The Magazine for ENERGY EFFICIENCY in Blower and Vacuum Systems March 2021

INDUSTRIAL BLOWER & VACUUM SYSTEMS

5 Optimizing Booster/Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump Performance

AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS

18 Rethinking Aerobic Digestion Improves Performance kW

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24 Measuring Blower Airflow in the Field Select the Right Vacuum Pump 12 Go ahead. Talk data to me.

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Kaeser Compressors, Inc. • (866) 516-6888 • us.kaeser.com/bvbp Sigma Control is a trademark of Kaeser Compressors, Inc. ©2021 Kaeser Compressors, Inc. All rights reserved. [email protected] MARCH 2021 | VOLUME 7, NO. 1 |

INDUSTRIAL BLOWER & VACUUM SYSTEMS 5 Optimizing Booster/Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump Performance with a Plastics Manufacturer By Michael Cicalese and Chris Halbach, Wintek Corporation 12 Select the Right Vacuum Pump By Tie Duan, E.W. Klein & Co.

5

12 AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS 18 Rethinking Aerobic Digestion Resolves Frustrations, Improves Performance, and Saves Money By David Lauer and Sarah Elger, EnviroMix 24 Measuring Blower Airflow in the Field By Tom Jenkins, JenTech Inc., and John Conover, Tamturbo Inc.

EVERY ISSUE 4 From the Editor 30 Industry & Technology News 34 Advertiser Index 34 The Marketplace | Jobs and Technology 18

Compressed Air Best Practices® (USPS# 17130) is published monthly except January-February combined by Smith Onandia Communications LLC, 37 McMurray Rd., Suite 104, Pittsburgh, PA 15241. Periodicals postage paid at Pittsburgh, PA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Compressed Air Best Practices®, 37 McMurray Rd, Suite 104, Pittsburgh, PA 15241. Compressed Air Best Practices® is a trademark of Smith Onandia Communications, LLC. Publisher cannot be held liable for non-delivery due to circumstances beyond its control. No refunds. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Qualified reader subscriptions are accepted from compressed air professionals, plant managers, plant engineers, service and maintenance managers, operations managers, auditors, and energy engineers in manufacturing plants and engineering/consulting firms in the U.S. Contact Patricia Smith for subscription information at tel: 412-980-9902 or email: patricia@airbestp​ractices.com. REPRINTS: Reprints are available on a custom basis, contact Patricia Smith for a price quotation at Tel: 412-980-9902 or email: [email protected]. All rights are reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without consent of Smith Onandia Communications LLC. Smith Onandia Communications LLC. does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in the material contained herein, regardless of whether such errors result from negligence, accident, or any other cause whatsoever. Printed in the U.S.A. blowervacuumbestpractices.com 3 | 03/21 FROM THE EDITOR

Industrial Blower & Vacuum Systems BLOWER & VACUUM BEST PRACTICES EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD A plastics manufacturing company called Wintek Corporation Manager, Demand asking for an evaluation and replacement of their liquid ring Doug Barndt Side Energy- Ball Corporation vacuum system used in a PET solid state polymerization/drying Sustainability

application. Authors Michael Cicalese and Chris Halbach, Facilities Gentex John Bilsky from Wintek, have sent us a very interesting article sharing Maintenance Corporation

the evaluation and the system they ultimately installed. Corporate Energy Bhaskar Dusi CEMEX USA Manager Congratulations are in order for E.W. Klein & Co. for celebrating their 100th Senior Energy Richard Feustel Leidos Anniversary in 2021! Based in Atlanta, one can safely say they are experienced with Advisor engineering industrial blower and vacuum systems. Their own Tie Duan has sent us an excellent fundamentals article titled, “Select the Right Vacuum Pump.” William Jerald Energy Manager CalPortland GTS Energy Stanley Black Robert Kirts Manager & Decker Aeration Blower Systems Industrial Energy Managers Energy/Reliability As our readers know, an article from Tom Jenkins, from JenTech, never fails to provide Kurt Kniss Shaw Industries Engineer a mathematics challenge! This month, Mr. Jenkins has collaborated with John Conover, Corporate Energy from Tamturbo, to provide readers with another math challenge titled, “Measuring Leslie Marshall General Mills Engineer Blower Airflow in the Field.” Senior Utilities Nissan North Brett Rasmussen EnviroMix has sent us a very interesting article discussing their modified approach to Engineer America conventional aerobic digestion. Using both aeration blowers and air compressors, this Director Energy Purdue Brad Runda engineering firm designs and manufactures treatment systems. I’m sure you’ll like the & Utilities University article provided by authors David Lauer and Sarah Elger titled, “Rethinking Aerobic Vice President Paul Humphreys Atlas Copco Digestion Resolves Frustrations, Improves Performance, and Saves Money.” Communications

Blower Product Thank you for investing your time and efforts Stephen Horne Kaeser Manager into Blower & Vacuum Best Practices. Harris Phil Kruger General Manager ROD SMITH, Editor Equipment Blower Assessments & Vacuum tel: 412-980-9901 Register at https://cabpexpo.com Ralph Wilton Marketing Manager Aerzen [email protected]

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Optimizing Booster/Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump Performance with a Plastics Manufacturer

By Michael Cicalese and Chris Halbach, Wintek Corporation

c Background and Existing curve detail. This obviously would have made water usage and created a significant Vacuum System getting replacement parts or technical support volume of contaminated water that Wintek Corporation was contacted by a extremely difficult. In addition to the lack of needed to be treated. plastics manufacturing company in the information, the customer was noticing the summer of 2015 to evaluate their process following operational issues: 2. Additionally, the issues with the vacuum capabilities. The customer was knockout pot were exacerbating design looking to replace a recently purchased used 1. The inlet knockout pot was improperly flaws with the liquid ring vacuum vacuum system to be used in a PET solid designed causing excess product system. The vacuum system was not state polymerization/drying application. The carryover into the liquid ring pump. designed to promote robust, reliable, process required high heat and vacuum This meant that the customer had and safe operation which are normally and needed to run at 1 mBarA (0.75 Torr). to dump their contaminated sealant selling points of a liquid ring-based The customer had purchased the dryer almost once per day. This increased system. A typical full recovery liquid and accompanying vacuum system from an overseas supplier. While they were happy with the dryer, the vacuum system was not delivering the desired performance. The customer asked Wintek to come on site to review the system, target improvements, and quote a replacement system.

The used vacuum system consisted of an inlet knockout pot and three vacuum boosters in series backed by a liquid ring vacuum system. None of the components had a nameplate nor make and model info on them. The customer had no information on the unit’s reported capacity nor any performance operating Figure 1: Existing System Sealant Reservoir and Cooler

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Optimizing Booster/Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump Performance with a Plastics Manufacturer

ring package would contain a discharge vapor-liquid separator, 3. The third issue with this setup was that it was difficult to as well as a sealant heat exchanger. thoroughly clean the system as carryover accumulated leading to maintenance issues and decreased heat transfer. Additionally, The customer’s vacuum system had an open reservoir with a the system had no flow sensing instrumentation to know when a cooling coil submerged inside of it (Figure 1). This presented significant clog could be present. This was another potential cause a few issues. For one, this container was not air-tight which of high sealant temperature and reduced reliability and capacity. meant the area was exposed to process vapors which is an obvious safety issue. Second, this was a very inefficient method 4. As a result of the poor liquid ring vacuum system design and of cooling the sealant leading to warmer than desirable sealant the resulting capacity deficiency, the overall system was temperatures. The customer had 57˚F(14˚C) chilled water but experiencing high temperatures in the booster vacuum pumps. was only seeing a sealant temperature of 85˚F(29˚C). High The temperatures were so high that the paint on the booster sealant temperature not only leads to decreased performance, vacuum pumps was starting to discolor. In general, high but the customer was reporting that the pump always ran in temperatures in vacuum booster pumps is a result of a booster cavitation. Over the long term this would cause serious damage forced to do more compression work than is appropriate. This to the vacuum pump. Summarizing, the used liquid ring vacuum was caused by improper staging ratios, meaning the backing system was incredibly inefficient, prone to damage, inherently pumps capacity was insufficient for the desired overall system unsafe and hurting production. performance. The customer was particularly concerned with the

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system shutting down mid-batch due to high booster temperatures, resulting in the loss of an entire batch at a high financial loss.

5. Lastly, poor liquid ring pump design led to shaft vibration and bearing issues, creating much more maintenance than Wintek would typically expect to see for a liquid ring vacuum pump.

Summarizing, the existing vacuum equipment was incredibly inefficient, prone to damage, inherently unsafe and hurting production. The system was most likely designed to be as inexpensive as possible, as opposed to reliability delivering the performance the customer desired.

Determining Required Capacity With the many issues identified, Wintek transitioned to determining the required capacity for the customer’s process. This was a two-step process. The first step was determining the capacity of the existing system and the second step was determining the actual process requirements. Wintek returned to the customer site to inspect the existing system to determine its capacity and performance. One method to estimate the capacity of the existing equipment would be to compare the horsepower of the existing boosters with known brands, however all three of the booster vacuum pumps had 10 horsepower motors even though they were physically different in size. The second method by which Wintek attempted to estimate the booster capacity was to measure the lobe and bearing sizes and to compare this to other known boosters. Wintek performed the measurements, consulted with a booster manufacturer, and determined the three booster vacuum pumps had estimated nominal capacities of 3000 ACFM, 1600-2500 ACFM, and 1200-1500 ACFM. For the liquid ring pump, we compared the existing 27kW (~36 horsepower) 2-stage pump to known models and estimated its capacity similar to a 40 horsepower 2-stage vacuum pump.

Wintek then installed an absolute digital pressure gauge specifically calibrated to measure deep vacuum and attached a piccolo to the system to get an overall system capacity curve. A piccolo is a device with several calibrated orifices which bleed in a precise amount of air into the system while it is running to see what pressure the system is able to achieve. One can then use the operating pressure and mass flow to calculate the ACFM capacity of the system at various pressures.

However, the curve generated in this manner is not entirely accurate as it does not incorporate the mass flow of the air that leaks into the system under vacuum. To account for this, the next thing we did was a leak-up test. This entailed pulling the system down to as deep a vacuum

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Optimizing Booster/Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump Performance with a Plastics Manufacturer

as it could achieve without the customers rise along with the system volume facilitates the This ACFM can then be converted to lb/hr by process running. The system was then isolated, calculation of air leakage given the formula: using the operating pressure and temperature. and the pump turned off. We then recorded the We calculated an air leakage of ~1.1 lb/hr air. ∆ x System Volume pressure rise over time. Knowing that pressure Required ACFM = For simplicity we assumed the air leakage did time x Poperating not vary with operating pressure.

