seconds; a short press toggles instantly between idle and that speed. This removes the need to walk to the pump and move the throttle lever by hand, and the engine does not turn at unnecessarily high speed during breaks.
The gains come together at three points.
- Repeatability: the speed corresponding to the desired flow is found once and stored with the button. The next day you return to the same speed with a single touch; there is no need to set the throttle lever by eye every time.
- Fuel and wear: dropping the engine to idle during irrigation breaks or when changing lines eliminates the fuel consumption, noise and wear that come with running at unnecessarily high speed.
- Ergonomics: the potentiometer can be moved to the cabin or to wherever the operator is; you do not have to stand at the engine to control it.
There are things to watch out for as well. The kit does not measure speed, it drives the position of the throttle lever; when the water level or line resistance changes and the engine is loaded, the speed drops somewhat and the kit does not correct this by itself. Also, leaving a diesel engine for hours at very low load/idle increases the risk of wet stacking; during long breaks it is more correct to stop the engine than to keep it at idle. Oil pressure and temperature protections for the engine must exist in its own system, independently of the kit.
Full topic: Speed control of three pumps in drilling