Dive deep with confidence and submersible pumps

From deep wells to flooded streets, these submersible pumps are the powerhouse engineered to tackle the dirtiest jobs easily.

Submersible motor pumps with high efficiency are key players in uniting efforts toward environmental sustainability. One company supporting that goal is KSB, with the AmaRex Pro submersible motor pump. It’s a robust and highly efficient pump designed specifically for wastewater handling. With applications in both industrial and municipal sectors, it’s essential to consider why such a pump would help your business.

Challenges of submersible motor pumps

Sarel Erasmus is the Water & Wastewater General Manager at KSB Australia. He believes designing the right submersible pump for wastewater has several significant components.

“A huge factor to consider for a good pump station is having a good hydrodynamic design to pump unscreened sewage,” Erasmus said. “A poorly designed pump station can lead to pump failures, clogging and uneconomical operations. It can also impact the volume of the sump as part of its design and the starting frequency.”

Tobias Knop is the Business Development Manager and Product Manager of wastewater at KSB Australia. He highlighted the importance of understanding the different flow rates through a pump.

“An excellent pump should be able to handle the different flow rates within the domestic wastewater segment,” Knop said. “Let’s be honest; the flow rates differ between the dead of night and the diurnal peaks. In most situations, the same pump is completing the same task. However, as the differences get larger, pump operations get more challenging without implementing a frequency inverter.”

Smart technology

One development in the evolution of pump technology is the increased use of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors. IoT, machine-to-machine communication and increasingly smart production facilities have been heralding the fourth industrial revolution for quite some time.

The intelligent high-efficiency motors of the AmaRex Pro submersible motor pump enable adaptive operation, ensuring the operating point is optimally adjusted to the system curve. This also keeps down wear, reducing the need for unscheduled servicing work. The integrated motor protection monitors the temperature of the motor and electronics and detects any vibrations. Customers are supplied with a pump set matching their specific operating point. Fitted with white cast iron impellers, AmaRex Pro pumps are suitable for transporting abrasive and aggressive waste water.

“Intelligent pumps will limit the chances of wastewater sumps accumulating solids, rags, and other foreign materials to build up in the sump,” Erasmus said. “With the KSB design, we aim to pump these objects out of the sump and prevent it from building up.”

Knop shares this perspective, pointing out that the adaptability of the Amarex Pro pumps reduces the need for external controls.

“The goal is to achieve the widest possible range of flow rates while reducing the risk of clogging with a single pump,” Knop said. “This creates a win-win situation for both end-users and pump suppliers. The latter can reduce the number of pump sizes, while end-users can build smaller pumping stations. That’s because they do not need as many pumps, which saves time and money in the long term.”

Better outcomes

The AmaRex Pro is equipped with sensors to detect clogging. Its integral variable speed drive will stop the pump, run in reverse for a couple of seconds to de-rag it, and then restart it at full torque/speed to increase the velocity. This helps ensure that foreign objects are transported through the pump and out of the pump sump. This also dramatically reduces the on-site maintenance requirements of the AmaRex Pro.

“The smart pumps are more efficient and use less power,” said Erasmus. “It means there are cost savings and reduced carbon emissions. KSB can also show increased reliability rates, which means there are many more benefits for pump end-users. These include reduced callouts, a smaller risk of spills or overflows, increased safety outcomes, and improved financial savings.”

This patented innovation from KSB offers the most accurate clogging detection technology for this type of pump. The integrated motor protection monitors the motor’s temperature and electronics, seeking to detect any abnormal vibrations.

Sustainability outcomes

By reducing the energy consumption of assets, KSB is helping to reduce the carbon emissions of wastewater treatment plants. Further functions integrated into the AmaRex Pro include soft start and soft stop, which reduce wear and tear on the devices, giving them a longer life.

“If our clients can reduce the energy consumption of their assets, they are reducing their carbon dioxide emissions,” Erasmus said. “This sees the lifecycle costs of the assets increasing, which decreases the total cost of ownership over the asset’s life.”

With both economic and environmental sustainability in mind, Erasmus believes KSB’s work in developing its smart submersible pumps will only continue to improve.

“We are of the opinion that highly efficient products like our IE5 synchronous motors and optimised hydraulic designs will be the way of the future.”

For more information, visit ksb.com.au