The question is being asked more frequently: do commercial pressure boosting packages require a hydropnumatic tank? The answer is no. Without a tank, a pressure boosting package will still operate as intended. In response to feedback from the system, the package will provide varying discharge pressures and flows relative to the changing requirements of the application. So, if not an intrinsic requirement for the booster, the question then becomes: should a hydropneumatic tank be utilized in pressure boosting applications? Bell and Gossett strongly recommends the latter.
One of the key advantages of a variable speed system as opposed to the constant speed systems of old is the ability to adjust pump speed and staging in relation to actual demand or changes in incoming city pressure. By providing what is required, when required, significant cost savings can be realized by utilizing a variable speed package. Additionally, whereas a single large fixed speed pump may have been required in the past to meet peak demand, a modern pressure boosting package affords the opportunity to apply a few smaller pumps in parallel, which spreads out the mechanical wear on the products but also provides redundancy in the case of planned or unplanned downtime.
How does all of this apply to the inclusion of a hydropneumatic tank in a pressure boosting application? As mentioned, the demand profile of commercial and residential buildings has the potential to vary dramatically depending on time of the day or day of the week.