With the air leakage now known, we were now able to combine our measured mass flow using the piccolo and the air leakage rate. Figure 2 shows the calculated system performance before and after taking air leakage into account.

As can be seen, the incorporation of the air leakage flattened the capacity curve at the lower pressures. This matches more closely with Wintek’s expectations of a typical booster capacity curve and was the final assumed capacity of the customer’s existing system.

The results of the capacity testing was slightly surprising to Wintek. The customer had given us an estimated mass flow of 112 lbs of water over the course of a 22 hour batch. At 1 Figure 2: Calculated Existing System Capacity mBarA operating pressure, this flow rate would equate to ~2,400 ACFM of required capacity. So it would appear that the existing system was significantly undersized and would not be able to achieve 1 mbarA during operation.

While on site, Wintek had the customer run a batch and recorded the vacuum levels with our calibrated pressure gauge. The existing system operated between 0.54 and 0.72 Torr. As per the calculated capacity curve, this meant they only required ~900-950 ACFM of capacity. This meant that the customer did not have as much mass flow as expected. In speaking with the customer, we came to an agreement to add ~30% extra capacity to the existing system capacity to be safe. We set off to design a new system to deliver at least 1,200 ACFM of capacity at 1 mbarA.

Figure 3: New System Booster Capacity

8 blowervacuumbestpractices.com INDUSTRIAL BLOWER & VACUUM SYSTEMS 03/21 |

Designing a New System the higher the temperature rise will be. Several operating range. This ensures stable operation Frequently, the key parameter when designing of the booster parameters required for sizing when not operating at the single design point. a system with vacuum boosters is the booster are all functions of operating pressure: the Additionally, with the ability to analyze multiple operating temperature. Each booster has a maximum staging ratio, volumetric efficiency configurations fairly quickly, we were able to maximum operating temperature so calculating and temperature rise coefficient. This makes experiment with different designs. One change the actual operating temperature is crucial. sizing multi-booster systems quite tedious and we made was to replace the third stage booster The factors that play into that temperature time consuming by hand. Luckily, Wintek’s with an air ejector using pressurized air as a calculation are the mass flow, vapor stream internally developed proprietary software can motive fluid. This had several benefits: composition, the temperature rise coefficient automate the process and deliver capacity and of the booster, and the staging ratio between temperature profiles for boosters with a variety p The air ejector is much less the booster and whatever process component of backing pumps and solvents. This allows expensive than a vacuum is backing it. Wintek to iterate on different designs quickly to booster determine the most reliable and cost effective The staging ratio is critical to understand design. Figure 3 is an example of the booster p It eliminated a piece of when designing boosted vacuum systems. curve that was generated for this project. rotating equipment which It is defined as the ratio of the capacities of saves on maintenance, and the booster itself and its backing pump. In Wintek is able to plot the booster vacuum it was able to reduce the size general, the higher the staging ratio, the more pump capacity as well as its operating of the liquid ring pump. compression work a booster has to do; thus, temperature across the entire projected

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blowervacuumbestpractices.com 9 | 03/21 INDUSTRIAL BLOWER & VACUUM SYSTEMS

Optimizing Booster/Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump Performance with a Plastics Manufacturer

The reason Wintek decided to keep the liquid knockout pot in the new design, filtration is decided on was a booster- booster-air jet-2- ring pump instead of transitioning to a dry never 100% perfect and carryover had the stage liquid ring package. vacuum pump was the presence of the process potential to cause costly damage to a dry carryover. While Wintek was supplying a vacuum pump. The final system design Wintek In designing the new system, we also identified several additions to a new system that we wanted to include to improve the reliability and safety of the system. They included:

p Wintek-designed knockout pot to improve the particulate capture and better protect the system.

p Additional booster discharge temperature probes.

p Replacement of the manual temperature gauges with digital gauges reading into a panel with a PLC.

p A variable frequency drive on the first stage booster that could reduce the speed if high booster temperatures Figure 4: Picture of New System Prior to Installation are detected. This was preferred by the customer to Wintek Corporation Overview a system shutdown on high Wintek has provided process vacuum and separation systems for the biodiesel, chemical, temperature. environmental, food, pharmaceutical, and plastics industries since 1986. p Inclusion of a well-designed Wintek’s Process Vacuum and Vapor Recovery Systems utilize liquid ring, rotary vane, rotary vapor-liquid separator and piston dry vacuum pumps. Additionally, we engineer multi-stage hybrid designs with blowers sealant heat exchanger on (booster) and/or ejectors to achieve desired vacuum levels. the liquid ring system.

Our Molecular Sieve Dehydration Units (MSDUs) dehydrate of alcohols beyond azeotropic p Added safeties to the liquid limitations and can provide considerable energy savings compared to distillation. Wintek ring system such as flow and provides these as packaged, skid-mounted systems, pre-piped and wired, which significantly level switches to ensure the minimizes installation cost and time. liquid ring pump cannot ever run dry and damage itself. Wintek also engineers Flash Tower Extraction Systems for methanol recovery from biodiesel In cases where carryover is (methyl ester) and glycerin streams. likely, these features are even more important. For more information visit https://wintek-corp.com

10 blowervacuumbestpractices.com INDUSTRIAL BLOWER & VACUUM SYSTEMS 03/21 |

Results About the Authors After submitting our proposal to the customer, Michael Cicalese, President Chris Halbach, Senior Applications Engineer they decided to move forward with the system Michael joined Wintek as President in 2017 after Chris started with Wintek in 2008. At Wintek, Chris we presented to them. It was delivered and 12 years of management consulting with two Tier is responsible for leading Vacuum and Separation installed in early 2016. Figure 4 is a photo 1 consulting firms. Prior to this, Michael was an System sales and engineering design as well as of the completed system. Aerothermal Engineer at Pratt & Whitney and a overseeing the build and startup of these systems. Project Engineer at an industrial refrigeration design/ Chris holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the The system has been running reliably since build contractor. Michael holds an MBA from Carnegie University of Delaware. Tel: 862-419-9055, Email: installation with no major process upsets Mellon University, an MS in Mechanical Engineering [email protected] occurring. Not only was Wintek able to make from Drexel University, and a BS in Mechanical a more sophisticated, reliable, and robust Engineering from Virginia Tech. Tel: 862-419-9993, vacuum system that eliminated maintenance Email: [email protected] and down time, it lead to other opportunities within the plant for additional system sales For similar articles on Industrial Vacuum Technology, visit and service work. https://www.blowervacuumbestpractices.com/technology/rough-vac

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blowervacuumbestpractices.com 11 | 03/21 INDUSTRIAL BLOWER & VACUUM SYSTEMS

Select the Right Vacuum Pump

By Tie Duan, E.W. Klein & Co.

c Deciding on the most suitable vacuum the right vacuum technology-based on their 10 in-HgV. A look at their internal design technology for an industrial application process’ operating vacuum depth. reveals the cause behind this limitation. can be challenging. This decision can be relatively easy if it is simply finding a drop-in Different vacuum technologies have different There is significant space between replacement for an existing pump, but if a ranges of achievable vacuum depths. This impeller blades and the inner surface process keeps crashing an existing pump, it is due to the operating principle of each of the housing. This space allows the can get complicated when you are tasked with technology. Below is a high-level overview of inlet air to be transported between re-evaluating all the available options to find these technologies’ vacuum depth capabilities: each impeller cavity which creates the the best solution. I am hoping to highlight vacuum, but it also acts a large air a few key factors to consider when you run p Side channel blower (regenerative leak within the pump itself, results in into this type of scenario. Some of these key blower). These blowers are mainly slippage, preventing it from reaching considerations are: designed to produce large airflow deeper vacuum. with relatively small footprint, but at 1. Operating vacuum depth the sacrifice of vacuum depth. Their p Liquid ring vacuum pump (LRVP). 2. Volumetric flow rate designed max vacuum depth (ultimate Because a LRVP often uses water as the 3. Process gas, liquid, and solids. vacuum) typically does not exceed liquid to seal the clearance between

The first two items can be somewhat straight forward, but the last criteria can introduce a lot of nuances into this decision. A more detailed breakdown of each of these criteria is described in this article.

Operating Vacuum Depth Figure 1 is a reference chart we frequently use to help guide our customers in choosing Figure 1. Vacuum Depth Chart. Image used with permission from Gardner Denver.

12 blowervacuumbestpractices.com INDUSTRIAL BLOWER & VACUUM SYSTEMS 03/21 |

Because oil is essentially used as the pump. The heat generated from the seal liquid, it can achieve deeper compression cycle of the claws’ vacuum than typical LRVP using water rotation also limits its ultimate vacuum as seal liquid. depth. The deeper the vacuum, the less airflow and less heat removal by An oil-less rotary vane, however, can inlet air, resulting in claws’ thermal only reach about 25 to 26 in-HgV, expansion and eventual touch off. because there is no seal liquid to prevent air leak between the vanes and p Screw pump. The dry pump has a much inner surface of the rotor housing. deeper ultimate vacuum than an oil- less rotary vane, claw pump, or LRVP. p Claw pump. Like an oil-less rotary This is due to the two synchronized Figure 2. Cutaway View of a Side Channel Blower. Image used with permission from Gardner Denver. vane pump, a claw pump can reach counter-rotating screws continuously 26 or 27 in-HgV, but not any deeper compress and cool the inlet gas along the rotor blades and the housing, it in continuous operation. The space the entire axial direction. A screw minimizes air leak within the pump between the two rotary claws and the pump can reach deep into 0.02 Torr itself, therefore allows a single-stage inner surface of the housing allows (0.03 mbara) and can run completely LRVP to reach down to 29 in-Hg. For small amount of air leak within the deadheaded. Nash’s two stage TC pumps, they can reach even deeper than 29 in-Hg. However, the ultimate depth of a LRVP is often limited by the seal liquid used, THE FUTURE OF more specifically by its vapor pressure. As vacuum deepens, the boiling VACUUM SERVICE temperature of the seal liquid drops, at Exchange PLUS the same time pump motor, heat from compression, and the process all add heat to the seal liquid. The ultimate Reliable 24/7 vacuum of a LRVP is reached when the Rapid Service boiling temperature of the liquid under Response Time vacuum equals the temperature of the seal liquid, then the pump will most likely cavitate and not go any deeper in vacuum. Alternatively, oil and other liquid with different vapor pressures can be used as the seal liquid in a LRVP to achieve deeper vacuum.

