The power of the right insight
Optimising and simplifying the production of water on board is what HP Watermakers is all about. At this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival the company presented a new series of more compact, efficient HP SCA Double desalinators
by Paola Bertelli - ph. Courtesy by HP
Gianni Zucco, co-founder of HP Watermakers. Above, the new HP SCA Double
Innovation is a constant for HP Watermakers. This smart, agile company has helped revolutionise the world of on-board desalinators, first by making them more automatic then by enabling them to interface with the yacht’s electronics. The company chose the Cannes Yachting Festival as the venue for the launch of its new series of HP SCA Double desalinators, featuring more compact dimensions and outstanding efficiency.
As Gianni Zucco, co-founder di HP Watermakers, explains, the innovative elements involved in this new series is the result of the clever idea of “removing the low-pressure pumps, the ones that bring seawater to the desalination unit, from the frame, reducing the footprint of the current SC Double series by 33%. We have moved them close to the seawater inlets, making the desalination plant’s seawater supply much smoother. The thinking behind this is very simple: to ensure a more continuous inflow, avoiding the (unfortunately frequent) problems of filling the long connection pipes. Air bubbles often form as a result of pipe length and route (which is not always straightforward inside the boat), blocking the desalination plant and forcing the crew or the owner to manually
restart the watermaker”. Relocating the low-pressure pumps has also made it possible to shorten the box from 1,100 mm to 800 mm, providing precious centimetres of space in the engine room. Another factor behind the success of this series, suggested by the name “Double”, is that two independent desalinators are installed in the same box. They can operate individually or in tandem, providing great flexibility. In this way energy absorption is optimised while ensuring that fresh water is available at times of peak demand. What’s more, if one of the units breaks down the other will always be able to pick up the slack.
The HP SCA Double series comprises five models with freshwater production ranging from 240 l/hr to 1,200 l/hr.
The Cannes Yachting Festival also provided a platform for the official presentation of two new partners in Together We Boat, a strategic sales and assistance alliance involving HP Watermakers, Mase, GenSet, Besenzoni and now also Mapei Marine and Feit Pompe. “We’re solid, independent companies”, says Zucco, “that are combining their forces to encourage growth, take advantage of synergies and create a single reference point for their clients”. www.hpwatermaker.it
Two independent watermakers are installed in the HP SCA Double box. They can work individually or in tandem according to need. There are five HP SCA Double models, providing between 240 and 1,200 litres of fresh water per hour