4 minute read
Reliable pumps for boiler feed duties
The reliable operation of industrial boilers is critical across many industry sectors, where downtime brings with it potentially significant cost implications. Flow magazine found out how Byworth Boilers is working with KSB UK to ensure its customers can count on the reliability of its boiler range.
Leading steam and hot water boiler service provider, Byworth Boilers, offers several ranges of large and medium-sized boilers to industry sectors which include food and beverage production, health services, pharmaceuticals, paper and board making. The company recognises that, for its customers, buying a boiler is a long-term investment, so it is important that it is as efficient as possible and extremely easy to maintain in order to maximise the investment and product lifecycle. It also recognises that the readily available supply of steam and hot water are crucial to its customers’ production requirements.
For its boiler systems, Byworth manufactures and fabricates a considerable number of components inhouse; however, there are always certain components that have to be outsourced. One such component is the boiler feed pump, a highly specialised precision piece of equipment, as Jason Atkinson, Byworth’s Head of Technical and Product Development, explained: “Pumps are integral to how the boilers work because the pumps are used to feed the water into the boiler. Without a constant supply of water at the correct pressure and flow rate, the boiler simply does not work.”
BOILER FEED PUMPS
In its quest to find a reliable pump that it can employ across its range of boilers, in 2012 Byworth opened discussions with KSB UK. Since the companies began working together some eight years ago, KSB UK has sold over 400 Movitec pumps to Byworth.
Keeley O’Neill, OEM Area Sales Manager at KSB UK, took up the story: “We approached Byworth Boilers in 2012 with an offer of a free trial of a Movitec VCF4-14 pump on its own boiler system, also used for training, to test its reliability and suitability for the company’s systems. This turned out to be a great success, and subsequently, Byworth started officially placing orders in 2013. They have gradually increased their spend with KSB year-on-year to a point where we now have in place pricing agreements and a rebate scheme.”
In addition to its boiler sales, Byworth was the first company in the UK to recognise the potential need for a mobile boiler hire service, and in 2019 Byworth Hire decided to install Movitec pumps on its boiler hire units as well. “The decision to expand its six-year relationship with KSB was taken largely on the issues of fast delivery, reliability and cost,” added Keeley.
THE MOVITEC PUMP KSB’s
Movitec pump series is a multistage vertical high-pressure centrifugal pump in ring-section design with suction and discharge nozzles of identical nominal diameters arranged opposite each other (in-line design) and close-coupled. Designed with hot water and cooling water recirculation, boiler feed, fire-fighting and pressure booster systems in mind, it offers users a range of energy-saving and high-performance features that deliver demand-driven operation.
With lower NPSH values, it provides dependable pump operation and a high level of operating reliability capable of delivering pressure up to 40 bar and flow rates of 190m³/hr. Occupying only a small footprint, so ideal for incorporation into plant systems, the Movitec is easy to maintain. Seals are easy to replace, and EasyAccess or cartridge seals can even be replaced without the need to remove the motor.
The KSB Movitec plays an important role in saving energy at the component level due to its high-performance hydraulic system and maximum efficiencies. In addition, KSB has available drive and automation solutions for the efficient operation of the pump sets. The pumps are equipped with economical IE3 motors as standard, and optimum energy savings can be achieved in combination with the KSB SuPremE IE5 motor. Pump sets, fitted with the PumpDrive speed control system and the PumpMeter monitoring, are recommended for fluctuating flow requirements and varying intake pressures.
The latest Movitec models have the option of an impeller design that improves the pumps’ suction characteristics (NPSH value). Significantly, the impeller can be used with several Movitec variants without the need for modifications to the outer pump casing. This impeller features a modified inlet diameter, vanes allowing a slightly diagonal through-flow and a newly designed stage casing, all of which serve to improve the pump’s NPSH curve substantially. This proves its worth in applications with critical inlet conditions (e.g. boiler feed applications) and applications in which the pump is required to take in water from low-lying tanks or at higher temperatures. Under these conditions, a pressure drop in the intake area may cause cavitation in the first pump stage. This can result in excessive wear of pump parts or motor bearings and reduced pump service life due to damaged parts and an unbalanced hydraulic system.
The Movitec pump series is fully supported globally by KSB Group companies and distributors. For Byworth, which has a global demand for its boilers, this network is of great importance. It means that, should a problem occur or if pump maintenance is required, the boiler user has speedy access to replacement components and professional engineering support.
MUTUAL OBJECTIVES
Byworth’s aim to be the preferred partner in providing efficient heat solutions sits easily alongside KSB’s philosophy. Both companies are dedicated to providing their customers with solutions that satisfy their aspirations and requirements. In an era where optimising energy and operating efficiency combine to deliver the maximum return on investment, both Byworth and its advanced technology boilers and KSB with its intelligent pumps pursue parallel paths. chevron-