p Rotary vane vacuum pump (oil- Exchange PLUS is your complete vacuum pump service support program ̶ Benefit from our direct lubricated). As its name suggests, an vacuum pump exchange, full remanufacturing, genuine spare parts and 24/7 monitoring. When every second oil-lubricated rotary vane pump uses counts, our rapid response time keeps your vacuum oil to seal any gap between the vanes equipment running. Contact us today to learn more! and the inner surface of the housing, 1-800-USA-PUMP │ [email protected] │ buschusa.com therefore allowing a deep vacuum.

blowervacuumbestpractices.com 13 | 03/21 INDUSTRIAL BLOWER & VACUUM SYSTEMS

Select the Right Vacuum Pump

p Roots blower. The chart (Figure 1) Volumetric Flow Rate Expanded Air Ratio chart in relation to vacuum shows two effective vacuum ranges When calculating the volumetric flow rate depth measured in in-Hg gauge. for this type of blowers, one at rough needed by a vacuum pump, it is important vacuum like that of a side channel to distinguish between SCFM (Standard CFM. For example, a side channel blower blower, and one at deep vacuum close Standard is defined as under standard pressure application that requires only 10 in-HgV to that of a screw pump. This blower is and temperature conditions. The accepted vacuum, 100 CFM process needs a blower frequently used as an alternative to side standard of temperature and pressure are 68 ˚F with at least 150 ACFM capacity. For a liquid channel blower for vacuum material (20˚C) and 36 percent humidity at sea level) ring vacuum pump running at 27 in-HgV conveying applications that requires and ACFM (Actual CFM). SCFM is typically vacuum, a 100 CFM process needs a pump large air flow and relatively low vacuum the volumetric flow rate the process requires; with at least 1000 ACFM capacity. depth. The roots type blower is also ACFM is the volumetric flow the vacuum pump used as a booster pump in combination sees at operating vacuum depth. Because of Process Gas, Liquid, and Solids with an oil-lubricated rotary vane, the volumetric expansion of air under vacuum, While no vacuum pump is a trash can, different LRVP, or screw pump to achieve very ACFM will be equal to or greater than SCFM. vacuum technologies have different levels of deep vacuum with high CFM capacity. The deeper the operating vacuum the larger tolerance to accidental ingestion of process ACFM is compared to SCFM. Figure 9 is an gas, liquid, and solids. If we are to put them on a scale from Crash and Burn to Keeps on Truckin’, they can be arranged as shown in Figure 10.

Managing process carry-over requires a suitable strategy of inlet separation, filtration, and condensation. This is heavily process dependent and involves a lot of nuances. A simplified motto for dealing with process carry-over is to knock it out or pass it through. Either we prevent process carry-over from reaching the pump or allow the carry-over to pass through the pump without causing damage to the equipment or process. For this Figure 3. Cross Section View of A Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump. Image used with permission from Gardner Denver. article, I will list a few scenarios that highlight

Figure 4. Oil-Lubricated Rotary Vane Pump. Image used Figure 5. Claw Vacuum Pump. Image used with Figure 6. Cutaway view of Claw Vacuum Pump. Image with permission from Gardner Denver. permission from Gardner Denver. used with permission from Gardner Denver.

14 blowervacuumbestpractices.com INDUSTRIAL BLOWER & VACUUM SYSTEMS 03/21 |

E.W. Klein & Co. Celebrates 100 Year Anniversary Only a handful of companies last 100 years, and E.W. Klein is beginning the celebration of its 100th anniversary thanks to you and the great companies we represent, such as Gardner Denver, Alfa-Laval heat exchangers and other equipment. Founded in 1921, E.W. Klein & Co. is a leading manufacturer’s representative of engineered vacuum and heat transfer equipment to the chemical, paper, power, and general industrial markets.

Our Roots: Based in Atlanta, E.W. Klein was selected as Nash Engineering Co’s first representative in 1921. Nash’s original focus was on steam heating systems common in Figure 7. VSB Screw Vacuum. Image used with permission from Gardner Denver. buildings of that time. Later, Nash developed their world-famous line of Nash Hytor vacuum pumps. Still the leader in vacuum today, Nash is now part of the Gardner Denver product line recently acquired by Ingersoll-Rand.

2020 was a challenging year for us all. Since the founding of the company back in 1921, E.W. Klein & Co has come through all kinds of difficulties: wars, depression, recessions, natural disasters, stock market crashes, a pandemic, and everything in between. Through it all, it has been the people of E.W. Klein – our employees, great customers, and the equipment we represent – who have made the difference. COVID has taught us that we can make it through the tough times and make sure we celebrate the good ones too, now and for the next 100 years. Looking forward to 2021 and past COVID: A part of our overall Figure 8. VSB Screw Pump Internal View. Image used growth plan was moving to a new location that has allowed us to stock and repair pumps with permission from Gardner Denver. and other equipment that we represent. We are excited about our new capabilities that will each vacuum technology’s interaction with allow us to service the customer better than ever. potential process carry-overs. The keys to our success have always been our dedicated technical-focused staff, developing p Use solvent or compatible chemical strong relationships with our diverse customer base, and capitalizing on new opportunities. as seal liquid in LRVP. One recent For more information about E.W. Klein and the great companies we represent, please visit application we worked on had the www.ewklein.com. potential of introducing chemicals that can condense in the LRVP’s water loop and clogging up the seal liquid line. One solution option was to substitute water with a solvent as the pump’s seal liquid, which can prevent this chemical from clumping inside the pump. Another application had the concern of alcohol vapor from the process being pulled into the pump mixing with seal water, requiring secondary separation and recovery. A solution option was to seal the pump with alcohol, so discharged fluid is ready for recovery without further separation.

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Select the Right Vacuum Pump

p Polymerization in the claw pump. Because of the claw pump’s operating principle, it generates significant heat during its compression stage. This heat when met with certain monomers pulled into the pump can result in polymerization on the claws and lock up the pump. A more common solution for this is to knock out the incoming monomer using a condenser and separator.

p Oil-water emulsion in a rotary vane. In an oil-lubricated rotary vane pump, when water vapor is sucked into the pump, water can mix with oil and create an emulsion that can damage the internals of the pump. A couple of solutions: use gas ballast to eject water Figure 9. Expanded Air Ratio Chart vapor in the compression zone; dead head the pump to boil off the water under deep vacuum periodically.

p Screw pump’s temperature too low. For a screw pump, it is often used to pass through process gas or vapor without condensing it in the pump. Therefore, a screw pump needs to run at a controlled elevated temperature Figure 10. Levels of tolerance to accidental ingestion of process gas, liquid, and solids. to prevent condensation of harmful vapors. We have seen customers p Clogged filter crashing side channel grow under heat and touch off the where either the cooling water is too blowers. A side channel blower housing and crash. cold or the VFD is running the screw generates a lot of heat as well, because pump at too low of RPM, resulting in of its constant compression of inlet Every process and application is a little bit vapor condensing in the pump causing air. It also uses the process air to cool unique, so a unique solution or solution it to lock up or corrode. Furthermore, itself down. It is not uncommon to see variation is needed. starting and shutting down a screw a side channel blower being used in a pump also requires a period of warm dusty application getting its inlet filter About the Author up and purge. These pre-programmed clogged, preventing fresh air from Tie Duan is the Solutions Sales Engineer at E.W. Klein procedures are meant to ensure the entering the blower to cool it down. & Co. Email: [email protected], tel: 478-508-2017 pump reaches optimal temperature The blower’s impeller would eventually before it is exposed to condensable vapor, as well as remove any vapor left-over before the pump cools down For similar articles on Industrial Vacuum Technology, visit in shutdown. https://www.blowervacuumbestpractices.com/technology/rough-vac

16 blowervacuumbestpractices.com OPTIMIZE ON-SITE UTILITIES Powering Automation Research and Identify Innovations to Enhance the Efficiency and Reliability of Your Systems

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Rethinking Aerobic Digestion Resolves Frustrations, Improves Performance, and Saves Money

By David Lauer and Sarah Elger, EnviroMix

With the modified design, a diffused aeration system can be “right sized” to deliver oxygen, while the compressed gas mixing system maintains solids in suspension and allows anoxic mixing.

c Aerobic digestion is a common treatment VS is destroyed through a process called nitrification process consumes alkalinity, and technology used at small-to medium-sized endogenous respiration, where some of when left unchecked results in a drop in pH. wastewater treatment plants for the treatment the microorganisms begin to decay and are of waste activated sludge (WAS). The objective consumed by other microorganisms. The of aerobic digestion is to treat the sludge for process of endogenous respiration produces disposal, and for those trying to meet Class B carbon dioxide and ammonia. The ammonia is biosolids, further reduce volatile solids (VS) then nitrified in the presence of oxygen through and pathogens to ensure the sludge is suitable the nitrification process, which converts Figure 1: The process of endogenous respiration. for land application. ammonia to nitrate (see Figure 1). The

“Biosolids management costs for a small- to medium-sized wastewater treatment facility can account for 50% of the facilities operations and maintenance expense.”

— David Lauer and Sarah Elger, EnviroMix

18 blowervacuumbestpractices.com AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS 03/21 |

In a typical aerobic digestion process, air delivered by aeration blowers through a diffused aeration system is used to both provide the oxygen needed for endogenous respiration and to completely mix the contents of the aerobic digester tank, keeping the microorganisms suspended and in contact with each other. More often than not, there is little to no automated process control or instrumentation feedback in a conventional aerobic digester, and operators manually run the process.

