At Pump Solutions Australasia, we import the very best pumps to Australia from around the world for a host of industrial, residential and medical applications. One of the biggest industries in terms of pump usage: the environmental industry. Pumps are vital to improving and maintaining our environment. We would like to tell you about some environmental applications.
Vacuum Pumps, Blowers and Compressors
To keep it simple, blowers and compressors are essentially vacuum pumps working in reverse. The same mechanism that creates suction on one end creates output on the other. When air is being pumped, the diameter of the output can be decreased to produce more pressure on the output end.
Pond Aeration
Compressors are used in tandem with a diffuser to pump oxygen into ponds or lakes. This increases the amount of oxygen in the water and can prevent a pond from becoming stagnant. This process can also be used to supply more oxygen for fish in waters where the oxygen supply is insufficient. The motor on your fish tank is a great, though small, example of this process.
Sewage Aeration
The same system can be used to control the quality of wastewater in residential buildings. The wastewater goes into a compartment where it is oxygenated. This allows aerobic organisms to grow and convert the organic waste materials into microbial cell material and gases. The aeration compressors also controls the “mix” of the aeration zone and help ensure that waste materials receive maximum exposure to microorganisms.
Biogas Production
The same aeration process in clarifying tanks and activated sludge tanks is transferred to a digestion tower for stabilisation and then used to produce biogas. The sludge must be mixed thoroughly to increase the yield of gas and to reduce the amount of time for retention in the reactor.
The gas is withdrawn from the top portion of the digestion tower, where a liquid ring compressor is used to compress the gas, which is then reintroduced through a series of nozzles at the bottom.
Landfill Gas Recovery
Landfill gas is produced when garbage is “digested.” A collection system is used to collect the gas, where it is first removed and then compressed by blowers or compressors. The gas can be transformed into electricity, used as heating fuel or used as liquefied gas.
Soil Vapour Extraction
Liquid ring vacuum pumps claw vacuum pumps and regenerative blowers can be used to remove volatile organic compounds and hydrocarbons from soil. The vacuum pulls the vapours to the surface.
Cooling Water Systems
Vacuum pumps are often used in cooling water systems to maintain a prime. This allows water pumps used for circulation to maintain appropriate water flows while consuming a minimum of power. Single stage liquid ring vacuum pumps are the preferred type for this application because they prevent water slugs from being ingested into the pumps.
Pumps Used in Water Treatment Plants
Turning sewage into potable water is a long process that takes a lot of steps. The pumps that are used to transfer sewage, slurries and wastewater to the various processes in the plant are called sewage pumps. Here are some of the various pumps used as sewage pumps.
Centrifugal Pumps
Centrifugal pumps are the most commonly used pumps in water treatment facilities. They are easy to operate and maintain. They have a wide range of capacity, smooth flow rate and a simple design. Centrifugal pumps use suction to direct liquids through their impellers. They are most often used with high flow rates and low viscosity fluids.
Submersible Water Pumps
Submersible water pumps are the pumps of choice for draining sewage and slurries. The motor and power cord are hermetically sealed to keep water out, allowing them to be submerged in liquid. Because they are sealed, they are very consistent and nearly impossible to mechanically compromise.
Call Pump Solutions Australasia Today
We hope you enjoyed this article. We wanted to give you an idea of what pumps are used in what situations without bogging you down in technical data. If you have any questions or would like to order pumps for any application, call us today: 08 9408 1544.