Abel EM-100 Successfully in Use for 12 years

13.03.2014

The Bottrop purification plant was built between 1991 and 1997 by Emschergenossenschaft at the location of the former Emscher river purification plant. In Bottrop, the sewage of about 1.34 million population equivalents is purified in the plant.

Abel EM-100 Successfully in Use for 12 years

All pumps are equipped with frequency controlled motors (Image: Abel Pumps)

This is equivalent of the sewage produced by about 650,000 inhabitants and the same quantity of industrial sewage. The Bottrop purification plant is therefore one of the largest purification plants in Germany. The downstream central sludge treatment plant of Emschergenossenschaft (ZSB) is used to process and use the entire sewage sludge generated in the purification plants Duisburg-Alte Emscher, Emschermündung and Bottrop with a total of ca. 4 million population equivalents; it is one of the largest in Europe.

The completely decomposed sludge is dehydrated in chamber filter presses so that the content of solid matter is increased from 5% to 36-42%. Before that, the digested sludge is mixed with brown coal and stone coal, so that the fuel value of the dehydrated sludge is increased; it is then burned in two fluidized-bed furnaces. The energy generated by incineration is used for steam generation. A 3.6 MW steam turbine uses it to generate electrical energy.

Until the end of the 1990s, the ZSB Bottrop used hydraulically driven piston pumps to transport the mix of coal and digested sludge from the fermentation containers. In 2000, these were replaced by three electromechanical Abel Diaphragm Pumps of the EM 100Z1850-SG type. Higher efficiency and lower consumption of spare parts were decisive factors to do so. The pumps have flap valves that permit coarse coal particles as well as larger incrustations that often loosen from the wall of the mixing containers to pass. From the mixing containers, the pumps transport the coal-sludge mix directly into the main flow which leads through a static mixer to the mixing and fermentation containers of the filter press feeding pumps.

The electromechanical Diaphragm Pumps are controlled by means of frequency converters in the pumping quantity range between 10 and 40 m³/h. The pumping pressure is below 2 bar. The pumps run ca. 10 hrs per day and are almost maintenance-free. One monthly visual inspection and one annual service where the flap valves and sometimes the membranes are exchanged have shown to be sufficient.

Source: ABEL GmbH

More articles on this topic

Continuous Monitoring of a Hydropower Project Reveals Massive Swings in Carbon Emissions

28.03.2024 -

The Kariba Dam holds back the world’s largest artificial reservoir and generates power for millions of people in Zambia and Zimbabwe. A recent study of the dam showed how it affects the release of greenhouse gas emissions in the reservoir and downstream. Using Xylem’s YSI EXO2 multiparameter sonde for continuous monitoring, researchers gained new insights into how hydropower plants can be optimized to reduce carbon emissions.

Read more

Historic Project Linking Rome and Vatican City Uses Advanced Technology and Local Knowledge

21.03.2024 -

Water technology is playing a crucial role in an urban regeneration project to connect Rome and the Vatican City for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee. The historic project will extend the Lungotevere in Sassia underpass to enable the creation of a new pedestrianized zone that connects Castel Sant’Angelo with St. Peter’s Square. The extension will be completed as the City of Rome prepares to welcome 35 million visitors for the Jubilee – a special year of grace in the Catholic Church.

Read more

Treatment Plant Maintains Service During Infrastructure Upgrade Using Xylem Rental Bypass

14.03.2024 -

To move forward with long overdue infrastructure upgrades, Nodra AB needed a wastewater bypass solution capable of lifting up to 3,000 liters per second into its Slottshagens treatment plant. Xylem’s Rental Solutions team set up a turnkey wastewater bypass station in a little over three weeks. Through dedicated service personnel and remote, digital monitoring and control, Xylem provided 24/7 operational support throughout the 10-week bypass.

Read more

Giant Irrigation Project to Benefit from Thordon Seal Expertise

13.03.2024 -

Canada’s Thordon Bearings is playing a vital role in providing water to arid regions, with the installation of axial shaft seals and filtration systems to the world’s largest irrigation project, in south central India. The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) in Telangana, India, has been constructed in a region characterized by water scarcity, aiming to efficiently utilise available water resources for agriculture.

Read more