Aerobic digestion is one of the highest EnviroMix’s modified approach to aerobic digestion can use hybrid rotary screw blowers to provide efficient aeration, energy consuming processes at a wastewater in turn, satisfying oxygen demand for VS destruction. treatment plant. Most aerobic digesters are mixing limited – meaning that the energy or air demand required for the biology is far less than that required for mixing. A mixing limited digester design generally results in the following concerns or problems:

p Excess aeration – resulting in high energy consumption.

p Lack of process control – resulting in uncontrolled nitrification, pH drop, and chemical addition to control alkalinity.

p Lack of visibility into the process – Figure 2: The decoupled approach allows for complete mixing, even under the aeration grid in hopper bottom tanks, resulting in uncontrolled dissolved enabling a “right-sized” amount of air to be delivered for VS destruction. oxygen (DO), over- or under-aeration, digester process upsets, and/or foaming. been developed by EnviroMix, an engineering anaerobic for facilitating denitrification, firm that designs and manufactures treatment alkalinity recovery, and energy savings. p Excess nutrients returned to the head systems. The company’s BioCycle-D Optimized of the plant – resulting in secondary Aerobic Digestion Process is a comprehensive In a conventional aerobic digestion design, treatment process upsets and sludge treatment solution designed to meet the volume of air required to satisfy the increased use of metal salts to meet process demands. Digester operation is oxygen demand of the process is far less phosphorus permits. based on the principal of alternating aerobic than the volume of air required to mix the and anoxic/anaerobic conditions. Through digester contents. As mentioned above, this A Different Approach instrumentation feedback, the process condition is commonly referred to as mixing A modified approach to conventional aerobic controller automatically transitions the cycles limited. The BioCycle-D approach decouples digestion that addresses these problems has from aerobic for VS destruction to anoxic/ aeration from mixing – i.e. the function of

blowervacuumbestpractices.com 19 | 03/21 AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS

Rethinking Aerobic Digestion Resolves Frustrations, Improves Performance, and Saves Money

mixing is no longer provided by the diffused BioMix uses compressed air to uniformly mix the process cycle to encourage energy aeration system, typically allowing for smaller the tank contents at 85% less energy than savings, chemical reduction, and increased horsepower blowers, a smaller aeration diffused air mixing. Decoupling aeration from dewaterability of the outgoing sludge. system, and significant turndown capability. mixing provides over 50% energy savings at design loading and even more when the During both the aerobic and anoxic cycles, Separate aeration and mixing systems are digester is underloaded. there are two automatic controllers that can be included in the modified design, whereby a enabled or disabled – one based on oxidation- “right-sized” diffused aeration and blower The central theme of the innovative aerobic reduction potential (ORP) setpoints and one system provides air to satisfy process oxygen digester process control logic is focused based on cycle time setpoints. The controllers demand, and an energy efficient BioMix on providing complete flexibility to operate work together to determine the best time Compressed Gas Mixing System provides the the digester based on current loading rates, to switch between cycle modes. Alternating mixing function. This allows for independent rather than control strategies solely based between aerobic and anoxic cycles allows for control over oxygen delivery and mixing, on future-state design conditions. The destruction of soluble extracellular polymeric preventing over-aeration and wasted energy process provides operational advantages substances (EPS), reducing the bound water (see Figure 2). in underloaded environments by adapting in the sludge, and therefore, improving sludge dewaterability.

During the aerobic cycle, the aeration blowers operate to deliver the right amount of air necessary to satisfy process oxygen demand without excess aeration. The amount of air is regulated to meet a DO setpoint. The process controller automatically identifies when mixing is needed to support aeration – i.e. when the airflow rate falls below what is required for keeping the contents of the tank completely mixed. Simultaneous optimal air delivery and compressed gas mixing reduce energy consumption. The system switches Figure 3: Transition from aerobic cycle to anoxic cycle using high ORP setpoint to detect ORP plateau. from the aerobic cycle to the anoxic cycle once the ORP value plateaus at the high ORP setpoint, indicating the nitrification work is done (see Figure 3).

During the anoxic cycle, aeration is disabled, and the compressed gas mixing system operates to ensure the sludge remains completely mixed, allowing for continued treatment at minimal energy consumption. Nitrate is converted to N2 gas through denitrification, which can return half of the alkalinity, eliminating the need for chemical addition to regulate pH. The system switches Figure 4: Transition from anoxic cycle to aerobic cycle using low ORP setpoint and nitrate knee.

20 blowervacuumbestpractices.com AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS 03/21 |

from the anoxic cycle to the aerobic cycle once the low ORP setpoint or nitrate knee is reached, indicating the denitrification work is done and the start of anaerobic conditions and phosphorus release (see Figure 4).

The digester alternates between aerobic cycle control and anoxic cycle control until the operations staff is ready to initiate either “manual settle” or “manual decant” as a part of an optional supernatant return mode. To thicken the sludge within the aerobic digester, this operating mode is available for settling and decanting off the supernatant for return to the main treatment plant. The supernatant return mode is initiated by an operator and ends after operator intervention or after a preset time period. Air compressors provide high-pressure air for the compressed gas mixing system at the City of Highland’s HWRF.

An optional sludge processing mode, in which In 1998, the HWRF repurposed a former p Could not supernate all compartments sludge is completely mixed as it leaves the package plant originally constructed in at the same time because airlift pumps digester, is also available to ensure sludge is 1976 to be an aerobic digester. The aerobic need the blowers running. homogenous for downstream processing and digester had four separate compartments, to maintain phosphorus in the sludge through and each compartment was able to be wasted p Had to manually supernate the tanks, low oxic states. The aerobic/anoxic cycling into and/or supernated from individually which was labor-intensive. destroys cell walls, causing cell lysing and with airlifts pumps. The tank had coarse resulting in better dewaterability of the sludge. bubble air diffusers. Air was supplied by a p Received odor complaints when air was Additionally, maximized VS destruction reduces 100-horsepower (hp) multistage centrifugal reintroduced after supernating if air sludge volume, thereby reducing sludge blower operated by a variable speed drive was left off too long. disposal costs. (VSD). In regard to the aerobic digester, the following concerns and frustrations were p Was unable to meet the vector Case Study cited by plant staff: attraction requirements for 40CFR503 Highland, Illinois, is one of the oldest Swiss Class B regulations. settlements in the United States. Located 35 p Could not maintain steady DO levels miles east of St. Louis, Missouri, just off of because of fluctuating tank levels. In 2020, the City of Highland upgraded their Interstate 70, Highland is home to a population facility. The HWRF upgrade was designed to of approximately 10,000 and boast a highly p Had to manually throttle air valves to treat two million gallons of wastewater per rated school district, library, and hospital. City each compartment to keep air flowing day using an oxidation ditch which facilitates utilities are municipally owned and operated. to others when supernating. nitrification and biological phosphorus The Highland Water Reclamation Facility removal and an innovative aerobic digestion (HWRF) treats sewage from 42 miles of sewer p Was unable to utilize blower VSD process to treat the waste sludge. The city main within the community. for energy conservation with throttled selected EnviroMix’s BioCycle-D Optimized air valves. Aerobic Digestion Process as an integral

blowervacuumbestpractices.com 21 | 03/21 AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS

Rethinking Aerobic Digestion Resolves Frustrations, Improves Performance, and Saves Money

part of the new plant design because of the significant energy savings and improved sludge digestion that the system provides.

In the aerobic digester, they were able to reduce their aeration energy from one 100-hp blower operating nearly continuously to satisfy process oxygen and mixing requirements, to one 60-hp blower operating less than three hours per day and one 25-hp air compressor operating the balance of the day at less than 50% capacity to keep the digester mixed.

The upgrade also resulted in increased VS destruction, and reduced operator intervention due to greater automation and Shown is the new aerobic digester at the City of Highland’s HWRF. ease of use. BioCycle-D addressed all of the plant’s concerns through the convenience of p Minimize sludge disposal costs by Sarah Elger, P.E., is Director of Product Innovation automated instrumentation controls, the energy maximizing VS destruction, enabling and Strategy for EnviroMix. She has worked in and process benefits of decoupling aeration plants to meet Class B biosolids the water and wastewater industry for more than from mixing, and the flexibility of built-in requirements for land disposal, and 15 years and specializes in biological wastewater modes for supernatant return and sludge reducing sludge volumes for disposal treatment and process controls. Sarah received processing. by improving dewatering results. an M.S. in environmental engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and a B.S. in Lower Costs and Improve Process p Decrease operator demands by engineering mechanics and astronautics from the Performance providing visibility into real-time University of Wisconsin, and she is a Licensed Biosolids management costs for a small- to process changes and the ability to Professional Engineer in the State of Wisconsin. medium-sized wastewater treatment facility can automatically adapt operation based account for 50% of the facilities operations and on that information. About EnviroMix maintenance expense. Upgrading the aerobic Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, digestion process can save both time and About the Authors EnviroMix designs and manufactures treatment money, while ensuring process performance David Lauer, P.E., is Vice President of Marketing systems to dramatically reduce energy costs and to meet disposal requirements. Rethinking the and Business Development for EnviroMix. He is help facilities meet nutrient removal limits. Utilizing conventional approach to aerobic digestion an accomplished sales manager with more than patented and proprietary technology, the company with an innovative process like EnviroMix’s 30 years of technical product sales experience in provides complete mixing systems, process BioCycle-D allows plants to: the wastewater treatment equipment market. David controls, and energy management solutions to received an MBA from Marquette University and a enhance plant performance in the water and p Reduce energy costs by stopping blower B.S. in environmental engineering from Michigan wastewater markets. For additional information operation when aeration is not required, Technological University, and he is a Registered please visit www.enviro-mix.com. All photos keeping tank contents mixed with a low- Professional Engineer in the State of Wisconsin. courtesy of EnviroMix. energy mixing solution, and decoupling aeration from mixing to match air To read similar articles about Aeration Blower Systems, visit supply with process oxygen demand. https://blowervacuumbestpractices.com/system-assessments/blower-systems.

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Aeration Blower Systems

Measuring Blower Airflow in the Field

By Tom Jenkins, JenTech Inc., and John Conover, Tamturbo Inc. Most electric utilities offer customer incentives for implementing energy conservation measures (ECMs) Incentive programs pay customers to use less energy. In some cases they are mandated by legislation and in others the incentives are driven by the utility’s desire to avoid building new generating capacity. Some incentives are based on reduced energy use (kWh) and some are based on lower peak demand (kW). Electricity is a major budget item in municipal and industrial Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs). Blowers that supply air to treatment processes are the largest single use of electricity in most Measuring BlowerWRRFs. That m aAirflowkes them a prim ine tar gtheet for E CFieldMs. Many blower projects involve replacing or supplementing existing units with new energy-efficient blowers. (Although there is no universal definition, the term “blower” is generally applied to air moving equipment with a discharge pressure By Tom Jenkins, bJenTechetween oInc.,ne a andnd 3 John0 psig Conover,.) Tamturbo Inc. Measurement & Verification

