Posted to News on 12th Mar 2012, 14:02
Viking Pumps with electric heating save energy costs
Michael Smith Engineers is introducing Viking Pumps with electric heating for applications where it is necessary to heat the process fluid before start-up; this is said to be an attractive alternative to the traditional option of pumps with jackets heated by steam or hot oil. Available on the Universal Seal cast iron gear pumps with flow rates up to 155m3/hr, the electrically heated option will suit applications where steam or hot oil is not available or where it is impractical to install long pipe runs.
Viking Universal Seal gear pumps with the electric heat option provide operators with potential cost savings as well as safety benefits. For example, electric heating can result in lower installation costs because the need for long piping runs is eliminated. Also, the inherent risks to the environment of potential leakages from pipe connections in hot oil systems, together with the associated clean-up costs, are removed.
The electric heating option consists of a number of heat cartridges installed in the pump head, the bracket and the casing to get the pump up to temperature together with a temperature monitor and controller to maintain the temperature within a set band.
With Viking's patent-pending design, multiple heat cartridges are installed in the head and extend into the pump crescent. As the pump crescent is located in the centre of the pump casing, more of the heat is transferred directly into the liquid.
Temperature control
A thermocouple, located by the stuffing box, signals when the set-point has been reached and the pumped fluid (such as asphalt or bitumen) is in a liquid state and therefore ready for pumping.
The electric heat option ensures more precise temperature control than steam or hot oil systems, which need higher temperatures to compensate for any heat losses in the heat piping system; this results in higher energy costs. Also energy usage is minimised with the Viking electric heat option, as the heater cartridges are shut off when the desired temperature is reached, unlike traditional jacketed designs where the steam or hot oil is in constant circulation.
Originally designed for pumping bitumen and asphalt, the Viking Universal Seal pumps with electric heating can be considered whenever it is necessary to pump temperature sensitive liquids.
Contact Michael Smith Engineers fro more information about Viking Universal Seal pumps with electric heating.
