Problematic solids such as sanitary towels, plastic bags, textiles and wood are being found more and more often in wastewater. Pumping and sewage treatment plants are therefore increasingly reaching their limits; units get clogged up and break down.

In times when low lifecycle costs are playing an ever more important role, HOMA Pumpenfabrik offers an energy efficient and reliable solution for areas where a high delivery head is required, but at the same time, a diverse range of solids is expected: the Alligator chopper pump series. The newly developed OC impeller of the Alligator series enables effective operation through a powerful cutter system. Thanks to the use of highly durable chilled chrome cast iron, the main components that are subject to the most stress perform reliably even with abrasive substances such as sand. HOMA will be presenting the new Alligator chopper pumps for the first time at IFAT 2022 in Munich.

“The lowest possible lifecycle costs are becoming increasingly important in water and wastewater applications,” explains Konstantin Pörsch, Project Manager in the Design & Development department at HOMA Pumpenfabrik GmbH. “There is a growing demand for energy saving and reliable pumps that reach high delivery heads with great efficiency.” With its new Alligator chopper pump series, which will also be available as an explosion-proof version, HOMA has developed a particularly efficient response to this demand.

Cutter system shreds all solids with high efficiency

“Our goal was to achieve high delivery pressures in the medium flow rate range,” reports Konstantin Pörsch. Without forfeiting pump rate, the improved efficiency meant that a smaller, cheaper and more energy saving motor than in other pumps in the same operating range was sufficient. To achieve this, HOMA developed a new cutter system that effectively shreds and removes large quantities of diverse solids such as tear-resistant hygiene wipes, plastic bags and wood, which also get into the wastewater via surface water. The specially designed impeller has integrated cutters and a sharp-edged radius of 10 mm to the wear plate, which is also equipped with its own cutter. This design allows the two central components to work together to catch solids, break them down and ultimately remove them from the suction area via integrated grooves in the wear plate.

To enable greater efficiency without compromising on cutting performance, the blades of the impeller also curve strongly backwards. As a result, in the 50 Hz version, a flow rate of up to 130 m³/h and a delivery head of up to 57 m can be achieved with power consumption of 5 to 12 kW. In the 60 Hz version, with power consumption of 8 to 20 kW, a flow rate of up to 140 m³/h and a delivery head of up to 82 m are possible. The suction cover mounted on the pump housing can also be used to adjust the cutting gap between the impeller and the wear plate with the aid of six set screws. “The strength of our new Alligator series, which is available for wet well installation as well as dry installation, is its great efficiency and effective cutter system, coupled with a long service life,” adds Konstantin Pörsch.

Low lifecycle costs thanks to wear-resistant design

In order to achieve not only the best possible efficiency values in the operating range required for these kinds of wastewater applications, but also to reduce lifecycle costs overall, HOMA attaches great importance to low-maintenance operation in addition to efficiency. The impeller and wear plate, which are the components subject to the most stress, are made of extremely durable chilled chrome cast iron, which withstands even abrasive substances such as sand in the pumped medium. In addition, the hydraulics were optimally designed for the operating range using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to increase efficiency and to eliminate any possibility of solids building up, which can negatively impact performance and lead to costly pump failures. “With the newly developed cutter system, the Alligator pumps can effectively break down all solids in the waste water and transport them away, saving both energy and maintenance costs thanks to their high efficiency and wear-resistant materials,” Konstantin Pörsch sums up. “This makes them particularly suitable for waste water applications that require high delivery pressure, but at the same time have to deal with many different kinds of solids.”

HOMA will be presenting the new Alligator chopper pump series for the first time at IFAT 2022 in Munich. This and other innovations, such as the maintenance slide with sliding motor mount, will be explained and demonstrated by the HOMA sales team in Hall B1 at Stand 429/528.

With the “SCT AutoAdjust”, SEEPEX has perfected its internationally patented and multi-award-winning Smart Conveying Technology (SCT). The specialist for progressive cavity pumps, pump systems and Digital Solutions once again demonstrates its market leadership in the field of intelligent and innovative solutions.