Most utility incentive programs require measurement and verification (M&V). This allows the utility to verify that the projected energy savings are achieved and the incentive payment is justified. There are c Most electric utilities offer customer movingtwo equipment steps to with the a M discharge&V pro pressurecess. Pr ior ttoo ihour.mple Thesemen tvariationsing the EinherentlyCM base makeline energy measurements are taken incentives for implementing energy conservation betweento e sonetab andlish 30 th psig.)e existing system’s enertimelygy us comparisone. When t hbetweene ECM old is iandmp lnewem ented the new energy use is measures (ECMs) Incentive programs pay measured to confirm the improvemensystemst. difficult. Blower efficiency is a customers to use less energy. In some cases Measurement & Verification problematic metric because efficiency is they are mandated by legislation and in others MostT hutilityere incentiveare man programsy metri crequires used for wastmeasuredewater t inre severalatmen ways,t ene mayrgy reflectcomp theari sons. These include kWh per the incentives are driven by the utility’s desire measurementmillion g andallo verificationns treate d(M&V). and kThisWh per pbloweround oalonef Bio orch theem completeical Oxy blowergen D esystem,mand (BOD) removed. In most to avoid building new generating capacity. allowspla thent sutility pro ctoe sverifys loa thatds vthear yprojected season ally, danday doesto d anoty, adirectlynd ho identifyur to h theou renergy. The sore variations inherently make Some incentives are based on reduced energy energytim savingsely co aremp achievedarison bandet wtheee incentiven old a nd npowerew sy usedstem bys dtheif faerationicult. B lprocess.ower efficiency is a problematic metric use (kWh) and some are based on lower peak paymentbeca isu justified.se effic iThereency areis m twoea stepssure tod in several ways, may reflect the blower alone or the complete blower demand (kW). the M&Vsyst eprocess.m, and Prior doe tos nimplementingot directly theide ntifyA t husefule en metricergy o forr p comparisonsower used is b specificy the a eration process. ECM baseline energy measurements are taken power. This is usually expressed as kilowatts Electricity is a major budget item in municipal to establishA usef uthel m existingetric fsystem’sor com energypariso use.ns is spepercif ihundredc powe rscfm. Th (kW/100is is usu scfm).ally e xpressed as kilowatts per hundred and industrial Water Resource Recovery Whensc thefm ECM(kW is/1 implemented00 scfm). the new energy Facilities (WRRFs). Blowers that supply air to use is measured to confirm the improvement. P ·100 e = E treatment processes are the largest single use qstd of electricity in most WRRFs. That makes them ThereW hareer manye: metrics used for wastewater Where: a prime target for ECMs. Many blower projects treatment energy comparisons. These include e = specific power, kW/scfm. e = specific power, kW/scfm. involve replacing or supplementing existing kWh per million gallons treated and kWh PE = electric motor power draw, kW. units with new energy-efficient blowers. per pound of Biochemical Oxygen Demand q = airflow rate, scfm (standard ft3/minute at P = electric motor power drastdw, kW. (Although there is no universal definition, (BOD) removed.E In most plants process loads 68˚F, 14.7 psia 36% relative humidity). ​ 3 the term “blower” is generally applied to air vary seasonally,qs​ tdayd = to a iday,rflo andw rhourate, scfm (standard ft /minute at 68°F, 14.7 psia 36% relative humidity). ​ ​ The specif​ ic power is calculated using a single ​set of inlet conditions and discharge pressure. If the inlet 24 blowervacuumbestpractices.com temperature, inlet pressure, or discharge pressure change then the specific power will also change. For accurate comparisons of the performance before and after the ECM, or comparisons of different technologies, inlet and discharge conditions should be consistent. Calculation methods are provided in

1

AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS 03/21 |

The specific power is calculated using a single stage blowers. Other types of blowers, such potential incentive for a blower replacement. set of inlet conditions and discharge pressure. as the screw blower and the high-speed That typically requires field measurement of If the inlet temperature, inlet pressure, or gearless turbo blower, are more recent the critical blower performance parameters: discharge pressure change then the specific introductions to the wastewater treatment flow, pressure, inlet temperature, and power. power will also change. For accurate field. New control technologies, such as comparisons of the performance before and Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), have The Challenge after the ECM, or comparisons of different provided additional opportunities for ECMs Field measurement of airflow is usually technologies, inlet and discharge conditions with any blower technology. challenging. Accurate flow measurement should be consistent. Calculation methods are requires a uniform velocity profile across provided in test codes such as ASME PTC 13 to These opportunities for energy savings are the diameter of the pipe. The presence of convert performance at one set of conditions supported by the utility incentive programs. valves and fittings creates distortion in the to performance at another set. Many pay up to 50% of the cost of new velocity profile. The compact arrangement equipment and installation. Some programs of the piping system in most blower rooms The Opportunities will also help pay for engineering evaluation decreases accuracy. Flow straighteners may Many existing blower technologies have been and design of upgrades. help but are often inadequate in compensating in use for decades. These include lobe-type for existing piping arrangements. Few existing positive displacement blowers, multistage Measurement of existing blower performance blower installations have accurate flow centrifugal blowers, and geared single and baseline specific power establishes the measurement available.

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blowervacuumbestpractices.com 25 | 03/21 AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS

Measuring Blower Airflow in the Field

On the other hand, accurate temperature and Alternate Methods Throttled centrifugal blowers often include pressure measurements are straightforward There are several alternate methods for a “calibrated” ammeter. This uses the and can be accomplished with simple and determining airflow that can replace direct correlation between flow and motor amperage inexpensive instruments. A simple pipe tap measurement. These methods may be to approximate inlet airflow rate. This method and fittings are all that is required to insert applicable to only specific blower types is subject to inaccuracy when motor voltage or the instruments into the pipe, and instrument or control methods. inlet air temperature changes. This method is location is not critical. Measuring electric not suitable for blowers using variable speed power is also straightforward. If permanent Positive Displacement (PD) blowers with or guide vane control. submetering equipment is not available power known displacement and slip characteristics measurement can be accomplished by qualified can use blower speed to estimate inlet Another Solution personnel with portable instruments and clamp volumetric flow. There are some inaccuracies A method based on simple measurements and on connections. with this method: slip rpm changes with thermodynamics has been used for many years discharge pressure and wear, and the to accurately determine airflow. Power draw, Note that regardless of flow measurement relationship between inlet cubic feet per inlet and discharge temperature, and inlet and method, determination of blower system minute (icfm) and ambient or discharge discharge pressure are used in conjunction power is necessary for ECM measurement airflow is affected by pressure drop through with fundamental thermodynamic equations and verification procedures. filters and silencers. Still, this method provides to determine flow. (See Figure 1.) adequate accuracy for many applications.

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26 blowervacuumbestpractices.com

motor voltage or inlet air temperature changes. This method is not suitable for blowers using variable speed or guide vane control.

