Pumps: Dewatering tech for the 21st century

With a complex range of tasks to complete, the choice of which pumps to employ on construction sites can be confusing. Equipment can be required to cope only with clean water, or to deal with sludge and slurry containing varying degrees of solid matter.

The latest pump technology and build sees them regularly and reliably dewatering soft, wet mud, dealing with the product of industrial or refining processes, and handling difficult materials, such as manure and cement.

Furthermore, new technologies and fabrication processes have given them longer life and flow rates that would have been off the chart just a few years ago.

Atlas Copco Power Technique recently completed its portfolio of WEDA electric submersible dewatering pumps, which now covers the full range of on-site pump requirements.

The expanded ranges are the WEDA D range for dewatering and the WEDA S range for sludge. The entirely new WEDA L range tackles the tough job of handling semi-liquid slurry.

As well as optimising the performance of its equipment, Atlas Copco says it has focused on making its pumps lighter (20% lighter than competitor models, the company says), as well as being more electrically safe and easier to install.

The D and S series pumps have WEDA+ features, including phase failure protection, rotation control, thermal switches and a 20 m cable. A phase shifter plug is also available for the 3 phase versions, and all WEDA+ features are available as an option on the L range pumps.

Atlas Copco says the reduced weight of its pumps means they are easier to transport and handle, making them particularly attractive within the rental market. The company insists the lighter product maintains high performance, however, with some models able to pass solids of up to 50 mm through the pump.

Across the range, reinforced cable entries offer improved water leakage resistance, while improvements to the pump’s body provide enhanced corrosion resistance.

All pumps have either an external plug for grease filling or an oil inspection plug, as well as adjustable discharge connections, with flow direction changeable from 90 to 180 degrees.

According to Hrishi Kulkarni, product manager for Atlas Copco Power and Flow division, the pumps “can handle flow rates of up to 16,500 litres/min, with power ratings up to 54kW.

“Accordingly, they make ideal dewatering solutions across many, diverse applications within the construction, industrial, emergency and maintenance sectors.”

Pumps for flood protection

Water technology firm Xylem recently showcased new dewatering products for the mining and construction industries. As an example, Xylem’s Field Smart Technology (FST) is a Cloud-based telematics platform that enables the Internet of Things (IoT), giving customers the opportunity to remotely monitor and control equipment from anywhere in the world. The new Dri-Prime pump from Godwin, a brand of Xylem, can be equipped with this FST application.

Xylem also produces the Flood Protection Dri-Prime series, which it says is the first set of high-flow portable pumps certified to deal with flooding. Being specifically designed to efficiently remove destructive floodwaters and prevent them reaching critical building systems and interior spaces, the pumps have been given the seal of approval from FM Global – the world’s largest private insurer of commercial and industrial properties.

With its Godwin Smart S series of pumps, Xylem boasts increased hydraulic efficiency, greater fuel economy and enhanced serviceability.

Kevin Snow, global product manager for Xylem’s Godwin brand said, “Having smart, high flow pump systems and solutions in place to help protect insured industrial and commercial properties against the growing threat of climate change is a critical flood mitigation solution for building owners and operators.

“The Godwin Dri-Prime FP Series is the latest in Xylem’s resilience-building product portfolio and is the first to have surface mounted diesel pumps certified by FM Global. Godwin’s Flood Protection Series is compliant with the most rigorous certification standards in the world, and each pump in the series can be relied upon to handle the toughest dewatering challenge when flood waters threaten.”

Xylem also recently released its upgraded Flygt 2201 series, with the patented DuraSpin hydraulic that the company says is three times more wear-resistant than traditional hydraulic designs. A new addition to the series, the Flygt Super High Head Cast Iron 2201, was also recently launched, with the capacity to pump up to 140 m.

Pumping at great depths

Tsurumi recognises the increasingly relevant challenge of working at great depths, as resources are mined from further underground and infrastructure projects are becoming increasingly ambitious.

It is often the case that vertical distances simply cannot be bridged with conventional submersible pumps because most pumps can only pump up to heights of between 10 and 40 m.

Some operators work around this problem by using a series of pumps – two pumps that are operated sequentially in one section. This can almost double the achievable distance, but the pumping capacity remains the same. The problem with this approach is that many components are involved, increasing the risk of the whole system failing.

The process can be enhanced by using an adaptor manufactured by Tsurumi, which allows two identical pumps to be directly coupled to create a kind of ’super pump’. Nevertheless, the speed of the impeller remains a limiting factor, which is why the pump programmes of many manufacturers end at this point.

