A
water treatment plant in Florida is using disc pumps to pump lime
sludge, a severely abrasive and high solids content fluid. Prior to
installing the first disc pump system, the plant operated two
progressive cavity pumps to move lime sludge with a 3060% solids
content. "During the course of normal operation, the
rotor/stator assembly in these pumps would start wearing out after
23 months" reports the Superintendent at the plant.
The Discflo system was then installed to move
the lime sludge. The Superintendent comments: "It has not shown
any signs of wear to date.... The only maintenance required in four
years of operation has been packing replacement and the solids being
pumped now range from 6080% on a daily basis."
The pumps have reduced the City's maintenance
bill by several thousands of dollars yearly in maintenance costs, as
well as cut downtime and improved the overall efficiency of the lime
solids removal operation.
Case Study: Sludge
with Entrained Air
Discflo's
disc pumps have solved a pumping problem in sludge recirculation for
the Metro Wastewater treatment facility in Denver, Colorado. The
previous centrifugaltype pumps experienced air-locking when the
plant installed gas mixing equipment as part of the anaerobic
digestion process. The disc pumps' ability to handle entrained gas
in this viscous sludge containing 24.5% by weight solids was a
major factor in their selection, according to the Project Manager
for the Central Treatment Plant. The pumps have operated with no
downtime or repairs, other than routine preventative maintenance,
since start-up two and a half years ago.
Case Study: Various
Types of Sludge
At
the Ashbridges Bay Main Treatment Plant in Toronto, Canada, Discflo
pumps are being used for two different sludge handling processes.
Six disc pumps are installed in the disposal area pumping a 3%
solids sludge from the digesters to the centrifuges, and one pump
(so far) has been installed after the dissolved air flotation tank.
In the first process, the disc pumps replace
rotary lobe pumps, which required complete overhaul after 3000
running hours at thecost of CAN $10,000 each. As this process runs
24 hours a day, 365 days a year, "the lobe pumps were costing
us too much to maintain", reports the Chief Works Supervisor
(Mechanical) at the plant.
It was the same problem in the sludge
thickening area, only in this application, the plant used
progressive cavity type pumps to move 110 dry ton/day of a 5% solids
sludge. These pumps cost from CAN $15,000CAN $20,000 to overhaul.
The first discs pumps were installed in the
sludge disposal area in 1995, and in the sludge thickening facility
in 1996. Since start-up, they have all run trouble-free, with no
repairs and no breakdown in service. The Works Supervisor is pleased
with the performance and expects the pumps to pay for themselves
soon: "When you consider how much it cost us to overhaul the
lobe pumps and the progressive cavity pumps, it won't take long to
recoup our investment."
He has subsequently ordered four more disc
pumps for the plant's centrifuges and three more to replace the PC
pumps in the thickening area.
Case Study: Primary
Scum
Disc
pumps' lack of radial loads are saving a Wastewater Treatment plant
in North Carolina a small fortune in mechanical seals. Elsewhere in
the plant, where centrifugal pumps are still being used to pump a
viscous, high solids fluid, the maintenance department is spending
as much as $14,000 on seal replacements due to the radial loading
problem. The North Carolina plant has been using disc pumps since
1989 to pump primary scum from the clarifier. As well as saving on
mechanical seals, they have greatly reduced their maintenance and
spare parts bills.
An independent contractor for Discflo went to
visit the plant recently to see how the pumps were performing and
spoke to the Maintenance Supervisor at the plant: "He told me
that his staff have not had to look at the maintenance manual since
the pumps were installed in 1989. The only thing they have done in
the past eight years is add some extra packing as needed.
"During my visit, I gave [the Supervisor]
a copy of the new wastewater brochure and he was surprised. He had
always assumed it was just another brand of centrifugal pump."
"So that's what they look like
inside" he remarked. The WWTP will be using disc pump for their
upcoming plant expansion.
Wastewater
Industry
A
water treatment plant in Florida is using disc pumps to pump lime
sludge, a severely abrasive and high solids content fluid. Prior to
installing the first disc pump system, the plant operated two
progressive cavity pumps to move lime sludge with a 3060% solids
content. "During the course of normal operation, the
rotor/stator assembly in these pumps would start wearing out after
23 months" reports the Superintendent at the plant.
Discflo's
disc pumps have solved a pumping problem in sludge recirculation for
the Metro Wastewater treatment facility in Denver, Colorado. The
previous centrifugaltype pumps experienced air-locking when the
plant installed gas mixing equipment as part of the anaerobic
digestion process. The disc pumps' ability to handle entrained gas
in this viscous sludge containing 24.5% by weight solids was a
major factor in their selection, according to the Project Manager
for the Central Treatment Plant. The pumps have operated with no
downtime or repairs, other than routine preventative maintenance,
since start-up two and a half years ago.
At
the Ashbridges Bay Main Treatment Plant in Toronto, Canada, Discflo
pumps are being used for two different sludge handling processes.
Six disc pumps are installed in the disposal area pumping a 3%
solids sludge from the digesters to the centrifuges, and one pump
(so far) has been installed after the dissolved air flotation tank.
Disc
pumps' lack of radial loads are saving a Wastewater Treatment plant
in North Carolina a small fortune in mechanical seals. Elsewhere in
the plant, where centrifugal pumps are still being used to pump a
viscous, high solids fluid, the maintenance department is spending
as much as $14,000 on seal replacements due to the radial loading
problem. The North Carolina plant has been using disc pumps since
1989 to pump primary scum from the clarifier. As well as saving on
mechanical seals, they have greatly reduced their maintenance and
spare parts bills.