pgauge = discharge pressure, psig. Another Solution ​ AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS ​pfilter = inlet filter and pressure drop,03/21 psig. A method based on simple measurements and thermodynamics has been used for many years to | p =​ discharge pressure, psig. accu rately determine airflow. Power draw, inlet and discharge temperature, and inBleatr oamnde tdΔrigiscacu​ gpheraersgseu re is not a constant. It varies slightly with weather conditions and dramatically with pressure are used in conjunction with fundamental thermodynamic equations to dseitteer emleinvea tfiloonw​ . .T (hSe ea verage site barometric pressure can be calculated if the elevation is known. ​pfilter = inlet filter and pressure drop, psig. Figure 1.) motor voltage or inlet air temperature changes. This method is not suitable for blowers using​ variable p = 14.7 − Elev BarometΔric​ pressure is not a constant. It variebsa rslightly wit2h0 0w0 eather conditions and dramatically with Insesrpt eimeda goer: g CuOidLeO vRa PnIeD c.jopngt rol. Wsithee erlee:v ation. The average site barometric pressure can be calculated if the elevation is known. The calculation is performed in two parts. CapAtionno:t hFeigru Sroe l1u:t iEoxna mple measurement system. p = 14.7 − Elev ​ First, the efficiency of the bare blower Elev = site elevation, ft above sea lebvaer l. 2000 A method based on simple measuisr edetermined:ments and thermodynamics has been used for many years to The calculation is performed in two parts. First, the efficiency of the bare blower is Wdeehtaeetrrheme: rin ceodn: ditions will cause some deviations in barometric pressure. The range is less than plus or accurately determine airflow. Power draw, inlet and discharge temperature, and inlet and discharge k−1 minus 0.5 psi, even for extreme weather conditions. The variation is commonly less than plus or minus p k Elev = site elevation, ft above sea level. pressure are used in conjunction with fuXndam=entdal the−rm1o dynamic equations to determine flow. (See AD ( pi ) 0.25 psi. Figure 1.) Weather conditions will cause some deviations in barometric pressure. The range is less than plus or XAD•T i ηB = mIt ins upso 0ss.5ib ples it,o e ovebnta fionr t ehxet rceumrre nwt ebaatrhoemr ecotrnicd iptrioenssu. rTeh ere vaadriinagti ofrno mis cao wmematohnelyr sletassti tohna onr p bluasro omr emtienru. s Insert image: COLOR PID.jpg T d−T i 0H.o2w5 epvsei.r , most barometric readings include an adjustment so that the reading is equivalent to sea level WheCraep: tion: Figure 1: Example measurement system. readings. This permits direct comparison between different locations. Before using a barometer reading ​ Where: iIt sish poousldsi blee dteot oebrmtaiinne tdh ief cau crorerrnetc btiaorno mhaest rbiec epnr eussseudr.e I fr esaod, itnhge faropmpr oap wrieaateth vearl ustea ftoiorn s ioter bealervoamtieotne r. The cXaAlDc u=la Atidoina bisa ptiecr faocrmtoer,d d iinm tweXnos p=ioa Adiabaticnrtles.s Fs.i rs factor,t, the dimensionless.efficiency of the bare blower is determined: AD sHhoowueldv ebre, mapopsltie bda.r ometric readings include an adjustment so that the reading is equivalent to sea level p = Absolute discharge pressure, psia. Figure 1: Example measurement system. ​ d k−1 readings. This permits direct comparison between different locations. Before using a barometer reading pd​ = Absolute discharge pressure, psia. p = Absolute inlet pressure,pd kpsia. i X = − 1 iBtl oshwoeurl dp obwe edre dterarmwi nise nde icfe as scaorryr etcot icoanlc hualast be etehne uflsoewd .r aIft seo. ,A tchteu aalp sphraofpt rpiaotwe evra ilsu ed iffofirc usilte t oe lmeveaatsiounre , so AD ( pi ) p ​= Absolute inlet pressurek, p=s ratioia. of specificp heats, = dCi/Csc,h arge pressureBarometric, psig. pressure is not a constant. It from it. ​i gauge p v sgheonuelrda lblye t ahpep mlieodto. r power draw is measured and the shaft power calculated from it. dimensionless, 1.395.XAD•T i varies slightly with weather conditions and ​ η ≈=​ k = ratio of specific heats, C /C , dimensioBnlessT, −T1.395. P E•ηm ​ p v ​pfilter =d inilet filter and pressure drop, psig. P = − P ηB = efficiency of bare blower, decimal. dramaticallyBlow ewithr p ositew eelevation.r draw iThes n eaveragecessa ry to calculate thBe flo0w.74 6rate. ALctual shaft power is difficult to measure, so Where:= efficiency of bare bloweT​r ,= d Absolute​ ecimal discharge. ​ temperature, ˚R = ˚F site barometricgenera lpressurely the m canot ober pcalculatedower dr aw is measured and the shaft power calculated from it. B ​ d ​ BarometΔric​ press≈ure is not a constant. It Wvahrieerse s: lightly with weather conditions and dramatically with + 460. if the elevation is known. Where: site elevation. The average site barometric pressure can be calculated if the elevation is knoPw•nη . T ​ =X Ab =so Aludtiea bdaisticch faarcgteo rte, dmimpeernastiuornel,e °sRs .= °F + 460. E m η​d AD T = Absolute inlet temperature, ˚R = ˚F + 460. P = blowerP shaftB = power,0.746 bhp.− P L i PB = blower shaft power, bhB p. Elev ​ ​ p = 14.7 − T =p A b=s oAlbustoe liuntlee td tisecmhpaergraet pures, s°uRr =e, °pFs i+a. 460. bar 2000 ηm = motor efficiency, decimal. i​ d​ Where: ​ = motor efficiency, decimal. The ratio of specific heats, k, is equal to 1.395 m​ P = blower mechanical losses, hp ​ ​ Where: L The ratio ​of psp​i =ec Aifibcs hoeluates, ikn,l eist epqrueasls fortuor perfecte1,. 3p9s5ia diatomicf. or per fgases.ect d Foriat oair,m ikc variesgase s. For aWhere:ir, k varies slPigh ​ =tly b wloitwhe r shaft power, bhp. ηP​LB = blower mechanical losses, hp temperature a​ nd relative humidity. Eslightlyxact r ewithlat itemperatureonsEhliepvs =ar andes iat evrelative aeilaebvla ehumidity.t iionn m, fatn ayb soElevovue r =cse sitesa, l ieelevation,nvcleuld. ing ft A aboveSME sea level. Blower mechanical losses from bearings, k ​ = ratio of specific heats, Cp/Cv, dimensionless, 1.395. ​​ = motor efficiency, decimal. PTC 13, but in all but the most extremExacte ca relationshipsses only m areino availabler errors in a rmanye int roduced by uBslionwg ekr = m 1m​e.3c9h5an. ical losses from beargears,ings, lube gea systems,rs, lube etc. sy sarete mtypicallys, etc .between are ty pically between one and three ​ ​ Weather conditions will cause some deviations in b​arometric pressure. The range is less than plus or B = efficiency of bare blsources,owe​ r, dincluding​ ecimal ASME. PTC 13,≈ but in all but Weatherp econditionsrcent Pof will=m ob causetlorw pe osomerw meer deviations.c hanica l loonesse ands, h threep percent of motor power. Inlet and discharge pressure may be measmuriendu sd i0r.e5c tplsyi ,u esvinegn a fbosro elxuttree pmre swsueraet htrearn csomnidtitteiorηsn.​Ls I.t Tish em voarrei ation is commonly less than plus or minus ​ the most extreme cases only minor errors are in barometric pressure. The range is less common to Tme =as Aubres oglauutgee d pisrcehssaurrgee otenm thpee draistcuhraer, g°eR o =f t°hFe + b l4o6w0e.r . On the inlet siTdher esue cpthioans​ e power measurement is not always available. In that case the electric power draw may be η​d introduced0.25 by p susingi. k = 1.395. than plusBlo orw eminusr m​e 0.5ch apsi,nic evenal lo forsse extremes from bearThreeings ,phase gear spower, lube measurement systems, e tisc .not ar e typically between one and three measurement ​ identifies the pressure drop through inlet filters and piping. Barometpcraeiclrc cpuerlnaetse soduf r fmer oiosmt uo msr epedoa wsuerre. d voltage and current. Ti​ = Absolute inlet temperature, °R = °F + 460. weather conditions. The variation is commonly always available. In that case the electric to determine the absolute pressures. It is possible to obtain the current barometric pressure reading from a weather station or barometer. Inlet and discharge pressure may be measured less than plus or minus 0.25 psi. power draw may beI ·Vcalculated·1.73·P F from ​ Three phase power measurement is not alwaPysE a=vailab10l0e0. In t hat case the electric power draw may be The ratio ​of specific heats, k, is equal toH o1w.3e9v5e fro, rm poesrtf ebcatr odmiateotmricic r egadseinsg. sF oinrc aluird, ek avanr aiedsj usslitgmhtelny tw sioth t hat the reading is equivalent to sea level directly using absolute pressure transmitters. measured voltage and current. temperature and relative humidity. Exarecpat drei=nlagptsbi.oa Trnh+sihspi pgaseu ragmerei tasv daiirleacbtl ec oinm mparniyso snoc ubarelcteuwslae, tienencd ld ufirdfofienmrge mAnSte MalosEcua rteido nvso. lBtaegfeo raen uds cinugrr ae nbta.r ometer reading It is more common to measure gauge pressure It is possibleWher toe: obtain the current barometric PTC 13, but in all but the most extremeit csahsoeusl do nbley mdeinteorrm eirnreodrs i fa are c ionrtrreocdtuiocne dh absy b ueseinng u ks e=d 1. .I3f 9s5o., the appropriate value for site elevation on the dischargep = p of −the∆ blower.p On the inlet pressure reading from a weather station or P = I·V ·1.73·P F shoiuld bbaer appliefidlte.r I = measured motor current draw, AmE p, ave1r00a0ge of three phases. Inlet and discharge pressure mayside be msuctioneasu measurementred directly identifies using a thebso lute prebarometer.ssure tra nHowever,smitte rmosts. It barometricis more readings Where: Where: common to measure gauge presspressureure oBnl otdrophwee d rthrough ipscohwaer rginlet ed roa ffiltersw th ise nandbeloc wepiping.sesra.r Oy nto t hincludecea licnullea antt es iadjustment dthee s Vufl co=twi o m sornae tthataes. u Athercet dureading aml sohtao isfrt vpoolwtaeWhere:gre i,s V doiflftisc,u alvt etora mge aosfu trher, eseo phases. Barometric pressure is used to determine the equivalent to sea level readings. This permits I = measured motor current draw, Amp, meapsubarre =m esintte ibdaernotimfieest rtihce p prreessssuurree, dpgrseoinape. trharlloyu tghhe imnleot ofirl tpeorsw aenr dd rpaipwi nisg .m Beaarsoumredtr aicn pdPIr =Ftehs =esmu smerheaao siftsuto rupres opdewod mew roe ctroa flrca ucultaortre,e ddn eftr cdoirma awitl., Amp, average of three phases. to determine the absolute pressuabsoluteres. pressures. direct comparison between different locations. average of three phases. ​ V P=E •mηmeasured motor voltage, Volts, average of three phases. ​ Before usingP aB barometer= 0.746 −readingP L it should V = measured motor voltage, Volts, average p = p + p be determined if a correction has3 been used. of three phases. Where:d bar gauge PF = motor power factor, decimal. If so, the appropriate value for site elevation PF = motor power factor, decimal. pi = pbar − ∆pfilter should be applied. 4 PB = blower shaft power, bhp. Motor nameplates generally include the full Where: ​ Where: m​ = motor efficiency, decBlowerimal. power draw is necessary to calculate load motor efficiency and power factor. These p = site barometric prpes s=u sitere, barometricpsia. ​ pressure, psia. the flow rate. Actual shaft power is difficult to values vary across the motor’s power range but 4 bar bar P = blower mechanical losses, hp η​L ​ pgauge = discharge pressure, psig. measure, so generally the motor power draw are nearly constant above 50% power. Values ​ Blower me​ chanical losses from bearings, gears, lube systems, etc. are typically between one and three Δpfilter = inlet filter​ and pressure drop, psig. is measured and the shaft power calculated at various power draws are available from percent of motor power. 3

Three phase power measurement is not always available. In that case the electric power draw blowervacuumbestpracticesmay be .com 27 calculated from measured voltage and current.

I·V ·1.73·P F P E = 1000 Where:

I = measured motor current draw, Amp, average of three phases.

V = measured motor voltage, Volts, average of three phases. PF = motor power factor, decimal.

4

| 03/21 AERATION BLOWER SYSTEMS

Measuring Blower Airflow in the Field

Motor nameplates generally includmotore the datafull tablesload andmo tshouldor ef fbeici eusedncy and power factor. These values vary if available. aMcrootsosr tnhaem meoptloatre’ss pgoewnera rlalyn ignec lbuudte a trhee n feuallr llyo acdo nmstoatnotr aebffoicviee n5c0y% a pnodw peorw. Vera lfuaectso art. vTahreioseu sv aplouwese rv ary draws are available from motor data tables and should be used if available. across the motor’s power range buThet a rfinale n esteparl yis ccalculatingonstant athebo blowerve 50 % power. Values at various power Tdhrea wfisn alr est aevpa iisla cballec ufrlaotmin gm tohteo rb dloawvolumetrictae rt avbolleusm airflow.aentdr isch aoiruflldo wbe. used if available.