High-pressure pumps then become the optimum choice. For instance, Tsurumi’s LH series provides pumping heights of between 42 and 100 m, at which point classic pump designs reach their physical limits.

If you want to go any higher, you need multi-level pumps. From a technological point of view, this means that several impellers are mounted inside the casing. Whilst the pumping capacity remains the same, the pumping height increases with the number of these levels because the pump supplies greater pressure and is therefore able to reach a higher head. As simple as the idea sounds, it is very difficult to realise if the pumped water contains solid matter.

The LH4110W is the premium model in Tsurumi’s line-up of such pumps, and it uses a 110kW motor to pump wastewater vertically to a height of 216m.

Increased pump efficiency

Pumps are a staple piece of equipment in the rental market and BBA Pumps’ BA150E mobile dewatering pump has been a popular item for a number of years.

Now, says BBA, the pump has been enhanced, in part to align with stricter emissions requirements.

The 15 cm pump, with a Stage V electronically-controlled diesel engine, has a maximum speed of 19,000 rpm, which advances on the previous model by increasing operational efficiency and delivering more pump pressure.

A new dashboard is another upgrade, informing the user of the current status, while speed can be adjusted at the push of a button, for increased fuel efficiency.

The pump also boasts a new canopy, allowing for the required after-treatment systems and engine cooling technology, as well as offering more space for routine maintenance.

DXB PUMP & POWER

UK-based pump manufacturer DXB Pump & Power has launched a new Stage V-compliant high-flow pump for the European market, following an order from its rental partner Svensk Forbipumpning in Sweden.

The new 300 kW DXB s1400/50SAP is powered by Scania’s DC13 Stage V engine and offers flow rates of more than 1,600 m3/hr with heads of up to 60 m. The portable 300mm pump is sound attenuated, with the company claiming that it is the quietest pump with lowest CO2 and particulate emissions on the European market.

Svensk Forbpumpning has already had DXB’s 200 mm pump in its fleet for the past year but needed some larger pumps for upcoming projects in Sweden. Kurt Bjørn Nielsen, Managing Director and owner of the company, said, “We have been pleased with the service and products that DXB Pump have designed for us with the 200mm pumpsets, but our customers required more flow and better emission compliance, especially in the cities like Stockholm and Goteborg. We sat down with the team at DXB Pumps and agreed a plan of design that required Stage V engines and high flows but no louder than 75dB(A) at 7 m, which would make them the quietest in Scandinavia.”

Designed and manufactured in 14 weeks, the s1400/50SAP features satellite telemetry and an engine management system that allows owners and renters to precisely locate the unit and access details about flow rates, fuel consumption and the timing of oil changes, as well as other parameters for preventative maintenance.

Robert Garnham, chief engineer at DXB Pump & Power and lead engineer on the design of the company’s high-flow range of pumps, said, “There has been over 1,000 hours of design time in developing the new s1400/50SAP pumpsets for the order from Svensk Forbipumpning and we are delighted with the outcome of a major collaborative approach we took with our manufacturing partners, Cornell Pump and Scania Great Britain.”

Highlighting the features enabled by the DC13 engine and the benefits they have for the European and US markets, Garnham said, “These include the fact that the pumpset comes as standard with four-point integral lifting capability, in-line suction and discharge, and it is still able to fit inside a standard ISO container allowing for inexpensive international shipment – something no other pump manufacturer has done.”

It was easy enough for DXB to meet one of Svensk Forbipumpning’s key requirements, which was to minimise shipping costs between projects, but more challenging was the need to keep noise levels below 75dB so that the pumps could be used in urban projects in cities such as Copenhagen, Malmo and Stockholm, where strict environmental laws apply.

In order to maximise the utilisation of the pumps in Svensk Forbipumpning’s fleet, DXB also included ATEX certified spark arrestors in the units, which allow the pump rental company to use them in the numerous refineries and tank farms in Denmark and Sweden.

HYCON

The construction industry generally puts heavy demands on dewatering pumps, so their ability to continue to function in the face of large particles is key, along with a robust impeller system.

Hycon’s range of submersible pumps has an impeller design that promises to process particles of up to 74 mm in size.

The impeller at the top of the pump sets incoming water in a circular movement, creating a cone of air with its centrifugal force. In this way, there is minimal contact between the water and the impeller, significantly reducing wear.

The Hycon pumps have a 120 m3/hr capacity and can be connected to Hycon power packs or excavators, trucks, tractors and so on.

Hycon also says its range is capable of running dry all day without breaking down.