Success for industrial operations around the world can be measured in a number of different ways. Almost always, they can be grouped into one of three categories: Keeping operating costs low, keeping customers happy and keeping employees safe. Happy customers and safe employees are typically easy to identify and measure for most industrial plants. However, operating costs tend to have hidden components that are not so easy to spot.
In the industrial sector, some of the most significant operational costs, whether it be chemical processing, oil and gas, food and beverage or pharmaceuticals, are the ones incurred for the purchase, operation and maintenance of pumps used during various production and transfer processes.
One of those hidden components from the operating-cost perspective can often be the electricity used by the pumping systems, which, according to a Hydraulic Institute study, account for nearly 25% of the world’s electricity demand. With the average cost of energy increasing drastically every year, specifically increasing by 3.9% in 2022, it’s not surprising that energy consumption can make up close to 90% of the total life-cycle cost of owning and operating a pump.
Upon its invention more than six decades ago, air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pump technology became an immediate sensation in the industrial-manufacturing sector. However, the design of the AODD pump could leave its operation susceptible to higher rates (and corresponding energy costs) of compressed air usage. Namely, the earliest air distribution systems (ADS), which are the AODD pump’s motor, would, at the completion of each stroke, produce a moment where a small but still notable amount of compressed air would be allowed to “overfill” the air chamber without any corresponding displacement of fluid. Think of this overfilling as being similar to hitting the gas pedal in an automobile while driving over a patch of ice; the wheels may spin, but the vehicle doesn’t move forward, which is ultimately a waste of gas or energy.
Realizing that AODD pumping systems were ripe for operational improvements that can decrease energy consumption, resulting in both lower operating costs for the facility manager and a more environmentally friendly carbon footprint, Wilden® developed the Pro-Flo® SHIFT Air Distribution System. The operation of the Pro-Flo SHIFT is not just an incremental improvement in ADS technology, but a true revelation, one that presents an entirely new way of looking at how AODD pumps operate and consume energy.
To combat the inefficient use of air, the Pro-Flo SHIFT restricts air flow into the air chamber near the end of each pump stroke so that only enough air is introduced to keep the pumping process going. This is accomplished through the incorporation of an innovative air control spool that automatically meters the air to prevent overfilling with no reduction in product-yield rates. The result is reduced air consumption while maximizing operational efficiency and maintaining flow rates. This means that, in many cases, the Pro-Flo SHIFT can reduce air consumption by 60% when compared to the operation of competitive ADS technologies, all while retaining desired flow rates.
The Pro-Flo SHIFT’s ability to not only reduce and optimize air usage but also maintain or even improve flow rates can save the plant operator the cost of purchasing new pump equipment or compressed-air systems. This ability results in optimized operating costs and a healthier bottom line for the facility operator.
Because of the increasing cost of energy and the negative effects on the environment, more and more facilities are focusing on increasing their sustainability efforts by reducing energy consumption. In fact, some power grid companies are even offering money to facilities that can prove their energy consumption reduction, which Wilden distributors can help provide.
To learn more about how the Wilden Pro-Flo SHIFT eliminates wasted air, improves productivity and provides a sustainable and energy-efficient solution for the fluid-handling industry, read the white paper:
Optimizing Air Usage In AODD Pumps.