Wilo’s Pumps Safeguard A Flexible Future
Wilo Salmson's Wilo-Block-BN end suction pumps and variable speed drives have been specified as part of a strategic maintenance programme at Gateshead Leisure Centre.
The pumps and inverters will ensure that the Centre's hot water and air-conditioning system will be able to adapt to changing demands brought about by future facility developments.
The maintenance programme was instigated following the demise of the
Centre's water boilers, which had passed their economic working life expectancy. Following the complete failure of one of the boilers, a plan was drafted to replace the three existing boilers and rejuvenate the system's pumps.
The resulting £100,000 phased programme has required the specification of eight end-suction pumps, an inline glanded pump and a small secondary hot water return from Wilo Salmson. To ensure flexibility, each IP55 enclosed pump will be installed with a variable speed drive, which will adjust the pump's output to meet changing demand. The associated inverters will be housed in a control panel featuring a digital display, which has been purpose-built by Wilo.
Key to the success of the project is the Wilo-Block-BN end-suction pumps, which exactly match the dimensions of the existing infrastructure, thereby minimising the need for pipe modifications. With a cast iron spiral volute, the Wilo-Bloc-BN pumps also incorporate direct drive flange-mounted motors, which provide vibration-free operation, and bi-directional mechanical seals, which facilitate extended service life.
One of the aims of the maintenance programme is to ensure that the Centre's service facilities will be able to adapt to changes in demand brought about by the development of new amenities. "There's always something happening," Derek Luke, a mechanical engineer working on the project, explained. "Flexibility is therefore crucial if the system is going to be able to adapt to alterations following installation."
Once in place, Wilo's pumps and inverters will help ensure the flexibility of the revamped hot water and air-conditioning system that will extend throughout the building's eight heating zones, which comprise LPHW air-handling units, constant temperature circuits and compensated LPHW radiators. Wilo's pumps and inverters, Derek also noted, will make the new system "more reliable, less prone to breakdowns and more adaptable to future developments".
For further information, please contact Mark Sowden: Email. sales@wilo.co.uk.
Source: WILO SE
