Pumps are at the heart of many processes in our factories, play a key role in our public buildings, and ensure that the wider sanitation systems in the country – and indeed the world – continue to operate efficiently. They are broadly responsible for about 20% of all the energy consumed on the planet.

 

The advent of high efficiency pumps and pumping systems is a huge step forward, driven partly by legislation and partly by common sense and a desire to use less energy, pay lower energy bills and, to a degree, to reduce carbon emissions. To assess the benefits of new pump technology, it’s useful to look at a major new build project where new pumps have been specified and installed across a wide range of areas and integrated with the building management system to maximise the benefits these high efficiency pumps can offer.

 

Palm Papers’ new plant in Kings Lynn is one of the world’s largest  and most efficient newsprint paper mills producing 400,000t of newsprint a year with a working width of 10.63m, producing around 2000m of paper per minute. Production of paper from recycled paper is an energy and cost efficient method of producing paper and saves on the use of virgin wood from managed sources. Wilo says it saves around half the energy and one third of the water needed for paper from wood pulp. In addition effluent and waste is lower.

 

A paper mill is responsible for a serious amount of wastewater so a dedicated private sewage facility was built as part of the project. From this, about 96% of the wastewater can be recycled, so very little water needs to be sourced from the nearby River Ouse and the water that is put back into the river is actually cleaner than the water taken from it.

 

Wastewater is dealt with by five Wilo-EMU FA08 submersible pumps and two Wilo-EMU FA10 pumps. These are designed to pump waste water containing solids and for sewage plants and pumping stations for water management and industrial applications. 

 

Wilo-EMU FA submersible pumps are also used for rainwater collection and drainage on the site; a total of 12 pumps (Wilo-EMU FA20s and 30s), each pumping up to 900m3/h. Four relays control three pumps each and are connected by MODBUS to the building automation system.

 

In the building, the air conditioning and process cooling use Wilo pumps. The 2.3MW cooling requirements are dealt with by two quantum refrigeration compressors. Wilo-Veroline IPL and IPE in line pumps are used for chilled water distribution. In the laboratories cold water distribution is controlled by two Wilo-Stratos CAN pumps – integrated via an IF module lined to the building automation system. These pumps are based on ECM (electronically commutated motors) which, Wilo says, offer double the efficiency of an electronically controlled pump with a conventional drive. Wilo-Stratos high efficiency pumps have been optimised to the operating conditions of the air conditioning refrigeration area. They will operate happily under a wide range of liquid temperatures – from -10 to 110°C, protected by a cataphoretic coating to guard against corrosion.

 

Only the most energy efficient pumps were considered for the project with Wilo-Stratos and Wilo-Stratos ECO installed. The heating system comprises five sub-divisions – a total of 13 circuits which are also controlled by the building automation system.

 

To provide the required levels of water pressure around the buildings, Wilo Comfort-Vario pumps are installed, which with four pumps provides a flow of 25m3/h at a head of 80m. The system is monitored and controlled by the building automation system.

 

This integrated pumping system illustrates the benefits of high efficiency pumps, not just in the lower energy bills they deliver, but in the lower maintenance costs associated with them resulting from their high reliability levels and in-built protection which ensures the pumps run with minimal interference and maintenance.