Energy saving in borehole pumping

The KSB Group has launched a new submersible borehole pump series. Named UPA S 250, this pump series is designed for use in general water supply, agriculture, mine dewatering and ground water management as well as for general pressure boosting tasks, for example.

Thanks to their optimised hydraulic design, pumps of this type achieve very high levels of efficiency, sys the group. “The wear-resistant design with metal casing wear rings and silicon carbide bearings keeps energy consumption to a minimum for many years, even in the case of high sand contents in the fluid handled,” says an announcement from the firm.

UPA S 250 will initially be available in three different hydraulic system sizes.

It covers flow rates between 60 and 400 cubic metres per hour. The maximum head is 360 metres. All cast components are made of high-grade stainless steel 1.4408 or, optionally, 1.4517.

On request, the new pumps can also be combined with the high-efficiency electric motors of the UMA-S series. These drives are synchronous motors with permanent magnets. Their output per size clearly exceeds that of conventional asynchronous motors.

If comparing motors of the same size, synchronous machines have a higher output and lower heat development. With efficiencies being much higher, the payback periods are shorter than those of asynchronous machines. The motors are operated on a frequency inverter. Demand-driven operation is ensured by flow rate adjustment, resulting in additional potential savings. Also, depending on the system type the frequency of starts and the related load on the pump winding can be reduced, which decreases wear and extends the pump’s service life.

For operation without a frequency inverter, KSB trims the impeller diameters of UPA S 250 precisely to the required duty point. This is how characteristic curves are individually adjusted to the demand and excessive power consumption is prevented for fixed-speed operating modes. The pump is certified for drinking water applications to ACS (French drinking water certification) and meets the requirements of the German Environment Agency.