The final step is calculating the blower volumetric airηflBo•PwB. q = v,i pi•XAD·0.01542 ηB•P B qv,i = p •X ·0.01542 Where: Where: i AD Where: q = volumetric3 airflow rate, cfm (ft3/minute). qv,i = volumetric airflow rav,ite, cfm (ft /minute). ​ q ​ = volumetric airflow rate, cfm (ft3/minute). The meas​uv,ri ed data can be used to Thecal cmeasuredulate th​ datae eq canuiv beale usednt s ctof mcalculate airflo w at standard conditions by ​ ignoring rela​ tive humidity. the equivalent scfm airflow at standard The meas​ured data can be used to calculate th​ e equivalent scfm airflow at standard conditions by conditions by ignoring relativep ·35. 9humidity.2 ignoring relative humidity. q = q • i std v,i T i pi·35.92 qstd = qv,i • This method is similar to the widely accepted thermodynaTmi ic pump testing method identified in ISO 5198. Because the temperature rise from compressing air is much larger than the typical temperature This method is similar to the widelThisy ac cmethodepted is t hsimilarermo tody thena mwidelyic p ump testing method identified in ISO rise in pumps the method is actually easier to implement with blowers. Accuracy of the flow value 5198. Because the temperature risacceptede from cthermodynamicompressing apumpir is mtestinguch larger than the typical temperature depends on the accuracy of the input data, of course, but the accuracy of this method exceeds flow rise in pumps the method is actualmethodly easi eidentifiedr to im pinle ISOme 5198.nt wi tBecauseh blow theer s. Accuracy of the flow value meter accuracy when installation conditions are marginal. depends on the accuracy of the inptemperatureut data, o risef co fromurse compressing, but the a caircu isra cy of thAccurateis metho Airflowd excee Ratesds flow suitable to portable devices and temporary Smoemte rp arceccuaruatcioyn ws hsehno uinlds tbaell attaikoenn c muchwonhdei ntlargeri othnes sathanyrset emthema r typicaligsi nuasel .temperatured for real time airUtilityflow incentivesmeasure arem ebasednt an ond energy savings. instrument installations for ECM measurement rise in pumps the method is actually easier The energy consumption of a blower system and verification as well as real time control bSloomwe rp croencatruotli.o Dnus rsihnogu tlhde b teim taek iemnm wehdeiant tehlye fsoylslotewmin igs sutsaerdti nfogr o rfe aa lb tliomwee ar itrhfleo wte mpeaesruatruermee onft t ahned to implement with blowers. Accuracy of the is never constant, since flowrate and pressure applications. ibmlopwelelerr cso anntdro cla. sDeu hrianvge t hneo tt ismtaeb imlizmede.d Tiahtise layf feoclltosw thineg d sitsacrhtainrge o af iar btelomwpeerr athtuer tee amnpde erafftiucireen ocfy the flow value depends on the accuracy of the and temperature are all continuously varying. cimalcpuellaletirosn asn. dT hcea scea lhcauvlaet nedo te sftfaicbieilnizceyd s. hTohuisl da fbfe cctlsa mthpee ddi s(clihmairtgeed )a itro t reemapsoenraatbulere m aanxdi mefufimci eanncdy input data, of course, but the accuracy of this In order to compare before and after energy About the Authors mcainlciumlautmio nvas.l uTehse. Tcahlicsu wlaitlle pdr evffeicnite ngrcoys ssh ionualcdc ubrea cyla imn ptheed f(lloimwi tceadlc) utola trieoans.o Snimabilear mlya axlilm muemas aunredd values should be range checked and the bmethodlower sexceedshould flowbe s metertopp eaccuracyd if sig nwhenals are losconsumption,t or outsid eor r etoa comparesonable the consumption For 25 years, John Conover has worked in the minimum values. This will prevent gross inaccuracy in the flow calculation. Similarly all measured values field of compressors and blowers domestically ranges. installation conditions are marginal. of alternate blowers, it is common to use should be range checked and the blower should be stopped if signals are lospecificst or o upower.tside reasonable and internationally. He’s an expert in sales, sales Aracncugreast. e Airflow Rates Some precautions should be taken when management, product and business development, the system is used for real time airflow Flow meter technology can be very advanced, and marketing. John is a Regional Sales Manager UAtcilciutyr aintece Anitrifvloesw a Rrea tbeass ed on energy savings. The energy consumption of a blower system is never measurement and blower control. During and if proper installation techniques are used for Tamturbo Inc., manufacturers of “touchless”, high- constant, since flowrate and pressure and temperature are all continuously varying. In order to compare Utility incentives are based on enethergy time sav iimmediatelyngs. The e followingnergy co startingnsum poft ion of aaccuracy blowe canr sy best eexcellent.m is ne vHowever,er space speed, permanent magnet compressors. For more before and after energy consumption, or to compare the consumption of alternate blowers, it is constant, since flowrate and pressua rblowere and thetem temperatureperature ofar ethe a limpellersl contin uouslyrestrictions varying. Ioftenn or necessitateder to co mcompromisespare information, visit www.tamturbo.com. cboemfomreo nan tdo aufstee rs peenceirfigcy p coownseur.m ptandion ,case or t haveo co notmp stabilized.are the c Thisons uaffectsmpti on of athatlter nnegateate b thelo winherenters, it meteris accuracy. It Fclomw mmoent etro t uesceh nspoelocgifyic c pano wber v. erythe ad dischargevanced, airan dtemperature if proper andins tefficiencyallation techisn oftenique requireds are us toed obtain accu measurementsracy Tom Jenkins has over forty years’ experience in can be excellent. However, space recalculations.strictions Theofte calculatedn necess efficiencyitate co mshouldprom iseons texistinghat ne installationsgate the i nthathe rdoen nott have blowers and blower applications. As an inventor and Flow meter technology can be verybe a dclampedvance d(limited), and if topr reasonableoper inst amaximumllation t echflowniq metersues a rinstalled.e used aInc ctheseura csituationsy entrepreneur he has pioneered many innovations mcaent ebre a ecxccuerallceyn.t I.t H iso wofetevenr r, esqpuaicree dre tsot roicbttiaoinns m ofetaesnu nreemceesnstitsa oten ceoxmistpinrogm inisetasl ltahtaiot nnse tghaatet dthoe n ionth heareven t flow meters installed. In these situaandtio nminimums the th values.ermo dThisyna willmi cprevent testin grossg me thothed c thermodynamican provide a ctestingcurat methode can in aeration and blower control. He is an Adjunct meter accuracy. It is often required to obtain measurements on existing installations that do not have Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. airflow rates using simple, inexpensinaccuracyive instr uinm theen flowts. T calculation.he metho dSimilarly is suit able provideto por taccurateable d eairflowvices ratesand using simple, flow meters installed. In these situallat imeasuredons the tvaluesherm shouldodyna bem irangec tes tcheckeding me thoinexpensived can pro instruments.vide accur aThete method is For more information, visit www.jentechinc.com. temporary instrument installations for ECM measurement and verification as well as real time control airflow rates using simple, inexpenandsiv ethe in sblowertrum eshouldnts. T behe stopped metho ifd signals is sui table to portable devices and atpepmlipcoartaiorny si.n strument installations for ECM measurement and verification as well as real time control are lost or outside reasonable ranges. To read similar articles on Aeration Blower Technology, please visit applications. https://www.blowervacuumbestpractices.com/technology/aeration-blowers.

A bout the Authors 28 blowervacuumbestpractices.com About the Authors 5

5

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2021 FOCUS INDUSTRIES! Food Processing • Food Packaging • Food & Beverage Packaging • Power, Pressure & Flow Measurement

The Magazine for Quality & Reliability in Energy-Efficient Blower & Vacuum Systems Blower & Vacuum Best Practices is part of a family of magazines Industrial Blower & Vacuum Systems dedicated to Optimizing Onsite Utilities Powering Automation Highly targeted manufacturing and process industry readers optimize & Processes like Aeration. This is a technical magazine, reaching the use of industrial blowers and vacuum pumps. These readers work 14,000 subscribers, who are dedicated to optimizing industrial blower together with sales engineers from industrial distributors of blowers and and vacuum systems and municipal wastewater aeration blower systems. vacuum pumps prepared to provide “Best Practice” advice. The projects include replacing compressed air with blowers for pneumatic conveying, Aeration Blower Systems centralizing vacuum systems, replacing liquid ring with dry vacuum pumps Operators at wastewater treatment plants, process engineers at and deploying VSD technology to match load with demand. engineering firms, and municipal sales reps representing blowers “ The newly installed vacuum system had fewer vacuum pumps than receive the magazine. They turn to our editorial pages whose content previously required for the decentralized solution. This in itself is directed by noted aeration blower experts. Here they find ideas and brought further energy savings.” advice on calculating/sizing aeration blowers, the latest specification — Uli Merkle, Busch Vacuum Pumps and Systems trends from engineering firms and improve their understanding of new Blower Standards like ASME PTC 13. “ Failure to use the correctly specified oil for bearings, seals and gears often results in reduced performance, higher “If we’re good stewards of the money we’re granted to operate the operating temperatures, unexpected maintenance, and Subscribe Now! plant and we invest in the right technologies and do things efficiently catastrophic failure.” and effectively the ratepayers benefit.” — Brendan Pankratz, Tuthill — Mark Bland, Wastewater Manager, Madison Utilities To subscribe visit blowervacuumbestpractices.com | 03/21 BLOWER & VACUUM INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Kaeser EBS Rotary Screw Blower Inovair IM-20 Geared Centrifugal Blower Kaeser announced the latest in EBS rotary screw blower packages. Inovair is in volume production for the latest addition to the IM blower The new energy efficient EBS 410 series in 30-100 hp models expands product family. The low profile, vertical inlet, and small footprint make the gear-driven range of blowers and provides up to 1448 cfm with the IM-20 ideal for replacing less efficient blower technologies and pressures from 4 to 15 psig. With this new model, Kaeser now offers has shown documented energy savings as high as 45%. The IM-20 was our innovative screw blower technology to an even wider range of developed with size and efficiency in mind and is available in (30-125 applications with up to 35% more efficiency than conventional packages. HP) versions. This blower’s compact architecture allows it to fit through Kaeser screw blowers are ideal for municipal and industrial wastewater, a standard 36-inch man door and be placed on most existing blower flotation, fluidization, and other low pressure applications where energy pads without modification. The vertical discharge and low profile efficiency is critical. EBS blowers simplify installation by allowing placement in the same location as a feature the renowned Sigma Profile previous blower with minimal piping modifications. Built with Inovair’s airend and high efficiency gear drive proven reliable gear case, with 99% technology. They are available in both available up-time over the past decade, STC (wye-delta start) and SFC (variable the IM-20 is designed for flows as high frequency drive) for superior energy as 2800 SCFM and pressures up to performance – and unsurpassed 22 psig. The Inovair IM-20 is ideal in reliability. any application where reliability and efficiency are desired. Kaeser Compressors, us.kaeser.com Inovair, www.inovair.com

Busch COBRA NX 0950 A PLUS Oil-Free Pump Busch Vacuum Solutions has now launched the COBRA NX 0950 A PLUS, Ingersoll Rand Acquires Tuthill the second vacuum pump in the new PLUS series. It is a dry, oil-free Ingersoll Rand Inc., a global provider of mission-critical flow creation vacuum pump, which can run with pressure control or at a constant and industrial solutions, has entered into an agreement to acquire rotational speed, making it exceptionally energy-efficient. The COBRA the assets of Tuthill Vacuum and Blower Systems. The all-cash PLUS can thus precisely maintain the desired pumping speed at a transaction, valued at $184 million, is expected to close Q1 or prescribed rotational speed. It can also accurately sustain the required earlier upon obtaining required regulatory approvals and necessary vacuum level, regardless of how the process conditions change. The new third-party consents. COBRA PLUS has a wide range of use in applications where dry vacuum technology is required, where an independent and demand-driven “We are excited to welcome the Tuthill Vacuum and Blower Systems control system is desired and where team to the Ingersoll Rand family. This transaction delivers on vacuum is to be generated reliably our commitment to significantly accelerate our growth plan and and thus efficiently. Thanks to its demonstrates our ability to seek out premium and iconic industrial variable speed drive, the vacuum brands with strong complementary technology and commercial pump covers a pumping speed growth opportunities,” said Vicente Reynal, chief executive officer range from 200 to 950 cubic meters of Ingersoll Rand. per hour and reaches an ultimate pressure of 0.01 millibar. Ingersoll Rand Inc., www.IRCO.com