The same applies to the other trade fair presentations featuring its “Digital Solutions” and “Smart Air Injection”. SEEPEX will be participating in the exhibition from May 30 to June 3, 2022, in Hall B1, Stand 215/314, at the Munich Exhibition Center. Analog is becoming digital. “SCT AutoAdjust is another logical step from the world of analog products into the world of digital pumps and is in terms of its technical design the only one of its kind in the world,” says Dr. Stephan Mottyll, Head of Global Product Management at SEEPEX. The Bottrop-based company is consistently developing its digital products and services with ambition and passion. The pump manufacturer combines its digital solutions with the traditional pump business to give its customers more time for the essentials, reduce costs and simplify processes.

At the world fair for environmental technologies at the end of May, international trade visitors will experience the premiere of a fully automated solution with integrated Industry 4.0 features. The current premium model range SCT AutoAdjust offers revolutionary innovations in the area of progressive cavity pumps. Wrenches etc. are now a thing of the past when it comes to maintenance. One click from a remote location and the stator is back in top shape. The range, which was developed on the basis of customer requirements, makes maintenance work much easier and therefore helps to save time and costs. Retensioning ensures constant pumping capacity and high productivity. SEEPEX promises “maximum reliability with absolute operational reliability” and “the shortest, fastest and easiest maintenance work ever. Productivity is increased and maintenance times are reduced to a minimum – so it couldn’t be any better.” Compared to pumps without SCT, life-cycle costs are also significantly reduced. SCT AutoAdjust is available in a 1-stage and 2-stage version for pressures up to 8 bar.

SEEPEX has been optimizing its Smart Conveying Technology (SCT) since 2008. The proven design principle: the Smart Stator consists of two halves, so that maintenance can be easily performed by one person. Suction or pressure lines no longer need to be removed. With an integrated retensioning device, the clamping between the rotor and the stator can be adjusted for optimal conveyance if the flow rate is reduced due to wear and tear. The latest development, the SCT AutoAdjust, now automatically and hydraulically retensions the stator at the push of a button, without the need for any special tools. The new SCT AutoAdjust generation allows the stator to be retensioned either conveniently from the control room via analogue signal lines or digitally via various fieldbus systems. Quick access on site at the pump can be achieved via a control panel or via Bluetooth using an app for Android and Apple tablets that are already connected to the SEEPEX Pump Monitor.

The SEEPEX Connected Services cloud platform forms the interface between smart pumps, services and processes. It bundles the data from Condition Monitoring using the SEEPEX Pump Monitor or the customer’s own SCADA system. This enables targeted evaluations and analyses that can be used for process optimization. All collected data is stored reliably and securely in the cloud. The real-time data from the monitoring service provide feedback on wear and tear or indicate that spare parts are due for reordering soon. Shutdowns are avoided and system availability is increased. Reliable evaluations are used for preventive maintenance as outlined in the operating and maintenance instructions based on the operating hours for gearbox oil changes and calibration of instruments. To accomplish this, SEEPEX’s Advanced Analytics program also uses historical data to enable predictive maintenance forecasting and identification of abnormal conditions. By combining different sensor data, rules can be created to trigger alarms. For example, a reduced flow rate at increased pump speed compared to the pump’s individual calibration curve would indicate pump wear. This means that if unintentional process changes are displayed, measures can be taken at an early stage. The deeper analysis of all collected pump data also enables SEEPEX to make more accurate life cycle predictions for each pump type based on an anomaly detection check.

With “Smart Air Injection” (SAI), SEEPEX offers its customized system solution that combines the advantages of two pump technologies to transport highly dewatered sludge over long distances in a particularly energy-efficient manner. Sewage sludge compressed into plugs can be conveyed up to 1000 meters to its destination using pulses of compressed air in the pipes. For disposal companies, this alternative to conventional processes can quickly pay for itself. Smart Air Injection (SAI) transports sewage sludge with a dry matter content of 20-40% over long distances. The innovative combination of progressive cavity pump, additional polymer injection and pulsating compressed air application allows compacted sewage sludge to be delivered in an energy-efficient manner over long distances. This system solution comes in the form of a package unit, which contains the pump, the dedicated control logic, as well as the polymer and, if desired, the compressed air components. This pump can also be connected to the Connected Services of SEEPEX as an expansion.