Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/730827
www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | OCTOBER 2016 | 21 In 1947 Flygt, a Xylem brand, revolutionised the industry with the launch of the world's first electric submersible drainage pump, followed a few years later by the first submersible wastewater pump in 1956. Both developed by Flygt, the products brought about a revolution for the industry – saving customer's space and build costs and was also less visually intrusive for those living near to them. Over the decades that followed, Flygt has continued to lead the way in wastewater pumping solutions. In 1987 for example, Flygt launched the banana blade mixer – a large slow moving back- swept propeller providing clog-free operation and high efficiency. Then in 1997, the N-pump series was launched to market, featuring an insert ring and hard iron impeller, followed by the Adaptive N-impeller in 2009, bringing a step change in clog resistance and reduction to unplanned maintenance. With a heritage deep-rooted in innovation, Flygt continues to make further improvements and advancements to technology – all of which have helped make it the leading brand in wastewater pumping. Xylem is one of only a few organisations that is dedicated to solving water issues; from simple packaged pumping stations right through to large treatment plants. Changing customer requirements Government regulation and increased awareness around the issues of energy and water conservation have all played a part in changing customer requirements. The basic premise of their needs is the same today as it was 50-60 years ago but the factors driving these purchasing decisions are also now more heavily influenced by three key factors – to lower energy consumption, to reduce maintenance costs and as a result downtime, and finally solutions that offer resilience against flooding and illegal discharges. From the operations and maintenance teams, through to finance and procurement, achieving more for less has become the priority in the purchasing process. For many however, the answer comes in the form of a packaged solution i.e. the combination of a pump, controller and a communications hub. Unfortunately when it comes to the specification of different components, it also means there are different suppliers involved; creating a further headache for those in the purchasing process. The future The greatest challenge and opportunity for manufacturers and the market alike is actually automation. With so much talk about this theme within the market, it can be difficult to truly understand what it means and its benefits for the water industry. Being able to see how pumps are performing from a remote location is part of this but it also has the potential for so much more. For many years the pump has been specified and seen in isolation, however, when viewed as being part of a wider system, it has the potential to improve reliability and increase efficiencies even further. Water utilities and operations teams equally don't have too long to wait for such a solution – the future is already here thanks to Xylem's recently launched Flygt Concertor, the world's first wastewater pumping system with integrated intelligence. The new technology is designed to automatically deliver optimal pumping performance, while at the same time significantly reducing the total cost of ownership. What is truly unique about the solution, is its integration of all components; the processor, software, electronics, sensors, power electronics, a synchronous electric motor as well as state-of-the-art pump cleaning hydraulics – all within a submersible shell. The intelligence actually comes from two key factors; firstly, the system is designed to deliver optimal performance outputs automatically and secondly, the pump system can sense the environment in which it is working, as well as the load it is subjected to, and then adjust its behaviour to meet the end-users requirements. It brings a whole new meaning to pumping, placing emphasis on constant power and therefore an end to overloaded pump curves and poor pump performance. Pre-engineered, with a simple set-up wizard, the system can be up and running on site within no time and customers have the ability to fine tune performance on- site or remotely. If these developments weren't enough, a software function allows for the intermittent drawing down of liquid to pump snore before sucking out any remaining sediment. Fully automatic, it requires no manual intervention resulting in less sediment, odour and of course, cleaning. With the addition of market leading solids handling, constant power functionality and auto reset once power and phases return to normal conditions, Concertor is a force to be reckoned with. For further information please visit: www.flygt.com THE REVOLUTION BEGINS World's first wastewater pumping system with integrated intelligence WORLD'S FIRST WASTEWATER PUMPING SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED INTELLIGENCECE THE REVOLUTION BEGINS ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE