Fluids Handling

5 Rotary Lobe Pumps Provide High Volume Mobile Wastewater Treatment

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One of the most important things that needs consideration in planning is wastewater management when building any site or expanding it, and also during mining.

At remote locations consideration must also be given to reducing reliance on expensive freshwater supplies through the reuse of process wastewater, ensuring minimal disruption to the surrounding communities and infrastructure that may not have the capacity for the demands of the construction site.

With costs for the disposal of tankered waste reaching upwards of £35-100 per m³, mobile wastewater treatment is rapidly becoming popular worldwide as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative.

The need for mobile wastewater treatment often arises when a steady supply of clean water is essential, but permanent systems are unavailable under maintenance or not yet in place. Be it supporting a temporary site, a major event, or ensuring compliance while facilities are offline, flexible water treatment solutions can fill that gap.

North Ridge Pumps were recently contacted by a wastewater treatment company who required five new pumps for their mobile water treatment plant abroad inside a tight lead time. 

They wanted units which could deliver up to 170 m³/h be easy to maintain and operate via a variable-frequency drive to modularise flow as wastewater treatment requirements varied.

Advantages of rotary lobe pumps are that they offer gentle, shear-free handling of fluids; handle a wide range of viscosities and solids; deliver smooth, consistent flow; and maintain reliable performance. They can also be fabricated in all stainless steel to provide for the handling of fluids which may contain aggressively low or high pH fluids.

It is a positive displacement pump reliant on two synchronized counter-rotating lobes to move the fluids, in this case wastewater. As the lobes rotate, they trap fluid in pockets, drawing it into the pump and then forcing it out the discharge port as the volume decreases.

They are applied in a wide range of applications including:

Wastewater treatment: handling of solids and viscous sludge
Chemical processing – pumping polymers paints, and other viscous chemicals
Food and beverages: To transport products such as chocolate dough sauces or whole solids without crushing
Pharmaceuticals – transferring viscous shear-sensitive products such as creams gels and lotion

At North Ridge Pumps, we draw on more than 25 years of experience to choose the most appropriate pump for every client. This entails tailoring specifications to ensure long performance lives across a broad range of applications-never off-the-shelf models.

Rotary Lobe Pump Gooseneck 2
Rotary Lobe Pump with Gooseneck Inlet & Outlet

After discussing their requirements we supplied five 6″ rotary lobe wastewater transfer pumps complete with spares which included two complete bareshaft pump heads enabling the head to be completely swapped over should more in-depth maintenance or servicing be required.

They contained all kinds of design features to allow the units to work in remote areas for extended periods and without much maintenance.

This included Hardox wear plates which are resistant to abrasion and reduce wear to the pump head due to them being fabricated in a material with a higher hardness than that of the casing. 

A mechanical seal with seal quench to ensure seal faces remain free from solids and should the pump be run dry the seals are protected as they are immersed in an oil bath. Gooseneck inlet and outlet pipework which ensure the pump head remains filled with liquid for easy repriming and detachable front cover for expedited lobe replacement.

The units were designed to provide a flow rate from 65 to 170 m³/h at a working pressure of below five bar with a rotational speed less than 450 rpm to ensure wear was at a minimum. 

The five rotary lobe wastewater transfer pumps were delivered in less than six weeks as needed and shipped directly to the client's mobile water treatment plant overseas. From selection to solution, contact North Ridge Pumps for all your fluid transfer needs.

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About us

North Ridge Pumps are an independent manufacturer and distributor of pumps. Having been established since 1998, we have a vast array of experience having become accustomed to supplying pumps for most processes.

We work within a range of industries both UK and Internationally, specifying pumps for a wide variety of applications from the transfer of corrosive and aggressive chemicals, to dewatered sludge, viscous grease, resin, glues, food and Seawater.

Our pumps range from standard centrifugal and multistage pumps, to immersed and process overhung solid handling pumps. We also supply a wide range of positive displacement pumps including Vane, Piston, Progressing Cavity and Peristaltic enabling us to specify more than one solution for your application, but also ensuring the majority of applications remain within our reach.

We offer the following services:

Technical support – We know at times pump selection is difficult. Pump selections are made with confidence by technical sales engineers who understand your process, ensuring equipment is engineered beyond your needs.

To select the correct technical solution for your requirement, longevity of design is prioritised. If there are existing issues you need assistance with, we work with you to solve these which could be high maintenance costs, frequent service periods, repeated equipment breakdown leading to lost revenue, inconsistent flow rates, clogging or where pumped product is inconsistent.

Application experience – Due to our 20 years of application experience we work with you to ensure our pumps operate according to your desired application. Our experience means we have most likely provided a solution for a similar process previously. With proven results, we know how to achieve your outcome sooner.

As our pumps are completely configurable, we design pumps with materials according to your requirement, and to your required duty point. Pumps are engineered specifically for your process whether they be baseplate mounted, within a mobile frame or in kit form with couplings, hoses, and dispensing nozzle.

Industry knowledge – We have a thorough understanding of a range of industries through experience from supplying the offshore oil and gas market, to paper mills, chemical plants and food manufacturers to name a few.

We not only understand the importance of downtime but also what each process requires and how small design improvements specific to the nature of your industry and application can reduce downtime, facilitate maintenance and improve longevity.

If you have a process or application you require a pump for, or a process which requires improving, get in touch to see how we can help.

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