New generation N-pumps
The new generation wastewater pumps from ITT Flygt build on N-technology successes - and other improvements in the pumps' design go beyond what the market expects.
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The financial realities faced by water utilities around the world have changed considerably in recent years, particularly in countries where private companies have taken over operations. "The profit requirements of many water utilities have led them to adopt a new approach to the purchasing process," says Göran Bruske of ITT Flygt's marketing department for sewage pumps. "More and more, investments by the water industry are now analysed on the basis of a series of criteria. Purchasing decisions are being determined more by means of a life cycle analysis - total costs - than simply by purchase price and other short-term variables. The pump market is no exception. We welcome the trend towards products that must guarantee financially and environmentally sustainable operation for a long period of time."
In response
to these requirements, ITT Flygt has launched the new generation of
N-pumps for pumping stations and sewage treatment works.
Efficiency and reliability define the new pumps from ITT Flygt. Equally
appealing are its long-term economy and low service requirements, all
of which put the new generation N-pumps at the top of the market.
"Energy accounts for some 80 percent of a pumping station's costs over
15 years and pumps for 5 percent," says Thommas Andersen, also of ITT
Flygt's marketing department for sewage pumps. "The costs of service and
maintenance can also get out of hand. Hence, the greatest savings potential
as far as our customers are concerned is the opportunity to use fully
reliable and more energy-efficient pumps."
Bruske adds that other key parameters include the availability of spare
parts, the quality of technical support, environmental considerations
and installation costs. Such concerns put purchase price in a broader
context or even overshadow it.
ITT Flygt's research and development effort has been fuelled by the desire
to hold down these extensive costs. Every part and system in the pump
has been optimised, streamlined and made less complex. The project has
produced a number of innovations, many of which have been patented by
the company.
"Our marketing surveys have revealed that customers prefer pumps that
offer greater reliability, efficiency and ease of maintenance," Andersen
says. "However, there has also been a widespread belief that pumps are
inevitably subject to clogging every once in a while, that the pumping
station must be flushed regularly and that unscheduled maintenance is
required. That was regarded as an inescapable reality."
In that sense,
the launch of the N-technology in early 1998 represented a milestone.
With its self-cleaning impeller, the new technology is already being used
by customers in a number of countries. The N-pumps that have been delivered
so far have seen more than 1 million hours of operational duty. The technology
has won international prizes and created a new standard. Even the very
first N-pumps were able to guarantee high and consistent efficiency for
long periods of operation without clogging. In other words, N-technology
alone provides customers with substantial savings.
However, this is about more than N-technology. These are completely new
pumps. Major innovations - such as the internal, closed cooling system
that enhances the operation of dry-installed pumps - is far more energy-efficient
than other systems. The coolant is water and environmentally approved
monopropylene glycol. Another elegant solution is the inspection chamber
to collect possible leakage through the seals and thus avert damage to
the bearings.
The inspection chamber is equipped with a sensor that triggers an alarm
when it is full.
"I like to call
these pumps our 'smart' products," Andersen says. "For example, they
have 40 percent fewer screws than their predecessors and only six different
types of screws on each pump. We have quite simply reduced the number
of screw joints, and that's obvious when you see the smooth external surface
of the pumps. They're easier to clean when they are hoisted up for maintenance."
The motors produced in-house were optimised for better efficiency and
heat conduction.
"It's the same thing with the motors as with the rest of the pump: We're
accomplishing more with less, which is good for both operation economy
and the environment," Bruske says. "We can certify that our pumps now
are able to handle more water per kilogram of motor or energy unit."
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Regular maintenance is not only less frequent, but also easier to
perform. For example, the seals are now built into a Plug-inTM unit,
making for quick and simple installation while minimising the risk
of damage. The trimming of the clearance between the impeller and
pump casing is now carried out in a few easy manoeuvres. ITT Flygt performed extensive international marketing surveys in 1994 and 1998, each with the same results: The industry was looking for pumps with longer and more cost-effective lifetimes, low energy consumption and clogging rate, simple service requirements and good technical support. "The new generation of N-pumps attests to the fact that ITT Flygt has been more than responsive to the market," Bruske says. |
New Generation N-pumps offer a series of innovations and improvements over their predecessors in the 7.5-70kW segment. The four N models - 3153, 3171, 3202 and 3301 - possess a capacity of up to 500 l/s. In addition to the N-technology, which is self-cleaning and highly effective, the pumps feature the following:
A new internal,
closed cooling system that uses water and environmentally approved
monopropylene glycol as a coolant; |
© ITT Flygt AB, Solna, Sweden, 2000. All rights reserved.