Busch Vacuum Solutions, www.buschusa.com

30 blowervacuumbestpractices.com 03/21 | BLOWER & VACUUM INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Pfeiffer Vacuum Expands HiLobe Line Sulzer to Acquire Nordic Water Pfeiffer Vacuum, one of the Sulzer AG has signed a binding agreement to acquire Nordic Water for world’s leading providers a purchase price of SEK 1.2bn. Nordic Water is a leading provider of of vacuum technology, has screening, sedimentation, and filtration solutions for municipal and expanded its HiLobe series. industrial water & wastewater applications. The acquisition strengthens These Roots pumps are available Sulzer’s wastewater treatment offering by complementing its equipment in a broad spectrum of pumping portfolio and provides further access to the fast-growing clean water speeds and applications. market. Nordic Water, headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs The innovative pumps can be used for numerous industrial vacuum 200 people at 13 sites in 6 countries. In 2021, it is expected to achieve applications, including electron beam welding, vacuum furnaces and sales of around SEK 750m and an EBITDA of SEK 118m. Nordic Water freeze drying. HiLobe Roots pumps are particularly suited for rapid is a pioneering innovation leader and is known for its broad application evacuations (lock chambers or leak detection systems) and as well for suite in primary, secondary, and tertiary water treatment as well as its general coating applications. With their individual speed control, these global reach. The company has a fast growing and recurring aftermarket vacuum pumps can be adapted to customer-specific requirements. business providing a complete Compact Roots pumps handle a wide range of nominal pumping offering of parts and services to speeds up to 6,200 m3/h. Thanks to their powerful drive concept, they a large installed base built up achieve around 20% shorter pump-down times than conventional Roots over the last 59 years. pumps. Rapid evacuation also saves costs and increases the efficiency of production systems. The HiLobe series boasts an over 50% reduction in Sulzer, www.sulzer.com maintenance and energy costs compared to conventional Roots pumps.

Pfeiffer Vacuum, www.pfeiffer-vacuum.com Edwards Vacuum Service Provider for Stokes Edwards Vacuum announced that it has proudly partnered with Innovative Vacuum Solutions as the newly Authorized Service Provider Atlas Copco Acquires Vacuum Distributor for Stokes vacuum equipment. With decades of Stokes service Atlas Copco has agreed to acquire Ehrler and Beck GmbH. The experience and four service centers located near Edwards’ valued company is a distributor of vacuum equipment and vacuum services. customers, IVS provides the additional reach and bandwidth to look Ehrler and Beck is based in Renningen, Germany and has 15 after the maintenance and overhaul of one of the oldest and most employees. The company’s sales and service network is active in trusted industrial vacuum brands. Stokes was founded in 1895 and was Germany and neighboring countries. “This acquisition will increase instrumental in the development of vacuum technology. From its Vacuum our possibilities to serve Germany and neighboring countries with Dryer launch in 1907, through the first Piston Pump that debuted in industrial vacuum products and services,” said Geert Follens, Business 1903, and onto its star Microvac line that was released in the 1950s, 60s Area President Vacuum Technique. “Ehrler and Beck has a strong and 90s, its products have stood the test of time. Edwards acquired the reputation and long tradition of serving diverse industrial markets brand in 2001 and has continued to expand the Stokes brand in the US such as packaging, printing, wood working, plastic with the opening of a Service Center in Glenwillow, Ohio in 2014 and an and water treatment.” investment in a Southern California service facility in 2017 which Atlas Copco Group, www.atlascopcogroup.com ultimately led to a new Authorized Service Partner for Stokes, in Innovative Vacuum Solutions.

Edwards, www.edwardsvacuum.com

blowervacuumbestpractices.com 31 | 03/21 BLOWER & VACUUM INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Mapro Centrifugal Blowers in Thailand Exair Larger 303SS Air Conveyor Instead of anaerobic digester mixing propellers, MAPRO RF Rotary Vane EXAIR’s new Type 303 Stainless Compressors were chosen to inject 100 m3/h at 1.3 bar (60 CFM at 18.6 Steel 3 NPT Threaded Line Vac Air PSI) recirculating air/gas. When mixing digester liquor through a more Operated Conveyors convert ordinary uniform distribution of flow into blind areas a propeller does not reach, pipe into a powerful conveying system this results in lower energy consumption, lower maintenance, higher for parts, scrap, trim and other reliability, lower corrosion, and better system efficiency. bulk materials. This chemical and corrosion resistant Line Vac operates The MAPRO CM multistage Centrifugal Blowers were chosen over PD seamlessly at higher temperatures Blower technology to feed 2200 m3/h at 250 mbar (1294 CFM at 3.6 providing a long-lasting and low PSI) gas motors. This resulted in lower maintenance, easy access to maintenance solution ideal for food, chemical, pharmaceutical, and seal replacement, fewer spare parts required, higher flow flexibility, medical processes. The durable construction of the Threaded Line Vac forced ventilation on the electric motor not required, no sparking employs a larger inside diameter, aiding in conveying bigger parts and materials, higher tolerance on handling larger volumes of material over long distances with ease. In addition, it condensates, higher reliability due to is designed for simple attachment to standard plumbing pipe couplers Aluminum impellers, and low risk of in order to take advantage of common pipes and fittings that are readily seizure. Anticorrosive treatments are available. Threaded Line Vac Conveyors utilize minimal amounts of also available. compressed air to generate an instant and powerful vacuum on one end, with high output flows on the other. Mapro International, www.maproint.com Exair, www.exair.com

Leybold CLAWVAC Dry Rough Vacuum Pump Especially for rough industrial processes Leybold introduces the Piab piSOFTGRIP 50-2 uncomplicated, dry rough vacuum CLAWVAC pump. Besides food Piab once again extends the processing, packaging, and environmental technology applications, piSOFTGRIP family with a new it is suitable for drying and sterilization processes. The pump, which pinch gripper developed for the is offered in three pumping speed classes, is specially designed for automation of the food/chocolate continuous operation at every working pressures. Additionally, the industry. The vacuum-based soft special pump design avoids that oil meets pumped gases, what allows gripper can grip sensitive and higher Oxygen applications. At the same moment, Leybold also offers lightweight oblong objects with odd with the CLAWVAC System series a new multiple pump system. These geometries and/or objects with an systems are based on CLAWVAC and offer a redundant plug-and-play unusual surface. piSOFTGRIP has solution. The daily use of CLAWVAC is uncomplicated: Thanks to the self- two gripping fingers and a sealed vacuum cavity, all made in one piece, supporting construction, the vacuum generator is easily accessible. What resulting in a simple and robust product. The product is not sensitive allows to directly clean the pump on-site. The simple handling of the to dust and the gripping force is easily adjusted and controlled by the robust pump can also be attributed to applied vacuum level. The gripper can easily be put in rows (multiple its operating principle: A pair of claw mode) to support picks of extended objects. piSOFTGRIP is made from rotors rotating in the pump stator silicone which is approved for direct contact with food (in accordance completely free of contact and wear. with FDA 21 CFR and EU 1935/2004 regulations).

Leybold, www.leybold.com Piab, www.piab.com

32 blowervacuumbestpractices.com 03/21 | BLOWER & VACUUM INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Brown and Caldwell New Pittsburgh Leader Lontra Signs to Begin U.S. Distribution Leading environmental engineering and construction firm Brown Lontra announced an agreement has and Caldwell is pleased to welcome Heather Dodson as its new been signed with Blade Compressors® Pittsburgh leader. The strategic hire highlights the firm’s continued LLC, a division of Industrial Air expansion to better serve clients in the Northeast’s municipal and Centers with headquarters in private water, wastewater, and stormwater sector. With 17 years of Jeffersonville, Indiana (USA), to be extensive experience in water, wastewater, and stormwater management the National Distributor for Lontra design and permitting, land development, and municipal engineering, Blade Compressors® and forthcoming Dodson brings a wealth of knowledge and technical expertise to the Lontra products and services in North Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Northeast’s most complex America. This agreement signifies the water and environmental challenges. As Pittsburgh leader, Dodson is start of Lontra’s distribution journey, bringing their novel technology responsible for operations management, providing exceptional client package (the LP2 Blade Compressor®) to industry on a global scale. service, and expanding Brown and Caldwell’s regional presence and The package is by design a very robust unit. George Burch, C.E.O. talent pool to meet market and customer of Industrial Air Centers said, “We strongly believe the Lontra Blade needs. She will provide marketing Compressor will change the blower market in the USA with its unique and technical leadership during the combination of excellent reliability and high efficiency in a modern and procurement and quality delivery well-designed package. Based on industry statistical data it is estimated of impactful water, wastewater, and that the market for machines in which the LP2 blower will compete in stormwater projects the firm is renowned is approximately 85,000 units per year in the USA and growing.” for in the environmental market. Lontra, www.lontra.co.uk Brown and Caldwell, www.brownandcaldwell.com

Xylem Sanitaire Digital Pressure Monitor Cummins-Wagner Acquires FRMA Xylem, the leader in biological wastewater treatment technologies, Cummins-Wagner Co., Inc., a leading distributor of municipal water is introducing its new Sanitaire Digital Pressure Monitor (DPM) to & wastewater equipment, industrial process equipment and HVAC transform wastewater diffusers into smart diffusers. The Sanitaire DPM equipment in the mid-Atlantic region, is pleased to announce they have maximizes diffuser operation and increases energy savings through finalized the acquisition of F.R. Mahony & Associates, Inc. (“FRMA”). strategic fine-bubble aeration system monitoring and intelligence. FRMA, headquartered in Rockland, MA is recognized as a leading The solution offers users an enhanced digital interface that provides manufacturer’s representative/distributor in water & wastewater markets diffuser health data, engineering and economic calculations, and asset in New England. FRMA specializes in small wastewater systems from management recommendations. Aeration at a wastewater treatment plant single family homes to large systems for commercial and municipal is typically the largest single line item in a wastewater plant’s operations projects. Their featured product is the Amphidrome process that provides budget. In today’s economy, many utilities are seeking ways to reduce the highest degree of nitrogen removal available. This transaction is a operating costs while maintaining key part of Cummins-Wagner’s business strategy of steady, manageable treatment compliance. Sanitaire’s growth through market penetration and acquisition. “The combination new DPM empowers utilities with of Cummins-Wagner and FRMA creates a Company with greater scale a digital solution that intelligently and resources to continue and expand our ability to provide experienced monitors and manages their engineered sales & service in water and wastewater treatment aeration systems. applications,” said Doug Ardinger, President/CEO of Cummins-Wagner. Xylem, www.xylem.com Cummins-Wagner, www.cummins-wagner.com.

blowervacuumbestpractices.com 33 | 03/21 THE MARKETPLACE

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