MechChem Africa September 2018

⎪ Pump systems, pipes, valves and seals ⎪

The smartest water utilities have figured out the power of the pump – transforming this costly and energy-intensive process can put you on the roadmap to sustainability. Solar water pumps reduce electricity use

S chneider Electric’s international knowledge on the water and waste- water industry and its ability tobreak barriers and connect ideas was re- centlydemonstratedat theWater Instituteof Southern Africa (WISA) biennial conference and exhibition in Cape Town. “The theme, ‘Breaking barriers, Connecting ideas’ is an integral part of Schneider Electric’s ethos, working as we do across both the devel- opedanddevelopingworlds,”saysMarcRamsay, vicepresident for the IndustryBusinessUnit at Schneider Electric SouthAfrica. “We have adapted our systems to meet thosechallengesfoundonthegroundatwater utilities and further upstream. For instance, the Villaya solar water pumping solution is a fully automatic system, designed to provide water at affordable cost for people with limited or no access to electricity. It uses the most advanced solar variable speed drive to regulate the speed of a 3-phase ac motor depending upon the solar energy available from an array of solar panels. The solar drive converts the dc voltage input to a 3-phase ac output with variable voltage and frequency. “Another often overlooked issue is the pump system at many of the older pump sta- tions, which have not been redesigned for manyyears.Pumpsrepresentoneofthelargest asset expenditures for a utility but also offer the greatest potential for savings. Addressing asset management, energy management and sustainability is of course crucial but our re- search has shown that 75% of pump systems are oversized, many by more than 20%. This while electricity costs account for 40% of the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a pump. “The solution for the issues lies in smart pumping or intelligent pumping, along with the use of the Industrial Internet of Things

(IIoT). These approaches result in energy savings, increased equipment lifetime and maintenance cost reductions by providing higher quality and precise data. “A ‘smart pumping’ system has the ability to combine greater efficiencies with sensors and software to regulate and control flow and pressure. The IIoT incorporatesmachine learning and big data technology, harnessing sensor data, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and automation technolo- gies that have existed in industrial settings for years. “We recommend that utility owners start

small, start smart and start now by introducing energy measuring devices intosystemarchitec- tures. They can use

Marc Ramsay, vice president for the Industry Business Unit at Schneider Electric South Africa.

controllers with intelligent applications for better protectionand reducedcommissioning time, while following guidelines for standards as set by local and global organisations. They can replace fixed speed pumps with variable speed pumps and for ‘smart’ visibility of pumping systems, use remote monitoring for maintenance and energy efficiency. q

New impeller from KSB improves pump suction In its ongoing quest to push the boundaries of performance, pump manufacturer, KSB Group, has developed a special impel- ler to further improve the suction characteristics of its Movitec multistage high-pressure pumps. The new impeller is particularly useful in applications with critical inlet conditions such as boiler feed applications, aswell as applications in which the pump is required to take in water from low-lying tanks or at higher temperatures. These condi- tions are not always suitable for standard pumps, as pressure drop in the intake area can cause cavitation in the first pump stage, resulting inexcessivewear of pumpparts ormotor bearings aswell as a reduced service life of the pump due to damaged parts and an unbalanced hydraulic system. The new impeller is offered as an alternative to the standard product. When developing the new impeller, KSB’s design engineers went to great lengths to ensure it can be used with a number of Movitec variants without necessitating modifications to the outer pump cas- ing. The new impeller features a modified inlet diameter, vanes that allow a slightly diagonal through-flow and a newly designed stage casing, all of which serve to substantially improve the pump’s NPSH (net positive suction head). The multistage centrifugal pumps from KSB’s Movitec range are designed for handling fluids such as water, coolants, condensate and mineral oils. They are ideal for a wide variety of applications ranging from industrial boiler feed installations in steamcircuits, recirculation and fire-fighting systems, cooling water circuits and washing plants to pressure boosting in general process applications. q

September 2018 • MechChem Africa ¦ 13