Achieving Operating Cost Savings With Process Vacuum Systems Thru Dry Vacuum Pumps

By Author: Dhruv Malhotra
Total Articles: 10
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Vacuum is required for many industrial processes, including distillation and drying. There have been many technologies used to supply the required vacuum. These technologies are expensive in terms of both operating costs (e.g. oil, water) as well as maintenance costs. Recent advances in pump technology have made it possible to process vacuum using many 'dry' pumps. Dry screw pumps can make significant operational cost savings that are easily quantified in terms ROI (return on investment). This can also help improve throughput and process yields. Oil free pumps can also be used to reduce the use of process water and the disposal of contaminated fluids. This will have an environmental impact.

Reliable, Economical Vacuum Source: A common use for process-scale vacuum is vacuum distillation to remove components from a multi-part mixture. This can be used to remove liquid contaminants from industrial chemicals. A Hydrebad based chemical recycling firm uses a liquid ring vacuum to lower the pressure within the distillation column until water and other contaminants evaporate, leaving behind the purified chemical. Although their ...
... current process works well and the firm is able to make a profit, the liquid ring pump has caused operational problems that have forced the company to find an alternative source of vacuum to increase their throughput and their revenue. The current liquid ring pump has three operational issues. The pump's operating cost is a concern. Liquid ring pumps, by their nature, require constant flow of process water along with the same amount of electric power that would be required for motor-driven equipment. Based on the 6,000 hours of annual operation, this liquid ring pump uses over 700,000 gallons per year.

Oil-Free Vacuum Green Technology

Resource Conservation: It is becoming more important to conserve natural resources and reduce industrial waste. Because of their environmental benefits, Everest Vacuums dry screw vacuum pumps are replacing old vacuum pump technologies such as liquid ring pumps or oil-sealed rotary vane pumps. The SuperScrew’s , process vacuum pumps, do not use oil or water and are more energy-efficient than pumps with variable frequency drives. They also maximize solvent recovery.
100% Oil-Free - No oil, water or consumption; no contaminated oil/water disposal
Energy Savings High-efficiency SuperScrew’s motors can adapt motor speed to process conditions in real time and reduce power consumption by up to 70%
Maximize Solvent Recover - The adaptive speed control allows for the recovery and recycling of solvent vapors. It also reduces solvent emissions.

This chemical recycling company. This results in operating costs that are several lac INR each year, is more than the purchase cost of the pump. This has a significant, negative effect on the firm's net profits. A vacuum solution that has lower operating costs could have a significant impact on your bottom line. The liquid ring pump's second drawback is the need for maintenance and downtime. The primary pump must be removed from service for at least two working days each year in order to be repaired. It is important to switch to a backup pump during this period and other shorter periods throughout the year. Although the backup pump works the same as the primary pump, it is not as efficient as the primary. This limits throughput and revenue. A new pump solution would reduce capital and operating costs, be more reliable, require less maintenance, and not require duplicate investment. The last operational concern is the use of water/antifreeze as the sealing fluid. The system's throughput is directly affected by the liquid ring pumps ability to achieve a specific vacuum level and maintain sufficient flow to allow the distillation process progress at an optimal rate. The flow rate through a liquid-ring pump can vary significantly due to seasonal temperature fluctuations. Warm days have a higher vapor pressure, which reduces the pump's flow and vacuum levels. This can lead to a significant reduction in throughput.

Oil free pump: Many people who currently use liquid ring pumps have made dry running pumps an attractive option. Under the right conditions, Dry Screw Vacuum Pump technologies such as claw pumps, dry screw pumps or chemical-resistant dialog pumps can all work in place of liquid ring pumps. They also completely eliminate the water consumption associated with liquid ring pumps.

Dry pumps have slightly higher upfront costs (capital) than wet vacuum pumps, however the operating cost over the lifetime of the pump enables them to be much cheaper during there lifetime cost.
Dry screw pumps are superior to claw pumps because they have a thinner coating on their rotating screws, which allows them to withstand chemical vapors. Dry Screw Vacuum pumps are enhanced versio of claw pumps in that they can reach high flow rates and achieve deep vacuum levels. They can also be operated at high temperatures so chemical vapors could react and cause severe damage. This allows corrosive chemical vapours to pass through the pump and not cause damage.

Chemical-resistant dry vacuum pumps can also be given hazardous location ratings (e.g. ATEX Internal Atmosphere rating), for use with potentially volatile gas mixtures. Variable frequency drives (VFDs), or permanent magnet motors can be used to control process vacuum levels over the entire operating range of the
dry vacuum pumps.

This allows for a dramatic reduction in pump power consumption and can reduce the pump's power consumption by up to 90% in some applications. Chemical-resistant diaphragm pumps can be used for a wide range of processes. Diaphragm vacuum pumps are excellent candidates for use in processes that use aggressive chemicals or where exact process control is required.