Efficient Sludge Pumping Solution
Flygt, a leading supplier and manufacturer of wastewater treatment pumps and mixers, has developed an efficient and cost effective solution for handling sludge, utilising new and existing pump technology.
Today, Western Europe produces over 300 million cubic metres of municipal sludge annually. Sludge, which is the by-product of wastewater treatment, is treated to break down organic content. As more and more treatment plants are built and older ones continue to be upgraded the amount of sludge that needs to be treated will continue to increase.
Now Flygt can provide an efficient and cost effective solution for transporting sludge, utilising the company’s new series of PC (progressive cavity) pumps and macerators combined with its existing range of mixers and N-pumps.
As the nature of sludge can change rapidly in a sludge processing system it is difficult to find the right pump to cope with the varying demands, especially as in some sludge treatment processes different head losses are created as the sludge is pumped through a pipe network.
Conventional centrifugal pumps are often prone to clogging in sludge treatment, therefore Flygt has carried out extensive field tests in Europe and USA, with its N-pump range. The N-pumps have a unique clog-resistant impeller design, which has proved very effective in general sludge handling applications. The tests showed that the pumps can handle between 60% and 70% of the sludge pumping requirements.
For tougher applications Flygt’s range of self-priming, rotary displacement, PC pumps can be used. These have a thick, blunt, corkscrew like spiralling shaft rather than an impeller, which forms a series of cavities that progress uniformly from the suction point to the discharge, transporting the liquid and any solids within them. This robust design is also very resistant to clogging and produces an accurate constant flow.
To reduce the threat of clogging further, a Flygt macerator can be fitted upstream of a pump. This grinding device crushes rags and fibres into manageable sizes for pumping in liquid. And once the sludge has been transported to holding tanks, Flygt submersible mixers can keep the solids in suspension. The mixers can be placed directly in the tank and aimed in any position to provide optimal mixing results.
Commenting on this the Flygt President Per-Inge Birgersson said, “With the addition of PC pumps and macerators to our present product assortment we now have a complete product portfolio to cover all sludge pumping applications and a strong base for further growth in the sludge market.”
Source: Xylem Inc.
